Chapter 1

At the class reunion, someone asked Charles Bennett, my fiancé, "If Sophia weren't the Grants' adopted daughter, would you marry her?"

"Yes," Charles replied.

The whole table went quiet. Everyone waited for me to fall apart.

After all, I was the Grants' newly found real daughter, his fiancée in name.

But I only smiled. I took off my engagement ring and dropped it into my wine glass. The silver band hit the bottom with a soft clink. "Good. Marry her then.

"One more thing. Every dollar, every connection, and every project I've kept the Bennetts afloat with for the past three years? I want it all back by eight tomorrow morning.

"Don't love her on my dime."

*****

Some college buddies set up the whole thing.

They claimed it was to catch up and reminisce, but everyone knew they wanted to see the drama unfold.

I, Emily Grant, was brought back by the Grant family as their real daughter three years ago.

After twenty years of struggling on my own, I finally returned to the Grant family. I was supposed to be the center of attention, the one everyone adored.

But the Grant family already had Sophia Grant, the daughter they raised as their own for twenty years.

Sophia was sweet, polite, and talented. She could play the piano and paint.

She grew up going to fancy parties with my parents, Mike Grant and Monica Grant, and she knew everyone who mattered.

When I came back, I was twenty, and I still carried the grit of the streets with me.

I could do the math, haggle like a pro, and argue with vendors over three dollars at the market.

I even chased down drunk creeps with a mop for two blocks when they messed with me during my night shift at the convenience store.

When the Grant family first met me, their expressions were hard to read.

My mom hugged me, her eyes teary. "Emily, you've been through so much."

But that night, when she tried to serve Sophia some food, her hand trembled.

Sophia immediately set down her fork with a gentle smile. "Mom, don't worry about me. I'm really okay."

The more she insisted she was fine, the more the Grant family's hearts ached for her.

Me, the real daughter, felt like the outsider crashing their party.

I only learned this later.

The one Charles really liked from the start was Sophia.

They were childhood sweethearts.

He'd book out an entire restaurant for her birthday, send her ninety-nine white roses after every performance, and give anyone who doubted her a cold, protective look.

But after the Grant family brought me back, the Bennett family's cash flow dried up. David Bennett was scrambling to cling to the Grant family.

The two families put their heads together and dumped the engagement on me.

The excuse was classy enough. I was the true bloodline of the Grant family. If the Bennett family wanted a family alliance, they should marry me.

Back then, I had returned and didn't know a thing.

Mike said, "Emily, Charles is talented, and the Bennett family is solid. You won't have a hard time if you marry him."

Monica held my hand. "You're not like Sophia. She's delicate and soft-hearted. She could never deal with the Bennett family stuff. But you're smart, so you can handle it."

I got the message. Sophia was the one meant to be loved, and I was the one meant to be used.

But I still said yes.

Because Charles told me, "I didn't choose this engagement, but since it's been arranged, I'll be there for you."

Back then, I was so starved for a sense of belonging that even the smallest bit of kindness made me believe I'd finally found a home.

For the past three years, I was the one bringing in projects for the Bennett family, negotiating their funding, shielding Charles from the heavy drinking, and keeping the boardroom geezers in line for him.

When his startup tanked, I hopped on a flight to Bayview City in the middle of the night, proposal in hand, knocking on investors' doors.

When his dad got sick, I camped out at the hospital for three days straight, running myself ragged to clean up the mess at Bennett Corporation.

When his mom thought I wasn't classy enough, I learned all the etiquette, the rules of fancy parties, and how to say one thing but mean three.

I thought if I worked hard enough, they'd finally see me.

But at the class reunion, with one thoughtless remark, he trampled all over everything I'd worked for these past three years.

Someone asked him, "If there hadn't been a mix-up and Sophia was still the Grant family's heiress, would you have married her?"

He said, "Yes."

He didn't say it loudly, but everyone heard him loud and clear.

Sophia, sitting right next to him, went pale. "Charles, don't say things like that."

But Charles looked at her. "I'm serious."

Everyone at the table turned to stare at me. Someone tried to break the awkward silence with a forced smile. "Hey, relax, we were messing around. Emily, don't let it get to you."

I slipped off my ring. "I'm not bothered, really. I finally see things for what they are."

Charles frowned. "Emily, don't make a scene."

I laughed. "Have you lost your mind? You said you want to marry someone else right in front of me, and now you expect me to stay quiet?

"I used to go out of my way for you because I genuinely wanted things to work between us. Not because I'm some doormat."

Sophia stood up, her eyes red. "Emily, I'm sorry. This is all my fault."

