That year, when I was seventeen, I discovered I was the real heiress of a prominent family. But after I swapped places with the girl who’d been living my life, something strange began to happen. My biological parents, the Harringtons, saw their business plummet, while my previously struggling adoptive parents, the Millers, became incredibly prosperous. Turns out, Serena, the girl who took my place, was a walking good luck charm. Wherever she stayed, that family would flourish. So, both my adoptive and biological parents clung to Serena. “Serena! You’re our only daughter now!” I watched them coldly from the sidelines, but I didn’t tell them the full truth— Serena was indeed a living good luck charm. But her charmed life was only good until she turned eighteen. After her eighteenth birthday, she would become a harbinger of ruin. When I returned to the Harrington estate, Serena had just been thrown out. She only managed to grab a backpack, and a woman who looked like a housekeeper impatiently shoved her. “You imposter! The real heiress is coming home today. Now get out!” Serena’s face was red with shame and resentment, just as my biological parents came out to greet me. She immediately screamed at them. “Dad, Mom, are you really abandoning me?!” Mr. Harrington didn’t even glance at her. He spoke blandly. “I’ve arranged a sum of money for you. Consider this our final settlement for the years you were with us. The Harringtons owe you nothing more.” Mrs. Harrington looked conflicted, but she also said, “Serena, take care of yourself from now on.” Serena’s eyes filled with even more anguish. She stumbled downstairs, almost tripping at the bottom of the stairs. I reached out and steadied her. “Are you okay?” I asked, genuinely concerned. But she just stared at me blankly. The next second, she figured out who I was and angrily yanked her arm away. “You’re Maya? Don’t pretend to be kind!” She yelled at me. “Do you think being the real heiress makes you special? I’m telling you, you’ll all regret this! You’ll come crawling back, begging me!” With that furious declaration, Serena spun around and ran off.
After returning to the Harrington estate, my biological parents treated me incredibly well. They gave me credit cards to swipe as I pleased, bought me expensive jewelry and designer bags, and even set up a trust fund for me. But their generosity didn’t last long. Their business ventures were plagued by one misfortune after another, leaving them struggling to keep their heads above water. “What did you say?” At the breakfast table, my father slammed his hand down after taking a phone call, his voice filled with fury. “Our newly signed artist is in trouble again? That, plus the plane crash last month, and the food poisoning incident… how many times has this happened in just two months?!” “Lower your voice,” my mother scolded him, then turned to pat my hand. “Maya, your father and I need to discuss work. You can go back to your room.” I nodded obediently, preparing to leave the dining room. But as I reached the stairs, I suddenly remembered I’d forgotten my phone. Just as I was about to turn back, I overheard my father’s voice. “Honey, what do you think is going on? Ever since Maya came to live with us, our business has been plagued by such strange occurrences. It’s like we’re cursed! Do you think… maybe Maya and I just don’t have good karma together?” “Don’t be ridiculous!” My mother instinctively retorted, but her tone was laced with uncertainty. “But things have been truly awful lately. Several of our subsidiaries have already gone bankrupt. If this continues, our cash flow will dry up completely…” I heard my father furiously kick the coffee table. He shouted. “No, this can’t go on! I need to find a mystic to take a look!”
The next day, I went back to visit my adoptive parents. Unlike Serena’s hostile departure from the Harrington estate, my adoptive parents had cried their eyes out, holding my hands and telling me they’d always be my mom and dad, urging me to visit whenever I could. So, I went back. But to my surprise, the house was empty. Not only that, all the flowerpots and shoe racks that used to be by the door were gone, as if they’d moved out. I was startled and went to ask Mrs. Gable, our next-door neighbor. “Oh, Maya, didn’t you know?” Mrs. Gable looked surprised too. “Your parents struck it rich recently! They moved into a big mansion with their biological daughter!” I was still reeling from the shock of them moving without telling me when the elevator door next to me suddenly opened. I heard my adoptive mother’s familiar voice. “Serena, you left something at the old house. I told you I’d get it, it’s so hot, why did you come yourself?” I looked up and saw my adoptive mother warmly embracing Serena as they stepped out of the elevator. They looked up and saw me, their smiles freezing. “Maya?” My adoptive mother frowned. “What are you doing here?” Her guarded, distant attitude was a stark contrast to the mother who had cried, begging me not to leave. I subtly furrowed my brow but still spoke honestly. “Mom, I came back to see you and Dad.” But to my surprise, my adoptive mother frowned even harder when she heard my words. “Don’t you dare call me that,” she said coldly. “I am Serena’s mother. You are nothing to me.” I froze. It was then I noticed that in just one month, my adoptive mother had transformed completely. Not only had her style changed, but she was covered in expensive jewelry and designer clothes, looking utterly transformed. More importantly, the expression on her face was like that of a stranger I’d never known. I was shocked by her change, but my adoptive mother paid me no mind. She simply spoke gently to Serena at her side, “Serena, go get your things.” Serena nodded obediently and quickly went into the house. She came out with a potted succulent and left with my adoptive mother. As they entered the elevator, I heard Serena pretend to innocently ask my adoptive mother. “Mom, why didn’t you talk to Maya more? It looked like she came back specifically to see you.” And my adoptive mother, completely unconcerned if I would overhear, immediately spoke with disdain. “We raised her for so many years, and everything went wrong. The moment she left, your father’s business started to pick up. If you ask me, she’s a jinx. I hope I never get entangled with her again!” I watched the elevator doors slowly close. In that moment, a certain bond in my heart snapped completely.
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