The Unscripted Heiress Chapter 2

At dinner, the long table was laden with an immaculate spread.

The Sinclairs all wore thunderous expressions, the silence so thick you could drown in it.

I was the only one with an appetite.

I methodically cracked open a lobster claw, completely ignoring the murderous glares being shot my way.

In my past life, I wouldn’t have even dared to sit at this table.

They told me I chewed with my mouth open, that I had no manners, that I should go back to my room and eat instant noodles.

And I actually believed them, hiding in my room, crying with an empty stomach.

Looking back, my own stupidity was pitiful.

Audrey, her eyes red and puffy, picked at her rice, the very image of a heartbroken waif.

Catherine placed a piece of abalone on her plate with a pained expression.

“Audrey, darling, eat up. Don’t let… irrelevant people… ruin your appetite. It’s not worth making yourself sick.”

The jab was obvious, her eyes flicking pointedly in my direction.

I picked up a piece of sea bass, not even bothering to look up.

“She’s right. It’s never worth getting angry over irrelevant people.”

“Take me, for example. I never waste my energy on imposters who steal other people’s lives. Or on family members who are both blind and heartless.”

“After all, you can’t reason with animals.”

“Pfft—”

Ethan choked, spraying a mouthful of soup.

“Sloane! Can you not be so vile!”

I set down my chopsticks and dabbed my lips with a napkin.

“No.”

“I was raised in the sticks, remember? No manners. Not like you high-society types who have to bury every sentence under three layers of subtext. Isn’t that exhausting?”

“Speaking your mind. That’s what good kids do.”

Richard slammed his hand on the table. “Insolent!” he roared. “Have you no respect for the rules of this house!”

I picked up the crystal fruit bowl from the center of the table. It was filled with freshly washed cherries, glistening like dark jewels.

I walked over to Catherine and tipped the entire bowl over her perfectly coiffed hair.

“Rules?”

“You want to talk to me about rules?”

“What rules were you following when you threw me away?”

Cold juice and sticky cherries trickled down Catherine’s hair and neck, staining her silk blouse. Red fruit rolled across the marble floor.

She froze, a statue of desecrated dignity.

Audrey shrieked. “Mom!”

Ethan and Richard shot to their feet, their faces masks of stunned horror.

“Sloane, you’re insane!” Ethan lunged for me.

I sidestepped him easily, a cold satisfaction spreading through my chest as I took in Catherine’s wretched state.

“If you want fruit, wash it yourself. Are your hands broken?”

“Oh, right. Those hands were busy abandoning your own daughter, and now they’re busy waiting on a fake one. I guess you are pretty busy.”

The shock finally wore off. Catherine began to tremble violently, pointing a shaking finger at me, her lips quivering.

“You… You monster!”

“I don’t have a daughter like you!”

“Good,” I said with a brilliant smile.

“In that case, let’s quit this ridiculous show and go cut ties officially.”

“You can pay me the eighteen years of child support you owe, plus damages for pain and suffering, and of course, the shares of the Sinclair company that are rightfully mine. Settle it all in one lump sum.”

“Then we can go our separate ways and never see each other again.”

“Do you dare?”

Catherine was trapped, speechless.

Richard, apoplectic, pointed at the door.

“Get out! Get out of this house right now!”

“This show is over! We’re not filming anymore!”

I crossed my arms, watching him with detached amusement.

“Fine by me.”

“The contract is crystal clear. Unilateral termination comes with a penalty of one hundred million dollars.”

“So, Richard… are you writing the check?”

One hundred million.

It wouldn’t bankrupt them, but it would cripple them.

More importantly, pulling out now would be a public admission of guilt.

Richard’s face cycled through an impressive spectrum of red, purple, and finally, a mottled gray.

He looked like he wanted to swallow me whole.

All I did was offer him an innocent smile.

You want me to leave?

It’s not going to be that easy.

I haven’t seen nearly enough of this show yet.