I looked at her. "You're not blameless, but you're not the one who disgusts me most tonight."

I turned to Charles. "It's him. He likes you, but he can't let go of the Grant family's resources. He wants to marry you, but he's using me as a stepping stone.

"He acts all noble about love, but he's got no shame when it comes to taking what he wants."

The private room was dead silent. Charles's expression turned icy. "Do you really have to be so ruthless with your words?"

I stood up, bag in hand. "Ruthless? Wait until tomorrow when you see Bennett Corporation's accounts frozen. That'll hurt even worse."

*****

By the time Charles caught up to me, I was already in the parking lot.

The night wind made my stomach ache.

He grabbed my wrist, his voice tight with anger. "Emily, what the hell are you trying to do?"

I shook off his hand. "The engagement's over. I'm taking back my money. All the projects are getting shut down.

"From now on, marry whoever you want, but don't use my name to cash in."

He laughed like it was the funniest thing he'd heard all night. "You really think you can pull the plug on everything between Bennett and Grant with a single word?"

I stared right at him. "Charles, did you forget?

"The money the Grant family gave to Bennett Corporation? I was the one who signed off on it.

"The Starlight Harbor Initiative? I was the one who made the connections and got you in.

"Those three key clients of yours? I landed them for you, one by one, by toasting and hustling at every business dinner.

"The path you're walking on now, every brick under your feet was put there by me."

He looked annoyed. "Weren't you doing all this for the Grant family?"

"For myself," I said, cutting him off. "To be clear, I did it for the guy I thought was my fiancé.

"But now that I know his heart belongs to someone else, I'm out."

Sophia came running after me, not even bothering with a coat, standing there in the wind with her eyes red, looking like she'd been wronged by the whole world.

"Emily, please don't be like this. There's really nothing going on between Charles and me. He had too much to drink tonight, that's all," she said.

I shot her a look. "He wasn't even drinking. His cup was coffee."

She froze.

"And another thing," I said, "if you two are really in love, then have the guts to love each other out in the open.

"Don't have one of you denying it while the other is ready to put a ring on it.

"I'm stuck in the middle, like a toll booth on your love highway."

Charles's face turned grim. "Enough. Sophia's fragile. Stop stressing her out."

I laughed. I'd heard that line way too many times.

When Sophia was little and took a spill, Monica would always say, "She's fragile, don't fight her for the room."

So, I got stuck in the most remote guest room on the third floor. The window faced north, and in winter, it was brutally cold.

Even with two extra blankets piled on, I still lay awake shivering.

When Sophia started crying at my welcome home party, Mike would say, "She's upset because she suddenly became the adopted daughter. Let her have her moment."

So what was supposed to be my reunion party ended up as a pity party for her.

I was standing on stage, barely halfway through my speech, and she broke down in tears.

Everyone rushed over to comfort her, leaving me alone under the glaring lights, like I didn't even exist.

Charles was with me, trying on wedding dresses, when Sophia called, saying she felt dizzy. He left me hanging and rushed off without a second thought.

When he came back, he actually blamed me. "Sophia's never had to struggle. Couldn't you cut her some slack?"

Back then, I was so eager to please. So much so, I was practically a puppy, hoping someone would pat my head so I could wag my tail for them.

But even dogs felt pain. And I was not a dog.

I pulled the annulment papers out of my bag. "I've already got the annulment agreement right here. Sign it, and we can walk away clean."

He didn't take it. Charles asked, "When did you have this ready?"

"Three months ago."

Charles was stunned.

Three months ago, Sophia broke down in front of me. "I know you don't like me, but Charles has always been like a big brother to me since we were little. I want someone to lean on."

That day, Charles left me stranded at a highway rest stop all night—just because of her.

It was pouring rain that night.

My phone was dead, and my wallet was still in his car.

The lady at the convenience store noticed I looked upset and handed me a cup of water.

She asked, "Did you have a fight with your boyfriend?"

I shook my head. "No."

She sighed. "Don't lie to me, honey. If someone really loves you, they wouldn't leave you stranded like this."

It was colder than the rain. That night, I finally snapped out of it.

I spent the whole night sitting in that convenience store.

The lady didn't kick me out. She said, "Honey, it's pouring out there. Wait until the rain stops before you go."

I said, "Thank you."

She waved it off. "No need to thank me. You should thank the guy who ditched you. If it weren't for him, you never would've woken up."

I spent that night deep in thought.

I thought about the Grant family, about Charles, and about the three years I'd spent since coming back.

And I finally realized one thing: I couldn't spend my whole life waiting for someone else to love me.

Charles stared at the papers, his voice dropping. "Emily, let me explain."

