To elope with a broke scholarship student, the Upper East Side princess slashed my face and used my parents' lives to threaten me. "As long as you get plastic surgery to look exactly like me and take my place to marry the Manhattan heir, I'll let your parents go." As I was fighting back with everything I had, a translucent text box suddenly floated across my vision like a live stream comment: [The Upper East Side princess is so foolish! When she and that guy elope, their boat is going to get hit by a freak tsunami. Not only will she die without a trace, but she'll lose her status as the main character!] [The Manhattan heir is the actual male lead of this story. Why is she choosing the broke side-character instead?] [This random girl with the slashed face is about to hit the jackpot. If she agrees to the surgery, she can take the princess's place, marry into a billionaire family, and live a life of luxury.] I covered my bloody, ruined face and made my decision without a second of hesitation. "Take me to get the surgery right now. I will study you perfectly. I guarantee no one will ever find a single flaw." Since she was practically shoving unimaginable wealth into my hands... I would gladly take it. ... My words made the floating comments explode: [No way, is this random extra, Harper, really this bold? She actually dares to take the princess's place in the arranged marriage?] [If anyone finds out Harper is a plastic surgery fake, she and her parents are definitely going to die a horrible death.] Since that was the case, I would just have to work incredibly hard to ensure no one ever found out I was a fake. I looked at the princess, Serena Sterling, and asked: "Just looking like you isn't enough; there will definitely be flaws. What if someone realizes I'm a fake and they drag you back here?" Serena frowned, clearly realizing I had a point. I seized the opportunity to suggest: "How about you train me properly? Teach me your way of speaking, your fashion sense, your hobbies, and tell me everything about your friends and family." "If I can mimic you flawlessly from every angle, I can guarantee it's foolproof." Serena agreed immediately: "We'll do it your way. The wedding isn't for another three months anyway. During your surgical recovery, I can train you thoroughly." Having achieved her goal, she unlocked the heavy chains binding my parents. "Harper, if you had just agreed sooner, your family wouldn't have had to suffer so much." By this point, my parents were covered in blood and barely clinging to life. Yet, they were still begging Serena: "Please, let Harper go. We're begging you..." Serena kicked them in disgust. "I chose Harper to be my double. That is a blessing for low-class trash like you. You should be thanking me." I knelt beside my parents, a fierce hatred surging in my heart. Simply because my eyes, height, and voice were an eighty-percent match to hers, Serena had ruthlessly targeted me. My family was desperately poor. We had no relatives. My parents had raised me by collecting recycling. For Serena, torturing us was easier than stepping on an ant. Thank God for those floating comments. They made me change my mind just in time to save my parents' lives. When I lay down on the operating table, the comments were still whining: [Can the princess please wake up? The Manhattan heir is tall, rich, handsome, and an absolute boss! I don't want to see Harper get this lucky break!] Tall, rich, handsome, and an absolute boss? That sounded perfect. I endured the agonizing pain of having my bones shaved and flesh altered, closing my eyes in pure anticipation. From this moment on, I was no longer pathetic, poor Harper. I was going to replace the hopelessly romantic Serena and become the true Upper East Side princess. The Manhattan heir she didn't want to marry? I would marry him. The luxurious life she didn't want to live? I would live it for her! Starting the very next day, Serena put me through intense, high-pressure training. "I've been driving sports cars on tracks since I was eighteen. Get your driver's license immediately, and spend three hours every day practicing high-speed driving techniques." "Your working-class accent is atrocious. Fix your enunciation and learn conversational French. If you embarrass me at a high-society event and make my dad look bad, I'll kill you!" "Do you know fine dining etiquette? Do you know the unspoken rules of the elite social circles? Have you seriously never had a manicure before?" As Serena trained me, she started losing her temper. "I am incredibly picky about what I eat, wear, and where I live. You reek of poverty. How are you ever going to mimic me?" I humbled myself and coaxed her: "I can do it! Even if I have to skip sleep, I will study relentlessly to meet your standards." I knew the gap between me and Serena was massive. But I wasn't afraid. I forced myself to sleep only two hours a night. Besides driving and fixing my accent, I started learning French and finance from scratch. I also devoured high-end fashion magazines, memorized every luxury brand, and watched countless videos on elite etiquette. Relying on sheer willpower and determination... A month later. I successfully got my license, my accent was flawless, and the timid look in my eyes was mostly gone. Serena was quite satisfied with this. "I didn't expect you to take this so seriously. Let's move to the next stage." She brought over a mountain of files and photographs. "This is my family tree. You need to recognize