You won’t believe this. Me, a small-time influencer who plays the innocent damsel online, was summoned by Crestwood’s wealthiest couple. They slid a $50M black card across the table, begging me to marry their son. Why? Their heir, Aiden Graham, threw away his future simping for some broke campus queen. Mrs. Graham seethed: “That witch says no but leeches off him, funding her joke of a family like a vampire! If he likes her type, fine—we’ll find someone better at the game.” Insulting? Sure. But when that $50M card landed before me, I accepted my mission: Save the Simp Heir. Then I opened the target file—and laughed. The “broke queen” was my little sister Clara, the amateur whose tricks I used to dismantle for fun. My long-forgotten rival. … 1 The love story of Aiden Graham, the prince of Crestwood, and the so-called campus queen, Clara Bernthal, was the stuff of legend at Crestwood University. One was born with a silver spoon in his mouth, a man who had everything, yet he humbled himself, worshipping the ground she walked on. The other was dirt poor but carried herself with an air of untouchable purity, staging a grand drama of rejecting the city’s most eligible bachelor nine hundred and ninety-nine times. This bizarre, third-rate novel plot had somehow earned the freak couple a legion of die-hard fans who had even started a fan club for them. The entire campus was obsessed with their “epic romance,” waiting with bated breath for the day the high-and-mighty queen would finally grant him her "yes." Because of this, any woman who dared to get close to Aiden instantly became public enemy number one, torn to shreds by the verbal onslaught of his rabid fanbase. But I’m not just any woman. On my first day as a transfer student, I had someone leak a little message across the entire campus network: “Aiden Graham’s official fiancée has arrived.” And so, the second I stepped into the classroom, the welcoming party I’d expected was there to greet me—a bucket of ice-cold water, tipped from above the door, drenching me from head to toe. Soaked hair and a soggy mask plastered to my face, the sticky, disgusting feeling making me want to gag. The classroom erupted in piercing laughter. Just then, Clara glided in from the hallway, her signature wide, innocent eyes fixed on me. “Oh my god, are you okay?” she asked, feigning concern. “It’s all my fault. My classmates just adore me so much… they can’t accept you yet. That’s why they did this. Please, please don’t take it to heart.” One of her minions immediately jumped in, her voice dripping with disdain. “Clara, you’re too kind. Why are you even talking to this homewrecker? She’s here to steal your man!” A few guys stepped forward, forming a protective wall in front of me. “We’re the ones who threw the water! It has nothing to do with Clara!” the leader announced righteously. “You’re a parasite trying to ruin a good thing, so don’t expect us to be nice!” If it were any other girl, she would have already run out of the room crying. I, however, just sighed internally. All these years, and Clara’s little frame-up schemes were still so painfully amateurish. Fine. I guess big sister will have to step in and teach you what a real master of the game looks like. In the next second, with trembling, pale fingers, I slowly peeled off the wet mask. I gently swept the dark strands of hair from my cheek to reveal a face so delicate, so exquisitely pitiful, it silenced the room. A collective gasp rippled through the crowd as they saw me clearly. Clara’s face went white as a sheet, as if she’d seen a ghost. My eyes welled up, a perfect shimmer of tears forming as I bit my lip. My voice, thick with emotion, cracked as I spoke. “I… I truly never meant to get in the way of your relationship. This engagement… it was arranged by our elders. I’m just a girl, I have no power… How could I possibly refuse?” “You don’t have to worry, Clara. I won’t fight you for him. I… I couldn’t win anyway.” I lifted my gaze, my misty eyes scanning the faces of the boys in front of me, my voice laced with a profound loneliness. “I just wanted to come to the city, get a good education, maybe make a few friends… But it seems like… like everyone here hates me… What am I supposed to do?” The classroom fell into a dead, heavy silence. The boy who had been so hostile just moments ago—Jake, I think his name was—turned the color of a boiled shrimp, stumbling over his words. “I—I’m sorry! My name’s Jake… I mean, I—I’d be happy to be your friend!” Even Clara’s minion seemed to soften. “Hey… don’t cry. We didn’t really mean it like that…” Clara was completely stunned. She couldn’t fathom how I, with just a few simple words, had not only defused her attack but turned her own followers against her, making them pity me. She glared at me, the string of her composure finally snapping as she let out a twisted, venomous hiss. “Aurora! You bitch! Why are you here? Why won’t you just disappear from my life!” I immediately flinched like a startled rabbit, shrinking behind Jake for protection. “What’s wrong with her? Does she… does she really hate me that much?” Jake looked at the unhinged Clara, his