The Daughter They Threw Away — Novel

About

Serena Whitmore has always lived in the shadow of her father's expectations, but when he blocks her from joining the family business, the betrayal cuts deeper than she could have imagined. One year of preparation, a single point missed, and her adopted sister Vanessa steps into the role she yearned for, effortlessly basking in their father's approval. As tensions rise at a lavish family celebration, Serena confronts the harsh reality of being the daughter who was thrown away.

Just as she begins to reclaim her sense of self, a chance encounter with Leo, the boyfriend who broke her heart, reveals the tangled web of lies and betrayals that bind them all. With Vanessa by his side, Leo's new life feels like a cruel twist of fate—a reminder of everything Serena lost. What does it mean to be family when blood ties come with their own set of rules?

Caught between the family she can't escape and the love she thought she could trust, Serena must navigate a world where loyalty is tested and ambition breeds envy. Will she rise from the ashes of rejection, or will she remain the outsider forever? In a game of power and deception, who will emerge unscathed?

The Daughter They Threw AwayChapter 1 The Requirement

The year I applied to the Fortune 500 branch managed by my father, a new stipulation appeared overnight: an English proficiency score of 700.

I scored 699. I was rejected.

One year later, my adopted sister Vanessa breezed through the same process.

At the celebration banquet I hosted for her, David Lambert clapped my father on the shoulder, his face flushed with drink.

"You really spoil your girl, Richard. You knew Vanessa didn't hit the 700 mark, so you just scrapped the rule entirely. Classic."

I forced a smile, though my stomach tightened.

"You're mistaken, Mr. Lambert. When I took the exam last year, I missed the cutoff by a single point. My father doesn't play favorites. Vanessa got in on her own merit."

"Merit?" David scoffed, eyes glassy. "Richard was the one who demanded that rule last year. Specifically for that recruitment cycle."

I turned to my father, shock rooting me in place.

Richard coughed, avoiding my gaze.

"Serena, we're blood relatives. We have to avoid accusations of nepotism. Vanessa is adopted. If I didn't hire her, people would say the Whitmore family mistreats outsiders. Besides, she worked hard. She deserves this."