When Xavier was twelve, I got accepted into the finance program at Futura University in Salone City. My new life was full of hope, and I couldn’t wait to start. The only thing that weighed on my mind was Xavier. With a mother like ours, he barely had a steady supply of food, let alone a decent life.

He’d just gotten into middle school, still chubby like a little kid, not yet hitting puberty.

Despite that, he spoke like an adult, trying to comfort me, “Willow, don’t worry about me. Go to Salone City. I can take care of myself and look after Mother too.”

I used the money I’d earned from my summer job to hire a housekeeper to cook for them. Still, I left for Salone City with a heart full of worry.

Undergraduate life was busy and exciting, and for the first time in my eighteen years, I felt like I was truly living. As no one there knew I was an illegitimate child, no one mocked or looked down on me. I also didn’t have to deal with a mother drowning her life away at the gambling table or a father who couldn’t care less about us.

However, less than a month after I left, Mary—my father’s wife—finally found out about us. It wasn’t that my father had been so good at keeping us a secret. It was just that he didn’t care enough about us to make it an issue.

The whole thing blew up because of my mother. Having lost a ton of money gambling, she went to ask my father for help, and when he refused, she went straight to Mary.

Mary lowered herself to go to our apartment, offering my mother 10 thousand dollars to disappear and take Xavier with her.

My mother scoffed at the amount, shouting, “10 thousand dollars? Do you think I’m a beggar? I gave birth to two Norton kids, and the younger one’s even a son! So what if they’re illegitimate? Don’t think I don’t know that the law says even illegitimate kids have inheritance rights! Xavier’s going to inherit everything from the Nortons one day!”

Mary stood up, sneered, and left.

I had no idea what she said to my father, but she offered my mother 50 thousand dollars when she came back, with the condition that she’d take Xavier with her.

My mother, drowning in debt, lit up at the sight of the money. When I found out and tried to stop it, it was too late. Xavier was already living with Mary and my father.

I called my mother, furious. “Xavier’s only twelve, and you sent him to live as an outsider in that house! Think from Mary’s perspective. Why would she treat her husband’s illegitimate son well?”

My mother, now debt-free, sounded smug. “Why wouldn’t she treat him well? He’s your father’s only son, the Nortons’ only male heir. Your brother’s living the good life now, in a big house with servants. Don’t be jealous. You’re a girl. You can’t carry on the family name. Of course, they don’t want you. But once Xavier secures his place in the family, we’ll both benefit. He’ll be rich, and there’s no way he’ll abandon his own sister.”

I was seething. “You need to get Xavier back. I don’t care if we have to eat scraps. He belongs with us!”

Alas, my mother’s deadbeat attitude shone through. “Get him back? To send him where? To you? Let me tell you something: don’t ruin your brother’s future. He’s with your father now, your real father. I’ve raised you two long enough, and now, it’s his turn. Besides, that 50 thousand dollars has already been spent. If you want Xavier back, you can pay for it. Do you have 50 thousand dollars lying around?”

I hung up the phone, fuming.

After calming down, I called my father to find out what was going on and what Mary was planning.

He was annoyed. “It’s all because of that idiot, Gracie. She went to Mary for money, and that was how she found out about you two. This whole situation has been driving me crazy. But if Mary’s being generous by taking Xavier in and forgiving the past, what am I supposed to say? It’s a good chance for Xavier to be officially recognized as my son.”

So that was what my father thought, too. He was actually grateful to Mary for being “generous.”

There was nothing I could do from so far away, so I swallowed my frustration and softened my tone. “Father, if Xavier is living with you now, please keep an eye on him. He’s only twelve and really needs a father figure at this age. You’re successful, and I’m sure he’ll grow up to be just as great under your care.”

The words tasted bitter in my mouth, but after years of knowing my father, I knew how much he loved being praised. His ego was massive, and nothing made him happier than hearing how great he was.

I was too far away to do anything, so I could only hope that my father would at least protect Xavier and not let him get bullied by Mary or Cindy.

I called Xavier every day. At first, he’d chat with me about how strange everything felt in the new house, like how Mary always had a stern look on her face, Cindy didn’t like him, and he was mostly confined to his own room. However, over time, he talked less and less, only saying that he was fine and that the food was good.

Then, one day, Xavier told me quietly over the phone, “Willow, I want to come home. I don’t want to stay here anymore. I can make my own food. I know how to make sandwiches.”

