"I am the fake daughter of this family. When I was fourteen, my biological mother came to find me. She asked me to take out some money to support my useless brother at home. She wanted me to dig up money from my adoptive parents and give it to them. Seeing her greedy appearance, I reported her for child trafficking."
"I'm your real mom, Cecilia!"
In the kitchen, the new nanny grabbed my arm, insisting I was her daughter, born fourteen years ago.
I believed her.
My parents, the owners of this house, were educated and refined. My brother Kevin was a top student at a prestigious school. But I was always a dunce at studies, plain-looking, nothing like Kevin.
I had long suspected I wasn't my mom and dad's real daughter.
So when the nanny claimed she was my mom, I wasn't shocked.
"Cecilia, I placed you here for a better life. You've enjoyed being a rich girl for years. It's time to help the family out." Yvonne spoke without pause.
She thought we were alone in the house, so she boldly recounted what happened fourteen years ago in the kitchen.
She and my adoptive mother gave birth in the same hospital. Selfishly, she swapped the babies. From then on, I, who should've grown up in poverty, ended up in this wealthy household.
"I'm only fourteen. I don't have money." I shut down Yvonne's demand. I was young, not clueless.
But Yvonne got furious. "Don't play dumb. I saw Mrs. Tenny give you twenty grand for pocket money last weekend. What's wrong with sharing some with your brother? He's starting high school soon. Don't you know school costs money? If you give him money now, when he grows up, he could join the Tenny Group and back you up. Isn't that great?"
I understood.
She wanted to use me as a stepping stone.
They planned to siphon off the Tenny family's wealth and seize control of the Tenny Group.
"No way." I left the kitchen after that, refusing to be their fool no matter how much Yvonne brought it up later.
Eventually, Yvonne said she'd take me to meet my real dad and brother.
I agreed.
I mainly wanted to see how the true heiress, the one who took my place, was faring in that cutthroat family.
Yvonne's home was a modest place in a city village, on the ground floor. Trailing behind her, I stepped inside and caught a whiff of dampness. Then I spotted a man on the couch, wearing a tank top, fanning himself with one hand and scratching an itch with the other.
Yvonne introduced him. "This is your dad."
Later, I met my so-called brother. He had the biggest room in the house, the only one with air conditioning.
Frank lounged with the AC blasting, eating watermelon, playing games on the latest phone. His setup was a stark contrast to the living room. He glanced up at me briefly and asked, "Who's this?"
"This is Cecilia, your real sister."
Frank whistled at me and nodded. "Well, look at the little princess."
All I saw in Frank was one thing-crassness.
After three secretive years of marriage, Eliana never met her enigmatic husband until she was served with divorce papers and learned of his extravagant pursuit of another. She snapped back to reality and secured a divorce. Thereafter, Eliana unveiled her various personas: an esteemed doctor, legendary secret agent, master hacker, celebrated designer, adept race car driver, and distinguished scientist. As her diverse talents became known, her ex-husband was consumed by remorse. Desperately, he pleaded, "Eliana, give me another chance! All my properties, even my life, are yours."
Lyric had spent her life being hated. Bullied for her scarred face and hated by everyone-including her own mate-she was always told she was ugly. Her mate only kept her around to gain territory, and the moment he got what he wanted, he rejected her, leaving her broken and alone. Then, she met him. The first man to call her beautiful. The first man to show her what it felt like to be loved. It was only one night, but it changed everything. For Lyric, he was a saint, a savior. For him, she was the only woman that had ever made him cum in bed-a problem he had been battling for years. Lyric thought her life would finally be different, but like everyone else in her life, he lied. And when she found out who he really was, she realized he wasn't just dangerous-he was the kind of man you don't escape from. Lyric wanted to run. She wanted freedom. But she desired to navigate her way and take back her respect, to rise above the ashes. Eventually, she was forced into a dark world she didn't wish to get involved with.
After hiding her true identity throughout her three-year marriage to Colton, Allison had committed wholeheartedly, only to find herself neglected and pushed toward divorce. Disheartened, she set out to rediscover her true self-a talented perfumer, the mastermind of a famous intelligence agency, and the heir to a secret hacker network. Realizing his mistakes, Colton expressed his regret. "I know I messed up. Please, give me another chance." Yet, Kellan, a once-disabled tycoon, stood up from his wheelchair, took Allison's hand, and scoffed dismissively, "You think she'll take you back? Dream on."
Her fiance and her best friend worked together and set her up. She lost everything and died in the street. However, she was reborn. The moment she opened her eyes, her husband was trying to strangle her. Luckily, she survived that. She signed the divorce agreement without hesitation and was ready for her miserable life. To her surprise, her mother in this life left her a great deal of money. She turned the tables and avenged herself. Everything went well in her career and love when her ex-husband came to her.
Two years ago, Ricky found himself coerced into marrying Emma to protect the woman he cherished. From Ricky's perspective, Emma was despicable, resorting to underhanded schemes to ensure their marriage. He maintained a distant and cold attitude toward her, reserving his warmth for another. Yet, Emma remained wholeheartedly dedicated to Ricky for more than ten years. As she grew weary and considered relinquishing her efforts, Ricky was seized by a sudden fear. Only when Emma's life teetered on the edge, pregnant with Ricky's child, did he recognize-the love of his life had always been Emma.
After two years of marriage, Sadie was finally pregnant. Filled with hope and joy, she was blindsided when Noah asked for a divorce. During a failed attempt on her life, Sadie found herself lying in a pool of blood, desperately calling Noah to ask him to save her and the baby. But her calls went unanswered. Shattered by his betrayal, she left the country. Time passed, and Sadie was about to be wed for a second time. Noah appeared in a frenzy and fell to his knees. "How dare you marry someone else after bearing my child?"