Chapter 1

On his deathbed, my husband grips my hand and whispers, "I'm sorry, honey.

"The daughter you gave birth to was switched with my brother's wife's baby the day she was born. I left everything to her."

The room was quiet except for the ticking of the electrocardiogram.

He expected me to cry, lash out, and completely fall apart.

Instead, I lean close to his ear and whisper, "I know, old man. So eight years ago, I switched them back."

His eyes widened. His lips tremble violently, but before he can say another word, his heart monitor flatlines.

*****

The heart monitor flatlined, letting out a long, shrill beep.

Richard Stone was dead.

He died with his eyes wide open, staring at me in shock and disbelief.

Those cloudy eyes were still fixed on me, full of terror and incredulity.

I didn't cry.

I didn't make a scene.

I straightened up and smoothed out the wrinkles in my clothes.

Then I calmly and gently closed his eyes.

"Karma," I said the word "karma" quietly, almost to myself.

The door to the hospital room was thrown open with a loud bang.

My mother-in-law, Helen Stone, was the first to rush in, followed by my brother-in-law, Michael, his wife, Linda, and the lawyer they'd brought along.

When Helen saw Richard lying on the bed, she let out a loud, dramatic wail. "My son!"

She rushed to the bedside, but instead of mourning her son, she whipped her head around and shot me a venomous glare.

"Richard just died, and you're already so calm, you cursed woman?" she spat. "Was it you? Did you bring his death upon him?"

Michael and Linda came up right behind Helen, standing on either side of her like two gatekeepers.

Linda's eyes practically sparkled with smugness and greed she didn't even bother to hide.

I ignored Helen's yelling.

My gaze landed on the man in the suit, briefcase in hand.

"And you are?" I asked.

The man pushed up his glasses, his tone formal and businesslike.

"Mrs. Winters, I'm Micah Cole, the lawyer. Mr. Richard Stone asked me to handle his will before he passed, so I'm here to read it out," he said.

Helen immediately stopped her loud, theatrical wailing.

She got up from the bedside, walked over to the lawyer, straightened her back, and held her chin up high.

"Grace, listen up," she said. "Richard's will is crystal clear. Everything he owned, this house, the company shares, every dollar in his accounts, is left to his daughter, Emily Stone."

She made sure to put extra emphasis on the name "Emily."

Linda jumped in, letting out a phony sigh. "Grace, don't blame Rich. He just really cared about his kid.

"After all, Emmy's the only daughter he's got."

I watched the whole Stone family act out their drama right in front of me.

They sure knew how to put on a performance.

If I hadn't overheard Richard and Helen talking outside the delivery room eighteen years ago, I might've actually bought their story.

"Give the girl to Linda. The boy she just had; he's the one who carries the Stone bloodline," Richard said.

"Just tell Grace she had a daughter. Keep her calm for now," Helen replied.

At that moment, my whole world came crashing down.

I'd clawed my way back from death's door to give birth, and the baby I nearly died to bring into this world was treated like nothing more than a bargaining chip by my own husband and mother-in-law.

All for the sake of Michael's so-called "precious Stone family bloodline."

I didn't make a scene back then.

I knew nobody in the Stone family cared what I said. If I tried to fight back, they'd just turn it all against me.

So I buried that hatred deep inside, letting it fester in the darkness of my heart.

Eighteen years had passed.

I played the role of the perfect wife and dutiful daughter-in-law, serving my in-laws, keeping the house in order, and raising the swapped-in daughter, Emily.

I watched as Richard and Helen showered Emily with all their love and money.

And I watched them dump my real daughter with Linda's relatives out in the sticks, never caring if she lived or died.

Now, Richard was dead.

They thought they could wrap up everything clean and tidy.

The lawyer pulled a document out of his briefcase.

He said, "Mrs. Winters, this is the original will. It's been notarized and is legally binding.

"According to the will, you are required to vacate the premises right away. The property now belongs to Emily."

Helen's face was full of smug satisfaction.

"Did you hear that? Get out!" she snapped. "You haven't belonged in this family for a long time."

She jabbed a finger right at my face. "You useless woman, mooching off my son's house all these years; don't forget, letting you stay was the biggest favor you'll ever get.

"Take your things and get the hell out."

Michael and Linda didn't say a word, but the contempt and impatience in their eyes hurt more than anything Helen could say.

They were like a pack of hyenas, just waiting to tear apart whatever was left of my husband.

And to them, I was the last obstacle they needed to get rid of.

I stared at them.

Suddenly, I laughed.

My laugh was quiet, but in the utter silence of the hospital room, it cut through the air, clear as day.

Helen froze.

"What's so funny? Are you crazy?" Helen spat.

I didn't answer her.

Instead, I turned to Micah.

"You're the lawyer, right?" I asked. "Aren't you supposed to let all the heirs know before reading the will?"

Micah frowned, clearly surprised by how calm I was.

"Emily is the sole heir. She's on her way here," he replied.

"Oh?" I drawled. "The sole heir?"

I pulled a document out of my bag.

It was a beat-up old manila envelope, looking like it had seen better days.

I placed it on Richard's bedside table with a quiet thud.

"Too bad for you," I said. "Turns out, I've got a document myself.

"Maybe you should check this out first, Mr. Cole, before you make any decisions about who the real heir is."

Everyone's eyes were glued to that manila envelope.

Helen's expression changed in an instant.

Linda's eyes flashed with panic.

Micah adjusted his glasses, stepped forward, and picked up the envelope.

He opened the envelope and pulled out a sheet of paper.

He only needed one look, and his eyes went wide with shock.

He looked up at me, stunned, then glanced back down at the paper in his hand.

"This... this is..." he stammered.

Helen's face was full of impatience.

"What is it? Just say it already!" she snapped.

Micah's lips moved, but his voice came out dry and strained.

"This is a DNA paternity test report," he said. "According to the results..."

He paused, took a deep breath, and managed to get the words out. "Richard Stone is not Emily's biological father."

The whole room went dead silent.

Helen was so stunned, her mouth hung open.

Linda's face went ghostly pale in an instant.

I watched their faces twist in shock and disbelief, and my smirk only deepened.

Richard thought he had everything under control.

He really believed his death would put an end to all this.

Nope.

His death was where my revenge truly began.

Hope they enjoyed my first present.

*****

Everyone fell silent, and the room was so quiet that a pin could have been heard dropping.

The smugness and arrogance on Helen's face shattered like a broken porcelain doll, piece by piece, until all that was left was pure shock and disbelief.

"Impossible," Helen screeched. sounding like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. "This has to be fake! You must have forged it."

Helen lunged at Micah, trying to snatch the report right out of his hands.

I beat her to it, stepping in front of Micah and blocking her path.

I shot her a cold, hard stare.

"Helen, you can doubt the report all you want," I said. "But the seal from the testing agency is legit, and so is its legal power.

"If you don't believe it, we can do another test right here, right now, in front of everyone.

"We can use Richard's body and your beloved granddaughter Emily for the test.

My voice wasn't loud, but every word was like an ice pick, stabbing right into her heart.

The phrase "his body's still warm" made Helen visibly flinch, a chill running down her spine as she instinctively stepped back.