Betrayed Spotlight
Chapter 30: The Bitter Truth

Chapter 30: The Bitter Truth

The Chen Family Manor stood at the end of a long driveway, surrounded by old oak trees that she used to climb as a child. Back then, this place had been her home. Now it felt like enemy territory.

"Are you sure about this, ma’am?" Eli asked from the driver’s seat, glancing at her through the rearview mirror.

Sarah nodded, though her hands were shaking slightly. "Yes, I need to speak with my father."

Derek had briefed Eli about Sarah’s life. So he knew her family was a threat.

The car pulled up to the front entrance of the manor. Sarah took a deep breath and stepped out, her legs feeling unsteady. Eli got out too, his eyes scanning the area carefully.

"I’ll be right here if you need me," he said quietly.

Sarah walked up the stone steps to the front door.

She knocked on the heavy wooden door and waited. After a few moments, one of the servants opened it.

"Miss Sarah!" the elderly woman exclaimed, her eyes wide with surprise. "We weren’t expecting you."

"Hello, Mrs. Wong," Sarah said with a small smile. "Is my father home?"

"Yes, yes, of course. Come in, come in."

Sarah stepped inside the familiar foyer.

"Your father is in the living room," Mrs. Wong said. "But Miss Sarah... the others are here too."

"Others?" Sarah asked, confused.

Before Mrs. Wong could answer, Sarah heard a familiar laugh coming from the living room. Her blood ran cold. She knew that laugh.

Hannah.

But that was impossible. Her father had told her that Hannah and Amelia had run away yesterday afternoon. They were supposed to be hiding somewhere.

Sarah walked slowly toward the living room, her heart pounding. As she got closer, she could hear voices - multiple voices, all talking and laughing like they were having a party.

She pushed open the door and stepped inside.

The scene that greeted her was like a slap in the face.

Her father was sitting in his favorite leather chair, holding a glass of expensive whiskey. He looked relaxed and happy, not like a man whose wife and daughter had disappeared.

On the sofa across from him sat Amelia looking perfectly comfortable in a silk dress and pearls. She was sipping tea from the good china, the set that was only used for special occasions.

Next to Amelia sat Hannah, looking beautiful and smug as always. Her long hair was perfectly styled, and she wore a designer dress that probably cost more than most people made in a month.

But the biggest shock was the man sitting next to Hannah, his arm casually draped around her shoulders.

Daniel.

All four of them looked up when Sarah entered the room. For a moment, nobody said anything. Then Hannah started to laugh.

"Oh my God," Hannah giggled, looking at Sarah like she was a amusing toy. "Look what the cat dragged in."

Sarah stood frozen in the doorway, her mind struggling to process what she was seeing. Her father had lied to her. They were all here, all safe, all together. Acting like nothing had happened.

"Sarah, darling," Elliot said with a warm smile, as if this was a normal family visit. "What a

surprise. What brings you here?"

Sarah’s voice came out as barely a whisper. "You said they ran away."

"Did I?" Elliot asked, tilting his head like he was trying to remember.

"You said Hannah and Amelia disappeared," Sarah said, her voice getting stronger. "You said they were scared and hiding somewhere."

Hannah laughed again, the sound sharp and cruel. "Oh, Sarah. You’re so naive."

"I don’t understand," Sarah said, looking around the room at their faces. "Why did you lie to me? Why did you tell me they were gone?"

Her father set down his whiskey glass and leaned forward, his smile never wavering. "Sarah, my dear girl, do you really think I would give my precious Hannah to Mr. Wang?"

Sarah felt like the floor had dropped out from under her. "What?"

"Hannah is my treasure," Elliot continued, his voice smooth and calm. "She’s beautiful, educated, refined. She deserves the best in life. Why would I risk her safety when I had... other options?"

"Other options?" Sarah repeated, her voice cracking.

"You," Elliot said simply. "You had Mason Liu backing you up. I knew he would come for you. I knew you would be safe."

Sarah staggered backward, her hand reaching for the wall to steady herself. "You... you planned this? You set me up to be taken?"

"Oh, Sarah," Amelia said with a soft laugh, speaking for the first time. "You make it sound so dramatic. We simply gave Mr. Wang what he wanted - a Chen daughter to hold for ransom. It just happened to be you instead of Hannah."

"But I’m your daughter too," Sarah whispered, tears starting to fill her eyes.

"Stepdaughter," Amelia corrected coldly. "Let’s not forget that important detail."

