I was born a human lie detector. No lie could get past me. When I was eight, the director of the orphanage gave us a tearful speech from the stage. “Funds are tight! From now on, we can only afford meat once every three months.” I pointed a finger straight at him. “Bullshit. You bought your girlfriend a brand-new Lexus last week with the donation money. You think we’re stupid?” The director was soon jailed for embezzlement. Years later, my biological parents took me home. The fake heiress, Chloe, rushed up with tears in her eyes. “Rose! Oh, darling, I’m so happy you’re finally home! This is just wonderful!” I just looked at her and said, my voice flat. “Are you? Your pupils just dilated. Your heart rate spiked to at least 150. And your right pinky is twitching. You’re lying.” Chloe’s face cycled rapidly, from white to crimson, then from crimson to an angry purple. “Rose… how could you say that about me?” She looked utterly wronged. “I truly meant it when I said I welcome you home.” Mom immediately stepped forward, putting an arm around Chloe’s shoulders, then shot me a displeased look. “Rose, why are you being so nasty? Chloe means well, you’re just too sensitive!” Dad also scowled, lecturing me. “It was the nurse’s mistake back then, Chloe had nothing to do with it.” “She’s been gentle and dutiful all these years, a truly good daughter to the Sterling family.” “You’re our biological child, she’s the one we raised.” “You’re both important to us. Just because you’re back doesn’t mean we’ll kick her out.” “I hope you can be more understanding, more magnanimous.” I scoffed, looking at this middle-aged couple who were my biological parents, yet felt like complete strangers. “Of course Chloe isn’t happy I’m back. That’s human nature. And I’m here to deal with reality, not fairy tales.” “People don’t offer favors for no reason, unless they have ulterior motives!” “Don’t try to pull this fake act in front of me, it’s disgusting!” Mom and Dad’s faces turned absolutely hideous, their eyes betraying a carefully hidden disgust. They clearly thought I, their biological daughter, was rude, wild, and utterly uncultured, like some hoodlum from the streets. Mr. Davies, the butler, walked up, asking respectfully. “Rose, your room is ready. The bedding is all brand new, ensuring your utmost comfort.” I didn’t move, staring at him for two seconds, then strode into the bedroom. Then I emerged, holding a hidden listening device and a pinhole camera. “Comfortable? Now, explain who put you up to this?” Mr. Davies collapsed, terrified, glancing at Chloe. “Miss Chloe, please say something! You told me to…” “You’re lying!” Chloe shrieked, cutting Mr. Davies off. “Mom! Dad! He’s slandering me!” “How could I do such a thing when Rose just got back?” Mom immediately hugged and comforted her, her face filled with concern. Dad frowned at me. “Rose, maybe Mr. Davies was worried about your safety and wanted to protect you?” “He’s served the Sterling family for 20 years, he’s put in his time and effort.” “It’s a minor issue, let’s not blow it out of proportion.” “Minor issue?” My anger turned into a cold laugh. “Invading my privacy is a minor issue?” “Either fire him, or call the police, you choose!” Mom and Dad didn’t want their family drama spilling out, so they had no choice but to tell Mr. Davies to pack his bags and leave. From then on, everyone in the Sterling household was terrified into silence around me; no one dared to defy me behind my back again. But my parents’ expressions toward me became even more impatient and distant. “You’re all thinking I’m a troublesome curse, an absolute nightmare to deal with, aren’t you?” I smiled, completely unfazed. “This is just how I am. Deal with it!”
