The irony? They weren’t even my biological parents. I was adopted at birth. My birth mother, from what I was told, wasdeemed unfit, and signed over her rights. I never met her… never even saw a picture. All I ever knew were the people who picked me up, wrapped me in wealth, and raised me as their own.
At first, they were amazing. I had everything a child could dream of—ballet lessons, luxury vacations, designer clothes before I could spell the brands, tutors, and summer programs. I never had to work and I never went without. Even in college, they made sure I never touched debt. I got my master’s in business without lifting a financial finger. I was their golden girl. But… the older I got, the tighter the leash became. It was subtle at first. It started with questions about my friends… their families… how they lived. Then it grew louder.
Who I could date. What I could wear. Where I could go. Who I was allowed to become.
When I fell in love in college with someone who didn’t fit their “perfect, polished mold,” it was war.
Dorian was my ex, my secret, and my peace. For three years, I kept him hidden behind excuses, lies, and carefully planned good-girl smiles. It wasn’t easy… not with parents like mine. But those three years were the happiest I’d ever been. Dorian was everything right in a world that kept telling me he was wrong. He was kind, intelligent, stable, and fine enough to make me forget what I was risking. Most importantly, he loved me without the titles… without the money. But to my parents, love didn’t matter, status did. They said it was about my future, but really, it was about their reputation. I was twenty-eight at the time…grown. But still, I chose the money.
150,000… that was the amount I was set to receive on my thirtieth birthday.
That was enough to fund the dream I’d kept tucked in my chest since I was fifteen years old. I wanted to open up a massive daycare center for low-income families, a place that gave parents dignity and gave kids a future.I wanted to do itmyway. Even ifit wastheirmoney, I wanted to build something they didn’t own, so I chose the money over Dorian. I didn’t explain or give him a goodbye… I just selfishly disappeared.
So, me going to the club that night wasn’t to turn up; I went there to drown, forget, and feel anything other than regret. I drank too much, let the music get too loud and let the grief get too quiet. Then came the one-night stand. Three months later, when I was bold enough, I told my parents I was pregnant. I thought maybe they’d understand that a child wasn’t a burden but a blessing… but no. They demanded I get rid of himimmediatelyand told me if I decided to go through with the pregnancy, that in so many words I was dead to them and that the inheritance would be revoked. That time? I didn’t choose the money; I choseMysun. For once, I chose peace over privilege and purpose over pretending, and they blackballed me for it.
I applied for so many jobs and sat in plenty of offices where the smiles froze the second they realized who my parents were. They didn’t just cut me off; they made sure the whole damn world did too. So even with me having a master’s degree, recommendations, and experience, it stopped mattering the second my last name entered the conversation. Calls stopped getting returned and opportunities disappeared overnight. It was like I was being punished for surviving the very people who were supposed to love me. Every door I knocked on shut in my face… except Von’s.
Again, the only reason I even got a job at that hotel was because Von vouched for me. His connection opened what their money tried to close. Before that, when I told him they put me out, he didn’t judge me or hesitate; he just said,“You can crash here until you figure it out.”
And I did.
I promised myself right then that I’d find a way to repay him someday, and not just for the housing, but for the reminder that kindness still existed in a world that turned its back on me.
I’d rather be broke and real than rich and owned… and I vowed to teach my son the same. Mysun would grow up knowing that his mom didn’t pick the easy path, she pickedhim. She chose truth, faith, and herself… even when it cost her everything.
Mysun’s soft cries pulled me out of those haunted memories.
After soothing him back to sleep, I stood carefully and laid him in his crib, brushing a soft hand across his curls.
“Sleep good, Mysun,” I whispered, pressing a kiss to his forehead. “Mama gon’ figure it out, lil’ man.”
I lingered for a moment, watching the gentle rise and fall of his chest, listening to those tiny baby sighs that felt like promises I couldn’t afford to break.
I swallowed hard, glancing up at the ceiling like I was looking for an answer.
“God, you gon’ have to guide me on this one. I don’t want no drama; I just want him to know the truth…his son.”
Chapter six
"Merge"
The room was dark. The only light was the one coming from the flickering fireplace behind me.
“Damn, I must say, I was surprised when I got that call from you,” Kalvon said as he entered the room sniffing hard, before aggressively wiping his nose with the back of his hand.
A crooked smirk stretched across his face while his pupils looked blown wide and restless, bouncing around the room with the jittery energy of somebody very clearly high.
“I thought you’d be too busy kissing yo’ daddy’s ring.”
“Sit down, Kalvon,” I ordered, motioning to the lone chair in the center of the room.
It wasn’t a request.
Kalvon, still trying to keep up appearances, chuckled loud and sloppy. “You ain’t the bossyet,Merge. You lucky I’m tired. Now what’s up? You dragging me outta my condo for a sit-down? This shit better be worth my time.”
“Actually…Idid,”My father’s voice slipped out from behind the door, smooth, dangerous, and ancient with power.“And it will be.”
Kalvon froze. “B-Boss, what’s going on?” he asked, eyes darting around nervously asIapproached him.