Hannah leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with malicious joy. "Did you really think marrying Mason Liu would help you? Did you think it would make you special? Make you one of us?"

Sarah couldn’t speak. She just stared at her stepsister.

"The funny thing is," Hannah continued, "you’re actually helping us more than you know. Through you, we’re going to climb our way to the top. Mason Liu is the richest man in the city, and now we have a direct connection to him through his little wife."

"Hannah, enough," Elliot said, though he was still smiling. "Don’t be cruel."

"I’m not being cruel, Daddy," Hannah said sweetly. "I’m being honest. Something Sarah clearly needs more of in her life."

Daniel, who had been quiet until now, finally spoke up. "Sarah, you look shocked. Surely you didn’t think your father would actually risk Hannah’s safety?"

Sarah turned to look at Daniel, the man she had once loved with all her heart. The man who had held her and told her she was beautiful. The man who had promised to marry her someday.

"You knew," she said, her voice barely audible. "You knew the whole time."

Daniel shrugged casually. "Of course I knew. Hannah and I are getting married soon."

"Soon?" Sarah repeated.

"Yes." Hannah said with a giggle. "Isn’t that romantic? Daniel realized he was with the wrong sister and he came for the right one."

Hannah grinned. "Plus, I’m much better in bed."

"Hannah!" Amelia scolded, but she was laughing too.

Sarah’s legs finally gave out. She sank down onto the nearest chair, her whole body shaking. This couldn’t be happening. This couldn’t be real.

"Oh, and Sarah," her father said, his voice casual like he was discussing the weather. "I should mention that Mason has agreed to invest in my company. Quite a generous amount, actually."

Sarah’s head snapped up. "What?"

"That’s what we discussed yesterday and this morning," Elliot said with satisfaction. "He’s going to help expand my business. Isn’t that wonderful? My daughter’s marriage is finally paying off."

"So that’s what Mason was hiding from me," Sarah whispered to herself.

"What was that, dear?" Amelia asked with fake concern.

Sarah looked around the room at their faces - her father, her stepmother, her stepsister, her ex-fiance. All of them were smiling. All of them were happy. All of them had used her.

"How could you do this to me?" Sarah asked, her voice breaking. "I’m your family. I’m your daughter."

"My prodigal daughter who didn’t listen to me," Elliot corrected. "But you’ve served your purpose beautifully. You married well, you survived your little adventure yesterday, and now you’re going to help our family prosper."

"I didn’t do anything wrong," Sarah said, tears streaming down her face now. "I never did anything wrong. I was a good daughter. I was a good sister. I was a good girlfriend. Why do you all hate me so much?"

"We don’t hate you, Sarah," Hannah said with mock sweetness. "We just know your place. You’re useful to us now, thanks to your husband. So we’ll keep you around, Popstar."

"Like a pet," Amelia added with a laugh.

Sarah stood up slowly, her legs shaking. She looked around the room one more time, trying to memorize their faces. These people had raised her. These people had been her family. These people had been her whole world.

And they had betrayed her in the worst possible way.

"You’re all monsters," Sarah said quietly.

"Sarah," her father said with a chuckle. "Don’t be so dramatic. This is just business. Nothing personal."

But it was personal. It was the most personal thing in the world.

Sarah turned and walked toward the door, her vision blurry with tears. Behind her, she could hear them laughing and talking again, like she had never been there at all.

"Sarah," Hannah called out sweetly. "Don’t be a stranger. We’ll need to see you again soon to discuss how you can help us with Mason."

Sarah didn’t turn around. She just kept walking.

She walked through the foyer, past Mrs. Wong who looked at her with pity in her eyes, and out the front door. She walked down the stone steps that she had run up so many times as a happy child.

When she reached the car, Eli was waiting for her. He took one look at her face and immediately opened the door.

"Ma’am, are you alright?" he asked with concern.

Sarah got into the car and collapsed against the seat. She couldn’t speak. She couldn’t think. She could only feel the crushing weight of betrayal pressing down on her chest.

Her own family had sold her out. Her own father had used her as bait.

She had never felt so alone in her entire life.

Sarah closed her eyes and let the tears fall. She had thought the worst was over after yesterday’s abduction. She had thought she was safe now.

But this was worse than being abducted. This was worse than being afraid for her life.

This was the complete destruction of everything she had believed about love and family and loyalty.

And she didn’t know how she was ever going to recover from it.