My Mom Walked Away from a Fortune

Mom turns out to be the biological daughter of a wealthy family. A nanny switched her at birth. Everyone says Mom and I are finally going to have it made now that her birth family has found her. But that night, Mom tells me calmly, "They raised another daughter for more than 20 years, and they've never spent a single day with me. It's obvious who they're closer to. "I'm not going back there just to be treated like an outsider, and I'm not taking you somewhere people will look down on you. If they insist on trying to bring me back into the family, then all I want from them is money." The next day, a well-dressed elderly couple steps out of a Rolls-Royce. Their eyes are red as they beg Mom to come home with them. She turns them down and tells them she only wants the money. A day later, a handsome middle-aged man who looks a lot like Mom shows up, acting all high and mighty. I have no idea what he says to her, but Mom grabs a broom and chases him out. I think that's finally the end of it. Then, on the day of the Bloomtide Festival, the daughter who took Mom's place shows up outside our little diner in a white dress. A bundle of thorny branches is tied across her back in some bizarre show of penance. Her face is deathly pale as she drops to her knees by the entrance. "Joan, this is all my fault. I took your place, and I'm sorry. Please forgive me. You're my sister. Please come back to the Thorne family. Mom and Dad got so sick after you turned them down that they're both in the hospital." Chapter 1 Still kneeling, Kayla Thorne made an elaborate show of apologizing to Mom. Tourists visiting the village for the Bloomtide Festival quickly gathered around and pulled out their phones to record. Mom calmly served her customers their food before stepping outside. "Don't call me your sister. We're not related by blood. We're slammed today, and I can barely keep up. Can we talk after my shift?" Kayla inched closer on her knees and gave Mom's apron a gentle tug, looking up at her with pleading eyes. "You can hate me and blame me all you want. This is all my fault. But Mom and Dad really do care about you. I'll give you as much money as you want, okay? Just please go see them at the hospital." The tourists had no idea what was going on and were already whispering among themselves. Mom looked helpless for a moment, then reached down to help Kayla up. But Kayla struggled against her and toppled backward, driving the thorns into her back. Kayla sucked in a sharp breath. Her face went even paler, but she didn't make a sound. "Enough!" A young man strode out of the crowd, his voice cold as he snapped at Mom. "Kayla's a victim too. She tied thorny branches across her back, got down on her knees, and begged you to forgive her just to make things right with you. "How long are you going to keep making her beg? Do you really care about money so much that you won't even go see your own parents?" Mom looked genuinely confused. She had no idea who he was or why he thought he had any right to lecture her. By then, some of the onlookers had figured out who Kayla and the man were. "Wait, aren't they that couple everyone's obsessed with from that dating show? No wonder they looked so familiar." "I heard they grew up together. That rich heir only went on the show because he was trying to win her over." "Then who's this woman? Why is a celebrity on her knees begging her like this?" Everyone's attention shifted back to Mom. I ran outside and stood beside Mom, taking her big hand in my little one. Kayla cut Henry Reyes off before he could defend her any further and stubbornly stayed on her knees. "Stay out of this. I've had a good life for more than 20 years. Even if I have to stay on my knees here until I drop dead, it'll still be worth it for Mom and Dad." The crowd still didn't know the full story, but the way they looked at Mom made me uncomfortable. Kayla was just as annoying as the people who had shown up over the past two days. I pulled my slingshot out from behind my back, ready to teach her a lesson. Without even looking back, Mom reached over, snatched the slingshot from my hand, and stuffed it into her apron pocket. Despite all the commotion, she remained perfectly calm. "Ms. Thorne, I may be the Thorne family's biological daughter, but I've never had any intention of going back and fighting you for anything. You're the one who's spent more than 20 years with them, so you don't need to get worked up over me." Kayla bit her lip. "If they're sick, they have doctors to take care of them. I have a diner to run and a child to look after, so I won't be going to the hospital. Please leave." With that, Mom took my hand and led me back inside the diner. I looked back at Kayla and made a face at her. She was such a mean woman. For a moment, Kayla's expression turned vicious. She stayed on her knees for another half hour. Henry had to talk himself hoarse before he finally convinced her to leave. In that short time, Mom's little diner had gone viral. The village was already crowded with tourists for the Bloomtide Festival, and now it was absolutely packed. Mom was sweating from running around nonstop and didn't have a spare second to care what people were saying about her. Only after the last customer left did she finally let out a sigh of relief and sit down. She checked her phone and found over 99 messages and missed calls, all from Gordon Thorne, her older brother by blood. Her phone buzzed again as another call came in. I reached over and tapped "Answer." Chapter 2 The moment the call connected, an angry male voice came blasting through the speaker. "Joan Thorne, what more do you want? Kayla knelt there until her knees were swollen, and those thorny branches left puncture wounds all over her back. She's about to make her debut, but you