Lying in a hospital bed, covered in blood after the car accident, I listened to my father grumble. "Useless... just a money pit... we don't have the cash for this..." Then, his tone shifted instantly as he picked up his phone. "Attaboy, champ! Top of your class in that video game? Dad’s coming home right now to celebrate!" When he left me alone in the hospital, I wasn't even surprised. I almost laughed at myself for the flicker of hope I'd felt when I first saw him, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was actually worried about me. The doctors and nurses looked at me with a mix of anger on my behalf and pity. But I didn't feel helpless or sad. I was just trying to figure out how to convince them to give me more pain meds and start the surgery, because everything hurt. That’s when a couple who looked like they stepped out of a magazine walked in, led by the hospital director. They said I was their daughter, switched at birth. Compared to their emotional tears and excitement, I was calm. I only asked two questions. "Will you pay for my surgery?" "Will you pay for my college tuition?" When they said yes, I looked them in the eye and said, "Mom. Dad." It didn't matter if they truly loved me. I didn't ask what would happen to the girl who took my place. My Grandpa Zhou, before he passed, told me that in this life, the only person you can rely on is yourself. That’s the only way to be unbeatable. So, my plan was simple: live well. And use them as a stepping stone to get where I needed to go. Chapter 1 The surgery went smoothly. I was transferred to a VIP suite for recovery. Those few days were the most comfortable and peaceful I could remember. It was in that luxury room that I learned my biological father was Elias Thorne, CEO of the multi-billion dollar Thorne Enterprises. My mother was Evelyn Reed, the heiress to the Reed Electronics empire. Turns out, two months ago, when I was working a temp job as a greeter at a Thorne Enterprises gala, I was actually working for my own family. What was the theme of that party again? Oh right. It was the extravagant 18th birthday celebration for Thorne Enterprises' only daughter. It was so grand that every business and entertainment news outlet in the city was covering it. As an outdoor greeter, I wasn't even allowed inside. I stood shivering in the early spring wind. Since Grandpa Zhou died, no one remembered my birthday, let alone celebrated it. Through a crack in the door, I caught glimpses of the ballroom—the expensive clothes, the champagne toasts, a room full of love and celebration. At the time, I remember thinking about the difference between her life and mine. She was a princess, bathed in love and attention. I was like a sewer rat, stealing glances at a happiness that wasn't mine. It was worlds apart. That day was also my 18th birthday. No one noticed. When I got home that night, I was greeted with: "Where the hell have you been messing around? Don't you know you need to come home and cook?" "Your brother has high school entrance exams coming up. What if he goes hungry?" "Useless thing. We should have given you away when you were born. Would have saved us money." Listening to them, I sneered internally. They wouldn't have given me away. When I was born, our old neighborhood was being redeveloped. They needed an extra headcount to get a bigger compensation apartment, so they registered my birth. If Grandpa hadn't insisted, my name wouldn't be Chloe Zhou. It would have been something like "Chasing-A-Son." But I didn't argue. If I did, they’d just get angrier, and my adoptive father would hit me. I learned long ago that silence was survival. Keep your head down, do the work, and it will pass. My only hope back then was college. To get as far away from them as possible. Knock, knock. A gentle tap on the door. My biological parents walked in, followed by a tall, handsome young man in a sharp suit. "Chloe, this is your brother. We all came to take you home." Just as I guessed, this was the Thorne Enterprises' crown prince, Liam Thorne. I’d heard rumors that he absolutely spoiled his only sister. If she wanted the moon, he’d try to lasso it for her. Of course, that sister wasn't me. He walked over with large strides, looking a bit stiff and awkward. His voice was gentle but forced. "Chloe, I’m your brother." I looked up, gave a small smile, and softly said, "Liam." When I used to get bullied at school, I’d see other kids' big brothers protecting them. I used to wish I had a brother like that. Liam seemed to relax a bit when I said his name. "Mom, Dad, and I talked about it. We think it’s best if we go visit your adoptive parents." "We investigated what happened back then. It was an accident." "They did raise you for eighteen years, after all. And about Sarah... she’s still abroad..." I watched them. Their faces were full of guilt, but their eyes dodged mine. There was love there, too. Testing the waters of that love, I tentatively said, "They didn't treat me well..." "Chloe," Liam interrupted before I could finish. "We checked. Your adoptive family isn't exactly living in poverty. They raised you for eighteen years. You should be grateful." I saw my new parents in the background, looking slightly uncomfortable with his words, but they