Chapter 2
April stared at me, her eyes full of suspicion.
She probably had a whole arsenal of insults ready to throw at me.
Like calling me an impostor.
Or a fake.
Or a parasite in the family.
But I was too cooperative.
It was like she'd punched a pillow, only for dust to fly back into her own face.
Andrew finally spoke up.
Andrew said, "Sophie."
His voice was cool and detached.
I straightened up instantly.
"Andrew," I said.
"You really want to leave?"
"Yeah."
I answered without a second thought.
His gaze grew darker.
"The Quinns raised you for eighteen years. Don't you feel anything for us at all?" Andrew asked.
I thought about it.
"I do," I said.
For a split second, his eyes softened.
I said, totally earnest,
"I'll really miss Aunt Wendy's crab cakes."
Andrew was speechless.
My dad took a deep breath, clearly fighting the urge to toss me out of the reception hall.
April gave a mocking laugh.
April said, "Fine.
"If you want out so badly, just go.
"Go back to where you belong."
She pulled a piece of paper out of her bag.
She said, "Your biological parents are the Morgans. They run a diner on the south side of town.
"The place is about 200 square feet, and you'll be living right behind the diner. No maid, no chauffeur, no walk-in closet.
"Sophie, that's the life you were meant to live."
My eyes lit up.
"A diner?" I asked.
April thought I was scared, but she just smirked.
April said, "That's right.
"Every morning, you'll be up at four, kneading dough, making oatmeal, washing dishes, and cleaning tables."
I was so excited, my hands were literally shaking.
I asked, "Hold up, all you have to do at 4 a.m. is knead dough?"
April looked stunned.
"What do you mean?" April asked.
I choked out,
"At the Quinns', if you wake up at 4 a.m., first you have to run three miles, then memorize twenty business case studies, and after that, spend a whole hour practicing your posture.
"Honestly, kneading dough sounds like a dream compared to that.
"And I don't have to wear three-inch heels just to knead dough, right?"
April just stared at me, completely lost for words.
I turned to my parents.
I said, "Dad, Mom.
"Did you hear that?
"At her place, all she has to do at 4 a.m. is knead dough.
"I want this.
"I really want this."
Victoria couldn't help but laugh in exasperation.
"Sophie, do you really think being an ordinary person is some kind of walk in the park?" Victoria asked.
"I never said it was easy," I said.
My voice got a little quieter.
I went on, "But at least nobody's going to say I'm an embarrassment to the Quinns just because I read a financial report like it's a recipe."
Charles's brow furrowed for a moment.
Andrew looked at me, and for the first time, his eyes lingered.
But I couldn't be bothered with that right now.
I was already doing the math in my head.
It's only twenty-five minutes from the hotel to the Quinns' villa.
Go back, grab my manga, pajamas, and snacks, then hop in a car to the south side.
If everything goes smoothly, I'll be lying in a bed at my real parents' place before midnight tonight.
No more etiquette reviews.
No more surprise public-speaking drills from my brother.
No more Mom stretching my neck like I'm auditioning for Swan Lake.
No more Dad grilling me at breakfast with questions like,
"Sophie, what do you think about this year's interest rate trends?"
How am I supposed to know?
I just kneel and hope for the best.
I don't get it at all!
I spun around, ready to make a break for it.
But Andrew suddenly grabbed my wrist.
"Hey, where are you running off to?" Andrew asked, his voice cold.
"I'm just going home to pack up my stuff," I replied.
He shot back, icy as ever, "The Quinn family is still your home."
I looked at him, dead serious.
"Andrew, the DNA test says I'm not family," I corrected him.
His grip tightened just a bit.
I let out a hiss of pain.
He let go right away.
April took in the whole scene, her gaze growing even icier.
April scoffed, "You keep saying you want out, but you're pretty good at pulling everyone's strings, aren't you?"
Seriously, I'm innocent here.
Who exactly am I manipulating, anyway?
I can't even work the smart toilet at home.
The first time I used it, I pressed the wrong button and got blasted, ran out of the bathroom screaming like a lunatic.
Andrew was standing by the door, giving me his usual cold look.
"Tech is for humans, not for you," he said.
Some memories are better left buried.
I gathered up my dress and looked at April, completely sincere.
"April, you got it all wrong.
"Nobody here is under my control.
"It's usually them who have me under their thumb.
"Especially my brother, he just gives me a look and I start rattling off vocab like a trained parrot."
Andrew said, "Sophie."
I shut up instantly.
It's pure muscle memory now.
It's honestly terrifying.
In the end, the party wrapped up in a hurry.
As the guests headed out, everyone looked like they couldn't wait to gossip.
I knew exactly what was coming.
By tomorrow, the rumor mill would be working overtime, everyone would be talking about it.
The Quinns' family reunion party just set the rumor mill on fire, the impostor heiress didn't even cry, and actually begged the true heiress to hurry up and take her place.
I've already got the headline picked out.
"Eighteen Years Swapped at Birth: Impostor Heiress Flees Overnight, Is She Losing Her Mind?"
But honestly, who cares?
Being free in my head is still freedom.
That night, I went back to the Quinns' to pack up my stuff.