The man at my door looked like trouble—grimy, bold, and far too smug. “Emily,” he said. “It’s me. Your father.”

I froze. I didn’t recognize him, nor did I want to. I had no memory of the man who abandoned me. But he wasn’t here to apologize—he was here to claim half of everything I owned.“You’re rich now because I gave you up,” he said. “I want my cut.”Shock gave way to fury. “You left me in foster care. I didn’t grow up in luxury—I survived.”