Page 3 of A Twisted Gift

“Marissa decided to play hero.”

Father shoves me into my brothers, and they both grab me, their grips firm. As if I’d run. As if I have anywhere to runto.

Marissa pulls at her hair, her eyes wild with desperation. “You can’t sell her! She’s not an animal.”

Sell me? What’s she talking about?

But Father shrugs, unbothered. “What else am I going to do with her? She’s a useless expense.”

“Just let her go,” Marissa begs. “Let her live her own life. She can come stay with me, and I can help her find a job. I’ll make sure she gets settled. No one ever has to know she’s yours.”

Father sighs. “I knew doting on you as a child would come back to bite me in the ass. I never should’ve let her live, but you wanted a sister so badly. And now look at you.”

“I know you love her,” Marissa says, her voice wobbling in the way it always does when she’s trying not to cry. “I know you do. So please don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”

“She served as a good companion for you during your childhood, I’ll give her that. But she’s worthless in that regard with you living in California now.”

“No! She can be my companion again. She can come live with me. I love her. Imissher. I want her with me.”

“Marissa, Marissa, Marissa.” Father shakes his head, looking down on her with disappointment. “I thought you were smarter than this.”

Marissa sniffles, and I step toward her, wanting to put my arms around her. I hate it when she cries. But Benjamin and Danny hold me back, their hands tightening on my arms so much that I whimper.

“Careful,” Father snaps at them. “We can’t have her bruised for tomorrow.”

“But if you do this, everyone will know that you cheated on Mom,” Marissa says. “You’ve been hiding it for years because you were ashamed.”

Father laughs. “No, my dear. It was your mother who was ashamed, not me. She couldn’t stand the thought of people viewing her as undesirable. But looking back, her embarrassment was a blessing. This was always meant to be. Keeping Raina a secret but letting rumors of a bastard child fester. Never letting anyone see her until the right moment. It’s perfect.”

“W-what are you talking about?” Marissa asks, but she must’ve figured out something that I haven’t, because she looks horrified.

“What, you can’t see it? A beautiful girl, kept locked up and innocent her entire life. And then, to top it all off, she’s the Montgomery family’s dirty little secret. It only adds to the intrigue.”

“She’s a human being,” Marissa says flatly. “Not some spectacle at a circus.”

“Never underestimate a man’s desire for power, Marissa. Not just to have it, but tofeelit.” Father nods toward me. “Being the man who wins her and gets to own her for however long he likes? That’s power.”

Hearing Father lay this all out in such plain terms has nausea spreading through my stomach. I’ve always thought that he might change someday—that he’d soften toward me.

Stupid girl.

“I don’t want to be sold.” It’s a pointless thing for me to say, but I do anyway.

Everyone ignores me.

“It’s not too late to change your mind,” Marissa begs. “You don’t have to do this.”

“My dear, what aren’t you getting? This has been the plan since the day I dreamed it up years ago. Do you have any idea how much girls like her go for at auctions like these?”

Marissa lets out a horrified noise. “What do you mean,auctions like these? These have happened before?”

“All the time,” Benjamin answers smoothly.

“Went to one over the summer,” Danny says, so casually that it feels like he’s talking about the weather. “Didn’t get the girl, though. Bidding got out of control. Sold for almost two mil.”

Marissa chokes out a sob. “Youwhat? That’s disgusting. How could you do that? How could you—”

“Enough,” Father snaps. “Raina has been a burden to me her entire life. This is her opportunity to finally make something of herself and pay me back.”

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