didn't stop him. I stayed silent. So, the love in their eyes wasn't just for me. It was also for the daughter they had loved for eighteen years. He assumed I was being ungrateful and money-hungry based on half a sentence. Fine. "Okay. Let’s go then." Chapter 2 To their surprise, I got out of bed, supporting my arm which was still in a sling. "I'm ready." If their love wasn't unconditional, then I would use their guilt to fill the gap. We arrived at the Zhou house around lunchtime. I used my key to open the door and went in first. The three of them were stuffing their faces with meat and fish. They froze when they saw me, then went right back to eating as if nothing happened. "Good, you're back. Go wash the clothes in the bathroom." "Mom, I told you she had a secret stash of money. Look, we didn't give her a dime for the hospital, and she got out just fine." "Damn girl, always out of the house. Who knows what dirty ways she earned that money." I stood there, putting a look of pure terror on my face, shrinking back as if afraid. My adoptive father’s face darkened when he saw me not moving. "What are you standing there for? Didn't you hear your mother tell you to wash clothes?" I whimpered, lifting my injured arm slightly. "I... I just got out of the hospital. My arm isn't healed. I can't hand-wash them. Can I use the machine?" My adoptive mother’s shrill voice cut in immediately. "Does the machine run for free? Don't you have another hand?" "I..." Seeing me about to argue, my adoptive father’s temper flared. He slammed his empty bowl onto the table and walked toward me, while my adoptive mother and brother, Tyler Zhou, watched with glee. He raised his hand to strike. I immediately dropped to a crouch, covering my head with my good arm, babbling. "I was wrong, I was wrong, I shouldn't have talked back." "I won't do it again, Dad, don't hit me, please don't hit me. I’ll go wash the clothes right now. By hand." As expected, the slap never landed. My new brother, Liam, rushed in and grabbed my adoptive father’s arm, shoving him aside. My new parents carefully helped me up, their eyes full of pain and guilt. Seeing the intruders, my adoptive mother jumped up to support her husband. She screeched, "Who are you people?" Then she saw them comforting me and realized what was happening. She turned her venom on me. "You little bitch! Bringing outsiders home to bully your parents, huh?" "Raising you was useless. Should've drowned you in the river when you were born." She continued with a stream of vile insults: money pit, slut, uneducated trash. I always wondered why they treated their son like a prince and their daughter like garbage, even before they knew I wasn't theirs. Especially my mother. She was a woman, too. How could she become the executioner of a younger version of herself? I used to think she was just trapped by old-fashioned thinking. Later, I realized she was just mean-spirited and narrow-minded. She wanted her daughter to suffer the same hardships she had endured. In fact, she wanted me to suffer double. When I was little, I would bring home good grades and awards, craving her love and praise. All I got was being ignored or mocked. Growing up, the nastiest things I ever heard came from her mouth first. I was immune to it now. I could ignore the abuse and just do what I needed to do. But my biological parents looked horrified. Liam’s fists were clenched in rage. Perfect. The effect was even better than I anticipated. I didn't need to do anything else. I just had to act scared. It felt nice to have family protecting me. I used to crave this feeling. Now? It was take it or leave it. It wasn't a necessity for my survival anymore. Besides, this "love" was calculated. I knew it wouldn't belong solely to me in the future. There was still a Sarah Thorne, the daughter they’d cherished for eighteen years. When they announced I wasn't their biological daughter, my adoptive mother started making a scene. My adoptive father, however, sized up my new parents and immediately started negotiating a price. Liam rubbed my head gently. "Go with Mom and pack your things." "Leave this to me and Dad." I nodded timidly and went to my room, my new mother looking at me with pity. Chapter 3 My "room" was a converted utility closet. It held a pile of junk on one side, and my cot, an old wardrobe, and a small desk on the other. I saw my mother’s eyes turn red, but I pretended not to notice and started packing. When she saw me stuffing faded jeans and a worn-out jacket into a broken suitcase, she couldn't take it anymore. She walked over and threw everything onto the tiny cot. Her voice was choked with emotion. "Chloe, no. Don't take these. Mom will buy you new ones." I looked up, confused. "But these aren't torn yet. I can still wear them." My mother’s lips trembled, and she couldn't speak. She pulled me into a hug, her tears wetting my shoulder. My shirt was damp, so I changed into a sports bra. I heard another gasp from behind me. "Chloe... what are these?" My mother pointed to the burn scars on my back and arms. Before I could speak, the door opened. My father and Liam stood there, staring at the scars. The silence in the room was heavy. My adoptive father pushed his way in after them, impatient. "What's taking so