Something’s been off with my housekeeper’s daughter, Sophia, lately. She keeps staring at me with this hostile look, almost like it’s intentional, and then she’ll blast those “Switched Heiress” podcasts in the living room. My brother, Ethan, has had enough and came to vent to me. “Nat, you think Sophia actually believes you and she were switched at birth?” he groaned. “And, like, it’s weird—she’s been looking at me with this ‘loving’ stare lately. Totally creepy.” I chuckled. She really thought the yearly DNA tests my family pays for don’t cover things like that? I’m Natalie James, the only heiress of James Corporation. Like most kids in wealthy families, my parents are rarely home, so they hired a live-in housekeeper to look after Ethan and me. Martha Harris, our housekeeper, has a daughter around my age named Sophia. She’s lived with us practically her entire life, eating and growing up alongside us. But here’s the strange part—Martha doesn’t seem to like her daughter very much. It’s obvious to our whole family that Martha can barely tolerate Sophia. Once, I asked my parents if we should step in. After all, Sophia is often ignored or treated harshly; it’s pitiful. But my parents told me not to interfere with other people’s family issues. Besides, the one time I spoke up on Sophia’s behalf, Martha, who’s usually kind to me, told me flatly, “That’s a family matter.” Since then, I’ve stayed out of it. But recently, Sophia’s attitude towards me has changed. Now, she gives me these strange looks and does a lot of…puzzling things around the house. First, she started pestering Ethan daily about when my parents would return from their vacation. Then, whenever she’d see me, she’d give me this odd, condescending glare. But the worst? When she’d turn up the volume on her phone, blasting those “Switched Heiress” podcasts for everyone to hear. As Ethan put it, “It’s like her whole scheme is written all over her face.” I laughed inwardly. How could that be possible? Even if Sophia and I are close in age, my parents’ DNA tests rule out anything like that. …Wait. Could I actually not be the real heiress? I immediately dashed to the study and dug out my health records. Thankfully, my parents had the foresight to include a DNA test in our yearly health checks. I might have seriously doubted myself otherwise. Seeing the clear relationship confirmation put me at ease, and I shrugged off Sophia’s bizarre fixation on “heiress switches” as some kind of obsession. Then one day, Sophia suddenly turned to Ethan at dinner and asked sweetly, “Ethan, don’t you think you and I look kind of alike?” Ethan practically choked on his food. “Sophia, are you nuts? What do you mean? My real sister is sitting right here.” Martha choked, too, clearing her throat as she shot Sophia a sharp look. “Girl, what on earth are you saying? Mr. and Mrs. James aren’t here, so it’s a privilege for us to be allowed to dine with Miss Natalie and Mr. Ethan. Show some respect!” With that, she rapped Sophia on the head with her chopsticks. Sophia’s eyes filled with tears. “Just wait till they’re back. You’ll all regret this!” she snarled, throwing a vicious look my way before storming off to her room. Um…what? I hadn’t even said anything. And I had no idea what “look” my parents could possibly give her upon their return. Martha looked embarrassed and turned to Ethan and me. “Miss Natalie, Mr. Ethan, I’m so sorry. Sophia’s been acting out lately. I’ll be sure to discipline her.” I raised an eyebrow. “Martha, your disciplinary skills might need a little work. After all, she is your own daughter, so maybe give her some care.” I emphasized “own daughter” on purpose, hoping to gauge her reaction. But Martha just chuckled. “Oh, you’re right, Miss Natalie. But people like us from small towns who barely got an education…we don’t know much about raising kids.” “Sophia’s certainly not as refined as you are, Miss Natalie. Back where I’m from, girls her age would already be married off to bring in a dowry for the family. But here, Mr. James has been so kind, supporting her education, and yet she’s ungrateful and so rude…” I couldn’t agree with her viewpoint, but I could tell she had zero concern about whether Sophia was her daughter or not. Curious, I asked, “Martha, you’ve always treated me so well.” Martha’s face brightened. “Of course! Mr. and Mrs. James have been so good to me, and I’ve watched you grow up. To me, you’re as dear as a daughter—maybe even dearer than my own.” At that moment, I actually felt a bit sorry for Sophia. Imagine having a mom like that. I smiled. “Martha, you should focus more on your own daughter. You might avoid some trouble that way.” I left the dining room, ignoring Martha’s puzzled look.
