Hannah, you’ve been underestimated your whole life. By teachers, by commanding officers, even by your own family. Don’t waste this chance. Use it to prove them wrong. Use it to help others who’ve been pushed aside. That’s Rose’s legacy. That’s your legacy now.
The words burned into me. I wasn’t just sitting on a pile of rocks. I was sitting on a mission. And unlike Megan, I didn’t need a penthouse to feel powerful. I had something better: proof that my father believed in me more than anyone else.
As the fire died down and the cabin went quiet, I looked out the window toward the dark lake. My family thought they’d thrown me away. They had no idea I was just getting started.
The next morning, the crunch of tires on gravel pulled me out of sleep. I pulled on a jacket and stepped onto the porch. A black SUV sat idling at the end of the drive. Two men in business-casual slacks, windbreakers, and clipboards stood near the cabin, scanning the trees like they were surveying the land.
“Can I help you?” I called, my voice sharper than I intended.
One of them smiled too quickly.
“Morning, ma’am. We’re from Summit Realty Partners. Just checking out some property lines.”