Chapter 2

Once I'd made this decision, I dug through our closet and found the business card my mother had thrown away long ago – the one Lucas had given her during their business dealings.

Using the phone number on the card, I tracked down his current home address and found his information online.

Looking at the family photo of him with his wife and son, all smiles and happiness, I clenched my fists. How could such a despicable man deserve a happy life while my mother and I endured ridicule and shame from others?

Using the money I'd saved from my part-time job, I resolutely bought two train tickets to the city where Lucas lived.

"I'm sorry, but you can't go in without an appointment," the receptionist politely informed us when we arrived at Lucas's company building.

"Just tell him his daughter is here to see him," I said firmly. My mother tried to pull me away, but with my stubborn personality, there was no way I was backing down now.

"As far as I know, Mr. Wilson doesn't have a daughter," the receptionist looked at us uncertainly.

"You don't need to worry about that. Just pass along the message," I insisted.

Seeing that I wouldn't be deterred, the receptionist contacted the CEO's office and relayed my message word for word.

"What nonsense is this? Since when do I have a daughter?" Lucas clearly wasn't going to admit anything.

"Tell them to wait. I'll be right down."

The receptionist hung up and showed us to the waiting area.

Soon enough, Lucas appeared. He was stocky, of average height, with a weasel-like face that was instantly dislikeable.

"Who put you up to this? Trying to extort money from me?" Lucas seemed unsurprised, sitting down with the air of someone above it all. A contemptuous smile played on his lips – he clearly didn't take us seriously.

"I guess with all your affairs, you've forgotten your misdeeds from over a decade ago." I let out a cold laugh, placing the documents about my mother and me in front of him, along with a photo of my mother when she was young.

"Open your damn eyes and look carefully. See who we are. Think hard about the dirty things you've done!"

Lucas hadn't been taking us seriously, but when he saw the photo of my young mother, the smile froze on his face.

"Do you see clearly now? Fifteen years ago, you used a business dinner as an excuse to drug my mother. I don't need to spell out what you did after that, do I? Do you have any idea how my mother and I have lived all these years? We're here today to demand justice and settle accounts for all these years!"

"Lucas, I never wanted to have anything to do with you again. Just seeing you makes me sick! But the mud slung at me and my daughter over the years has been too much, and it's all because of you!" My mother and I tag-teamed, our eyes blazing with anger as we glared at the scumbag before us.

Lucas suddenly laughed, looking at us mockingly. "It was consensual. Now you're here trying to get something out of me? How unsightly."

"Who said it was consensual?" My mother shouted, enraged. "You said you'd discuss the contract if I drank that glass of wine. All my colleagues were watching! But you, you beast, you drugged my drink! And now you're slandering me? You're despicable!"

"Let me ask you this – do you have any proof that it wasn't consensual? Or any evidence that I drugged you? If not, stop making a scene in front of me! Crawl back where you came from!" Lucas threw the documents at us, snorting derisively.

"What if I go to the police?" My mother stood up, shaking with anger as she glared at Lucas.

I quickly pulled my mother back, signaling her not to be hasty. Seeing Lucas's nonchalant attitude, I knew that a wealthy businessman like him must have connections in this area. That's why he could commit such wrongs without punishment. Otherwise, how could he have kept all his shady business dealings hidden all these years? Someone must have been smoothing things over for him.

"We don't need compensation. Just let me be your daughter officially, take my mother back, and we can put this behind us," I said, thinking of a better approach. If we could get some kind of recognition and get close to Lucas, how hard could it be to find some dirt on him?

"What kind of daydream are you having? Two country bumpkin bitches like you, thinking you can waltz into my family? Take a good look at yourselves and see if you're worthy! Ridiculous!" Lucas laughed as if he'd heard the funniest joke ever.

"So you're refusing to acknowledge me as your illegitimate daughter?" I asked, my gaze darkening as I clenched my fists.

"Since you've already called yourself illegitimate, you should stay in the gutter where you belong. Why bring it out in the open and make everyone uncomfortable? Besides, I'm not the one who'll be embarrassed. I bet your mother's been called all sorts of names, hasn't she? Let me guess – a shameless whore?" Lucas taunted us, showing no fear at all.

"You bastard! I won't let you get away with this!" I gritted my teeth and grabbed the glass from the table, smashing it against Lucas's face. After a series of crashes, Lucas's face was bleeding, and water had splashed all over the three of us.

"You crazy bitch! Do you have a death wish?" Lucas, enraged by my actions, grabbed my hair and glared at me viciously.

My mother screamed and rushed forward, but Lucas shoved her to the ground with one hand.

"What acknowledgment? I can see you're just after money. Let me tell you, you won't get a single cent from me! Take this bastard and get out of my company! Stop making me sick!"

Lucas threw me to the ground, looking at my mother and me with utter disgust from his superior position.

"What's going on here? Why are they fighting?"

"I heard this woman brought her illegitimate daughter to confront Mr. Wilson, but he wouldn't acknowledge them. Then they started causing a scene."

"I bet it's just this woman being promiscuous. So many people try to latch onto Mr. Wilson shamelessly. Who knows if this daughter is even real? How disgraceful."

"And they dare to act so righteous! If I were Mr. Wilson, I'd teach them a good lesson they won't forget!"

Our commotion had attracted the attention of many company employees. They whispered among themselves, their words unspeakably harsh.

"Dad? Are you okay? What happened?" A young man about my age came running in from the company entrance, looking worriedly at Lucas's injuries.

I recognized him from memory as Lucas's son, his legitimate heir.

"It's nothing, just dealing with two bitches trying to extort money. What are you doing here?" Lucas looked at us with disgust before turning to smile at his son.

"What are they here for?" Lucas's son, Max, eyed us maliciously. His piercing gaze made me extremely uncomfortable.

"We're here to demand justice from your father," I said, seeing Max as another potential breakthrough. I decided to try and work on him.

"Do you know how many disgusting things your father has done outside? My mother was one of his victims. He drugged her, had a one-night stand, and I was born as a result. Doesn't that make you sick? Your father isn't faithful to your mother. Your family is falling apart!"

I tried to provoke Max, hoping to drive a wedge between them.

I could see Max's expression freezing bit by bit. Just as I thought my attack was working, he said something that shocked me to my core!