On the day I was officially recognized by my biological family, I reclaimed my room from the fake heiress, tore her favorite dress to shreds, and called her a "country bumpkin" who could never truly belong in high society. The fake heiress, Chloe, screamed like a banshee, "Mia! You bitch!" Before I could even respond, my father delivered a resounding slap across her face. "Chloe! When will you learn to be as sensible and well-behaved as Mia? You are a profound disappointment!" My mother looked at her with pure ice in her eyes. "What an ungrateful little wretch." Looking down at Chloe crumpled on the floor, the corners of my mouth curled into a smile. "Chloe, this time around, it's your turn to taste what it feels like to be abandoned by everyone you love." 1. When my mother finally regained consciousness, I was sitting quietly in the hospital chair next to her bed, diligently working on some math problems. Seeing her eyes open, I immediately stood up, my voice full of concern. "Ma'am, you're awake! Are you feeling uncomfortable anywhere?" My mother offered a weak, pale smile. "Such a good girl. Thank you for everything." She had fainted from a sudden drop in blood sugar on the street, and I had been the one to rush her to the hospital. Looking at the gentle, smiling woman in front of me... I couldn't help but remember the look of utter disgust on her face in my past life as she screamed at me: "How could I have given birth to such an ignorant, classless daughter! If I had known, I would have just let the mistake remain a mistake!" Yes, the elegant socialite lying in the hospital bed was my biological mother. Only, she didn't know it yet. I am the true heiress of the Sterling family, switched at birth. In my past life, I returned to the Sterling family with a heart full of desperate hope and joy, only to be met with cold stares and deep dissatisfaction from everyone. My father took one look at me, his brow furrowed in distaste. "Teach her some manners," he ordered the staff, before immediately leaving for the office. My mother was polite but incredibly distant. "If you need anything, just tell Mrs. Hughes, the housekeeper." From the very beginning, their eyes only held affection for Chloe. And Chloe? She stood there wearing a limited-edition designer knit dress and custom Mary Janes, making her displeasure blatantly obvious. My mother even stroked her hair to comfort her. I pushed the cold memory away and poured a glass of warm water for the woman in the bed. My mother looked at me with overwhelming gratitude. Heh. How hilarious. In my past life, I spent every single day cooking and making elaborate soups, desperately trying to win my parents' approval, and I never even got a smile in return. Now, a simple glass of water had my mother looking at me like I was a saint. I guess being their actual daughter was just a curse. Hearing my mother call the family chauffeur, I politely stood up to say goodbye. It was too early for me to meet anyone else from the Sterling family. My mother insisted on rewarding me, but I repeatedly declined. I only relented enough to leave her my contact information. Of course, the whole incident today was orchestrated. I "coincidentally" walked past her and "coincidentally" saved her life. In my past life, I remembered the housekeeper mentioning a time when my mother had a severe hypoglycemic episode on the street. It was a highly dangerous situation, but she was saved by a passing college student. That student eventually became my mother's godson and was fast-tracked into an executive position at the Sterling Corporation. That godson's name was Liam Vance, and he was also one of Chloe's most devoted orbiters. In my past life, he had helped Chloe frame and torment me countless times. This time, I calculated the exact timing and stole his golden opportunity. Let's see if he ever manages to set foot in the Sterling household now. 2. That evening, I returned to the home of my adoptive parents. My adoptive father, Arthur, was blackout drunk. The moment he saw me, he started screaming curses: "You worthless little money-pit! All you do all day is run around trying to seduce men! I'll beat the life out of you!" My adoptive mother gave a half-hearted, token protest. "Alright, alright. You come home and throw a drunken tantrum every single day." With that, she immediately ordered me to go wash the dishes. I obediently walked toward the kitchen, but Arthur wasn't done. "You little bitch! Who told you to walk away?! You don't even listen to your own father anymore?! Do you think you're special?!" He whipped off his leather