Chapter 1

On my thirty-fifth birthday, I found out I was actually the true heiress of the Rivers family, the wealthiest family around.

After coming back from the big reveal, I booked a VIP room and called my family over, ready to drop the bombshell.

But then my daughter, Serena Shaw, walked in with my husband's ex, Helen Young, announcing she wanted Helen to be her mom instead.

"A man's first wife is the principal wife, and the second one is just a concubine," Serena said. "So, Helen is Dad's principal wife, and you're just a concubine. You don't deserve to be my mom. Just let Helen take your place already."

I couldn't help but let out a furious laugh.

Since she was so eager to be someone else's daughter, why should I bother making her the Rivers family's precious heiress?

*****

After leaving the big reveal, I booked a table at the city's top hotel for my family.

I couldn't wait to tell them that I was the true Rivers heiress.

To my surprise, when my husband, Henry Shaw, arrived with my mother-in-law, Jenna Shaw, and Serena, his ex-wife, Helen, was trailing right behind them.

Serena was clinging to Helen's hand, chatting away like they had known each other for a long time.

When I couldn't help but wonder why Serena was so close to Helen, Jenna was already getting impatient.

"Sophie, can't you see all those people crowding the entrance? Why aren't you greeting everyone in? People who grow up without parents just don't know how to behave," she snapped.

Jenna never missed a chance to remind me I was an orphan.

But for the sake of family peace, I'd always kept my mouth shut.

After years of putting up with it, my body just moved on autopilot. I stepped aside to let them pass.

Jenna marched in with Serena, muttering under her breath the whole way. "Seriously, what's the big deal? Why book a place this fancy? A meal here must cost a fortune."

Serena spotted the cake and looked at me, confused. "Mom, is someone having a birthday today?"

Everyone just stared at each other, and I felt a pang of disappointment.

"Serena, today's my birthday," I reminded her gently.

I thought she'd feel bad, but instead, she just let out a snort. "Mom, you said you had some big news, but you just tricked us into coming here for your birthday?

Since when did you get so vain? Look at this. You even got yourself a Black Swan cake. Grandma and I never got anything this fancy for our birthdays."

Helen leaned in for a closer look, couldn't resist fanning the flames. "Wow, it really is a Black Swan cake. This cake alone probably set you back a couple of grand.

"Sophie, even though Henry pulls in seven thousand a month, he can't keep up with your spending, can he?"

"What? A couple grand?" Jenna shrieked. "Sophie, you've got elders and kids to look after. Why not just have some pizza for your birthday? Why do you have to be so wasteful? You'd never understand the cost of living."

All these years, my and Henry's paychecks went straight to Jenna. She managed every cent.

Whenever it was someone else's birthday, she'd throw a proper celebration. But when it came to mine, it was either skipped or just a pizza, if I was lucky.

But today, the fancy hotel and the cake were all courtesy of the Rivers family. They had nothing to do with it.

Then I realized that I was the Rivers heiress now.

My new status gave me real backbone.

I shot back without hesitation, "Your son's got a family to take care of, too. Doesn't he drop thousands on his own birthday every year?

"Why don't you give me back all the paychecks and let me handle the finances? I'll show you I know exactly what it costs to run a household."

Jenna was never going to let go of that money.

She glared at me, trying to make her sharp eyes look even fiercer. "I'm just kidding. Why mention the paycheck? We're family. Why do you have to keep score like this?

"Besides, it's just a casual chat. Do you really have to make such a big deal out of it? Whatever, I'm not going to argue with you. Everyone's hungry, so tell the waiter to bring out the food."