Since I was a little kid, I've always been a massive poser. My dad was a gambling addict, my sister was an aspiring cam girl, my little brother was a violent sociopath, my grandmother was a raging misogynist, and I... I was a shameless poser. Until one day, I found out I was actually the biological daughter of the richest man in the state. After being brought back into the billionaire family, the very first thing I did was show off. The second thing I did was forget my roots. The third thing I did was post: [I don't need a lot of money; I need a lot of love.] 1 Since I was a little kid, I've always been broke and a massive poser. Even though my family was dirt poor, I pretended to be incredibly wealthy at school. My dad was a gambling addict who owed a mountain of debt and spent years hiding out of state, working odd jobs. My mom ran off with another man and we never heard from her again. Whenever my classmates talked about their parents, I'd say mine were high-level corporate executives who flew around the world every day. "Yeah... they're super busy. I barely see them a few times a year. But I mean, they do give me a few tens of thousands a month for an allowance." "I just play golf in my free time, travel around, you know, the usual." A rich classmate bought a new Miu Miu hair clip and asked why I never wore designer brands. I stared at my fingernails with practiced indifference. "My parents always tell me to keep a low profile, so they only buy me niche, boutique brands. This sweater I'm wearing was custom-made by hand in France." I discreetly hid the unravelling thread on my sleeve and offered a perfect, condescending smile. "Compared to those mass-produced luxury goods, it's the difference between something with a soul and something without one, obviously." For the end-of-the-year talent show, the rehearsal fees and costumes cost a total of two hundred dollars. I was the only person in the entire class who didn't participate. I raised my hand elegantly. "Teacher, I'll pass on the rehearsals. I have my one-on-one private piano lessons every day." After school, a classmate asked me: "Chloe, why isn't your driver here to pick you up yet?" I intentionally dawdled, refusing to leave. "I told my driver to bring the blue Ferrari today. It might take a little longer. Ugh, I'm used to it. Getting the car ready takes time, after all." My classmate: "Okay, well, I'm going to head out." 2 I didn't dare sneak out of the school gates until every single person was gone, running all the way back to my cramped, dingy house. My younger sister, who was a year younger than me, had her face caked in heavy makeup and was live-streaming some borderline-inappropriate dance. She used to date some punk with bleached blonde hair at school, constantly got into fights, and was eventually expelled. Seeing me walk in, she answered a phone call, then immediately started bossing me around: "Hey, sis. Spot me eight bucks. I'll pay you back when I get some cash." I rolled my eyes at her and rejected her flat out. "No." "Ew, are you looking down on me?" She flew into a rage and glared at me. Then she screamed into her phone: "It's just a cup of boba! Do you think I can't afford it?! "Girl, emergency. Spot me some cash." She started calling her "gang" of street friends one by one. After making dozens of calls, she finally managed to scrape together eight dollars. She smugly winked at me. "Once we're out in the real world, we'll see who's really the boss!" Absolutely delusional. My fingers twitched, suppressing the overwhelming urge to slap her across the face. Whatever. It had nothing to do with me anyway. 3 When I got back to my room, I found that the hundred-dollar bill I had in my drawer was missing. That was the money I had painstakingly saved up, trading all my loose change for one crisp, new bill, specifically so I wouldn't expose my lie when paying the class fees. "Who touched my things?" My grandmother, holding my violent, sociopathic little brother in the kitchen, looked guilty and wouldn't meet my eyes. I walked right up to her and asked blankly: "Did you steal my money?" "What do you mean 'steal'?! You're the older sister, what's wrong with spending a little money on your brother?" She shoved me hard, not forgetting to add sarcastically: "Who knows how you even got that money anyway? Tsk, tsk. Better to spend it on my precious grandson." My six-year-old sociopathic brother was utterly fearless. He giggled and made a face at me. "I took it! So what?! Grandma said your money is my money. "If you dare yell at me, I'll tell Daddy to come back and beat you to death!" I looked down at him and let out two cold laughs. When our dad was around, I had to act meek and submissive to survive, catering to