Chapter 1 Trading Freedom for Family

[Sera]

My fingers trembled as I refreshed the email page for what felt like the hundredth time. The ancient laptop's fan whirred loudly in protest, threatening to wake the Walkers downstairs. I glanced nervously at my bedroom door—really just a converted attic space with a mattress on the floor and some architectural sketches taped to the sloping walls.

A chilly autumn breeze whistled through the small gap in my window, making the newspaper clippings of famous buildings flutter against the wall. Outside, crimson and gold leaves swirled in the night air, occasionally tapping against the glass like impatient visitors. My design portfolio had taken months to complete, sneaking time at the public library computers after school to submit my application. Tonight was the deadline for acceptance notices.

"Please," I whispered to no one in particular, clutching the simple pendant my mother had left me. "This might be my only chance to get out."

I thought of my neighbor Harmony, the only person in Harper Town who actually believed in me. I'd been living next door to her since I was three, and she'd always taken an interest in me. "You were this adorable little thing, always asking 'why' about everything," she'd laugh when reminiscing. As I grew older, she started teaching me things—first basic math and science, then design principles when she noticed my interest in buildings.

As a retired architect, Harmony shared her knowledge with me, teaching me far beyond what school offered. She recognized my eye for design early on and nurtured that talent with patience and wisdom. By high school, I was already creating architectural sketches while my classmates were still trying to figure out their futures.

The idiot jocks from Harper High would ride their bikes past her house, snickering about her being "just another childless cat lady" whenever they saw her gardening or feeding her rescue cats. They had no idea how brilliant she really was. Her tiny house filled with books and blueprints was where I actually learned to dream.

As the page refreshed again, a new email appeared. My heart stopped.

From: Halloway University, Department of Architecture and Urban Design

Subject: Application Decision

I clicked it with shaking hands.

Dear Sera Ginger,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted to the Halloway University with a full scholarship...

I had to cover my mouth to keep from screaming. Full scholarship. They were giving me a full scholarship! I read the email three more times, making sure my name was really there, that this wasn't some cruel mistake.

Tears blurred my vision as I clutched my mother's pendant tighter. "Mom, I'm going to get out of here," I whispered. I bounced silently on my bed, careful not to make the springs creak. Every architectural design I'd sketched, every night I'd stayed up studying by flashlight—it had all been worth it.

Maybe now my father would finally be proud of me. Maybe when he heard I'd been accepted to one of the most prestigious architecture programs in the country, he'd finally acknowledge me. "He'll see I'm not worthless," I murmured, tracing my finger over my latest building design. "He'll see I have talent, that I'm worth something..."

I was so lost in my daydream that I didn't hear the heavy footsteps on the stairs until it was too late. My door crashed open without warning, and Harold Walker's imposing figure filled the doorway, reeking of cheap whiskey.

"What are you doing up at this hour, sneaking around?" he slurred, his bloodshot eyes narrowing as they focused on me.

Meredith's shrill voice followed him up the stairs. "Look at her, so secretive! Always up to no good!"

I quickly tried to close the laptop, but Harold was already staggering toward me. "Let me see what our little princess is hiding." His hand landed heavily on my shoulder, fingers digging in painfully as he leaned close. His hot, alcohol-laden breath hit my face as he leered down at me. "Getting prettier every day, aren't you?"

I flinched away, but there was nowhere to go in the tiny space. Meredith noticed her husband's attention and her face contorted with jealousy and hatred.

"You little vixen! Always trying to seduce my husband, aren't you?" she spat, stalking toward me with her hand raised. "Acting all innocent, but I know what you really are!"

Before she could strike me, Harold grabbed the laptop. "What's this?" His bleary eyes focused on the screen, his expression shifting from mockery to surprise. "Architecture school? Full scholarship?"

Meredith immediately crowded next to him, her beady eyes scanning the email. I watched as calculation replaced anger on her face. "Well, well. Looks like our little Sera is going places."

Just then, a shrill ring cut through the tension in the room. Harold's cell phone lit up on the bedside table, the vibration making it dance across the surface.

"Who the hell is calling at this hour?" he growled, staggering over to grab it.

His bloodshot eyes widened as he looked at the screen. "It's... it's Hector Ginger," he stammered, suddenly standing straighter. He shot me a suspicious glance before answering. "Hello, Mr. Ginger, sir. What a pleasant surprise..."

Meredith gasped, immediately smoothing her hair and nightgown. She mouthed "Your father?" at me, her expression changing from contempt to artificial sweetness in an instant.

"Yes, sir... she's right here, sir... of course, a video call would be... we'll set it up right away," Harold fumbled with the phone, his drunken state seemingly evaporating in the face of my father's call.

"Come downstairs," he ordered, suddenly acting completely sober. "Your father wants to see you. Now."

Twenty minutes later, I sat stiffly on the edge of the living room sofa. The Walkers had forced me to change into my cleanest shirt and even combed my hair. Meredith pinched my arm hard. "Smile. Show your father how well we've taken care of you."

The video call connected, and my breath caught in my throat. There he was—Hector Ginger. God, it had been so long I barely recognized him. Fifteen years can change a person, I guess. His hair had some gray now, but those eyes... those were exactly the same. Cold. Distant. Like he was checking out some product he might buy.

It all felt so weird. This man was supposed to be my dad, but he was basically a stranger. I couldn't help thinking about all those Instagram posts from Marissa—my perfect half-sister who got to stay. In every photo, he's got his arm around her, looking all proud and happy. The dad I never got to have.

One day I had a home, the next I was sent away. All because Penelope—who started as our housekeeper before somehow becoming his wife—didn't want another woman's child around after she'd secured her position. I was just the unwanted reminder of my father's previous marriage.

He nodded briefly at the Walkers before his gaze settled on me. I felt like a specimen under a microscope as his eyes traveled over my face. "You've grown," he said finally, his mouth twitching slightly.

The video call had that familiar awkward tension - my father, stone-faced and formal, me trying not to fidget under his scrutiny. The Walkers stood silently behind me, tense and watchful.

My father didn't waste time with pleasantries. "It's time for you to come home," he stated, looking directly at me.

My heart skipped a beat. Home? After all these years? A childish hope flickered inside me—maybe he'd finally realized what he'd done, sending away his own daughter. Maybe he'd missed me. Maybe he'd seen my achievements and felt proud, even guilty for keeping me away so long.

"This weekend is your eighteenth birthday. I've arranged for you to meet a suitable bachelor from a prominent family," he continued. "Marissa has expressed her disinterest in him. This is an opportunity for a powerful alliance between our families." He cleared his throat. "The family needs your presence, Sera. I'll send someone to collect you tomorrow morning. Be ready."