I was Rebecca West, the queen of perfumes, and the formula I’d crafted was worth millions of dollars. However, my family mistakenly believed I was a mere laborer, scraping by overseas. Upon my return, my brother and his wife shunned me, and my parents wanted nothing more than to sever ties. Then, their workplace mishaps led to a breach of contract, ensnaring them in pursuit of a formidable client. Little did they know the client’s hidden mastermind was none other than me. My brother’s wife, Emilia West, clung to my leg, wailing, “Rebecca, we’re family! You can’t let me go to jail; the kids need their mother!” My mother, Amanda West, employed the classic melodrama. “How did I give birth to such an ingrate? Are you trying to wipe us all out?” I shake them off with a cold smile as I turn to leave. “Sorry, I cut ties with your family long ago.” ***** I stood at the front door, dragging my suitcase behind me. Despite it being a bright June day, my heart felt like it was trapped in a freezer. Just moments ago, I had overheard Amanda inside, barking orders at the housekeeper, Miranda, to hide things away. “This bag is a limited edition, worth hundreds of thousands of dollars! Hurry, stash it in my closet so she doesn’t see it!” Emilia chimed in, “Why is Rebecca suddenly coming back? Could it be she can’t cut it out there and wants to come back for a piece of the pie?” Amanda reassured her, “Don’t worry; I’ve transferred all the company shares to Roger. She won’t get a dime!” After ten years away, I had pictured a tearful reunion full of hugs and laughter. But hearing their true feelings shattered that illusion. I never would have believed my own family could be so cold-hearted. I had come back because I heard the family perfume company was in crisis. I was ready to share the formula I had spent three years perfecting, hoping to help them take the company public. But now, it wasn’t necessary anymore. I let out a bitter laugh, my hand hovering above the door, unable to push it open. Just then, the housekeeper, Miranda, stepped outside to take out the trash and spotted me. “Ms. West is back!” she called out, clearly announcing my arrival to the others inside. I knew my parents had always favored my brother Roger West over me. But Roger had always treated me well; he’d share his treats and toys, even when I got expelled from school for covering for him. With a flicker of hope, I dragged my suitcase inside. As soon as I entered, Emilia shot me a look of disgust and sprayed disinfectant all over me. “We keep this house spotless! Don’t bring any foreign germs in here!” Amanda, wearing a plain dress that looked hastily thrown on, seemed a bit flustered upon seeing me. “Oh, you’re home? I thought your dad was going to pick you up. I must have mixed up the dates—thought you were arriving tomorrow!” Before my flight, I had called them, but neither of my parents answered. I even texted Amanda with my arrival details. I forced a smile. “It’s okay; I know my way around.” Dragging my suitcase further in, I headed upstairs to my old room. But before I could make it up the stairs, my dad, Vincent West, called out. “Rebecca, we don’t have a room for you anymore. You could crash in the upstairs bathroom for the night if you want.” I froze, momentarily stunned. “Me? Stay in the bathroom?” I hurried upstairs and found that my old room had been converted into a karaoke room, the windows boarded up, and soundproofing installed. It was hardly a livable space. The lavish mansion had everything—karaoke rooms, a home theater, a gym, and at least five or six bathrooms—but not a single room for me. Emilia followed me up, and I caught her sneaking a Vacheron Constantin watch into a cushion in the media room, treating me like a thief. As I stood at the top of the stairs, my emotions were a whirlwind. “Mom, I want to stay here for a while. Can you clear out the study for me? I really don’t want to sleep in the bathroom.” Emilia’s eyes widened, and she hissed like a cat whose tail had just been stepped on. “The study? Absolutely not! Your brother needs it for work! “Besides, there are important documents and the perfume formula in there. Those are trade secrets!”