Ethan’s been complaining to me nonstop. Though he’s used to Sophia’s little attempts to get close to him, he said this time was a whole new level of strange. “Nat, she’s been taking my clothes to wash, lurking outside my study after her midnight showers, and hanging around my class door every chance she gets. But now she’s acting like some grandmother, filling my plate like it’s her job and staring at me with this ‘loving’ gaze. I seriously can’t stand it anymore. What’s her game this time?” I sighed, as frustrated as he was. To calm him down, I promised to have a talk with Sophia once we were back at school. My dad, ever generous, had arranged for Sophia to attend Westview Prep alongside me as a perk for Martha. We were even placed in the same class, supposedly so we could “look out for each other.” But lately, Sophia seemed to be avoiding me on purpose. Wherever I went, she wasn’t there. Even at school, running into her felt like sheer luck. Today, my luck must’ve been exceptional because as soon as I walked into the classroom, there she was, dressed to the nines and surrounded by classmates. “Sophia, that outfit! And the bag—must’ve cost a fortune, right?” “Oh, not really,” she giggled, “I just saw it while shopping and thought, ‘why not?’” “Wow, I never realized Sophia wasn’t from an ordinary family like us. Looks like we have a real heiress among us.” Sophia grinned. “Heiress? Just what my parents gave me, that’s all. What’s mine is mine, you know? Unlike some people, who can only pretend they belong—wasting all that effort for nothing.” She looked directly at me as she said it. One of my friends leaned over and whispered, “Isn’t she just Martha’s daughter? Natalie, does your family pay your housekeeper that much, or did her mom win the lottery? She’s flaunting all this luxury like she just came into money.” “What does she mean by that? Think she got swapped at birth with a rich kid?” “Natalie, isn’t she implying you and she…?” I was speechless. I had no clue where Sophia was getting the cash for all this. Only a few of my closer friends knew she was Martha’s daughter. Out of respect, they’d always kept her background a quiet secret. “She’s starting to sound delusional,” I muttered, arriving at a conclusion after some thought. I walked over to her. “Sophia, come with me. I need a word.” Sophia froze. She’d been avoiding me for days and probably never expected me to confront her head-on. After all, in those “switched heiress” stories, the imposter was always too timid to face the real heiress. Around us, people began whispering. “I’ve never seen Natalie talk to Sophia before.” “Did you hear what Sophia just said? Could they have actually been swapped?” “What? You’re kidding. No one would risk crossing the James family.” “Isn’t she, like, really close with Natalie’s brother? Actual siblings wouldn’t go that far, right?” Ignoring the gossip, I walked straight outside, and after fixing her clothes, Sophia followed me. I cut to the chase. “You know why I want to talk, don’t you?” Sophia’s face broke into a smug smile. “Well, since you already know you’re in my place, why not tell Mom and Dad yourself? Maybe I’ll even put in a good word for you to get some extra support.” For a moment, I felt like my brain had short-circuited. “Sophia, what nonsense are you talking about?” She scoffed, “Oh, come on, Natalie! You know I’m the real James heiress. You’ve lived the easy life I was supposed to have while I’ve suffered. You owe me, Natalie, and you’ll never pay it back.” “What proof do you even have?” “Oh, I’ve got proof,” she sneered. “Once Mom and Dad are back from their trip, the truth will finally come out. You’ll be the one begging for mercy when I kick you and your broke mom out of this house.” I was about to ask where on earth she got such confidence when a sharp voice cut through our conversation. “Sophia!” Martha was striding toward us, and before I knew it, she slapped Sophia hard.