belt and started lashing it across my back. I didn't dodge. I took every single brutal strike without making a sound. Let him hit me. If I didn't have these welts and bruises, how was I going to play the sympathy card with my biological mother? Seeing that I wasn't fighting back, Arthur got bored. He muttered "jinx" under his breath and stumbled back to his room to pass out. The next day, my biological mother arranged to meet me. I pulled my hair into a high ponytail and deliberately wore a faded, patched-up shirt and a pair of worn-out jeans. My facial features were strikingly similar to my mother's—we both had bold, striking, and glamorous looks. Even though I was dressed in rags, it couldn't hide my natural beauty. My mother was delighted to see me. She handed me a beautifully wrapped gift box. Inside was an exquisite, clearly expensive brooch. I pressed my lips together tightly. "Mrs. Sterling, you really shouldn't have spent money on this. I... I have no use for something like this." My mother finally took a close look at me, noticing my worn, patched clothing. A look of uncontrollable pity flooded her eyes. "It was very thoughtless of me. Let me take you to buy some clothes, okay?" I continued to refuse, working hard to project the image of a strong, resilient, but pure-hearted 'white flower'. "Mrs. Sterling, I only did what anyone should do. You really don't have to do this. If you really want to thank me, could you... could you buy me a set of advanced math workbooks instead?" Looking into my timid, careful eyes, my mother's heart completely melted. She immediately ordered her driver to take us to the largest bookstore in the city. In the car, my mother accidentally brushed against my arm. I sharply sucked in a breath of air. "Hiss." When my mother looked at me in alarm, I quickly pulled my arm away and hid it behind my back. Her face filled with suspicion. Ignoring my protests, she gently pulled my arm forward and rolled up the sleeve. When she saw the angry red welts and deep purple bruises crisscrossing my pale skin, she almost gasped out loud. "Mia, who did this to you? Is someone bullying you at school?!" I lowered my head, acting terrified to speak. "Have you told your parents? Is the school doing anything about this? I'm calling your principal right now!" I hurriedly grabbed her hand to stop her. "No, Mrs. Sterling! No one at school is bullying me. I promise." My mother hesitated for a moment. "Was it your parents?" I bit my lip hard and gave a slow, barely perceptible nod. My mother looked absolutely horrified. "How could anyone treat their own biological daughter like this?" Watching her dramatic reaction, I sneered internally. Yeah, I wanted to ask the exact same question. How could anyone treat their biological daughter like that? In my past life, neither of my biological parents ever bothered to ask about the life I had lived before returning to them. Of course, they didn't actually want to know. Even when I came home covered in scars, they pretended they were blind. And now? Seeing her express such profound concern made me feel nothing but absolute disgust. My mother insisted on taking me to a private clinic to get my injuries treated and bandaged. On the way there, her phone rang. Judging by her tone, it was definitely Chloe. "Didn't you just buy a dozen designer bags last week? Why do you need another one so soon?" "Buy it, buy it. My daughter is being so sweet, how can I say no?" "The dessert shop on Lakeview Street? Okay, Mom will pick some up for you in a bit." My mother hung up the phone, her face glowing with unconditional adoration. She even laughed and complained to me, "My daughter is an absolute menace. If only she could be as sensible and mature as you are." I lowered my eyes and offered a small, self-deprecating smile. "I wish I had a mother like you." Seeing the deep sense of loss on my pale face, my mother's heart took a massive, painful hit. To cheer me up, she stopped at that same dessert shop and bought me the exact same pastries she got for Chloe. As soon as the Sterling family's Maybach pulled away, my expression instantly reverted to total apathy. I casually tossed the expensive desserts straight into the nearest trash can. 3. On Monday, I was back in class. I overheard the teachers mentioning that several executives from local corporations would be touring the campus later that week. My mind started working immediately. I attended the most prestigious academic high school in the city. If my guess was correct, the Sterling Group would definitely be part of that delegation. I thought about