Chapter 1

I was the maid every wealthy family fought over. My authentic homemade dishes had conquered the appetites of high society.

Alice Sutton showed up at my place three times just for one chicken pot pie.

Anna Lawson would spend a small fortune on my BBQ ribs.

And the son of the Kensington family even swore he wouldn't eat anything unless it was the spaghetti with meatballs I cooked.

I always thought my life would be spent behind the stove, flipping pans. Just when I was cooking, a Brooks showed up at my door, claiming I was their heiress. the real daughter who'd been missing for years.

Trying to fit in with the Brooks family as just a cook was no walk in the park.

Emily Brooks, the fake heiress, treated me well in front of everyone, but behind my back, she was always pulling tricks.

My parents and brother were obviously on her side, never thinking I could measure up to their world of privilege.

Honestly, I didn't have the patience to get caught up in their high-society drama.

Just now, Alice—the billionaire's wife— messaged me again, practically begging.

After all, it had been three days since I last made her favorite chicken pot pie.

*****

I glanced at my phone. Alice had just spammed me with three crying emojis in a row.

Alice: [Been three whole days! Life is meaningless without your chicken pot pie!]

I told her I was on my way, plated the spaghetti with meatballs up, and headed out the door.

Just then, my mom came down the stairs. The moment she saw me, her brows furrowed.

"Charlotte, where are you off to now? We've got guests coming tonight. Look at you, covered in grease. Is this how you want people to see you?"

I glanced down at my apron. Yep, it was still dotted with oil from making stock this morning.

"Mom, I just need to head out for a bit. Something came up," I replied.

Emily, the fake heiress, immediately clung to Mom's arm.

"Charlotte, are you off to play maid again? You're supposed to be a Brooks heiress now. If people see you running around like a servant, what will they think of our family?"

My mom's face turned cold in an instant, her eyes filled with open disdain as she looked at me.

"Charlotte, I don't care what you used to do. Now that you're back with the Brooks family, quit those shameful habits."

"What kind of future does a cook have anyway? It's embarrassing just to mention it!"

I just kept my head down and said nothing.

Since I moved back in with the Brooks family, they haven't given me a dime.

If I didn't keep hustling as a maid, how was I supposed to get by?

My mom took a deep breath, her tone frosty. "If you have to go, at least change out of those greasy clothes and slip out the back door. Try not to draw any attention."

"And remember. don't go around telling people you're my daughter."

I quietly untied my apron and nodded. "Alright, Mom."

As I turned to leave, I caught Emily whispering to my mom.

"Mom, don't be mad. Charlotte grew up in that kind of environment, so it's only natural she can't change overnight."

My mom's voice was thick with disappointment. "She's nothing like you. She never had a proper education, raised by a maid who stole her away. That's just how her life is going to be."

I stopped in my tracks for a second.

My mom never knew I actually had a chance to go to school.

I was always at the top of my class. When I had to drop out, even the principal came to our house, begging my adoptive mom to let me stay.

"Mrs. Grant, Charlotte's grades are incredible. If she keeps this up, she could get into top universities. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change her fate. How could you force her to give it up?"

My adoptive mom didn't care at first, but the moment she heard it could change my fate, she snapped, grabbed a broom, and started beating me.

"You think you can change your fate? Listen up, a girl from a place like this will never soar. You were born to be nothing, so just accept it!" she screamed.

Back then, I never understood why my adoptive mom was so dead set on making me accept my fate. But now, I finally get it.

She used to work as a maid for the Brooks family, and that was when she secretly swapped me for her own daughter, Emily.

She was terrified that if I ever made something of myself, I'd uncover the truth and take everything that belonged to her real daughter.

Turned out, she was worrying for nothing.

The Brooks family only cared about Emily. If she said the word, I'd be out on the street in no time.

Just like when I first came back. Emily claimed that seeing me just reminded her she'd taken my spot as the real Brooks heiress, and she'd feel guilty about it all the time.

So my mom stuck me in the basement storage room.

"Emily's always been so kind and sensitive. If you lived upstairs, she'd run into you all the time. I'm afraid she'd get so guilty she'd fall into depression," my mom said.

"You're used to hardship anyway, so it doesn't matter where you sleep. Once Emily gets comfortable, maybe I'll let you move upstairs."

So I ended up living in the storage room.

But I adjusted in no time.

Honestly, back at my adoptive parents' place, Emily's real family, I was sleeping in the actual pigsty.

Dim lighting aside, at least the storage room was clean and roomy.

With what I made as a maid, I'd have to save every penny for fifteen years just to afford a storage room like this.

The only catch was, it didn't even have a single piece of furniture. So if I wanted things to be a little less miserable, I had to work even harder, save up, and try to make the place a little more livable for myself.