The Daughter They Threw Away

The year I applied to the Fortune 500 branch managed by my father, a new stipulation appeared overnight: an English proficiency score of 700.

I scored 699. I was rejected.

One year later, my adopted sister Vanessa breezed through the same process.

At the celebration banquet I hosted for her, David Lambert clapped my father on the shoulder, his face flushed with drink.

"You really spoil your girl, Richard. You knew Vanessa didn't hit the 700 mark, so you just scrapped the rule entirely. Classic."

I forced a smile, though my stomach tightened.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Lambert. When I took the exam last year, I missed the cutoff by a single point. My father doesn't play favorites. Vanessa got in on her own merit."

"Merit?" David scoffed, eyes glassy. "Richard was the one who demanded that rule last year. Specifically for that recruitment cycle."

I turned to my father, shock rooting me in place.

Richard coughed, avoiding my gaze.

"Serena, we're blood relatives. We have to avoid accusations of nepotism. Vanessa is adopted. If I didn't hire her, people would say the Whitmore family mistreats outsiders. Besides, she worked hard. She deserves this."

A bitter taste flooded my mouth.

Nepotism? Fine.

If he wanted to avoid conflicts of interest, then when I audited his company's taxes at year-end, I'd ensure there was absolutely no bias.

Not a shred of mercy.

——

Silence fell over the table like a shroud.

David seemed to realize he'd said too much. He waved dismissively. "I'm talking nonsense. Ignore me, Serena. Don't take it to heart."

I shoved his hand away and fixed my eyes on the man at the head of the table.

"So the clause added last year—you wrote it specifically to block me?"

Richard said nothing.

My mother tugged at my sleeve. "Serena, don't argue with your father."

I wrenched my arm free.

"Why? I scored 699, so you set the bar at 700. You didn't just want to avoid nepotism. You wanted to keep me out."

"I told you! You're my biological daughter!" Richard snapped. "If I hired you, what would people think?"

I stared at him, disbelief warring with rage.

"Dad, avoiding nepotism means not using your power to give unfair advantages! If I wasn't qualified, fine. But I ranked first in the written test and the interview! What suspicion were you avoiding?"

My voice rose, trembling. "Vanessa didn't even break 600, yet you deleted the rule for her. Who exactly benefits from your 'fairness'?"

A glass struck my forehead. Shattered on impact.

Pain radiated through my skull as Richard shot to his feet, face purple with fury.

"You've gotten bold, haven't you!"

Guests scrambled between us, holding us back.

Vanessa's eyes welled with tears. "Sis, please! Don't upset Dad. Just apologize!"

"Look at your sister, then look at yourself!" Richard bellowed. "Vanessa studied for three months. Why shouldn't she be rewarded? Everyone knows she's the orphan of my late comrade. If I don't help her, society will judge the Whitmore family. Why can't you think about the family reputation instead of your own selfish interests?"

"Selfish interests?"

I let out a hollow laugh.

"Dad, I prepared for a year. Who rewarded me?"

Richard froze.

I laughed again, the sound empty. "Dad, did you know that because you blocked me, my boyfriend and I broke up?"

His frown deepened, anger momentarily checked.

"We dated for three years. We planned to introduce our parents the day I got the offer. But he got in, and I didn't. Long-distance we couldn't sustain. We broke up."

I held his gaze. "Are you happy now?"

I grabbed a glass and hurled it at the floor.

Shards exploded outward.

Vanessa rushed to shield Richard. "Sis, what are you doing?"

My mother moved to restrain me, but I stared at my father through a blur of tears. The shock in his eyes was unmistakable.

Then Vanessa lunged at me.