Chapter 17
“What? Are you saying it was Emma who got you kidnapped by those traffickers?” Katrina gasped, cutting Ivy off mid-sentence. Her face was a picture of disbelief.
“Yes. I heard it from the traffickers themselves while they were transporting me. That night, they actually grabbed the wrong person at first—Emma. It was me and the driver who fought tooth and nail to get her out. In the chaos, I ended up falling right into their trap myself.”
As Ivy spoke, she gave a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. “Fate’s a cruel joke, isn’t it? For three years, I’ve lost count of how many times I regretted saving her that night. How stupid could I have been?”
The thought that Emma might have spent all these years secretly laughing at her made Ivy’s chest burn with rage.
Katrina was trembling so hard with anger that she could barely hold the steering wheel. “Didn’t you tell everyone the truth when you got back? She’s the Windsor family’s adopted daughter—she should be grateful just to have left that orphanage and joined your family. You treated her like your own sister, protected her ever since you were kids, and this is how she repaid you? She’s worse than an animal!”
Ivy’s voice was calm, tinged with sorrow. “I tried. But every time I said anything, she’d put on this pitiful act and win everyone’s sympathy. My whole family took her side.”
She sighed, pausing before she went on. “And anyway, everyone thought I’d spent those three years giving birth to some old man’s child and catching HIV. They were disgusted by me, rejected me, and that just made them dote on Emma even more. If they had to choose between us, no question—they’d always pick her. Doesn’t matter that I’m their real daughter. That’s human nature for you: cruel and practical.”
Katrina couldn’t keep driving anymore. She pulled the car over to the curb, turned to face her friend, and said softly, “Ivy, I don’t care about any of that. If you’re ever hurting, you can come to me—always.”
Ivy smiled, an expression that was as bright as it was fragile. Then she seemed to remember something. “Oh, and don’t worry. I don’t have HIV, and I never had a child.”
“Really? That’s wonderful!” Katrina’s eyes widened with surprise and relief.
“You believe me?” Ivy asked, a little uncertain.
“Why wouldn’t I?” Katrina’s eyes sparkled. “I trust you—always.”
Ivy nodded, feeling a rare sense of comfort settle in her chest.
“I went to the hospital for a full checkup yesterday. No HIV. But I was chained up in a filthy shed for three years, half-starved the whole time. My health’s a mess. I’ve got some skin problems too. Plus, honestly, I probably smell pretty bad. Sorry about that.”
She gave an embarrassed laugh.
Katrina’s eyes filled with tears again as she listened. “Stop it, you’re breaking my heart. I don’t care how you smell. All that matters is you survived. I’m so glad you’re back.”
Ivy looked at her friend, and tears welled in her eyes, too. Maybe fate hadn’t been entirely cruel—at least it had left her this one precious friendship.
When she heard that Katrina was being treated horribly by her family and barely scraping by as a grad student, Ivy felt a surge of anger on her behalf. “Katrina, don’t worry. Once I’m feeling a bit better, let’s start something of our own. You’ll never have to grovel to them again.”
Katrina let out a weary sigh. “But what could the two of us do?”
“You passed the bar exam when you were a senior, didn’t you? With your skills, you’ll make an incredible lawyer. I’ll invest in a law firm, and you’ll be the boss.” Ivy’s tone was almost grand.
Katrina’s jaw dropped. “Ivy, are you serious?”
“I’m dead serious. What I need to do next is going to be tough—really tough. I need my own legal team. I can’t trust anyone else with this, but if you’re in charge, I’ll have nothing to worry about.” Ivy had given this a lot of thought over the past few days.
She was going to put Emma behind bars—and take down that entire human trafficking ring. If it cost her every last penny, so be it. She’d get justice for herself—and for all the women and children who’d suffered like she had. She had money, but she didn’t know the law. Last night, she’d been agonizing over that very problem. She never imagined Katrina would show up at her door today.
“All right, Ivy. I’ll do whatever you need—whatever it takes to make you happy.”