long? Hurry up and pack so we can get paid." Then he saw my scars, paused for a second, and got angry. "You damn girl, what are you looking at? Didn't you do that to yourself?" He reached out to grab me. I flinched slightly and stammered, "Y-yes. I... I was clumsy. I did it myself." Liam shoved my adoptive father out of the room, furious. "You want money? Then behave yourself! Don't you dare yell at my sister." My father’s eyes were red too. "Chloe has suffered so much." I shook my head and didn't say anything. In the car on the way to their estate, I thought about how well things were going. With my biological parents' help, I was finally free of that rotten family. They mistook my silent contemplation for shock or trauma. "Chloe, it’s our fault. We shouldn't have taken you back there." "It’s our fault. If we had found you sooner, you wouldn't have suffered so much." "Chloe, don't worry. Your brother will make them pay." "From now on, Mom and Dad are here. No one will dare bully you again." Looking at the raw guilt and love in their red eyes, it was impossible not to feel something. But it was just a little bit. I could take my own revenge later. The suffering? It was in the past. The car stopped. We were at the Thorne Estate, a place I had only ever heard whispered about at parties. It was the first time I truly understood the extreme gap in wealth in this world. I lowered my eyes. I felt a flicker of desire. I was an heir to this immense wealth and power now, too. "Mr. and Mrs. Thorne, you're back." The butler led the staff out to greet us. He looked at me, standing in the center of the group, and hesitated. "This is the second daughter. Take good care of her from now on." My father spoke as he led me inside. The staff all bowed and said yes. As soon as I entered the grand foyer, I looked up and saw the girl standing by the staircase. The girl who had lived my life for eighteen years. Chapter 4 She was beautiful. Exquisite and expensive-looking, nourished by money and power. Right now, she looked like a broken porcelain doll. Her eyes were red and swollen. The moment she saw us, tears started falling like large pearls. So pitiful. So endearing. Her voice trembled as she pointed at me. "Mom, Dad, Liam... are the rumors true? Are you replacing me with her?" My father frowned and scolded her. "Sarah, watch your manners. This is your sister’s home. Of course she’s coming back." Sarah looked terrified. "Dad, you're yelling at me?" She turned and ran up the stairs, crying out, "Fine! Since I'm not your real daughter, I'll leave right now! I won't be an eyesore to you!" My father opened his mouth but didn't say anything. He sighed and went to his study. Liam looked at me apologetically. "Sarah’s been spoiled. Don't mind her, Chloe. I’ll go check on her." He hurried up the stairs to comfort Sarah. Looking at my mother, who kept anxiously glancing upstairs, I sensibly said, "Mom, you should go comfort my sister too." My mother paused. "Chloe, you're such a good girl. I’ll just go see her for a minute. I’ll be right back." She gave me a quick hug and went upstairs to console Sarah. The family that had just been fussing over me was instantly revolving around the other girl. I was left standing alone in the grand hall. As expected of the princess they had cherished for eighteen years. Their bond was deep. They couldn't just let her go. I understood. I lowered my head. Did I care? If I didn't get my hopes up, I wouldn't be disappointed, right? But it still stung. The butler stepped forward. "Second Miss, your room is this way. I’ll show you." "Thank you." My mother, who said she’d be "right back," didn't show up for the rest of the afternoon. I didn't have time to dwell on family drama. I couldn't pin my future on these people. So at dinner, when it was just me and my father at the table, I ate quietly and didn't make a fuss. After dinner, I spoke up. "Dad, could I get a tutor? The college entrance exams are in a month." "I'm afraid I won't adjust well going back to a regular school right now. Can I study at home?" My father was momentarily stunned, then nodded. "Just tell Butler Lee. He’ll arrange it." "If you need anything else, just ask. If I'm not here, tell Butler Lee." I gave a shy smile. "Thank you, Dad." My father let out a breath of relief at my obedience. He hesitantly patted my shoulder and went to his study. A maid helped me get ready for bed. Just as I was about to lie down, there was a knock on the door. It was my mother. "Chloe, Sarah has a bit of a temper. Please try to be understanding." "You just got here. Do you want to take a walk outside with me? Get familiar with the place?" I nodded, still in my pajamas, and went out with her. Sarah was standing by the stairs again. Her eyes were still red, but I clearly saw the smugness and challenge in her gaze. I nodded and smiled at her. "Sister, you're up too?" My mother turned. "What are you doing out of bed? Go back to sleep. Your eyes are swollen like walnuts." Sarah quickly adjusted her expression, gave a sweet smile, and went back to her room. A gentle evening breeze blew, bringing a cool relief. The estate grounds were beautiful. "Chloe, Mom wants to discuss something with you."
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