Chapter 1: The Girl by the Sink
“Move faster, Samantha! Those dishes won’t wash themselves!””
Victoria Collins's voice cracked through the mansion like a whip.
Samantha's fingers tightened around the porcelain plate in her hands. A thin sheet of soap slid down her wrist and disappeared beneath the cuff of her white apron.
“Yes, Mother,” she whispered.
She lowered the plate into the sink and reached for another.
Behind her, crystal chandeliers scattered warm light across the enormous living room. The ocean beyond the floor-to-ceiling windows shimmered beneath the California sunset, turning the horizon into a strip of gold.
Everything about the mansion was beautiful.
Everything except the girl standing beside the kitchen sink.
Victoria Collins swept into the kitchen in a silver evening gown, her heels clicking against the marble floor. She stopped behind Samantha and glanced at the half-full rack of dishes with clear irritation.
“We have guests arriving in less than an hour,” Victoria said.
“Do you understand how embarrassing it would be if the kitchen looked like this?””
Samantha swallowed.
“I’ll finish before they arrive.””
Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line.
“You'd better.””
She turned and walked away.
Then Olivia's laughter floated in from the living room.
“Mom, come look at this!””
Victoria immediately changed.
The sharpness vanished from her face. Her shoulders relaxed. A smile appeared.
She hurried toward her daughters as though Samantha had never existed.
Samantha watched through the open doorway.
Olivia and Charlotte stood before the giant gold-framed mirror, both wearing elegant dresses that probably cost more than Samantha's entire wardrobe.
Olivia's dress was deep blue, fitted perfectly at the waist. Charlotte wore a champagne-colored gown with delicate beading along the neckline.
Their dark hair fell in polished waves.
Diamond earrings sparkled beneath the chandeliers.
Victoria stood between them, adjusting Charlotte's necklace with the tenderness of a mother in a perfume advertisement.
“Turn your head, darling,” Victoria said.
“There. Perfect.””
Charlotte smiled.
“Do you think he'll like this?””
“Who wouldn't?”” Victoria replied.
Olivia laughed.
“What about me?””
Victoria kissed her daughter's cheek.
“You're both beautiful. Tonight, one of you could walk away with a billionaire.””
Samantha's hand stopped.
She stared at the plate beneath the running water.
A billionaire.
She had heard about him for days.
Nathaniel Hayes.
Twenty-eight years old.
Technology investor.
Private jets.
Three companies valued in the billions.
A mansion in Malibu.
A yacht that appeared in magazines.
And tonight, he was coming to their home for dinner.
Victoria had spent the entire week preparing.
New silverware had been delivered.
A chef had been hired.
Fresh flowers had been flown in.
The guest room had been redecorated.
And Victoria had spent hours coaching Olivia and Charlotte on what to say, how to laugh, what questions to ask, and what not to mention.
Samantha had only received one instruction.
Stay in the kitchen.
She rubbed a spot of lipstick from a wineglass and looked down at her reflection in the water.
Three girls.
Same mother.
Same age.
Three lives that felt like different worlds.
Olivia and Charlotte had been raised as daughters.
Samantha had been raised as an inconvenience.
She had learned early not to ask why.
At least, that was what she told herself.
“Samantha!””
She flinched.
Victoria stood in the doorway again.
“What are you doing?””
“Cleaning the glasses.””
“You're daydreaming.””
“No, Mother.””
Victoria's eyes narrowed.
“Don't call me Mother when you don't act like my daughter.””
The words struck harder than Samantha expected.
Her throat tightened.
Victoria looked toward the living room.
“Olivia! Charlotte! Come here for a moment.””
The sisters walked over.
Olivia glanced at Samantha and smiled in a way that wasn't kind.
“What happened?””
“Your sister has been standing there staring at the sink,” Victoria said.
Charlotte folded her arms.
“She does that all the time.””
Olivia giggled.
“Maybe she's imagining she's a princess.””
Charlotte whispered loudly, “In this apron?””
Both girls laughed.
Samantha kept her eyes down.
Victoria didn't correct them.
Instead, she looked at Samantha with cold disappointment.
“You should be grateful,” Victoria said.
“I give you a roof over your head. Food. Clothes.””
Samantha's jaw tightened.
“Yes.””
“What?””
“Thank you.””
Victoria smiled faintly.
“Good girl.””
Then the front doors opened.
A housekeeper hurried inside.
“Mrs. Collins, the car has arrived.””
Victoria's entire expression changed.
“He's here.””
Olivia straightened immediately.
Charlotte touched her hair.
“Already?””
Victoria nodded.
“Both of you, remember what I taught you.””
She placed a hand on each daughter's shoulder.
“Confidence. Grace. And never appear desperate.””
Olivia nodded.
Charlotte smiled.
“We won't.””
Victoria led them toward the entrance.