All of a sudden, everyone in the classroom poured out to see what had happened. I, too, was caught off guard by the sudden drama. Sophia clutched her cheek, red and swollen from the slap, tears welling up as if she couldn’t speak. Martha’s eyes were furious as she grabbed Sophia by the hair. “Did you transfer money out of my account, you worthless brat?! That money was for your brother’s future! Do you want us to end up on the streets? I can’t believe you’d betray me like this!” Through her tears, Martha’s voice wavered, giving everyone a clear idea of where Sophia’s luxury items had come from. I quickly stepped in and tried to separate them. “Martha, maybe let’s talk this over. We’re at school…” Martha looked around at the staring crowd and, realizing she had an audience, sank dramatically to the ground. “Lord, how could this happen to me? I saved for years to secure my son’s future, and now it’s all gone because of this ungrateful child. What am I supposed to do now?” “Is that really Sophia’s mom? She doesn’t seem like she has money.” “Didn’t you hear? Sophia probably stole her savings and went on a shopping spree.” Whispers and jeers began circulating. “Was she always this…flashy?” “Last I heard, she’s only able to go to Westview because someone sponsors her.” “Enough!” Sophia’s glare landed on me, her eyes blazing. “Natalie, this is all because of you, isn’t it? I’ve suffered for so many years in your place, and now you’re trying to humiliate me? Just wait—I swear you’ll regret it!” Without a glance back, she turned and ran, ignoring Martha’s shouts. “Hey! How dare you talk to Miss Natalie like that! Are you okay, Miss Natalie?” Martha rushed over to me, casting another furious look in Sophia’s direction as she fled. The whispers around me continued, buzzing louder. “This woman’s not actually Natalie’s mother, is she? But look how she’s way kinder to Natalie than her own daughter.” “Yeah, I heard she’s just the James family’s housekeeper.” “Then maybe it’s true? They might’ve been switched, and Martha just raised the wrong daughter.” I was about to shake off Martha’s concerned grip when a calm, familiar voice broke through the crowd. “Martha, maybe you should go check on your own daughter.” I turned and saw Lucas Sullivan standing in the hallway, his gaze steady as he walked toward me. “Natalie, class is about to start.” A couple of girls whispered excitedly nearby. “Oh my god, he’s here! I’m totally swooning.” “Even if Natalie turned out not to be the real heiress, she’d still be set marrying into the Sullivan family!” “Lucas is so perfect. And honestly, he and Natalie look so good together.” Lucas was my boyfriend, and everyone knew it. In fact, both our families fully approved of us being together. As far as family status, academics, and looks go, we’re a perfect match, and the potential partnership between our families’ businesses only sweetens the deal. Reluctantly, Martha released her grip and scurried after Sophia. I didn’t pay much attention to the gossip around us, but the recent drama had stirred up my curiosity about what Lucas thought. Once we were back in class, I asked him, “Lucas, if it turns out I’m not really the James heiress, would you still want to be with me?” He chuckled softly, as if I’d just told him a joke. “What’s so funny?” I was genuinely curious, especially since, with everything happening, it didn’t feel like such a wild possibility that I might not be the real heiress. Lucas reached over and lightly patted my head, his eyes clear and reassuring. “Whether you’re the real James heiress or not doesn’t matter to me. What matters is you—Natalie James. That’s all I care about.” That afternoon, Sophia showed up to school again, but this time, her outfit was even more extravagant than before. Our classmates exchanged confused glances, clearly struggling to make sense of her behavior. Sophia didn’t hesitate. She walked right up to me but stopped short in front of Lucas, looking uncharacteristically shy. “Lucas, I think you should know the truth. I’m the real heiress of the James family.” A collective gasp rippled through the class. She’d actually said it. “Oh?”
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