it for a minute, then headed straight to the faculty office. Throughout the week, my mother frequently messaged me on WeChat, checking in on me, and had her driver randomly drop off expensive meals for me. I flawlessly maintained my persona: the fragile, resilient, tragically misunderstood girl. So incredibly sensible and mature that it broke your heart. The new week arrived, and the corporate delegation arrived on campus for their inspection tour. As Mr. Sterling and his entourage were guided past the main athletic field, my voice echoed clearly over the PA system: "Hello everyone, I am Mia, from the AP Junior Class..." The clear, confident voice of a young girl instantly drew the attention of the crowd. I stood at the podium, dressed in a spotless uniform, my hair pulled into a crisp high ponytail, sharing my academic strategies as the top-ranked student in the entire grade. The principal proactively introduced me to the delegation. "This is our valedictorian, Mia. She is a constant presence at national academic competitions. She is an exceptionally brilliant student with an incredibly bright future." My father, who had naturally already heard about my heroic rescue of his wife, recognized my name immediately. Hearing the principal's high praise, he nodded in strong approval. "We have that major charity initiative launching next week, and we need a few outstanding student volunteers as ambassadors. I think this Mia would be perfect for the role." The principal readily agreed. It was a massive PR win for the school. When my homeroom teacher brought it up with me, I accepted enthusiastically. A few days later, I arrived at the designated location alongside several other top students. The charity initiative was focused on supporting underprivileged children, and the corporate coalition was funding the construction of a new school in a rural area. My father and several other powerful executives arrived shortly after. Wearing a bright red volunteer vest, I flashed a brilliant, sweet smile as I distributed supplies to the children. During the media interviews, I was poised, articulate, and completely unflappable. Even the principal nodded continuously, visibly astounded by my performance. When the news aired that evening, fueled by my striking looks and eloquent speech, the hashtag "#MostBeautifulVolunteer" skyrocketed to the top of the trending charts. The Sterling Group and the other corporations involved happily fanned the flames, injecting money to boost the algorithm. I leveraged the moment and created my own public social media accounts. Knowing that overexposure could backfire, I kept my content strictly focused on sharing high-level study tips and academic advice. When my mother heard about all this, she was utterly amazed. "Mia, you are so incredible! What kind of reward can Auntie give you for doing so well?" I smiled demurely, once again refusing any material gifts. "Mrs. Sterling, I really just enjoy your company. If you have time in the future, just coming to visit me is the best reward I could ask for." Hearing my thoughtful, emotionally intelligent response, my mother was deeply moved. She pulled me into a hug, looking down as she pondered something. "Mia, Auntie knows you don't care about material things. But what about the elite summer academic camp at Princeton? Would you want to go?" I smiled internally. Hook, line, and sinker. After all, once I officially returned to the Sterling family, I would have unlimited access to designer clothes and jewelry. Right now, utilizing their resources to elevate my own status and resume was the much smarter play. I immediately put on a mask of pure, absolute shock. "Really? Mrs. Sterling, is that really possible?!" Seeing the stars shining in my eyes, my mother couldn't resist gently tapping my nose. "Of course it is! You are so incredibly driven; Auntie absolutely supports you." I gasped in delight. "Thank you so much, Mrs. Sterling!" Soon enough, I attended the elite summer camp exactly as planned. I networked with some incredibly brilliant people and made a few very useful connections. On the day I returned, as I stepped off the chartered bus, a girl named Sarah called out to me. "Mia! Don't forget to message me on WeChat when you get home!" I smiled and nodded, watching her skip happily away. But before I could even turn my head, I saw Sarah running directly toward someone. Chloe. Sarah and Chloe both attended the city's most elite private prep school. It wasn't surprising that they knew each other. Chloe was dressed in an expensive, preppy designer set. Her meticulous, full-face