Samantha remained by the sink.
She heard the sound of expensive shoes crossing marble.
Then the front doors opened wider.
A man's voice carried through the mansion.
“Good evening.””
Nathaniel Hayes.
His voice was calm.
Deep.
Not arrogant.
Samantha had never heard it before.
She glanced toward the living room despite herself.
A tall man walked through the entrance, wearing a perfectly fitted black suit. He looked younger than the photographs in the magazines. Dark hair.
Sharp features. Quiet eyes.
A diamond watch rested beneath one cuff.
Victoria nearly floated toward him.
“Mr. Hayes! Welcome.””
Nathaniel smiled politely.
“Thank you for having me, Mrs. Collins.””
“We're honored.””
Olivia stepped forward first.
“I'm Olivia.””
Nathaniel shook her hand.
“Nice to meet you, Olivia.””
Charlotte stepped beside her.
“And I'm Charlotte.””
“Nice to meet you too.””
Victoria watched them with shining eyes.
Samantha turned back to the sink.
She didn't want to watch.
She didn't want to feel jealous.
And she certainly didn't want to imagine what it would be like to live a life where people looked at her and saw something valuable.
She reached for another glass.
Then she heard Nathaniel ask, “Do you have any other children?””
The kitchen went silent.
Samantha froze.
Victoria answered too quickly.
“No.””
Nathaniel seemed confused.
“I thought I heard someone say—”
“Just staff,” Victoria interrupted.
Samantha's hand slipped.
The glass shattered in the sink.
Silence.
Victoria's face turned white with fury.
She marched into the kitchen.
“What did you do?””
“I’m sorry,” Samantha whispered.
“I dropped it.””
“You always do.””
Nathaniel appeared behind Victoria.
His eyes fell on the broken glass.
Then on Samantha.
For several seconds, neither of them spoke.
Samantha immediately lowered her head.
“I'll clean it up.””
Nathaniel's voice was gentle.
“Don't.””
She looked up.
He stepped closer.
“You'll cut your hand.””
Victoria quickly moved between them.
“She can handle it.””
Nathaniel looked at her.
“That's not what I said.””
A strange silence settled over the kitchen.
Olivia and Charlotte were watching from the hallway.
Charlotte's smile disappeared.
Victoria forced a laugh.
“She gets clumsy when she's nervous.””
Samantha stared at the floor.
Nathaniel crouched beside the sink and picked up one of the larger pieces of glass.
He looked at Samantha's hands.
There were tiny red marks across her fingers.
“How long have you been washing dishes?”” he asked.
Samantha didn't answer.
Victoria did.
“She helps around the house.””
Nathaniel looked at Victoria.
“Every night?””
Victoria's expression tightened.
“She likes being useful.””
Samantha finally spoke.
“I don't mind.””
Nathaniel stood.
“That's not what I asked.””
Samantha looked at him.
For the first time in years, someone was actually waiting for her answer.
She didn't know what to do with that.
“Three hours,” she said quietly.
Nathaniel's eyebrows lifted.
“Every night?””
She nodded.
“Usually.””
Victoria's voice hardened.
“Enough questions.””
Nathaniel didn't look away from Samantha.
“What's your name?””
Samantha blinked.
“My name?””
“Yes.””
“Samantha.””
He gave a small smile.
“Samantha what?””
She hesitated.
“Samantha Collins.””
Nathaniel looked at Victoria.
Victoria's face had gone completely still.
Olivia stepped into the kitchen.
“Why are you asking her that?””
Nathaniel turned.
“Because she's standing right here.””
Olivia's expression became uncomfortable.
Charlotte walked beside her.
“She helps with the house.””
Nathaniel's gaze moved slowly between the three sisters.
“Three hours a night?””
No one answered.
Then Nathaniel noticed something on the counter.
A small envelope.
It had fallen from beneath a stack of mail.
His name was printed across the front.
NATHANIEL HAYES.
Samantha saw it too.
She knew that envelope.
She had found it that morning in Victoria's study while cleaning.
Victoria had told her never to touch it.
Nathaniel picked it up.
Victoria rushed forward.
“That's private.””
He looked at the envelope.
Then at her.
“Why is my name on it?””
Victoria's voice faltered.
“It was part of the arrangements for tonight.””
Nathaniel turned it over.
There was one more name written beneath his.
A name he clearly recognized.
His expression changed.
“What is this?””
Victoria reached for the envelope.
But Nathaniel pulled it back.
Samantha stared at the handwriting.
She had seen that handwriting once before.
Years ago.
On an old birth certificate Victoria had hidden inside a locked drawer.
Nathaniel opened the envelope.
His eyes moved across the first page.
Then stopped.
His face lost all color.
He looked up at Victoria.
May you like
“Why does this say Samantha Collins is my—”
The mansion fell silent.