this little "golden boy's" every whim. But now that the gambling addict had fled out of state to dodge his debts, he wasn't coming back for at least six months to a year. It was time to show them who the real master of this house was. I grabbed him by the collar and dragged him into my small room. Before the old hag could even react, I swiftly locked the bedroom door. I rolled my wrists, a wicked smile spreading across my face. "Hehe." I backhanded him twice across the face. He was stunned by the slaps, not daring to move an inch. A few seconds later, he burst into wails and charged at me, trying to hit me. I easily subdued him with a few more slaps. "Still want to fight back?" Hearing the kid crying inside, the old hag outside started frantically pounding on the door. While simultaneously cursing: "Chloe! How dare you hit your brother! Let him go! Oh my god, my precious baby..." I didn't say a word. I just kept slapping him. Finally, the old hag outside broke. She compromised: "Chloe! I'll give the money back! Let my grandson out right now!" "Money first. Slide it under the door." "Here! Here!" She slid a bill through the crack under the door. I let go of my brother, whose cheeks were both swollen, and unceremoniously snatched the bill from the floor. After rubbing it between my fingers, I licked the corner of my lips. "Double the compensation, and I'll let him go." "You! You're breaking your promise!" The old hag slumped against the door handle, looking like she was about to faint. But the sound of another slap from inside instantly woke her up. "If you don't hand it over, your grandson might get beaten to death." She sounded like she was having a complete breakdown: "I'll give it to you! I'm giving it to you, stop hitting your brother!" After receiving the second bill, I satisfactorily let him out. "You... you have such a vicious heart!" The old hag hugged her grandson at the door, pointing a trembling finger at me. "Thank you for the compliment." I offered a shamelessly sweet smile. 4 Acting as if nothing happened, I pushed past the two of them and slammed a bill down in front of my wannabe-gangster sister. "From now on, don't tell anyone outside that I'm your sister. If you see me, pretend you don't know me. Understand?!" Last time, she almost ruined all my hard work by shouting my name at school. Thankfully, my poser skills were top-notch. I claimed she was our maid's daughter, and no one questioned it. This money was compensation for her silence. My sister looked at me with a lazy, sideways glance. "If you ever need anything, come find me, your big sis Lily. I'll remember this favor. My street connections are at your beck and call." I closed my eyes, forcing a smile after a long pause. "Just don't say you know me. That's all I need. Thanks." The old hag yelled from the side: "Lily, if you dare take that money, I'll have your father beat you to death! Chloe is being ridiculous, and you're playing along?! "Give that money back to Grandma right now!" My sociopathic brother glared at us with pure hatred, crying and screaming: "You're all bullying me! I'm going to beat you to death!" Acting like she couldn't hear them, Lily started calling her "sisters." "Let's go. Big sis Lily is treating today. I'm taking you all out for a feast." I sighed, went back to my room, and shut the door. What kind of cursed, catastrophic starting stats were these?! Whatever, time to read some revenge fantasy web novels. I found a novel about a real vs. fake heiress. When I read the female lead's background story, I almost cried. What was the difference between her and me?! Oh, right. She wasn't as good a poser as I was. Thinking about this, I suddenly lost interest and opened Xiaohongshu (a lifestyle/social media app similar to Instagram/Pinterest). The "stealth wealth" posts I scrolled past almost made me die of anger. Shanghai Princess: [Haha, you're so funny. When I was studying in the US, my Ivy League friends never understood these jokes. I still prefer hanging out with you guys. Being alone in Beverly Hills gets so lonely. It's so nice to be back in China. But I'll only be at Harvard for a short time anyway, I still have to go back to Beijing. Even though my official residency is in Shanghai, my parents bought me a villa in the Beijing Manor estate in the East Third Ring Road to live in.] I had previously tried to build a rich-girl persona online, but I got exposed and had to delete my account. Right now, I was studying these posts frame-by-frame, determined to make a comeback. Just as I was thinking this, my sociopathic brother, who only bullied the weak and feared the strong, started pounding on my door. He had called his dad to complain. "She hit me! How dare she hit me! Waaah... "Isn't