makeup made her stand out sharply among the crowd of tired students. The corners of my mouth slowly curled upward. Even if I was an exceptionally brilliant student, that wasn't nearly enough to shake Chloe's unassailable position in my parents' hearts. But what if Chloe repeatedly, spectacularly disappointed them? I remembered something very specific. In my past life, Chloe and her little clique of mean girls relentlessly bullied a girl at their prep school for over a year. That girl was incredibly stubborn and nearly attempted suicide over it. Ultimately, Liam Vance stepped in and used his connections to make the problem quietly disappear for Chloe. But what if Liam Vance wasn't there this time? Would Chloe still be so lucky? 4. I just didn't expect my first face-to-face encounter with Chloe to happen so soon. That weekend, my mother invited me out. I assumed it would just be the two of us, like usual. Until Chloe stepped out of the luxury SUV. "Mia, I've been meaning to introduce you two! Chloe insisted on tagging along today, so I figured it was a great chance for you girls to get to know each other." Chloe was wearing a black and white tweed Chanel suit, stepping out of the car with an aura of bored entitlement. One look, and you knew she was a stereotypical, spoiled rich girl. She frowned, looking me up and down. The disdain and intense defensive hostility in her eyes were glaringly obvious. "Mom, is this the Mia you never shut up about?" Chloe asked, deliberately clinging tightly to my mother's arm. "Yes, this is Mia," my mother said, looking at me with immense satisfaction. Chloe let out a mocking, playful smirk. "She definitely looks like she came from the country." "Chloe! Watch your mouth! Where are your manners?!" My mother's smile instantly vanished. She glared at Chloe, then turned to me, desperately trying to apologize. "Mia, please don't take it to heart. Chloe doesn't mean any harm. I've just spoiled her completely rotten." I bit my lip hard, my eyes filling with a profound, lonely sadness. "It's okay, Mrs. Sterling. Chloe is so incredibly lucky to have a mother as wonderful as you." "Tsk. So fake," Chloe sneered. Hearing Chloe's cruel remark, my head dropped even lower, the corners of my mouth turning down in absolute defeat. This time, my mother was genuinely furious. "Chloe, your allowance is cut off for the rest of the week! Get back in the car and go home. Right now." "Mom! You're punishing me over this country bumpkin?! Are you my mother or hers?!" Chloe screamed, shot me a venomous, hateful glare, turned around, and stormed away. My mother apologized to me profusely, over and over. I played the understanding, mature friend, offering her gentle comfort. Seeing that she was in a terrible mood, I suggested we go to an art exhibition nearby. My mother immediately agreed. Upon entering the gallery, my mother was instantly captivated by a painting displayed prominently in the center of the hall. It was an abstract piece depicting a gentle, elegant woman looking down at an infant in her arms with profound, unconditional love. Even though the style was abstract, upon closer inspection, the woman in the painting bore a striking resemblance to my mother. "What is this?" my mother asked, astonished. "Mrs. Sterling, this is a gift from the young lady beside you," the gallery attendant explained smoothly. "Mia, you did this?" I offered a sweet, innocent smile. "Mrs. Sterling, you've taken such incredible care of me, and I have nothing of value to offer you in return. I've been working part-time at this gallery, and I painted this myself. It's for you. I hope you like it." My mother looked absolutely astounded, moved entirely beyond words. In high society, they lack absolutely nothing material. What they value most is "genuine sincerity." After this incident, my status in my mother's heart skyrocketed. She became even more dedicated to me. She visited me every weekend, or whenever she had a spare moment. When she discovered my natural talent for art, she personally hired a renowned master painter to give me private tutoring. I comfortably, unapologetically absorbed every single benefit and resource my mother provided. Are you kidding? All of this belonged to me in the first place. I accepted it all without a shred of guilt. Meanwhile, I began communicating much more frequently with Sarah. Through her, I confirmed that Chloe was, exactly as in my past life, actively bullying other students at her prep school. I smirked. Well then, it's time to send her a spectacular gift.
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