Chapter 1
The day I was kidnapped happened to be Emily Carter's birthday, who was the fake heiress of the Carter family.
The kidnapper called my brother, Andrew Carter, "Your sister is in my hands. Bring two million dollars as ransom."
The phone was on speaker, and a cheerful "Happy Birthday" song was playing on the other end.
Andrew's tone was full of impatience. "Sophie Carter, if you want to make a fuss, do it in moderation. Today is Emily's birthday. Can you not be such a buzzkill?"
After that, he hung up the phone.
But he forgot that today was also my birthday.
The kidnapper stared at the disconnected phone and let out a confused "Huh?".
"Aren't you supposed to be the real heiress of the Carter family? Did I grab the wrong one?" he said.
I sat on the chair with my hands tied behind the backrest, and my eyes were covered with a black cloth.
Even in such a tense moment, I couldn't help but want to laugh at what he said.
"Don't you ask around clearly? The one favored by the Carter family is the fake heiress. They've raised her from childhood.
"As for me, the real heiress, even if you cut off one of my arms and send it to them, they will only yell jinx," I said.
The kidnapper kept silent for a long moment, seemingly shocked by the truth.
He squatted on the ground in frustration, muttering softly, "How can there be a family like this in the world?"
Yes, how could there be such a family in the world?
That was also the question I had always wanted to ask.
I grew up in an orphanage since childhood and always admired children who had parents.
When it came to my birthday every year, I quietly made the same wish in my heart.
I wished that I had my own family and my parents someday.
I wished I didn't need to squeeze into a room with a dozen children, or wear donated old clothes.
God could really hear the wishes of a child.
When I was twelve, Alice Thompson, the director of the orphanage, told me my parents had come to take me home.
I was so happy that I couldn't sleep all night.
The first family member I met was Andrew.
He followed behind the driver, impatiently looking me up and down.
"Come home with me. I'm... " He frowned but finally forced out those two words. "Your brother."
I was over the moon.
Not only did I get parents, but I even got a brother.
By the time I arrived at the Carter family's mansion, I was so nervous that my palms were full of sweat. I clutched my outdated padded jacket, which was totally wrinkled.
But that was already the most decent piece of clothing I had.
The door opened, and there was a girl about my age. She held the hands of a middle-aged couple with her red eyes.
"Mom, Dad, are you going to abandon me?" she sobbed.
Helen Carter, who was my birth mom, immediately knelt down and wrapped her arms around that girl.
"Oh, sweetheart, what are you talking about? Mom would never leave you," she said.
Andy Carter, my birth dad, bent down and gently patted the girl's head. "Emily, don't cry. You'll always be our daughter."
Andrew rushed over and hugged her, too. "Don't be scared, Emily. I will not let anyone bully you."
They hugged each other and obviously looked like the perfect, happy family.
But it made me, an outsider, feel out of place.
I blinked and tried hard to hold back the tears welling up in my eyes.
I should have known: why would God ever grant a wish just for me, with so many people in the world?