Chapter 1

It was the anniversary of Grandfather Harrison' s ninetieth birthday, a day the family usually marked with a quiet, formal dinner.

I, Ethan, the adopted son, the Wall Street success story, was at the sprawling New England estate, tasked with a mundane chore.

"Clear out the old north wing storage room, Ethan," Father had said, his voice leaving no room for discussion. "It' s becoming a fire hazard."

The room was dusty, filled with forgotten relics of Harrison generations.

Light slanted through a grimy window, illuminating cobwebs thick as cotton.

I pulled an old trunk, its leather cracked, towards the center of the room.

Inside, beneath moth-eaten tapestries and tarnished silver, I found a stiff, official-looking envelope.

My fingers brushed against the embossed seal of the College Board.

I pulled out the document.

It was an SAT score report, dated seven years ago.

The name on it was Chloe Harrison. My sister.

The scores were near perfect, shockingly high.

Chloe, my younger sister, the one they always called… difficult. The one who died.

A knot formed in my stomach, a cold, unfamiliar feeling.

I remembered Chloe as quiet, often sad, but I never knew this about her, this brilliance.

Later that evening, during a brief lull in the stiff family gathering, I approached my parents.

Mr. Harrison, my adoptive father, was discussing stock prices with Uncle James. Mrs. Harrison, my adoptive mother, sat ramrod straight, a porcelain doll of composure.

"Mother, Father," I began, holding the slightly damaged report. "I found something interesting in the storage room today."

I presented the SAT report. "It' s Chloe' s. The scores are incredible."

A silence fell over the drawing-room, so sudden and complete it felt like the air had been sucked out.

Mr. Harrison' s face, usually a mask of controlled authority, turned a dark, mottled red.

Mrs. Harrison' s teacup rattled in its saucer, a tiny, sharp sound.

Uncle James simply stared, his mouth slightly open.

Then, from the corner where Grandfather Harrison sat, came a series of choked gasps.

His eyes rolled back, and he slumped in his high-backed chair.

"Father!" Mrs. Harrison cried, rushing to his side.

Mr. Harrison whirled on me, his voice a low, dangerous snarl.

"What have you done?"

"I… I just found it," I stammered, confused by the violent shift.

"Disrespectful boy!" he hissed. "Bringing up painful memories, upsetting your grandfather on this day of all days!"

"Ungrateful," Uncle James echoed, his face pale.

The room was suddenly full of accusations, a whirlwind of anger directed solely at me.

I looked at Mrs. Harrison, expecting… I don' t know what. Support? Explanation?

Her face was cold, unreadable.

She turned to me, her voice devoid of warmth. "You' ve caused enough trouble, Ethan."

She then did something that stunned me into silence.

She called for the staff.

"Pack Mr. Ethan' s bags immediately," she commanded. "He will be leaving tonight."

"Mother?" I whispered, my mind reeling.

"You are no longer welcome here," Mr. Harrison declared, his eyes like chips of ice. "Your access to family funds is terminated. Consider your employment at Sterling & Pierce also finished. I' ll make the call myself."

Two household staff, their faces carefully blank, appeared and began to escort me towards the door.

I was pushed out of the Harrison estate, the place I' d called home since infancy, with nothing but a hastily packed suitcase and the damning SAT report clutched in my hand.

The golden child, cast out.

All because of a piece of paper.