As my gaze landed on the door to the children’s playroom, Emilia shouted again, “Don’t even think about taking over the game room! Barry goes to private school and is about to come home for break. You can’t just take his space!” I couldn’t help but smirk inwardly and turned to look at my parents. Vincent sat silently on the couch, puffing away on a cigarette, while Amanda fidgeted with her dress, clearly uncomfortable. “You’ve been away for so long; I was just thinking about how you’ll eventually need to get married… “Mostly because the equipment in the media room and gym is too heavy to move around…” In this sprawling mansion, it was just my parents, Roger, Emilia, and the housekeeper, Miranda—five people living in a place with seven or eight rooms, yet there wasn’t a single spot for me. They seemed to forget that this house was left to me in my grandmother’s will when she passed away. At the time, I was still a minor, and my parents claimed they were keeping it safe for me, transferring ownership to Vincent. Moreover, over the years, I had sent them a substantial amount of money—well over a few million dollars. When I first moved abroad, I was broke and called my parents for help. Every time, they lamented about their financial struggles, claiming the economy was tough and the company wasn’t doing well. They promised they’d send me money once things improved. Ten years passed, and I waited. I worked tirelessly in a foreign land, juggling up to eight jobs at once. I washed dishes in restaurants, picked corn on farms, sold goods under the scorching sun, and even worked at a fish market gutting fish. I did whatever it took to cover my living expenses and tuition. Eventually, I started earning a decent income, and I sent a significant portion back home to support my parents and Roger. I had hoped that now that I was more financially stable, I could help my family live better lives. But it seemed I was mistaken. They weren’t struggling; they just didn’t want to share their wealth with me. I pressed on. “No parents would make their own daughter sleep in a bathroom. “Aren’t you worried about what people would say?” The atmosphere grew tense. As she saw I wasn’t backing down, Emilia’s expression darkened. “Rebecca, you’re twenty-seven now. You’re not planning to just mooch off your parents, are you?” With that, she slammed the door shut, making a loud bang. “You can stay if you insist, but Miranda has to go. You’ll take her room and her chores, too!” Roger rushed out of the room, concern etched on his face. Seeing him made my heart ache. It had been ten years since we last saw each other. He looked a bit heavier but still regarded me with that familiar warmth in his eyes. “Is that really you, Rebecca?” I nodded vigorously. “Yeah, I’m back, and this time I’m not leaving.” Roger pulled Emilia aside and gently patted my back. “Don’t mind Emilia; she can be a bit blunt.” A flicker of warmth reignited in my chest. Roger looked me up and down, teasingly asking, “So, Rebecca, while you were off living abroad, did you find a boyfriend? Have you saved any money for your wedding?” I lowered my eyes and opened my suitcase, pulling out a few boxes of supplements. “No boyfriend, and I haven’t saved much. All my money went into buying things for you guys…” I wasn’t lying. The company had given me a hefty amount of shares, and the leftover cash was tied up in several luxury properties and cars I had bought in the city’s prime locations for my parents and Roger. I really didn’t have much cash left on hand, but my salary was substantial, so I wasn’t worried about making ends meet. Emilia kicked at the boxes of supplements on the floor with her toe, her disdain palpable. “What’s this junk? Are you trying to bribe us with scraps? “Without money, are we supposed to live off air? You have the nerve to come back here! “The company barely makes a profit each year, Roger, I’m telling you, we can’t afford to support freeloaders!” I hadn’t been close to Emilia during my ten years away, and I really didn’t want to engage in a fight. Instead, I turned to Roger, feeling weary. When he heard me mention I had no money, the smile on his face faltered. “Emilia has a point. You can’t just lounge around the house all day. Here’s an idea: the company is hiring for cleaning staff, and they provide room and board. You could do that. It’s a twelve-hour shift, but you’d earn a decent three thousand dollars a month. What do you think?”