That evening, Damon Thorne, my fiancé by birth arrangement, came over. The Sterling family and the Thorne family were old acquaintances. But while the Sterlings were still flourishing, the Thornes had fallen on hard times. Fortunately, my parents weren’t completely snobbish; they hadn’t broken off the engagement, even letting Damon serve as an independent director in the company. He was refined and handsome, with an impeccably gentle smile. “Rose, welcome home. When are we getting married?” “I promise I’ll make you the happiest woman!” I crossed my arms, my gaze dissecting him like a specimen. “Your delivery was as flat as a text-to-speech bot. You smoothed your cuffs twice before offering a hand, a classic attempt to over-polish your facade and hide the cracks underneath.” “Damon, in those few sentences, the only thing that wasn’t a lie was the punctuation.” There was no point in circling the truth with someone like him. “There’s no need for people without an emotional foundation to force things. A forced relationship will never be sweet, and there’s no happiness in compulsion.” I glanced at Chloe, who was openly eavesdropping. “You’re more familiar with Chloe. I won’t take what’s already yours; let her fulfill this engagement with you!” Chloe’s face instantly lit up with surprise, and she looked at Damon with anticipation. Damon’s expression shifted for a moment, but then he looked at me even more deeply, his tone resolute. “Rose, you misunderstand! Everything I just said to you was from the bottom of my heart!” “I’ve only ever felt fraternal affection for Chloe, never romantic love!” “You’re the one I fell in love with at first sight! We were betrothed at birth, it’s destiny!” He became more and more agitated as he spoke, even trying to grab my hand. “To be honest, even before you came back, I often dreamed of a girl.” “Her features were exactly like yours! This must be fate’s arrangement…” I dodged his creepy hand, grabbing a cup of hot tea and splashing it on his face without hesitation. “Shut up! Your cheesy lines made me want to puke my guts out!” “Don’t try your lame pick-up lines for gullible women on me. I’m not falling for it!” Damon was drenched and disheveled, no longer daring to sweet-talk. Chloe stared at me, her eyes practically spitting fire with jealousy and resentment. But even with my attitude, Damon still insisted on marrying me. This man was too persistent; there was definitely something shady going on behind the scenes. Good thing I had a backup plan. Why did I only fire Mr. Davies and not call the police? It wasn’t because I was soft-hearted, but because I wanted to use him. Even though he was gone, he still had a few loyal people in the Sterling house. So, I had Mr. Davies send someone to secretly install pinhole cameras and listening devices in Chloe’s room. It was time to turn the tables. Sure enough, that night, a sneaking Damon slipped into Chloe’s room. They fell into bed together without hesitation, the mattress groaning violently. After their illicit rendezvous, the two schemers began to plot. “Damon, don’t you love me anymore? Why are you so set on marrying that monster?” “Of course I love you.” Damon chuckled. “But Rose Sterling is the rightful heir to the Sterling family. I have to marry her first to get a firm grip on the Sterling assets!” “Once I get my hands on everything, I’ll dump her instantly! Then all of the Sterling family’s wealth, and you, will be mine!” “Chloe, you wouldn’t miss her, would you? And after Rose, I’ll take care of your adoptive parents too!” “Eliminate them completely, leave no loose ends!” Chloe snuggled into his arms, her voice laced with venom and greed. “Of course not!” “I hate those old fools!” “All of this should have been mine! Who is Rose to come back and steal it?” “Those two old farts shouldn’t have recognized her! I hate everyone in the Sterling family!” I listened to their plan, a cold smirk playing on my lips. Playing mind games with a lie detector? I’d play along until the very end!
That weekend, Mom and Dad, to announce the true heiress’s return to the outside world, took Chloe and me to an extremely lavish high-end charity gala. As soon as we entered the ballroom, Chloe was like a fish returned to water. She linked arms with Mom, smiling sweetly, addressing the socialites with such sweet, syrupy tones. She charmed a group of wealthy ladies, making them beam with delight, praising her as sensible and well-mannered. I stood alone in a corner, coldly observing the hypocritical world of fame and fortune. A flabby, balding businessman, Mr. Henderson, stood at the microphone, ranting passionately about how many charity schools he’d funded and how deeply he cared for impoverished children. I walked over with my glass of wine, speaking softly the moment he finished his speech. “Mr. Henderson, when you said the children’s smiles were your greatest motivation, your pupils instantly constricted. That’s a sign of disgust and avoidance.” “It proves you don’t actually like children.” “And your factory workers, didn’t one of them jump from a building yesterday because they were demanding unpaid wages?” “Using the blood, sweat, and tears of your workers to seek cheap praise? You truly are a hypocrite!” Mr. Henderson’s smile instantly froze, and cold sweat broke out on his brow. A socialite, Mrs. Albright, adorned in jewels, was giggling as she boasted to her companions about how much her husband loved her, buying her such a huge diamond. As I passed her, I spoke softly. “Mrs. Albright, when you mentioned your husband, your voice involuntarily rose an octave, and your body stiffened like a board.” “You’re scared. Does that mean your methods for becoming his wife after being his mistress weren’t so honorable? Wasn’t his ex-wife still resting in a mental institution?” Mrs. Albright’s face instantly turned ashen, and the wine glass in her hand almost slipped. I looked at the room full of well-dressed but scheming individuals, and my disgust reached its peak. I picked up a microphone, making sure my voice would carry clearly across the entire hall. “Ladies and gentlemen, a moment please.” “Look around you. The bosses who squeeze every drop from their workers. The cheaters playing house with three different people. The deadbeats clinging to stolen wealth. The socialites who built their status on being someone’s dirty secret…” With each word, another face in the crowd drained of color. “And you wear your millions on your bodies to stand here and call this charity.” “Honestly, do you really want to do good?” “It’s all a sham! You’re using charity as a front to launder money, evade taxes, and seek cheap praise! Aren’t you all disgusting?” The entire hall fell silent, as if the air itself had frozen. Dad was the first to rush over, his face livid as he roared. “Rose Sterling! Shut your mouth! Are you trying to offend everyone and ruin the Sterling family?” Chloe also ran over, feigning concern as she softly advised. “Rose, please stop talking! These are the unspoken rules of high society, everyone understands. You’re making it so hard for Mom and Dad…” I shook her hand off, my voice carrying even further through the microphone. “Rules? What kind of bullshit rules?” “Fake rules will never trump honest principles!” “And you people, you call yourselves high society?” “I’d call it low society! A cesspool of depravity, rotten to the core!” Mom and Dad’s faces flushed, and they stormed off. I ignored them. The moment I put down the microphone, I noticed a quiet man sitting in the far corner of the ballroom. He was wearing a black suit, his demeanor cool and detached, completely out of place amidst the surrounding extravagance.