"No need. I've heard all the excuses I can take.

"She's not feeling well. She's scared. She's insecure. She's your little sister. She doesn't know any better. You always say the same thing.

"Charles, I'm not here to play judge and decide if whatever's going on between you two counts as cheating. I know I'm tired."

He didn't sign. "I'm not signing this."

"Fine. We'll do it through the courts then. So you'd better move fast.

"Tomorrow at nine, I'll send my withdrawal notice to Starlight Harbor Group. At ten, the bank will be notified of the risk.

"At eleven, the credit lines I vouched for at Bennett Corporation will be re-examined. You can keep stalling, but Bennett Corporation can't afford the delay."

*****

When I got back to the Grant family's house, the living room lights were still on.

My parents were on the couch. Sophia had beaten me home, and she was sobbing so hard she could barely breathe.

Monica had her arm around Sophia, looking at me with a mix of emotions I couldn't quite read. "Emily, you went way too far tonight."

I paused when I was changing my shoes. I'd seen this opening act a hundred times.

Mike's face was grim. "There were so many people at the reunion, and you made Charles and Sophia lose face in front of everyone. How does that help the Grant family?"

I set my bag down. "The Grant family? Or Sophia?"

Monica frowned. "Why are you talking like that?"

"I'm speaking straight. If you don't like it, go ahead and call the cops," I shot back.

Sophia choked out between sobs, "Dad, Mom, please don't blame Emily. It's all my fault. I never should've come back.

"I should've moved out sooner, so Emily wouldn't think something was going on between Charles and me."

I walked over and bent down to look her in the eye. "Then go ahead and move out."

Her sobs caught in her throat.

Monica instantly wrapped her protectively in her arms. "Emily!"

I straightened up. "She said it herself. I'm giving her what she wants."

Mike slammed his hand on the table. "Enough! You've been back for three years, and you still haven't shaken off your street ways.

"Even if Sophia's not family by blood, she's got more sense of propriety than you ever will."

The living room went dead silent. Monica's face changed, like she wanted to stop him, but it was already too late.

I looked at Mike. Suddenly, I felt so over it.

Three years. I tried so hard to become the daughter they wanted.

I forced myself to drop my accent and speak the way they did.

I packed away my bargain-bin clothes and started wearing the fancy stuff they picked out for me.

I learned to play piano, arrange flowers, and sit through a three-hour fancy dinner without snapping at anyone.

I thought I only needed to change whatever they didn't like about me.

But that wasn't the problem at all. They only had eyes for Sophia.

Even though I was their real daughter. Even though I was the one who suffered the most from being switched at birth.

I was still the one who never fit in.

"Fine. I'm streetwise. I'm crude. I don't know my place," I said. "Well, starting today, I'm done following the Grant family's so-called boundaries."

Mike's brows furrowed. "Now what are you up to?"

I pulled out my phone and projected the documents my lawyer sent onto the living room TV.

I said, "First, the engagement is off. Second, I'm putting my shares in Grant Enterprises under independent management.

"Third, I'm demanding full repayment for every dollar I covered for Bennett Corporation these past three years, including all the guarantees I signed for.

"Fourth, that apartment under Sophia's name was bought with the compensation fund I received when I returned.

"Starting tomorrow, I'll be initiating the transfer dispute to get it back."

Sophia's head snapped up. "Mom and Dad gave me that place for my birthday!"

"The money came out of my trust fund. I didn't know at the time, but now I do, and I'm taking it back," I said.

Monica's face went pale. "Emily, that was supposed to give Sophia some security. Why are you even making a fuss about this?"

I let out an even colder laugh. "I was switched at birth for twenty years, and the money the Grant family gave me as compensation? You spent it on buying her an apartment.

"Mom, play favorites all you want, but don't feed your golden child with what's mine."

That hit her like a slap. Monica's eyes went red in an instant. But this time, I didn't feel a shred of sympathy.

Mike stood up, his voice low and threatening. "Emily, think carefully. Without the Grant family, you're nothing."

I stared at him, and whatever hope I had left for him crumbled to dust. "Dad, I made it on my own for twenty years before I ever set foot in the Grant family.

"If I walk away, all I lose is a surname. But if you lose me, the Starlight Harbor Initiative goes up in smoke tomorrow."

His expression shifted. It finally hit him that the biggest project Grant Enterprises had this year was the one I brought in. And the person running the show answered to me.

Sophia's sobs grew even louder. "Emily, do you really hate me this much?"

I looked at her. "Hate you? Don't flatter yourself. I'm reclaiming what's mine.

"As for Charles, he's all yours if you want him. I'm done with him."