A Queen who rose from a gutter

When I was one day old, I was dumped into a trash can by my biological mother.

Reason—she wanted to get married with a young billionaire who did not want baggage with her.

When I turned six, she brought me back to her home, took my kidney to save her daughter, Ramona, with her new husband and then sent me back to the orphanage where she had found me, not knowing I was her biological daughter.

When I was top in the University, she had the director of the University cancel my scholarship so that her darling daughter could be the top scholar in the city.

When her loving daughter’s boyfriend took a liking on me, she had a bunch of street goons to rape me. I could not imagine the outcome if the siren of the police van had not chased those men away.

She had done the worst possible things a mother could do to her daughter.

Still, when she came back weeping about "maternal regret" and "postpartum shadows”, saying she had regretted her decision every second of her life, vowing she didn't know I was her daughter when she was tormenting me, I forgave her.

Having been craved for love for the past twenty years, I let my heart melt.

Perhaps, my mother had really changed.

Perhaps, she wouldn't have done those horrible things to me if she knew I was her daughter.

Perhaps, she would have never abandoned me if she wasn't so ‘depressed’ after my father's death.

Overjoyed that my mother wanted me back, I packed my belongings and rushed to meet her.

However, the moment I stepped foot at her doorstep, I overheard her conversation with her darling daughter with her new husband.

“Of course, sweetheart! You will always be my one and only darling. I’m only adopting Vanessa back to wed her to Mr. Blackwood to save your Dad's bankrupt company.”

“You are not lying to me, Mom, are you?” Ramona, my step sister, tugged to my mother’s arms. “You won't share my love with sister Vanessa, will you?”

“Never.” My mother replied, her voice contained no warmth when mentioning me. “How can a village’s trash can compare to our princess?”

“If we wouldn't have to please that old hag of Blackwood company, we would never have brought your sister back.”

“An old master of Blackwood company and a village girl with no literacy, I think that's a match made in heaven.” Ramona smirked, followed by the sound of their laughter.

“She is such a fool to believe you instantly. You have been using her for years for me and she still agreed to help you one more time.”

“She actually cried, Ramona,” my mother’s voice drifted through the cracked door, light and melodic, as if she were discussing a charming play she’d seen. “When I told her I didn’t know she was my daughter during the... unfortunate incidents, she actually reached out and wiped my eyes. It was almost hard not to laugh.”

She knew!

She knew I was her daughter when she had me donate a kidney to Ramona!

She knew I was her daughter when she had the director cancel my scholarship!

She knew I was her daughter when she had a bunch of goons… rape me.

My legs at the doorstep froze, the momentary joy I felt shattered. The cold heart that had melted seeing my mother shed tears, became ice.

The realization didn't break my heart. It cremated it. Every ounce of warmth I had saved for her, every drop of "maternal love" I had hallucinated, vanished.

In its place was a hollow, echoing cavern of ice.

Just then, my phone buzzed in my pocket. A silent haptic rhythm.

[NOTIFICATION: BLACKWOOD GROUPS PRIVATE LINE]

“Ma’am, the Smith-Vane estate has defaulted on their final loan payment. We have the legal authority to begin the eviction and seizure of their primary residence at 6:00 PM tomorrow. Awaiting your command to crush them.”

I watched the duo of mother and daughter, laughing and making fun of me, completely unaware that the company they were trying to please by offering me,

was actually owned by me.

I was the CEO of Blackwood Groups!