He was looking at me, his eyes showing no astonishment or disdain, but rather admiration and praise. He even subtly raised his glass to me, forming a word with his lips. I understood what he said. “Well done!” After returning from the charity gala, Mom, Dad, and my relationship was at an all-time low. But I wasn’t idle; I proposed joining the family company to familiarize myself with the business. Dad exploded when he heard this. “What are you going to do at the company? Haven’t you caused enough trouble already?” “With your personality, you’ll only offend all our clients and shareholders! The Sterling legacy cannot be ruined by you!” I didn’t back down. “I have inheritance rights. The company will eventually be mine, so it’s only right that I go check it out!” “If you firmly refuse to let me go, then I’ll see you in court!” “Someone doesn’t have to die for us to fight over inheritance!” Dad’s face turned ashen with anger, but he knew I meant what I said, so he eventually conceded. “Fine! I’ll take you! But I’m warning you, don’t interfere with anything!” I followed him into the top-floor conference room of Sterling Group. The Business Director was presenting an important collaboration proposal. He spoke glowingly, painting a beautiful picture of future profits. I listened for less than five minutes before raising my hand to interrupt. “Stop!” Everyone looked at me. I stared at the bewildered director. “You just said the client feedback was excellent, but your speech rate was twenty percent faster than average, and you subconsciously touched your nose. Classic signs of lying.” I picked up the project proposal in front of him, quickly flipped to a page, and pointed to a data point. “The projected market growth rate is three times higher than the industry’s authoritative reports. Are you living in a dream, or do you think we’re fools?” The Business Director’s face instantly turned deathly pale. He stammered, unable to utter a single coherent word. Dad was skeptical, but he immediately halted the project and ordered a thorough investigation. It turned out to be a cleverly packaged trash project! The Business Director had taken a huge kickback from the other party. If I hadn’t exposed it on the spot, the company would have lost at least fifty million! Dad looked at the investigation report, seeing me with a completely new light for the first time. A few days later, the scandals from the charity gala were jointly exposed by several authoritative media outlets. Several “philanthropists” involved in money laundering and illicit profit transfers were arrested and utterly disgraced. The Sterling family, however, because of my “impolite” outburst at the banquet, was ironically portrayed by public opinion as a beacon of “integrity in a corrupt world.” Our reputation skyrocketed, and the company’s stock hit several consecutive daily limits! Mom and Dad looked at the financial reports and the positive online reviews, finally revealing genuine smiles. Their eyes now held appreciation and recognition for me. They officially appointed me as the company’s Executive President. Chloe hid in her room, smashing all her treasured limited-edition dolls. I took advantage of Mom and Dad’s good mood and formally stated. “Damon Thorne is twisted, and I absolutely refuse to marry him.” When the news reached Damon’s ears, he panicked. He and Chloe conspired to sabotage a major, heavily invested flagship real estate project of the Sterling family. They planned to fabricate evidence of my management errors and embezzlement, intending to completely crush me and ensure I would never recover! By observing the subtle expressions and verbal slips of several key project personnel, I preemptively sensed something was amiss. I remained calm, secretly gathering evidence of their foul play. A few days later, it was Chloe’s and my shared birthday. The Sterling family threw a grand banquet. I had originally planned to publicly announce the termination of my engagement with Damon during the cake-cutting. But Damon beat me to it. At the peak of the banquet’s atmosphere, under the watchful eyes of all the guests. He walked up to me, knelt on one knee, and pulled out a huge diamond ring. “Rose! I know I’m not worthy yet, but I’ll spend my whole life proving I can be!” “Marry me! I’ll make you the happiest woman in the world!” The spotlight pinned me. Applause and cheers exploded. My parents watched, all smiles. My eyes found Damon, then flicked to Chloe beside him. Her smile was nailed on, her eyes pure poison. A cold laugh escaped me. “Damon, didn’t you just sleep with Chloe last night?” “You crawl from her sheets, pull up your pants, and get down on one knee? Even a stray dog has more dignity.” “A piece of trash like you dares to ask for my hand? Dream on.” “Get out!” BOOM! The entire ballroom seemed to have been hit by a bombshell!
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