her money my money?! Daddy, come back quickly and sell her for cash! Didn't you say she was only here to pay for my future wife?!" And the old hag added fuel to the fire: "Exactly. She's completely out of control. Because no one's here to discipline her, she's bullying my precious grandson, and she even knows how to steal my money now. "Oh my god, my life is so miserable..." "Shut up!" I gripped my blanket tightly and roared viciously. The noise outside the door stopped. Immediately, my gambling addict dad called me. "You little bitch, do you have a death wish?! Just wait until I get back and show you a lesson! You can forget about your two hundred dollar allowance this month! "Apologize to your brother and your grandmother right now!" I hung up the phone, grinding my teeth. I scrolled through my photo album and found a picture of my brother. I didn't even need to edit it to make him look ugly; his natural face was already abstract enough. I used my burner account to create a post on Xiaohongshu, asking if he could be a child model. Watching the hate comments rapidly rolling in, I peacefully closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep. 5 With my allowance gone, and the old hag watching me like a hawk, I didn't even have the chance to start a fight. After pinching pennies for a few days, I literally couldn't afford lunch at school. My classmates curiously asked why I wasn't eating. With 30% elegance, 30% disdain, and 40% careless indifference, I replied: "My parents said the food here isn't healthy and told me not to eat it. "My family's Michelin-starred chef prepares custom, high-end meals for me every day. You wouldn't understand." Someone questioned: "Then why are you drinking the school's water?" I remained perfectly composed. "Usually, my family's water is flown in directly from icebergs. But it's too much of a hassle, and I'm not that delicate. I'm just treating it as experiencing the common life." ... When I got home that night, I froze the moment I walked in. My bedroom door had been smashed open, and everything inside was completely trashed and thrown everywhere. I rushed to the side of my bed and crouched down. The hundred-dollar bill I had hidden under the bedframe was gone. The old hag and her grandson were hiding in their bedroom. I pounded on the door with all my might but couldn't get it open, leaving me completely powerless and furious. The living room was completely bare. There wasn't a single cent left. What was I going to do? The class fees were due tomorrow. I had to swallow my pride, kneel outside their door, and beg her to give the money back. "The class fees are due tomorrow! That money is incredibly important to me. Please, I'm begging you, give it back..." Her mocking, sarcastic voice drifted out from inside: "Now you come begging me? Heh, impossible! "Just wait to embarrass yourself tomorrow!" I was so angry I could die. Just wait. The day I get rich, the very first thing I'm going to do is slap you to death. But mental fantasies weren't going to solve my immediate problem. I agonized all night, having absolutely no idea what to do. In the morning, my sister handed me a five-dollar bill, winking at me sleazily. "Short on cash? However much you need, you can just ask your big sis! With my street connections, tsk, I can definitely scrape it together for you." Heh. Thanks, but no thanks. I forced a tight smile, grabbed my backpack, and hurried out. 6 The entire way to school, I was trapped in a state of absolute panic and breakdown. What was I going to do? If I couldn't even produce this tiny amount of money, my cover would be blown. Everyone would look down on me and isolate me. I would be ruined! It felt like I was standing in pitch darkness, with countless eyes staring at me, pointing fingers at me. HONK! HONK! HONK! The piercing sound of a car horn violently yanked me back to reality. I stood frozen in place, looking left and right. I was... in the middle of crossing the street? "Are you blind?! Do you not have eyes?!" The car window rolled down, and a man wearing sunglasses roared furiously. He carried an aura of absolute superiority; one look and you knew he was a wealthy second-generation heir from an affluent family. And he was driving a blue Ferrari. If only it were mine. Snapping out of my unrealistic fantasy, I meekly apologized: "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry. I wasn't paying attention just now." When he saw my face clearly, the man suddenly froze. He opened the door, stepped out of the car, pulled me to the side, and asked with a frown: "What is your name?" "Huh?" I didn't know what he was getting at, but I answered obediently: "Chloe Vance." "Mm... you weren't scared just now, were you? I was definitely