brow furrowed in disapproval as he instinctively shielded me more tightly. “Clara, what the hell is your problem? This isn't her fault! Stop taking it out on her!” That protective gesture was the final trigger. Clara lunged forward like a wild animal. The sharp crack of her hand across my face echoed through the silent room. As my body tilted backward, a figure shot toward me out of the corner of my eye. Heh. And just like that, the fish is on the hook. 2 As expected, I landed safely in a strong, warm embrace. An aura of cool detachment radiated from him. He steadied me, then immediately let go. “Are you okay?” he asked, his voice crisp and cold. I tilted my head back, my neck looking fragile and pale, my cheek stinging from the slap. But I forced a brave face. “I’m fine… I just lost my balance.” His expression faltered for a split second when his eyes met my tear-filled gaze. To Clara, however, that brief moment looked like something else entirely. “Aiden!” she shrieked. “Why did you catch her? Is that bitch using her cheap tricks to seduce you again?” She screamed, lunging at me once more, wild and unrestrained. But before her hand could even touch my clothes, Aiden caught her wrist, holding her firmly in place. “Clara, what has gotten into you today?” “Aurora is just a fiancée in name only, arranged by my parents. You’re the one I love.” “But if she gets seriously hurt because of you, my parents will only despise you more. How do you expect me to ever marry you then?” A flash of annoyance crossed Aiden’s face, but he patiently, gently tried to reason with her. Jake chimed in from the side, defending me. “Yeah, Aurora has been nothing but nice this whole time. What gives you the right to hit her, Clara?” Clara gasped for breath, finally realizing the situation was turning against her. She forced a smile that was uglier than a grimace. “I’m so sorry, Aurora. I… I mistook you for someone else.” I stole a glance at Aiden before lowering my head in disappointment. “It’s okay. In the end, it’s my fault for disturbing you two.” Aiden’s eyes flickered toward me, a hint of discomfort in his expression. He pulled a small box from his pocket and handed it to me, his tone curt. “A welcome gift. My mother told me to give it to you.” Then, he opened a beautifully wrapped gift bag he was carrying, retrieving a palm-sized velvet box. He presented it to Clara. “This, I bought with my own money. Whatever other people have, my girl has to have it too.” Clara’s tense expression finally melted. When she opened the box to reveal a stunning set of ruby jewelry, her face lit up with pure joy. “Thank you, Aiden! I love you so much!” Following her lead, I opened my box. Inside lay a simple hair clip from a mid-range designer brand. The difference in value was astronomical. Clara shot me a look, her eyes overflowing with smug satisfaction. “Wow, your hair clip is pretty too. Why don’t you put it on for us?” With the entire class watching, a few perfect, crystalline tears rolled down my cheeks. Jake saw them and immediately looked at me with concern. Even the smile on Aiden’s face faded. “Thank you for the kind thought,” I choked out, “but I can’t accept this.” Aiden’s brows furrowed slightly. “Why not?” I looked up, letting the self-pity and sorrow in my eyes pierce him like a needle. “Clara is the future Mrs. Graham. She deserves the best of everything in this world—designer clothes, fine jewelry, limited-edition bags… But me? I’m just a poor girl from the countryside. Being able to study at the same university as all of you is already a blessing. How could I dare to wish for things that don’t belong to me?” Wiping away my tears with a fierce determination, I turned and pressed the box into the hands of the girl behind Clara, the one named Becca. My smile was genuine and strong. “You’re so beautiful. I think this clip would look much better on you. Miss Bernthal has so much lovely jewelry, but she never thought to share any with you. As your friend, I want you to have this.” Knowing Clara’s notoriously stingy personality, I was certain she wasn’t the generous type. Just as I predicted, a flicker of surprise and delight crossed Becca’s face. “R-really? Thank you! No one’s ever given me such a nice gift before!” “My name is Becca. Aurora, from now on, we’re best friends! If anyone messes with you, you just tell me!” Thanks to my self-deprecating performance, not a single person doubted the sincerity of my gift. I even saw a glimmer of unexpected admiration in Aiden’s eyes. Clara, on the other hand, was trapped in a vortex of awkwardness. The hand holding the jewelry box was frozen mid-air, unsure whether to offer it to her friends or put it away. With that one move, I had not only won everyone’s sympathy but had also maxed out my emotional capital. Clara was now stuck with the image of a petty, selfish shrew. As I was leaving, Aiden actually stopped me. He pushed a credit card into my hand without another word. “In the end, our family owes you for this mess. Don’t put yourself down like that. Go buy yourself something you like.” I pretended to blush, the tips of my ears turning red as I gave a shy nod. Clara stood a short distance away, her eyes shooting daggers at me, but she was utterly speechless. It wasn't until I walked off campus that I realized why she had been holding her tongue. Two middle-aged figures were storming toward me with furious expressions—my dear, biological parents. 