don't seem to care at all. Are you even a Thorne?" Mom shot me a look for answering the call, then took a deep breath. "My name is Joan Newell. I'm not a Thorne." That only made Gordon angrier. "The DNA test already proved everything. Why are you still refusing to accept it? Mom and Dad are getting older. They just want you to come home so they can enjoy their later years in peace. Do you really have to go against them on everything?" Mom set the phone on the table and sighed. "Mr. Thorne, I don't want to have to say this a third time. I have parents of my own. They're gone now, but they're the ones who raised me and gave me all the love I could ever ask for. "We may be related by blood, but beyond that, we're strangers. So stop telling me what to do. You don't have that right." After switching Mom at birth, the nanny had someone take her to a remote mountain village. Mom was later adopted by a couple with no children of their own, and they raised her with love and care. She never went without food or clothes, and she never lacked love. She grew up healthy, both physically and emotionally. After college, she married Dad, a police officer, and later had me. We lived a peaceful, happy life. Aside from losing Dad in the line of duty a year ago, Mom had never had much to worry about. Gordon still insisted on calling Mom Joan Thorne. "Mom and Dad are your biological parents. That makes you a Thorne, and that's the name you should be using. I don't understand why you're so determined to hang on to that little diner. "Wouldn't you rather come home and live like an heiress? And even if you don't care about any of that for yourself, think about your daughter. She's starting elementary school soon, isn't she? Don't you want her to have access to better schools?" Mom turned to look at me. I planted my hands on my hips. "You're exactly the kind of preachy middle-aged guy Dad used to complain about. No wonder Mommy doesn't like you. I don't like you either." Gordon was speechless for a moment. "And I don't want to go to some school your family sends me to. Your whole family's just putting on a show." I'd gotten that from Ms. Warner next door. She'd said there was quite a show going on outside our diner today. "You're just a kid, and you think you can talk about your elders like that? Kayla is your aunt. Apologize to her right now!" Gordon roared. His shout startled me so badly that I jumped in my chair. Mom quickly pulled me into her arms. The second Gordon turned his anger on me, Mom's voice went cold. "You have no authority over Eliza, and you have no right to tell her how to behave. Don't bother us again." Before Gordon could say another word, Mom hung up and blocked his number. Then she turned and gave me a long look. "Hold out your hand. Which hand did you use to answer the phone?" I squeezed my eyes shut and held out my right hand. Mom gave my palm three quick swats without holding back. I had to fight back a grin. They barely hurt. After running around all day, Mom was too tired to scold me anymore. She took me home, gave me a bath, and put me to bed. Before I fell asleep, I did what I always did. I held Dad's photo and told him everything that had happened that day. "Daddy, someone was mean to Mommy today. But don't worry. I'm really strong, and I'll protect her." I waved my little fist in the air. If they dared come back, I'd make them sorry. A second later, I was fast asleep. Mom gently took the photo from my arms and wiped the glass even though there wasn't a speck of dust on it. Then she murmured, "Honey, do you think I'm doing the right thing?" Dad smiled back at her from the photo, as if he would support whatever she decided. Chapter 3 With the Bloomtide Festival going on, Mom opened the diner an hour earlier than usual. The moment she unlocked the door, several young people with cameras in hand rushed inside and crowded around her. "Are you really Joan Thorne, the Thorne family's biological daughter?" "Your birth parents are both in the hospital. Is it true you won't even acknowledge them unless they give you money?" "We heard your husband died, and you've been raising your daughter alone while running this little diner. Is that true?" "Don't you want your daughter to have the kind of life a wealthy family could give her?" "Just because you had to struggle, are you going to make your daughter struggle too?" "Do you hate Kayla Thorne so much that you made her kneel there with thorny branches tied across her back and beg you to forgive her?" Late the night before, Kayla had posted a single sighing emoji on social media and nothing else. She hadn't said a word, but the comments had already gone wild. By morning, Mom had already been branded online as a woman who wanted money but nothing to do with her birth parents. The questions came at her one after another, but Mom didn't look rattled. She immediately pulled me behind her so I wouldn't get caught in the middle. "My name is Joan Newell. What news outlet are you with? Do you have press credentials? Please show them to me." The group exchanged uneasy glances. "Please answer our questions first." The man shoved his phone so close to Mom's face it was practically touching her. She didn't flinch. She just looked him straight in the eye. One second passed, then two, then three. The man swallowed and slowly lowered his phone. "I don't owe you any answers. If you're here to eat, come inside. If not, please leave. I have other customers to take care of." Mom carried me off to the side and told me not to wander off before going back to work. The group still wouldn't give up and followed her around, but Mom ignored them completely. They could film her all they wanted as long as they didn't invade the other customers' privacy. Heavily edited clips of Mom went viral online, and people started slapping