Special gift

My dad came back from a business trip with a “gift” – a girl he told me to be nice to. Yeah, right. The next day, she was clinging to my brother, Liam, claiming I'd been bullying her. Liam and I exchanged a look. He grabbed her arm to stop her from running off, and I slapped her across the face. "You little gold digger," I spat. "Don't you dare act so entitled."

It all started with a phone call. Dad was coming home and promised gifts. Liam and I just stared at each other. Our emotionally distant father, who’d never acted like a real dad, was bringing us gifts? Then we saw her – a slender girl with an innocent look clinging to his side. I scoffed. Eighteen years of keeping his affair a secret, and now this was his grand gesture? Some gift.

Dad, noticing my disdain, frowned. "Your sister, Chloe, has lived without a proper family for eighteen years. It's time she took her rightful place." He turned to me, his voice hardening. "Ashley, you and your sister will get along."

My fists clenched. Chloe looked eerily similar to the woman who’d wrecked my mom's life – the woman who indirectly caused her death. Liam coughed, catching my eye. I knew what he meant.

I lost it. I marched right up and slapped Chloe so hard she fell to the floor. Thanks to my karate lessons, it was a loud, brutal smack. “You think you deserve to be treated like one of us?” I sneered. “I’d be doing you a favor by giving you scraps. You're nothing but a homewrecker's daughter.”

Chloe sat on the floor, sobbing, clutching her face. Before Dad could explode, Liam shoved me to the ground and gave me a theatrical slap. "Ashley!" he yelled. "How dare you disrespect Dad! You spoiled brat!"

I sat there, fuming, glaring at him. Dad, however, was pleased with Liam's performance. He patted Liam on the shoulder, then turned an icy glare on me. "To compensate your sister," he said coldly, "I'm transferring the shares of your mother's estate to Chloe." He paused. "I'll let this slide, but if you ever bully Chloe again, you'll regret it."

He turned and left. Chloe scrambled up, still clutching her cheek, glared at me, and scurried after him. As soon as they were gone, Liam rushed to help me up. I brushed him off and got to my feet.

"Are you okay?" he asked anxiously, checking me over. "Did I hurt you when I pushed you?"

"Relax," I said, smoothing my clothes. "The carpet's thick. I'm fine. I bet Chloe's tailbone is bruised, though, landing on that hard floor."

Liam chuckled. Our housekeeper called us for afternoon tea. We sat in the warm spring sunshine, a picture of sibling harmony. Liam took a sip of coffee, glanced up at the second floor where Chloe was fawning over Dad, and sneered. "Little gold digger. She thinks she deserves what Mom left us?"

I smiled. "Patience, Liam. It'll take some work, but we'll get it all back."

We shared a knowing look, enjoying the calm before the storm.

Liam and I were Mom’s kids. Before it fell apart, Mom's family was old money, one of the wealthiest in...