25/12/2025
My sister pushed me off the yacht and yelled: 'Say hello to the sharks for me!'. And my parents? They just stood there, smiling. Their plan was to steal my 5.6-billion-dollar fortune. But when they returned home... I was already waiting for them. 'I have a gift for you too.'"
My name is Evelyn Carter and, until the age of thirty-four, I believed that betrayal was something that happened to other families. Ours seemed perfect from the outside: wealthy parents, a younger sister, and a respected name in international finance. My father, Richard Carter, built a global investment firm from scratch. My mother, Margaret, managed our public image with impeccable grace. And my sister, Claire? She was the charming one, the 'sweet' daughter everyone adored.
The yacht was my idea. A family celebration off the coast of Sardinia: sun, champagne, and forced smiles. I had recently finalized the sale of my tech assets, bringing my net worth to 5.6 billion dollars. Legally, it was mine alone. I noticed how my parents suddenly became attentive, how Claire started calling me 'big sister' again. I ignored the warning signs because I wanted to believe.
That night, the sea was black and calm. Claire asked me to go to the stern to look at the lights on the water. I remember laughing, the hum of the engine, the smell of salt. Then, her hands shoved my shoulders. Hard.
I fell.
As I hit the water, I heard her voice: clear, sharp, unforgettable. "Say hello to the sharks for me!"
I surfaced long enough to see the yacht pulling away. On the deck, my parents stood side by side. They weren't screaming. They weren't looking for lifebuoys. They were smiling.
The truth hit colder than the sea. They needed me dead. My will, my trusts... everything would transfer to the family. Accidental drowning. Tragic. Clean.
But fate doesn't always cooperate.
I swam for nearly an hour, fighting cramps, terror, and exhaustion. Finally, a fishing boat spotted me. Hypothermic, bleeding, but alive. I didn't call my family. I didn't report the incident. I disappeared.
Three months later, the Carter family returned to our London residence after publicly mourning my 'death.' The house was silent when they walked in.
Then, I flipped on the lights.
"I survived," I said calmly. "And I brought you a gift."
The color drained from their faces...
..To be continued in the Comments.