Chapter 1

I was the fake heiress of the Harvey family's for twenty-three years—until the truth came out.

The day we met the real heiress, she stood at the door, her gaze sliding past me and landing on my older brother, Daniel Harvey.

"Daniel?" said the lady.

His coffee cup stilled midair.

My mother's smile froze.

My father gripped the arm of the sofa.

And I, standing off to the side, had only one thought.

This family was about to fall apart.

*****

My name was Tabitha Harvey.

For twenty-three years, I thought I was just another Harvey kid.

I had parents who adored me, an amazing big brother, and a little brother who was always up to something.

Sometimes people joked that I didn't really look like a Harvey, but I never thought much of it.

That all changed a month ago, when my mom called me into the study and dropped the truth on me.

"Tabitha, there's something I need to tell you," she said.

Her face was full of guilt, reluctance, and nerves.

Then she said, "You're not our biological daughter. Twenty-three years ago, the hospital accidentally swapped you with another girl."

I was stunned.

"And what about the other girl?" I asked.

"We found her. Her name is Anaya Erickson, and she grew up in an orphanage," my mom said.

She squeezed my hand. "Tabitha, you're still our daughter. That will never change."

I nodded, but couldn't find any words.

It wasn't that I didn't feel anything. It was just that I had no clue what to say.

It had been twenty-three years.

Everything I thought was mine and everything I took for granted didn't belong to me.

My parents weren't really my parents. T, this wasn't really my home, and even my name was never truly mine.

That night, I couldn't sleep.

I had a million thoughts running through my head.

I kept thinking about Anaya, the girl who grew up in an orphanage. How tough was her life?

What was I supposed to do when she came back?

Were Mom and Dad going to love her more, since she was their real kid?

Would my brothers Daniel and Kody start seeing me as an outsider?

By the time the sun came up, I'd made up my mind.

No matter what, I owed her this.

I'd lived twenty-three years that should've been hers.

Now, it was time to give it back.

On the day she came home, I made sure to get up extra early.

I dressed in plain clothes and barely put on any makeup.

I didn't want her to think I was flaunting anything.

After all, everything I had should've been hers.

When the doorbell rang, I was the one who opened it.

There was a girl standing outside.

She wore a simple white shirt and jeans, her hair pulled back casually, and her face was fresh and bare, with a hint of nervousness.

But her eyes were bright.

The moment she saw me, her eyes sparked, like she was studying me.

"Hi, I'm Aniyah Erickson," she said.

"Hi, I'm Tabitha Harvey," I replied.

I stepped aside to let her in. "Please, come in."

She nodded and headed into the living room.

Then, she spotted Daniel sitting on the couch.

"Daniel Harvey?" she blurted out. There was real surprise in her voice.

Daniel looked up at her.

Right then, I caught his expression shift.

It wasn't surprise. He looked genuinely stunned, like he'd just seen someone he never expected to see.

My mom jumped up. "Aniyah, you know Daniel?"

Aniyah, probably not realizing how big of a deal this was, just blurted out, "Of course, he's my ex-boyfriend."

The living room fell silent for three seconds.

My mom's face went pale.

My dad's hands started to tremble.

Kody's mouth dropped open as he glanced from Daniel to Aniyah, looking completely shocked.

And me? I just stood there, watching it all unfold, and honestly, I kind of wanted to laugh.

Well, that explained it.

Turned out, it wasn't me—the imposter who took her spot—or my parents' reaction that made her blurt it out. It was Daniel.

She used to date Daniel.

Seriously, what was this?

So now exes become siblings?

"Mom, Dad, is this some forbidden sibling romance or what?" I blurted out.

I honestly had no idea why I said that.

Maybe it was the shock, or maybe I just wanted to break the awkward silence with a joke.

Aniyah paused for a second, then pointed at Daniel. "He was the one who made the first move."

Daniel shot her a look, his eyes full of complicated emotions.

Then Aniyah grinned. "Just trying to lighten the mood."

Daniel cracked a smile too.

He let his lips slowly curl into a smile, glancing at me and Kody, who were both staring in shock, then at our parents, who looked like they'd seen a ghost. "Not funny? Why aren't you guys laughing?"

Kody was the first to react, bursting out laughing. "That's hilarious."

I looked at him like he was an idiot.

He had no clue what this really meant.