all kinds of nasty labels on her. "So, you're the daughter of that woman trying to make money off her birth family?" A man tipped my chin up with one finger. It was the last day of the Bloomtide Festival. I was playing in a little pond with a few of my friends, splashing around and catching fish. Without warning, he grabbed me by the arm and hauled me right out of the water. I stared at him with wide eyes. He was dressed all in black, with a mask and sunglasses hiding most of his face. Something told me he was bad news. I didn't say a word. I just flung the water from my little bucket straight into his face. "Put me down! Who are you?" The man wiped his face. "Pretty bold for a little girl." He tossed my bucket aside, carried me over to a black car, and got in with me. "Go get my mom!" I shouted back at my friends, who were still standing there in shock. The man let out a mocking laugh. He took me to Thorne Manor. The elderly couple I'd seen before was there, along with the middle-aged man who looked a lot like Mom and the woman who had knelt outside our diner and put on that whole performance. They all looked startled when they saw me, then immediately looked past me. Mom wasn't there. Kayla asked, "Henry, what's going on?" Henry dropped me onto the floor and crossed his arms. "You've all been way too nice about this. If you want that woman back in the Thorne family, it's easy. Just find her weak spot and use it." Gordon's expression changed. He opened his mouth to protest, but before he could get a word out, I darted over to a flowerpot. I grabbed a pebble and threw it at Henry's head. Then I grabbed another. "You kidnapped me! That's against the law! You're in big trouble! I'm calling the police!" Everyone froze. Linda Kinsey, the elderly woman, stood up and gave me a gentle look. "You're Eliza, right? I'm your grandmother. We're family. We just wanted to see you. No one here is going to hurt you, so don't be scared, sweetheart." I lifted my chin and planted my hands on my hips. "I already have a grandma. And if you wanted to see me, why did you have someone grab me and bring me here? You're all grown-ups. Don't you know that's against the law?" I was only five, and even I knew that! Chapter 4 A mix of emotions crossed everyone's faces. Kayla walked over and gently reached both hands out to me. "Eliza, I'm your aunt. Henry is my friend. He didn't mean any harm by bringing you here. Can you forgive him?" Henry looked at her like he was completely smitten. I backed away two steps before she could touch me and tilted my head. "So because he's your friend, he can break the law and just be forgiven?" That wasn't what Dad had taught me when he was still alive. Kayla's smile stiffened. She glanced at me out of the corner of her eye, then stepped back, looking hurt. Henry immediately jumped to her defense. "You nasty little brat. You're just like that damn mother of yours, always mouthing off and getting on everyone's nerves." I bit my lip as tears welled in my eyes. I was furious. I hated him so much I wanted to hit him. "Henry, how could you say that about my sister and niece? Apologize right now." The rest of the Thornes looked just as displeased. Henry glanced around at them, then reluctantly turned back to me. "Sorry, okay? You're awfully sensitive for a little kid." Gordon tried to call Mom, but none of his calls went through. That was when he realized she had blocked him. Kayla immediately pulled out her phone. "Gordon, let me call Joan. She's probably still mad at me, so don't blame her." Mom answered almost instantly. "Is Eliza with you?" "Mommy, I'm here!" Kayla didn't even get a chance to answer before I burst into tears. I'd been trying so hard not to cry, but the second I heard Mom's voice, I couldn't hold it in anymore. All I wanted was for her to come get me. "Eliza, don't cry. Mommy will be there soon." After the call ended, I curled up in a corner and refused to let anyone come near me. No matter what toys they brought over, I just stared at them like they were monsters. Mom finally appeared at the entrance to Thorne Manor looking disheveled. She still had her apron on, and her hair was a mess. The moment she saw me, she let out a breath of relief. "Eliza, come to Mommy." I shoved past Kayla, who was hovering in front of me pretending to care, and threw myself into Mom's arms. Mom let out a soft "ow." Linda sighed. "Joan, don't blame Henry for acting without thinking. He couldn't stand seeing Kayla go through all this because of you, and he knew how badly we wanted to see you. "We've watched him grow up. He can be a handful, but he never meant you or Eliza any harm." By then, Henry had taken off his sunglasses and mask, revealing a handsome face. He lounged on the couch without a care in the world and didn't even bother glancing at us. "What's that fishy smell? Who brought the fish market in here?" The smell was coming from Mom, but I pressed even closer against her chest. I didn't think it smelled bad at all. Linda frowned. "You're a Thorne. There's no reason for you to work yourself to the bone serving people all day. Come home, and whatever you want to eat, I'll have a chef make it for you." Alfred Thorne, the elderly man, leaned on his cane, his cold gaze settling on Mom's rough hands. "So you're blaming us, and that's why you refuse to come home?" Then he seemed to remember something and scoffed. "Your mother and I were both sick, and you still couldn't even be bothered to come see us." Despite everyone in the room criticizing her, Mom didn't react. She picked me up and headed for the door. "I already called the police. Maybe this will finally teach you that you can't just do whatever you want." Gordon stepped in front of us, his face dark with anger. "Joan, stop right there! Call them back and tell them not to come!"