Chapter 1
She was the real daughter of the Summers family, switched at birth, and had been living with strangers for sixteen years. Her name was Emily.
On the day she finally reunited with her birth family, Emily had just sent her adoptive parents to prison for trying to sell her off to some remote areas.
A cop, Hardy, eyes rimmed with red, looked at her and said, "Emily, you're home now. Your real family will take care of you and make everything right."
Emily gave a polite nod, but inside, she was totally numb.
She couldn't care less about making everything right.
Just surviving that hell was already more than enough.
But what she never expected was that even after she'd told them everything about her past, her real parents and brother didn't feel an ounce of pity for her.
Their only concern was whether the impostor's reputation would be damaged.
So they sided with the beasts who'd abused her.
If that was how much they approved of those beasts, they had no right to blame her for turning cold and ruthless.
*****
If that was how much they approved of those beasts, they had no right to blame her for turning cold and ruthless.
So when Emily showed up, they absolutely refused to believe it.
But with those strikingly similar eyes and brows to Olivia, the lady of the Summers family, they couldn't help but start to wonder.
The day the DNA test results came in, the tension in the living room was almost suffocating.
Everyone stared at William. He clutched the report, his nerves stretched tight, and the atmosphere was heavy.
After what felt like forever, William finally broke the silence, sounding utterly defeated.
"She is our daughter. It's true," he said.
There was no heartwarming reunion: just a sudden, overwhelming awkwardness that filled the room.
The first to lose it was the imposter daughter, Rachel.
She broke down in sobs, her voice shaking as she cried out, "What about me? Are you just going to send me away now?"
Olivia wrapped Rachel in a hug, holding her close.
"Oh, sweetheart, you'll always be my precious girl. How could we ever let you go?" she whispered.
William chimed in, "Rachel, these sixteen years together mean everything to me. No one could ever replace you in my heart."
Alex stepped up too, standing by Rachel's side.
He declared, "I only have one sister, and that's Rachel. Someone who just appeared out of nowhere could never compare to you."
As Emily watched this whole show of family affection, the tiny spark of hope she'd held onto was snuffed out for good.
To someone whose every thought was about survival, being disliked was nothing.
With everyone in the family taking turns to comfort her, Rachel's tears finally gave way to a smile.
Alex shot Emily a frown.
He said, "You might be my real sister, but Rachel's been with us for sixteen years. The bond between me and her is something you could never match, so don't get your hopes up.
"As long as you get along with Rachel, we won't treat you unfairly."
William and Olivia stayed silent.
Emily knew deep down they felt exactly the same.
William looked Emily in the eye.
He said, "Alex is just blunt, that's all. Now that you're back, we'll make sure you're taken care of. From now on, you're the older sister. You and Rachel are both our girls now."
Olivia, still holding Rachel close, forced a smile at Emily.
She said, "Yeah, I never thought I'd get another daughter at my age. I'm really happy."
All their talk about treating her like Rachel just made it clear Emily was never truly part of the family.
So Emily figured that it was okay for her to make things difficult for some outsiders.
The maid led Emily to her room.
It was barely a room: more like a converted storage closet, with not even a proper window.
The maid said, "Rachel has been pampered by this family for sixteen years. Someone like you, with nothing to your name, could never measure up. Be smart and stay put in your room. Don't go out and get in anyone's way."
She shot Emily a sideways glance and walked off.
Emily couldn't care less about a few nasty words.
As soon as the maid shut the door, she threw herself onto the plush bed.
Compared to the cold, damp shack she'd been stuck in at her adoptive parents' place, this was paradise.
That night, she had the best sleep she'd had in years.
No cockroaches crawling across her face, no rats nibbling at her toes, and no drunk foster dad barging in at midnight.