Hearing that broke my heart, and I promised him through tears. “Xavier, give me four years. Once I graduate, I’ll take you back to live with me.”

He went silent for a moment, then whispered, “Okay, Willow. I’ll wait for you.”

A few days later, while I was working, my mother called. “Willow, something’s wrong. Your brother—something’s happened to him.”

My heart pounded, and I froze.

All I could hear was her wailing through the phone, “Why am I so unlucky? I didn’t even get to enjoy my son’s success, and now he’s gone! I raised him for twelve years, and he’s gone!”

It took me ten minutes to understand what she was saying. Xavier had an allergic reaction after eating an almond tart at my father’s house. The reaction was so severe that he didn’t make it.

When Xavier was two, I once fed him a peanut butter sandwich. Not long after, his whole body broke out in rashes, and his face swelled up. I was so scared that I dragged my mother away from her game to take him to the hospital.

The doctor said he had a severe nut allergy. We were lucky we got him there in time, or the swelling in his throat could’ve choked him to death. From then on, nuts were completely banned from Xavier’s diet.

Both my mother and father knew about his allergy. I had also warned Xavier many times, and he’d always been careful. As he got older, though, a little exposure didn’t hurt him much, so I couldn’t imagine how much he’d eaten to trigger such a violent reaction.

The phone slipped from my hand as I braced myself against the table to keep from collapsing. Pain shot through my chest, spreading through my body.

The little brother who used to comfort me during thunderstorms and had promised to wait for me never got to see the day I would bring him home.

Six years later, when I returned to this city, I had completed both my undergrad and grad studies at Futura University.

During those six years, I lived away from home, working part-time to pay my tuition. I never came back or contacted anyone from my past because I was afraid, afraid to face what I’d left behind. Thinking about Xavier, especially, was like an open wound I wasn’t ready to approach. I knew I wouldn’t be able to hold it together if I did.

My mother still lived in the same old apartment. She was only in her forties, but years of late-night gambling and living carelessly had made her look bloated and aged. Her once beautiful face was long gone.

When she opened the door and saw me standing there, she froze for a full minute. Then, she wiped away a tear with her rough hand.

“You ungrateful girl, why are you back? So you remember you have a mother? Your brother had more heart than you ever did! If he were still here…”

“He’s been gone for six years.” I cut her off coldly.

Stepping into that apartment again felt like walking into a place stuck in the past but with all the life drained out of it.

My mother wiped her tears and brightened up. “It’s good you’re back. You’ve been in school all these years, and now you’ve made something of yourself. I knew it. Finally, something’s going right for me. I’m counting on you to take care of me when I’m old.”

I looked at the couch, piled high with dirty laundry, and sat at the dining table instead. I stopped my mother, who was heading to the kitchen to make tea.

“Don’t bother. I’m just here to ask you one thing. When you sent Xavier away back then, did you tell Mary he was allergic to nuts?”

“Of course I did!” My mother’s eyes went wide. “I made it crystal clear that kid couldn’t go near nuts—peanuts, cashews, or anything with a shell! Mary promised she’d be careful. Plus, Xavier was twelve. He knew his allergies and was always careful.”

I didn’t say anything more. Ignoring her attempts to get me to stay, I left that apartment, taking with me only a photo of Xavier that I’d snapped on his twelfth birthday. In the picture, he was smiling wide, his eyes crinkled, showing off a set of pearly white teeth.

I had the same picture, but I couldn’t leave him behind in that apartment.

Later, I arranged to meet my father at a café. He hadn’t changed much. It seemed men aged better than women.

“It was an accident,” he said urgently the moment he sat down, like he needed to clear his conscience. “I told the housekeeper, Georgina, that Xavier couldn’t have nuts. But that day, Georgina made an almond tart and left it on the table. She forgot to tell Xavier it had almonds in it, so he ate it without thinking. The next morning, when Georgina went to wake him, she found…”

“And where were you? Didn’t you notice anything wrong the night before?” I couldn’t stop myself from asking.

My father avoided my eyes. “I had a business dinner that night, so I wasn’t home for dinner. Mary said Xavier had a slight rash after eating, but he didn’t mention feeling unwell. He just went to bed.”

I stirred the black coffee in front of me, my heart wrenching as if a giant hand was crushing it into a ball.

How horrible must it have been to suffocate to death? Did Xavier struggle through the night, all alone? Did he try to call for help? Did he think about reaching out to me, his sister?

