- DAD THREW ME OUT WHEN I GOT PREGNANT AT 18. “YOU ARE A DISGRACE, I DON’T HAVE A DAUGHTER LIKE YOU,” HE SAID. 21 YEARS LATER, MY WHOLE FAMILY CAME LOOKING FOR ME. AT THE GATE, THE BUTLER PAUSED AND ASKED: “ARE YOU HERE TO SEE GENERAL COOLEY?” THEIR JAWS DROPPED
- AT MY SISTER’S WEDDING RECEPTION, THE SCREEN LIT UP: “INFERTILE. DIVORCED. FAILURE. HIGH SCHOOL DROPOUT. BROKE. ALONE.” THE ROOM ERUPTED IN LAUGHTER. MY SISTER SMIRKED: “DON’T LAUGH TOO HARD, SHE MIGHT ACTUALLY CRY!” MOM SWIRLED HER WINE. DAD SMILED: “JUST A JOKE, SWEETHEART.” I REACHED FOR MY PHONE, THEN TYPED 1 WORD: “BEGIN.” THE ROOM WENT DEAD SILENT.
- US THE SURGEON WALKED THROUGH THE KITCHEN DOOR. SHE CROSSED THE ROOM. SHE STOPPED BESIDE MY CHAIR. SHE EXTENDED HER HAND. PALM UP. “HM1 TATE.” SHE TURNED TO FACE THE ROOM. “IT WASN’T A DESK INJURY. SHE WAS STILL TREATING WOUNDED MARINES WHEN THEY FOUND HER ON THE GROUND.” U. ARMY “THAT RATING IS THE MOST LEGITIMATE DOCUMENT HERE
- AT 65, ALL I COULD DO WAS WORK. MY DAUGHTER-IN-LAW TREATED ME LIKE A SERVANT, AND MY SON CONFISCATED MY SALARY. THEY FORCED ME TO SLEEP IN THE GARAGE ALL WINTER. SUSPICIOUS, MY BILLIONAIRE BOSS FOLLOWED ME. WHEN HE SAW MY ‘BED’ THROUGH THE WINDOW, HE CRIED AND DID SOMETHING THAT CHANGED EVERYTHING…
- MY FATHER SAID I WASN’T HIS REAL DAUGHTER TO CUT ME OUT OF MY GRANDMOTHER’S WILL. “ONLY BLOOD RELATIVES DESERVE THE FAMILY FORTUNE!” HE BOASTED. I ASKED, “DO YOU PROMISE TO KEEP YOUR WORD ABOUT IT, THEN?” HE NODDED. HE NEVER EXPECTED THE DNA TEST WOULD EXPOSE WHO THE REAL BLACKWELL WAS…