Chapter 1

I, Peyton Sterling, was the real heiress of the Rivers family.

At the welcome party, my father, Joe Rivers, publicly announced that he would treat my sister and me equally and transfer three percent of the company's shares to me.

The crowd erupted in applause. Guests praised Joe for being fair and showered me with compliments.

"No wonder she's the real heiress. Her demeanor is truly different."

"Bloodline doesn't lie."

I nodded politely and was about to sign the share transfer agreement.

Suddenly, Lauren Rivers, the fake heiress, let out a dramatic gasp.

Her husband, Ryan Stone, along with my mother, Juliana Rivers, and my older brother, Charles Rivers, immediately gathered around her, their faces full of concern.

Lauren bit her lip, her eyes flickering toward me as if she were hesitating. Then she took a deep breath, as if summoning the courage to make a difficult decision. "Dad, Mom, there's something I have to say.

"Peyton used to be an escort."

*****

I froze.

A flash of triumph flickered in Lauren's eyes, but she quickly put on a pitiful look as if she was about to cry. "I swear. I'm not jealous of Peyton. I'm thinking about the Rivers family's future.

"If the media digs this up, the Rivers Group's reputation will be destroyed."

The crowd gasped in shock.

Joe's face darkened with anger, and he immediately called off the signing of the share transfer.

Juliana and Charles, who had been distant before, looked at me with open contempt.

The guests who had been praising me started whispering and pointing at me.

"See? She really is from the small town. Some people are low-class, no matter where they go."

"She has no self-respect. If I were her, I'd rather die out there than come back and make a fool of myself in front of everyone."

I laughed. "My mom only had two kids, Charles and me. Where did you come from? I barely know you.

"But I do know Violet Hall pretty well. I worked there as a property monitor for three years, saw you coming and going from Building 8 all the time.

"But as far as I remember, Mr. Stone wasn't part of your four boyfriends, was he?"

As soon as I mentioned the "four boyfriends," the whole ballroom went dead silent.

Lauren reached out to grab my arm. "Peyton, why are you spreading these lies to take revenge on me and ruin my reputation?

"I know you hate me for taking what was rightfully yours, but I swear I never meant to open old wounds."

My face darkened. She'd brazenly taken over my life, enjoying everything that was supposed to be mine, and didn't feel guilty about it.

Instead, she treated me, the real victim, like I was some obstacle she had to get rid of.

And at that moment, she was putting me down in front of everyone to boost her own sense of superiority.

I shook her off. "Ms. Rivers, don't touch me. I don't want your filth on me."

Lauren's eyes were rimmed with red, her voice trembling as she said, "Peyton, I know you hate me. No matter how you treat me, hit me, or yell at me, I'll accept it. I owe you that.

"But I can't stand by and watch the Rivers family, and everything Dad worked for, suffer because of you. Once this is over, I promise I'll apologize to you. Punish me however you want."

She sounded heartbreakingly sincere. It was as if she were the real victim here, forced to spill the truth and endure all the pain.

The guests around us were clearly moved, murmuring with sympathy and shaking their heads.

"Ms. Rivers is so kind. After all this, she's still putting the family first."

"Yeah, that's the perfect example of a well-bred heiress. Real class right there."

"But look at that girl. She proves she grew up in a small town. She's so petty and has no upbringing whatsoever."

Juliana looked annoyed. "Lauren was trying to help you. How can you talk to her like that?"

Charles's brows knitted together, his voice cold and clearly impatient. "Peyton, you'd better tell the truth now, before the media finds out and ruins the Rivers family's reputation."

Ryan stepped forward, pulling Lauren into his arms to comfort her.

He shot me a look full of contempt. "Lauren's done more than anyone could ask for. Some people are dirty themselves, but insist on dragging others down with them."

Joe's face darkened with disappointment, making it obvious to everyone.

I watched as my family rallied around Lauren, letting out a cold laugh. But deep down, a bitter ache twisted in my chest.

This was my real family. Before I had a chance to defend myself, they'd already decided I was guilty.

I said, "Ms. Rivers, you keep insisting I was an escort. Do you have any proof?

"Spreading baseless rumors is against the law. I'll make sure you're held legally responsible for defamation."

Lauren's eyes instantly welled up with tears, streaming down her face. She looked heartbreakingly fragile. Anyone watching would feel a pang of sympathy for her.

She said, "Peyton, I swear I never meant to hurt you. I was only thinking about the entire Rivers Group.

"There are thousands of people working at Rivers Group. We can't let everyone's livelihood be ruined because of you."

She took a deep breath. "Do I really have to pull out the solid proof before you'll finally admit it? Peyton, you brought this on yourself."