After the car crash, I lay bleeding on the hospital bed. But my father? He just said, “No money!” I was used to it. My parents only ever saw my brother. Just then, a wealthy couple entered my hospital room. They said I was their daughter, swapped at birth. I asked them, “Will you pay for my surgery? Will you pay for my college tuition?” After they confirmed, I immediately said, “Thank you, Mom, Dad!” I didn’t care if they genuinely loved me, nor did I ask what would happen to Summer, the fake heiress. All I knew was I had to live well. I’d use them as my stepping stones to claw my way to the top. The surgery went smoothly. I was moved to an exclusive VIP suite for post-op observation and recovery. These were the most comfortable and peaceful days I’d had in my life, or at least as far back as I could remember. It was in that room that I learned my biological father was Arthur Sterling, chairman of the renowned Sterling Industries, and my mother was Evelyn Sterling, the heiress of Summit Electronics. Turns out, just two months ago, I was working as a part-time usher at Sterling Industries, unknowingly earning money from my own family. What was the theme of that gala, again? Oh, I remember now. It was to celebrate Sterling Industries’ only daughter’s eighteenth birthday. As an usher working outside, I wasn’t even allowed inside the main hall, shivering in the cold. Since Grandpa died, no one had ever remembered my birthday, let alone thrown a coming-of-age party. Hungry, I peered through a small gap, watching the lavish party inside, overflowing with congratulations and warmth. At that moment, I remember thinking, Look at her, showered with adoration, while I, like a rat in a gutter, secretly watched the princess’s joy. A world of difference. That day was also my own forgotten eighteenth birthday. That night, when I returned home, I was met with: “Where the hell have you been gallivanting? Don’t you know it’s time to cook dinner?” “Your brother has big tests coming up. What if he gets hungry?” “We should have given you away the moment you were born. One less mouth to feed.” I scoffed internally. They probably couldn’t bring themselves to ‘give me away’ back then, could they? When I was born, our old neighborhood was being redeveloped, and they only kept me because an extra kid meant a bigger payout. And if Grandpa hadn’t insisted on my name, Willow, they would have just called me ‘the mistake’ or something even more demeaning. But I never spoke up to argue. I knew that would only make them angrier. My adoptive father would get physical. I’d get beaten. That was a lesson I’d learned over years. Stay silent, quietly do what I was told, and it would pass. My only hope back then was to get into a university far, far away. A gentle knock sounded. My biological parents walked in, followed by a tall, handsome young man in a sharp suit. “Willow, this is your brother. We’ve come to take you home.” Just as I suspected. This was Leo Sterling, the heir to Sterling Industries. I’d heard for ages that this heir absolutely doted on his only sister, giving her the moon and stars if she asked. Of course, that sister wasn’t me. He strode over to me, his face slightly stiff, his warm tone betraying a hint of awkwardness. “Willow, I’m your brother.” I looked up, offering a small smile, and softly said, “Hey, Leo.” When I was bullied at school, seeing other boys protect their younger siblings, I used to wish I had a brother. Leo froze for a split second when I said his name, then his expression softened. “Mom, Dad, and I talked it over,” he began, “and we think it’s best to pay your adoptive parents a visit.” “We investigated what happened that day; it was an accident.” “They did raise you for so long, after all. And then there’s Summer… she’s still overseas…” I watched them. Their faces held guilt, and their eyes, when they met mine, darted away, yet also held a trace of affection. Banking on that affection, I tentatively spoke, “They weren’t good to me…” “Willow.” I hadn’t even finished my sentence when Leo cut me off. “From what I found, your adoptive family isn’t exactly impoverished. They raised you for eighteen years; you should be grateful.” I glanced at my parents behind him. Their expressions seemed to convey mild disapproval of Leo’s words, but they didn’t contradict him. I fell silent. Turns out, that affection wasn’t solely for me. Much of it was for the daughter they’d adored for eighteen years. They’d judged me, assuming I was some gold-digger, based on an unfinished sentence. Fine. “Okay. Let’s go now.”