The warmth I had felt moments ago was completely doused by Roger’s cold suggestion. I thought to myself, “Oh, Roger, you’re just like them. Twelve-hour days for a measly three thousand dollars a month? That’s your idea of pocket money for me?” I couldn’t help but laugh in disbelief. “You want me to clean in our family’s company?” Emilia jumped in without missing a beat. “You don’t even have a degree! Getting a cleaning job is a favor! Go out and see for yourself; these days, even janitors need an associate’s degree and a clean record!” It was as if she had forgotten why I had been expelled from school in the first place. That year, while she and Roger were busy planning their wedding and throwing pre-wedding parties, Emilia had insisted on Roger picking me up late one night. He had been drinking and ended up in a terrible accident, injuring someone badly. My parents called me, crying, saying he was their only son and about to get married; they couldn’t let him go to jail. They begged me to take the fall for him, claiming I was under eighteen and wouldn’t serve time. Feeling sympathetic, I rushed to the scene and took the blame. We paid off the victim, and while I avoided jail time, I was expelled from school. The incident made the news, and under public pressure, my parents sent me abroad. Now, Roger was living free and clear, running the family business, while I was treated like an outcast. I couldn’t believe Emilia had the nerve to say such things. “Grandma left me shares in her will. The dividends are enough for me to live on,” I replied, trying to keep my voice steady. At the mention of the shares, Vincent, who had been quiet, suddenly snuffed out his cigarette and slammed his hand on the table. “Let me make this clear: your mother and I have transferred all our shares to your brother. You won’t see a dime of it! The West family’s assets will never go to someone outside the family!” Despair washed over me as I looked at them, feigning resignation. “But I’m your daughter too!” Amanda dropped all pretense, pointing a finger at me with a vicious smile. “That’s because you’re just not capable! “There are plenty of rich men abroad; if you’d just find an old guy to be a sugar baby, you wouldn’t be broke! You can’t even help your brother, and now you want to come back and live off us?” I was taken aback by their twisted logic. As long as I could keep supporting them, it didn’t matter if I had to be someone’s mistress! How “wonderful”. I almost felt relieved that I hadn’t revealed my true situation to them sooner. I had hoped to surprise them, but instead, I had unveiled their true colors. I bent down to pick up the supplements scattered on the floor, my eyes scanning each of their faces as I spoke with a heavy heart, “Let me ask you again: there’s no place for me in this house anymore, is there?” Silence hung thick in the air. Roger opened his mouth, hesitating, then reached out to grab my arm. “Rebecca, cleaning isn’t so bad, and the company dorms were renovated two years ago…” I looked up at him, his expression saying, “I’ve already given you a chance,” and suddenly felt sick. I wrenched my arm away and shoved the supplements back into my suitcase. What they didn’t know was that beneath those boxes of supplements lay the keys to the luxury villas and cars, along with several valuable perfume formulas worth millions of dollars. Before heading home, I packed my belongings, my mind buzzing with the idea of playing a prank on them. I thought about letting them choose from the array of health supplements I brought, wondering if Roger would somehow manage to pick out the Porsche he’d been pining for. But little did I know everything would change in a single day. Turning on my heel, I grabbed my suitcase and made my way toward the door. “I’m off now, so don’t say I didn’t warn you,” I called over my shoulder. I walked a good distance when I could still hear Emilia’s voice echoing behind me. “As long as she doesn’t regret it, I’ll be thanking my lucky stars! Now hurry up and take those shabby things with her; she’s as broke as a church mouse! Let’s hope she doesn’t come crying back to us!” A cold laugh bubbled up inside me at her words. Regret? I couldn’t wait to see who would be the one to regret this. Once outside the villa, I pulled out my phone and called my assistant. “Cancel all collaborations with the West family immediately,” I ordered. My assistant sounded taken aback. “Uh, Ms. West, didn’t you say they were your family?” “Not anymore,” I replied. This time, when I returned home, my plan was twofold: to use a few perfume formulas to save the family business and help Roger navigate his crisis. On top of that, the headquarters had parachuted me into Moonlight Fragrance as the Executive President and Chief Perfumer for the Asania region. Taking advantage of this opportunity, I lined up several impressive collaboration projects for Roger. I had hoped that these would put him on the map and help the company grow rapidly. But now, it seemed pointless. My assistant, Mia Ridley, drove me in a brand-new Maybach to the city’s most upscale