3 “You worthless piece of trash! Couldn’t you just stay locked up where you belong? Did you have to break out just to ruin your sister’s life?” Before the words even finished, a hand whipped through the air and cracked across my cheek. The shrewish-looking woman, my mother, raised her hand for another strike, but Aiden stepped in, grabbing her wrist with a frown. “Ma’am, what’s going on here?” he asked, his tone wary. “Do you know her?” I clutched my stinging cheek, my body shrinking back, my expression a mask of fragile helplessness. “Sir… Ma’am…” I began timidly, “do I know you?” Clara saw her chance and rushed forward, her voice filled with desperate urgency. “Aiden, she’s lying to you! This ‘Aurora’ is my older sister—the one with the mental illness! Five years ago, she had an episode and tore our family apart. My parents had no choice but to kick her out! She’s obviously holding a grudge, so she changed her identity to get close to you. She’s here to get revenge on me and steal you away!” “I knew you wouldn’t believe me if I just told you, so I called my parents to expose her on the spot. We’ve caught her red-handed!” A triumphant gleam shone in Clara’s eyes. She looked at me with the pity of a victor. “My dear sister, it seems your condition has gotten worse. This time, I’m afraid we’ll have to send you to a facility for some… intensive therapy.” My father, Mr. Bernthal, immediately plastered on a fawning smile, bowing and scraping before Aiden. “That’s right, that’s right, my dear son-in-law! This wretched daughter of mine is sick in the head. She could hurt Clara! You can’t be soft on her!” With that, my parents grabbed me from both sides, trying to drag me toward their car. But I didn’t give them the satisfaction of seeing any fear on my face. Instead, my eyes widened with an expression of pure, unadulterated envy. “If only… if only I really had parents. How wonderful would that be?” I slowly shook my head, tears pooling in my eyes, but I stubbornly refused to let them fall. “Clara, I know you hate me. But you’re like a princess. You have parents who adore you and Aiden to protect you. You have everything good in this world.” “And me? I’m just an orphan from the countryside. My parents are gone. Just being here, studying, is a gift from heaven. How could I ever dream of taking the title of Mrs. Graham from you?” “So why… why would you make up such a cruel lie to slander me? To grind me into the dirt?” Aiden listened, then stepped forward to speak on my behalf. “Mr. and Mrs. Bernthal, you’ve made a mistake. Aurora is the orphaned daughter of my father’s old army buddy. She grew up in the country.” He probably didn’t even realize it himself, but his tone and the way he referred to me had already shifted from dismissive to protective. My mother stomped her foot in fury. “You little liar! You lived in our house for over a decade! Don’t think I can’t find a single picture of you to prove it!” But the more frantically she scrolled through her phone’s photo album, the paler her face became. “How… how can there not be a single one?” Clara noticed something was wrong and leaned in, but no matter how hard they searched, they couldn’t find a single photo of me. What a joke. If I was bold enough to show up with this face, you can be sure I came prepared. The Bernthals had always treated me like a thorn in their side; they would never have willingly saved photos of me. Besides, with the Graham family backing me, any digital breadcrumbs that might have existed had long been wiped clean. “Enough! How long are you going to keep this charade up?” Aiden’s face was a mask of impatience. He already disliked Clara’s parents, and now, even his gaze toward Clara was turning cold. “Aiden, don’t you believe me? Aurora really is my psychotic sister!” Clara pleaded, panic rising in her voice. Aiden pinched the bridge of his nose, exasperated. “I always thought you were different from your social-climbing parents. But look at what you’re doing now. Dragging your entire family here to slander an innocent girl, to pour salt on her wounds! Clara, you’ve disappointed me more than I can say.” Clara opened her mouth to argue, but I beat her to it, gently taking her hand. “Clara, I never had parents, so I understand that pain more than anyone. You must miss your sister terribly. That’s why you mistook me for her. When you have time, you should go visit her. I’m sure… she misses all of you very much.” With that single sentence, I cemented my persona as the kind, innocent victim. And as a bonus, I subtly highlighted to Aiden just how cruelly the Bernthal family treated their other daughter. I could feel it. The look in Aiden’s eyes had transformed from pity to something deeper. Heartache. And heartache is always the first step toward falling.
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