They looked at me in surprise as I swung my legs off the bed, my bandaged left arm protesting slightly, and headed for the door. If their love wasn’t exclusively mine, then I’d make them fill that void with guilt. When we arrived at the Millers’ place, it was lunchtime. I used my key to open the door and went in first. The three of them were sitting there, casually eating steak. They paused for a second at my sudden entrance, then went back to their meal as if nothing had happened. “Oh, you’re back. Go wash the laundry in the bathroom.” “Mom, I told you Willow always finds a way. See? She got out of the hospital just fine, even without us paying a dime.” “That little tramp! Never home. Who knows how she’s making her money? Probably doing something dirty.” I stood rooted to the spot, a look of wide-eyed fear spreading across my face, shrinking back as if terrified. My adoptive father saw me standing still and his face darkened. “What are you standing around for? Didn’t you hear your mother tell you to do the laundry?” I nervously raised my bandaged arm slightly, my voice small and trembling. “I… I just got out of the hospital. My injury isn’t healed. I can’t handwash. Can I use the washing machine?” No sooner had I finished than Brenda’s sharp voice cut in. “Does the washing machine run for free? Don’t you have another hand?” “I…” Seeing I was about to protest again, my adoptive father’s infamous temper flared. He slammed his empty plate down, and with Brenda and Kevin’s eyes gleaming with malicious satisfaction, he started walking toward me. He raised his hand to strike. I swiftly crouched down, covering my head, muttering repeatedly, “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t talk back.” “I won’t do it again, Dad, please don’t hit me. Please don’t hit me. I’ll go wash the clothes right away, by hand.” As expected, the blow never landed. Leo, who had followed me in, grabbed Frank’s arm and shoved him aside. My biological parents carefully helped me up, their eyes filled with concern and guilt. Seeing the unexpected intruders, Brenda quickly got up to steady Frank. She shrieked, “Who are you people?” Then, seeing my parents comforting me, she realized what was happening and started screaming at me. “You little tramp! Bringing strangers here to bully your parents, huh?” “We should have just drowned you in the river when you were born! You’re worse than a stray dog!” Then came a torrent of insults: “slut,” “loose,” “no upbringing.” My adoptive parents didn’t hold back. I wondered, They don’t even know I’m not their biological daughter yet. Why could they shower their son with endless affection, but subject their daughter to such extreme insults and beatings? Especially Brenda. She used to be a girl herself. How could she become the very monster who terrorized the “little girl” she once was? I used to think she was trapped, forced by some twisted ideology. But later, I realized she was just plain mean, narrow-minded. She believed her own daughter had to suffer every hardship she herself had endured, and then some. When I was little, I’d bring home good grades, win awards, still longing for her love and approval. All I got in return was indifference and cold snickers. From childhood, Brenda was always the first to hurl those cruel words. Now, I was practically immune to their verbal abuse; I could just tune it out and get on with my chores. My biological parents, however, looked absolutely horrified, and Leo’s fists clenched in pure fury. Well, well. My little plan worked even better than I expected. Now, I didn’t have to do anything. Just act scared. This feeling of having someone step in front of me for once wasn’t bad. I used to desperately crave it. Now? It was just… optional. Not a necessity for survival anymore. Besides, this ‘love’ was mostly calculated, and I knew it would never truly be mine. There was still Summer, the Sterling heiress they’d raised for eighteen years. As soon as they heard I wasn’t their biological daughter, Brenda started wailing and causing a scene. Frank, however, shrewdly assessed my biological parents and quickly started negotiating terms. Leo gently ruffled my hair, his voice soft. “Willow, go with Mom and pack your things.” “Leave this to me and Dad.” I nodded timidly, and under Evelyn’s pained gaze, I went to my room.
The glorified storage room. One side was crammed with junk, the other held my old bed, a worn-out closet, and a desk and chair. That was it. I saw Evelyn’s red-rimmed eyes, but pretended not to notice as I started packing. When she saw me stuffing my faded, worn-out jeans and jacket into a battered suitcase, she finally couldn’t take it anymore. She walked over, pulled the clothes from my hands, and threw them onto the narrow bed. Her voice choked with emotion. “Willow, no. Don’t bother with these. Your mom will buy you new ones.” I looked up, confused. “But they’re not completely worn out yet. I can still wear them.” Evelyn’s lips trembled, but she couldn’t speak. She just hugged me, her tears soaking my shoulder. When I changed out of my wet clothes, I was wearing a sports bra, and behind me, another choked sob. “Willow, what happened?” Evelyn pointed at the scars and burns on my back and arms. Before I could even speak, the door opened. Arthur and Leo stood in the doorway, their eyes fixed on my wounds. A heavy silence filled the air. Frank, who had followed them, saw the commotion and pushed his way in. He yelled, “What are you doing? Hurry up and pack so you can leave, then send us the money!” Then he saw me, froze for a second, and his face twisted in anger. “You stupid girl, what are you staring at? You did that to yourself!” He lunged for me. I flinched slightly, my voice barely a whisper. “Yes, I… I did it by accident.” Leo stepped forward, pushed Frank out of the room, and growled, “If you want that money, you’d better calm down. My sister isn’t someone you can scream at anymore!” Arthur’s eyes were also red-rimmed. “My Willow, you’ve suffered so much.” I shook my head, saying nothing. On the ride home, I was still thinking about how smoothly things had progressed. At least with my biological parents’ help, I could finally break free from that rotten family. They mistook my thoughtful silence for shock, believing I was still reeling. “Willow, we’re so sorry. We shouldn’t have brought you back there.” “We’re so sorry. If only we’d found you sooner, you wouldn’t have had to suffer so much.” “Willow, don’t worry. I’ll get revenge for you.” “From now on, with Mom and Dad, no one will ever hurt you again.” Seeing the blatant guilt and a surge of protective love in their reddened eyes, it was impossible not to feel a tiny flicker of emotion. But it was only a tiny flicker. Revenge? I’d take that myself, later. And the ‘suffering’? It was all in the past now. The car stopped. Standing in front of the mansion, a place I’d only ever heard about in passing at other people’s galas, I felt the extreme disparity of this world for the first time. I lowered my gaze. I was starting to feel something, something thrilling. After all, I was now one of the heirs to this boundless wealth and power. “Mr. and Mrs. Sterling are back!” Mr. Davies, the butler, and several housekeepers emerged from the main estate to greet us. He saw me, surrounded by my biological family, and hesitated, a question lingering in his eyes. “This is Miss Willow, the second Miss Sterling. Take good care of her from now on.” Arthur said, ushering me inside. The surrounding staff bowed, acknowledging his words. As soon as we entered the grand hall, I looked up and saw a girl standing by the staircase. The girl who had lived my life for eighteen years.
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