These were the questions I’d spent six years avoiding, terrified to face. Now, they flooded over me like a tidal wave, leaving me helpless.

“After it happened, Mary fired Georgina immediately,” my father added. “It was a tragic accident. Mary and your half sister, Cindy, loved Xavier. When he passed… Cindy cried the hardest.”

I took a sip of the coffee, its bitterness filling my mouth.

Pushing down the emotions threatening to overwhelm me, I forced a sympathetic smile. “Father, let’s not dwell on the past. It hurts us both.”

He looked visibly relieved. “Yes, yes, there’s no point in bringing it up. It’s better to move on. So, what are your plans now that you’re back?”

I gave him a small smile. “I majored in finance management. I’d like to join your company.”

“Um…” My father looked uncomfortable.

I sighed softly. “Xavier used to tell me all the time that he wished he had more time with you. He really looked up to you, but you were always so busy. Now that he’s gone, I just want to stay by your side, you know, to be there for you, just like he would’ve been. And besides, you're such a success in this city, a real powerhouse. I’d love to learn from you.”

Seeing my father's expression soften, I seized the moment and said, “I want to start from the bottom, as a regular employee. I promise I won’t use your name to get any special treatment or embarrass you. I’ll even go by the name Willow Grange. No one will know I’m your daughter.”

He couldn’t refuse me any longer, though he didn’t exactly give me what I wanted either. Instead of placing me in the main company of Heights Corp, he quietly arranged for me to start at one of his subsidiary investment firms. I was hired as an entry-level employee in the development department.

The HR manager at Jones Investment Company had worked with my father for years, so they knew to keep my identity under wraps. No one knew I was Marcus Norton’s daughter, and I even downplayed my academic background.

My job was pretty simple but dull—handing out surveys on the street and collecting them for feasibility studies. Most of my coworkers took a half-hearted approach. They’d hire a few students and have them stand on street corners pestering passersby with surveys, and most people would walk away annoyed without filling them out.

However, I took a different approach. I studied the survey questions and targeted specific groups, like young people for e-commerce, new moms for early education projects, and office workers for the bike-sharing program. My data analysis was thorough and useful, and clients appreciated it.

Soon, the company manager, Tony Lewisham, started noticing me. During one of my reports, I casually mentioned that I had graduated from Futura University.

He was shocked. “A top university graduate doing street surveys? That’s a waste of talent.”

Shortly after, he promoted me to team leader.

In two months, I led my team to land two significant projects, and suddenly, everyone in the company saw me in a new light. After one contract was signed, I let HR “accidentally” reveal to Tony that I had a master’s degree.

“Why didn’t you mention your education when you first joined?” he asked. “You could’ve started at a higher position.”

I answered confidently, “A degree doesn’t mean everything. What matters is ability. Many companies think fresh graduates have high expectations but no real skills. I just wanted to prove myself with hard work.”

That was how, within six months, I became Tony’s assistant.

Working closely with him, I wasn’t just handling small projects anymore. I was now involved with deals worth millions, and the companies I dealt with were publicly listed. As the playing field changed, so did the resources I had access to.

During one of my client meetings, I overheard that Starline Corporation had an investment project worth over a billion dollars that was up for evaluation. Coincidentally, Starline Corporation was hosting a corporate event that evening. As such, I dressed to impress in a season’s new burgundy Gucci wrap dress, had my hair styled in voluminous curls, and applied a flawless, slightly vintage makeup look.

The event was at the Four Seasons Hotel. I thought my appearance would be enough to slip in unnoticed, but the security at the entrance was checking guests’ invitations, and they stopped me.

“Ma’am, may I see your invite?”

“Just a moment,” I said with a smile, pretending to search through my purse while subtly glancing around.

Then, I spotted a tall, lean man walking by. He didn’t have an invitation in hand, but no one stopped him. He strolled right past me, effortlessly.

I quickly stepped forward and looped my arm through his, laughing playfully. “You’re walking so fast! Why didn’t you wait for me?”

He turned to look at me, clearly surprised. He was around thirty, with sharp, deep-set features and an especially striking pair of eyes.

The security guards watched us walk in together without questioning anything further.

Once we were out of sight from security, I gasped slightly and let go of his arm. “I’m so sorry! I thought you were someone else.”

He smiled a small, knowing grin, and his eyes seemed to pierce right through me, as if he could see straight into my soul.

He gave a slight bow. “It was my pleasure. I hope you enjoy your evening.”

Then, he disappeared into the crowd of guests.