Chapter 1

Ever since I was little, I'd had a classic resting bitch face.

My expression was always stone-cold and totally aloof.

After finding out I was my parents' real daughter, I spent the whole night frantically searching online for tips on how to survive.

But on the first day I got home, my parents secretly wiped away tears because I looked so cold at the dinner table.

"Do you think Wanda hates us? It's all our fault. We made our daughter suffer so much," my mom quietly said to my dad.

The very next day, they handed me a check for 300 thousand dollars, making it clear the whole family fortune was mine.

I instinctively put on my cold face and asked, "What about my sister?"

Paisley Taylor quickly waved it off.

She said, "Wanda, I know where I stand. You're our parents' real daughter.

"Plus, you're so smart and capable. Everything should belong to you."

I couldn't help but wonder why they were always so nice about everything.

Then, some relatives barged in with loads of gifts, basically threatening my dad that if he didn't shell out a few million, he'd be snubbing them.

My parents were just about to give in.

I let out a cold laugh. "Respect you? Who do you think you are?"

My parents and Paisley immediately hugged each other, crying tears of joy. "Finally, we've got someone to speak up for us!"

I realized that they turned out to be people-pleasers.

*****

Figuring out I was my parents' real daughter happened super fast.

A classy-looking middle-aged couple showed up, eyes all red and watery, grabbing my hands and insisting I was their long-lost daughter.

Because I got swapped at birth, I ended up having to hustle every weekend just to make ends meet.

It hit me in a flash.

Since I was swapped at birth, my parents must have another daughter.

I realized that my life was the kind of messy, real-and-fake heiress soap opera my friend was obsessed with.

That night, I asked my friend to send me a bunch of web novels that had those plots, preferably the kind where the two girls would get along.

But instead of peaceful vibes, I realized that those female leads were framed, shunned, and even seduced.

City folks had so many tricks up their sleeves. I just wanted to go back to my simple life.

Too bad I was already sitting in a luxury car headed straight for my real parents' mansion.

As I walked through the villa gates, a girl in a long pink dress came running over, her black hair streaming behind her like silk.

She was waving and calling out to my parents with a big smile, but when she turned to me, her smile became a bit nervous.

"Are you my sister? Hi, Wanda, I'm Paisley Taylor," she said.

I knew how this usually played out. Whenever the real heiress came home, the fake one would always get all bitter and start giving her a hard time.

She was already acting all fragile and pitiful. I wondered if my parents would start siding with her right off the bat.

But Caldwell Taylor and Gale Taylor were absolutely thrilled.

They had a deep bond with Paisley. After all, she was the daughter they'd doted on and raised with love all these years.

When it came to me, they were filled with guilt and heartache, desperate to make things right for me.

So they decided to keep both daughters close, genuinely happy at the thought of us getting along and hoping our family could finally feel whole.

I turned to look at my parents.

They were both grinning, introducing me to Paisley, then warmly taking both our hands together.

"From now on, you two are sisters. You are our sweet girls. Come on, let's head inside," my mom said.

Paisley flashed a shy smile and agreed.

I was still a little dazed. I couldn't believe that this was it.

We wandered around the house, checking out every corner.

Then we all went up to the third floor to see my bedroom.

I thought the big drama was about to unfold.

Every real-and-fake heiress story loved to talk about the two daughters fighting over a bedroom. Any minute now, I believed that my room was gonna get snatched away.

I might be accused of something I didn't do and told to pack up and head back to my tiny hometown. In the end, I had to beg and be humilated in order to stay.

But instead, my parents showed me three rooms.

One was a neutral, minimalist style, so I could add my own touches and make it feel like home.

Another was all classic, old-money vibes. As soon as I walked in, I could tell this family had serious cash.

The last one had a layout almost identical to Paisley's room.

After Paisley finished showing me around, she glanced at me nervously. "Wanda, you can pick whichever room you want. It's totally your call.

"If you like the one I'm staying in, I can move out today. Would that be okay with you?"

On the outside, I kept my cool, not letting a single emotion show.

But deep down, I was low-key impressed.

I thought that Paisley was already on a new level.

She was putting on this careful, considerate act in front of my parents, just to make me look all immature and overbearing.

I felt that she got some serious moves.

What I didn't notice was that my parents looked even more anxious than Paisley did.

"Wanda, are you not happy with any of these rooms?" my dad asked, his voice full of concern.

My parents pulled open the curtains and pointed to the house next door.

They said, "Your mom and I already bought that place. If you don't like any of these rooms, we can all move over there.

"You get to pick your room first. Would that be okay with you?"

Inside, I was hit with a tidal wave of shock.

I didn't believe what I just heard.

None of the real-and-fake heiress stories I'd read ever had anything like this.