Chapter 1

I'd always been a straight shooter.

When my real dad brought me back to the Ward family, Gloria, the fake heiress, was snuggled in my Mom's arms, weeping like a tragic heroine.

"I took your place, Chelsea. I lived your life for eighteen years while you suffered out in the sticks. It's all my fault. Maybe I should just leave the Ward family and let you guys have your happy reunion..." Gloria sobbed.

Mom just hugged her and cried quietly. Dad looked at me, wanting to say something but holding back. Toby glared at me and snapped, "Chelsea, you just got here, and you're already trying to kick Gloria out? What are you, some kind of chaos magnet?"

Here I was, standing under a blinding crystal chandelier, wearing faded jeans and a shirt with frayed cuffs, totally confused. "Wait, isn't this supposed to be some rich family? You mean they can't afford to keep one more girl around?"

*****

The Moment my Riverbend accent echoed through the grand, high-ceilinged living room, you could've heard a pin drop.

My Mom, looking like she'd never lifted a finger in her life, kept her gaze clear and steady for a while before finally turning to Gloria. "Exactly. It's just one more mouth at dinner. Nobody said you had to leave."

Gloria, her cheeks still streaked with tears, was caught off guard and couldn't find a response.

Seeing her act all pitiful, like she was the one getting bullied, just made my blood boil. I couldn't help but curl my lip. "The Moment I show up, you start acting like it's the end of the world, making it look like I'm kicking you out.

"Way to paint me as the villain. You city folks sure know how to scheme."

Gloria's pretty face went pale, and she shot a pleading look at Toby, my real brother.

Toby had always doted on Gloria, so he jumped in to defend her without thinking. "No, Gloria didn't mean anything by it. She's just scared..."

I cut him off. "Scared of what? Scared of going back to Riverbend and actually having to tough it out? Well, she should be. Her real Mom, the one who snatched me, dumped me in Riverbend, and I spent eighteen years just trying to survive.

"Even getting enough to eat was a struggle. If the folks who found me hadn't been decent, I probably would've dropped dead from exhaustion or sickness."

After I finished, the living room went dead silent again.

Mom was the first to break down. Tears streamed down her face as she finally let go of Gloria and practically flew across the room to hug me. "My poor girl, how could you have suffered so much? You were meant for a good life!"

Toby, who'd been all fired up just a second ago, just stood there, stunned. He mumbled, "I had no idea you went through so much hardship..."

Dad turned away, quietly lighting a cigarette and taking a deep drag, trying to hide his feelings.

Gloria stood there, not knowing what to do, her eyes red and puffy as she bit her lip. "I'm sorry, Chelsea. It's all my fault."

I looked up at her, totally confused. "Girl, what kind of act are you putting on? Did I ever say this was your fault? I was talking about your real Mom—the one who snatched me and dumped me. Since I walked in, nobody's blamed you, and I never said I wanted you gone.

"So who are you making that sad face for? You make it look like I'm bullying you. You've been living in luxury while I was barely scraping by. If anyone should be crying here, it's me, right?",

Mom brushed my hair back, her voice soft and gentle. "Sweetheart, go ahead and cry. Let it all out. From now on, things will only get better."

I blinked hard, feeling a bit let down. "I can't cry. I'm starving. When do we eat?"

Mom smiled at me, her eyes full of love, and took my hand, leading me to the dining room. "Let's eat right now! I don't know what you like yet, but you can tell me later, and I'll make sure the cook makes your favorites from now on."

Toby scratched his head awkwardly, then put his arm around Gloria's shoulders and tried to comfort her. "Chelsea just got back, so of course Mom and Dad are going to be extra warm to her. Don't take it to heart. Just try to get along with her, okay? Let's go eat."

Gloria nodded sweetly, but as soon as she lowered her head, a flicker of bitterness flashed across her face.

I sat at the table, trying to be polite, but my stomach was growling so loud I just couldn't help myself anymore.

Mom kept piling food into my bowl, hovering over me and repeating, "Slow down. Don't choke!"

Toby, who'd probably never seen this kind of table manners before, just gawked at me in shock. Dad watched me with a complicated look on his face.

Gloria, on the other hand, ate in tiny bites, all elegance and composure. After just a few mouthfuls, she set down her fork and neatly dabbed her mouth with a napkin.