too impatient." He suddenly raised his hand and rubbed my head firmly. "Leave me your contact info. If you feel unwell later, just contact me. I can compensate you." Why did this guy's attitude change so fast? I nodded slowly, completely failing to notice that he had just plucked a few strands of hair from my head. Even though something felt a bit off, my vanity ultimately won out. While he was getting back into his car, I secretly snapped a picture of the luxury sports car on my phone. With his broad shoulders, narrow waist, flawless face, and superior aura, he was the absolute perfect prop for my poser facade. "Wow, is that really your brother?" "Of course! He dropped me off at school today." Girls around me started screaming: "Oh my god, he's so hot!!!" I proudly lifted my chin. "My brother is usually incredibly busy attending to various business engagements. He barely managed to carve out some time today to keep me company. "Like I told you guys before, this Ferrari is just the standard model. We have dozens of cars like this in our garage." Gasps of awe echoed around me. Basking in their envious and jealous stares, I played the part flawlessly. "It's really no big deal." 7 When it was time to collect the class fees, I was the only person in the entire class who hadn't paid. The teacher looked around the room, while I, forcing myself to remain calm, raised my hand. "Teacher, my family always just gives me a credit card. I don't carry cash." "You didn't bring any?" The teacher frowned, then said, "Well, you can just have your parents Venmo it to me." "Teacher, my parents are out of the country on a business trip. They're incredibly busy and don't have time for things like this." I could lie through my teeth without even blushing. "It's fine. I'll just give your parents a call later. "Everyone except Chloe has paid, right? Since we have almost everything, I'll take my leave." She didn't give me a chance to argue further and walked right out of the classroom. I gritted my teeth, having absolutely no idea what to do. I could only pray that my gambling addict father wouldn't answer the phone. Otherwise, the persona I had painstakingly crafted over the past two years would be completely destroyed. Swallowing hard, I hesitantly opened the contacts app on my phone. Ask that rich guy for money? But why on earth would he help me? I was dreaming. I don't know how long I sat there spacing out before my homeroom teacher suddenly called my name from the doorway. "Chloe, step out here for a minute." It's over. My heart, which had been hanging by a thread, completely died. Following her out into the hallway, I spoke stiffly, like a wooden puppet: "Teacher, is something wrong?" She looked at me sternly. "Chloe, why are you lying?" I kept my head down, not daring to speak. The students inside the classroom were whispering amongst themselves. I could feel their gazes darting toward me, every single one filled with malicious curiosity. "Your father said he doesn't know anything about this! He said that at home, not only do you bully your little brother and your grandmother, but you've also started stealing money!" Her tone was filled with disappointment. "I never expected you to be such a vain person. Lying and deceiving your teachers and classmates at school..." Watching her lips moving, a loud ringing sound engulfed my ears. The overwhelming sense of humiliation from years ago surrounded me once again. It felt like I was back in kindergarten. Because my family was poor and my parents weren't there to defend me, everyone bullied me and ostracized me. "Chloe is so pitiful, she doesn't even have a mommy or daddy..." "Let's go. Don't play with her. She looks dirty." Even when playing games, they would intentionally push me to the ground. "Teacher! I saw her cheat! She stepped on the line!" "Yeah, I saw it too!" "Me too!" ... And now, my classmates were doing the same. Countless dark shadows pointed fingers at me, their gazes aggressive and invasive. "So Chloe was faking it the whole time. How shameless." "A poor kid trying to play the rich heiress. I knew I couldn't stand her!" "Let's all stay away from her..." I didn't do anything! Countless hands pushed me into a cramped, suffocating corner. The most innocent-looking malice poured down on me like dirty water. What exactly did I do wrong? Why did they all isolate me and bully me? Just as I felt like I was going to lose my mind, I suddenly felt a warm embrace. I looked up blankly and saw the older brother from this morning. He wiped the tears from the corners of my eyes and ruffled my hair with a look of mock disgust. My brain completely short-circuited. No way. What is he doing here?
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