villa district. I settled into the largest of the three villas I had purchased. The next morning, I asked Mia to rent out the other two properties. The perfume formulas I had originally prepared for Roger? I decided to sell two of them to a cosmetics company that had previously expressed interest, sealing the deal for a cool hundred million dollars. They were so anxious I might change my mind that they transferred the funds immediately. Suddenly, I found myself with a comfortable cash flow. In the following days, I indulged in self-care—pampering myself with beauty treatments, shopping, and savoring delicious meals, taking the time to soothe my weary mind and body after ten long years of struggle. My garage boasted five shiny new luxury cars, and I enjoyed switching things up every day. With no more worries about my family, I was living the good life. My health improved, and I radiated happiness. A few days later, I walked into Moonlight Fragrance to finalize my onboarding process, feeling great. Just as I received my employee badge and was about to head to the restroom, I unexpectedly spotted Roger and Emilia in the hallway. They were cornering one of my vice presidents, Bruce Jones, pleading desperately. “Mr. Jones, this proposal took me a whole week to put together! I’ve aged years over this! Please, just take another look! Didn’t you say you were optimistic about our company? I even mortgaged my house to get this project! You can’t just cancel a partnership like this! I have a family to support; I can’t let them live under a bridge!” I couldn’t help but chuckle at their antics. It was a shame, really. Their sympathy card yielded results only when I cared enough to buy into their sob stories. I mused, “Business is a battlefield; if you don’t have something compelling to offer, whining about your misfortunes won’t win you any favors.” Just as I turned to leave, Emilia caught sight of me. She rushed over, blocking my path. “Rebecca? What are you doing here? You’re not following us, are you?” I brushed her hand away and said, “I work here now.” Emilia froze for a moment, her gaze dropping to my chest, where my employee badge peeked out. She grabbed my shirt with a fierce grip. “So that’s why the collaboration suddenly fell through! You’re the one pulling the strings behind our backs! You little traitor, I’m going to make sure everyone in this company sees your true colors!” In the past, I rarely made public appearances, so not many people knew me. I had just finished my onboarding and hadn’t even had a chance to attend a meeting yet. But with her shouting, curious eyes from nearby offices were suddenly glued to us. I raised an eyebrow. “Yeah, it was my decision to cancel the collaboration.” The moment Emilia heard that, she exploded. She pointed a finger at me, her voice dripping with venom. “Listen to that! She’s admitting it! She’s meddling in important company matters, which means she’s probably sleeping with some top executive and whispering sweet nothings in their ear!” She glanced back at Bruce, who wore an awkward expression, and instantly felt vindicated. “No wonder the deal just vanished without a trace! I underestimated you, Rebecca! You think you’re so special just because you’ve hooked up with Mr. Jones! You two are nothing but a pair of immoral lovers, and I’ve caught you red-handed! You want to make my life miserable? Well, today I’ll tear off your masks and reveal your true selves to everyone!” As she spoke, she tugged on Roger’s sleeve, signaling him to back her up. Roger glanced between me and her and finally spoke up. “Rebecca, you’ve really embarrassed our family! We’re cutting ties with you; I don’t want a sister like you!” I looked at them with a cold smile. “Cutting ties? Fine by me; I couldn’t care less. But Emilia, in public, you’d better be ready to stand by your words!” Emilia, sensing my lack of immediate rebuttal, grew even more confident. “I absolutely will, because everything I said is the truth!” Just as her words hung in the air, Mia strode toward us with a chilly expression. Everyone recognized her as the new president’s right-hand woman. The atmosphere shifted; people quietly paused their work, eager to see how this drama would unfold. Emilia’s eyes lit up when she saw Mia, her gaze growing even more arrogant and smug. She jabbed a finger at me. “Ms. Ridley, this is my husband’s morally bankrupt sister. “She got expelled from school for drunk driving and doesn’t even have a college degree! She’s only here because she sleeps with men, managing to worm her way into a prestigious company like Moonlight Fragrance! “How can the company allow such filth to tarnish its reputation? You need to fire these two scoundrels immediately!” The room suddenly became deathly quiet. Emilia seemed convinced that I was about to get my comeuppance. But the next second, a sharp slap echoed through the hallway as a loud crack rang out against Emilia’s face. “She is the newly appointed CEO of Moonlight Fragrance, not someone you lowly scum can casually slander!”
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