Chapter 2

I stood frozen in place, a chill running through my whole body.

Everyone in the ballroom was staring at me; their gazes felt like daggers, stabbing me until I felt completely exposed.

Robert and Mary walked over, with the real heiress, Sophie, trailing behind them.

Mary spoke, her tone icy and detached. "Nina, now that the truth is out, it's time to clear things up."

Robert continued, "The Anderson family has raised you for twenty years, provided for you, sent you to school. We've done more than enough. Sophie suffered outside for twenty years; now it's her turn to come home."

I stared at him, asking, "So what?"

"So," Mary pointed upstairs, "go pack your things. If it doesn't belong to the Andersons, don't take it. From tonight on, your room is Sophie's."

It sounded so casual coming from them.

As if I were a guest for twenty years, and now it was time to grab my things and get out.

"Tonight?" My voice trembled. "It's already ten at night. Where am I supposed to go?"

"That's your problem," Robert said, frowning and waving his hand impatiently. "You're an adult now. The Anderson family has no obligation to take care of you anymore."

Sophie was hiding behind her parents, eyeing me warily. For a split second, I caught a look of triumph flicker in her eyes.

She covered it up almost instantly.

But I noticed it.

Mary pressed, "Hurry up and pack your stuff. Don't drag things out; Sophie is exhausted and needs to get some rest."

I scanned the room.

Olivia was whispering with her friends, sneaking glances at me every so often, a mocking smile tugging at her lips.

Alex was already long gone.

The other guests watched the drama unfold; some looked bored, others curious, but not a single person spoke up.

For twenty years, I was the Anderson family's heiress, the queen of Riverdale's elite circles.

But today, I finally saw it; all the flattery, the sucking up, the compliments—they weren't for me.

It was all for the title, for the status of being the Anderson heiress.

Without that title, I was nobody.

"Okay," I heard myself say.

I turned and headed for the stairs.

I kept my steps steady and my back straight.

I couldn't let myself fall apart.

At least not here.

Behind me, Mary's voice was gentle. "Sophie, did you like this birthday party? Mom will make it up to you; we'll throw an even bigger one."

Sophie spoke softly, "Thank you, Mom. I really liked it. But... will Nina be mad at me?"

"She's not your sister," Robert said coldly. "From now on, you're the only daughter here."

I stopped in my tracks.

I didn't turn around.

My room was on the east side of the second floor.

It was spacious, with its own bathroom and balcony. Some fancy designer designed the whole place, and the bed alone cost more than thirty grand.

The walk-in closet was packed with this season's hottest styles, most of them still with the tags on.

The vanity was covered in luxury skincare; one jar of cream was worth a regular person's monthly paycheck.

I used to think all of this was normal.

I was the Anderson family's only daughter, so naturally, my parents pampered me.

But now I realized, it wasn't really me they were pampering.

It was the Anderson family's daughter.

Whoever had that title would get all of this.

I stood in my room for a couple of minutes before I started packing.

Robert had said that if it belonged to the Andersons, I couldn't take it with me.

Clothes, shoes, bags, jewelry—almost everything had been charged to their card.

Even my makeup and skincare came from the supplementary card Mary handed me.

My phone and iPad? The Andersons paid for those, too.

I searched the whole room, and when it came down to it, there was pathetically little that actually belonged to me.

There were a few diaries, some little gifts from friends—though looking back, those so-called friends were probably like Olivia.

There was also a small tin box, stuffed with odds and ends, stickers from kindergarten, a clumsy clay pot I made in elementary school art class, and some celebrity trading cards I collected in middle school.

None of it was worth much.

But it was my whole life for twenty years.

It all fit into one suitcase.

As I dragged my suitcase to the door, I turned back for one last look.

This was the room I had lived in for twenty years.

Not tomorrow, but tonight, it was changing hands.

Sophie would sleep in my bed, use my vanity, and wear those new outfits in my closet, tags still attached.

She'd take my place as the Anderson heiress, the queen of Riverdale's elite, the one everyone would fawn over.

And I would be left with nothing.

No.

Suddenly, I remembered something. I rushed over to my desk and pulled open the bottom drawer.

Inside was a velvet jewelry box.

I opened it and found a thin silver chain with a tiny moon pendant. It looked simple, even a bit rough.

This was the only thing I owned that the Andersons hadn't bought for me.

I found it in the grass when I was seven.

The chain was broken and covered in mud. I secretly cleaned it up, used my pocket money to get it fixed at a jewelry shop, and I kept it hidden all these years.

No one knew about it.

Not even Robert or Mary knew.

I slipped the chain around my neck, the cool moon pendant pressing against my chest.

Then I pulled my suitcase behind me and stepped out of the room.