every single one of these relatives. They give me massive checks during the holidays. If you mistake one of them, you're dead." "These are the Sterling family's major business partners. You have to know exactly how to flatter each of them, or my parents will be furious." "And these are the files and background info on my fiancé. Study them carefully and handle him properly for me." I stared at the photo of the Manhattan heir, Julian... wait, no, Carter... Carter Vanderbilt, and set a goal for myself. As long as I could secure this man and give him a few children, then even if someone discovered my true identity in the future, with the children as my trump card, I could at least save my life and my parents' lives. Speaking of my parents, they hadn't received any medical treatment since they were beaten. Serena watched me too closely; she absolutely forbade me from taking care of them. I could only occasionally sneak out to bring them some medicine and food. "Don't worry," I told them. "Once I become Serena Sterling, I will make sure you live a good life." For my sake and my parents' sake, I was highly motivated, wishing I could utilize all twenty-four hours of the day. As the scabs on my face gradually fell off, the broke student started getting worried. "This Harper looks way too much like you after the surgery. What if she takes this opportunity to replace you and steal your inheritance?" The comments were also anxious: [The male side-character needs to talk some sense into the princess! It's obvious Harper is scheming. She's working so hard because she clearly wants to steal the nest!] [Can someone please tell the princess she's going to die in a tsunami?! I'm dying of anxiety here!] Serena dismissed these concerns entirely. "Do you really think I can't handle a piece of trash who grew up picking garbage? Don't worry, I have a plan." She grabbed me by the throat, her tone vicious. "I'm giving you a bank account number. Once you infiltrate my family, every dollar my family gives you and every cent of the wedding dowry must be transferred to me." "If I find out you've kept a single dime for yourself, I will come back immediately, expose your identity, and make sure your entire family dies without a burial place!" With that, she shoved me away, linked arms with the broke student, and smiled sweetly at him. "From now on, that garbage-picker will be sending us a continuous stream of money. We can travel the world and live happily ever after without a care in the world!" On the surface, I agreed obediently. Internally, I couldn't stop sneering. If Serena knew she was going to die very soon, and that I was going to completely replace her... I wonder, would she still be smiling? Soon, my surgical wounds were completely healed. Every word and action of mine now carried the effortless grace of a billionaire heiress. I learned how to do my own flawless skincare and makeup, how to style myself impeccably, and how to put on airs and act spoiled. I could recognize every relative and friend in Serena's orbit. I knew the executives and subordinates at the Sterling corporation better than Serena herself did. As the wedding date drew closer, Serena was eager to put me to the test. "Tonight, my family is officially meeting with the Vanderbilt family to discuss the wedding details. You better perform perfectly!" The comments were still holding out hope: [I hope Harper makes a ton of mistakes tonight and gets exposed as a fake. That way, our princess can still be saved.] [Harper's poverty is baked into her bones. Carter Vanderbilt is definitely going to notice. I can't wait to watch Harper make a fool of herself.] None of the comments believed in me. But I proved them all wrong. From driving home, acting spoiled with Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, to helping "my mom" pick out a dress and do her makeup... Throughout the entire process, not a single person in the Sterling family doubted that I was a fake. If I could pass the Sterling family's test, I definitely wasn't worried about the Vanderbilts. Before we left, Mrs. Sterling asked me with deep concern: "Sweetheart, have you cut ties completely with that scholarship student?" "You were throwing tantrums and threatening to cancel the engagement before. Now you're suddenly being so cooperative. Are you plotting something again?" Mimicking Serena's tone, I raised my chin arrogantly. "Mom, can't you have a little faith in me? No matter how much I act out, I know what's important! I wouldn't literally anger you and Dad to death over some broke guy!" "Besides, Carter Vanderbilt is actually gorgeous enough to meet my standards. Marrying him isn't exactly a loss for me." That spoiled, bratty, yet clever demeanor was so perfect that even the real Serena would have had to admit defeat. It made Mrs. Sterling smile with relief. "That's my good girl. Here, take this five million and go buy yourself a new car." As soon as the money hit my account, I transferred it to Serena. Serena was satisfied and told me to perform well tonight. When we sat down at the dinner table, I knew Carter was observing me, so I deliberately acted aloof and ignored him. During the meal, I was extremely careful to avoid all the foods Serena disliked. It wasn't until the topic shifted to the wedding budget that Carter actively spoke to me: "My current budget is eighty million dollars. Does Miss Sterling have any thoughts on this?" I curled my lips into a sneer: "Eighty million? Are you trying to pay off a beggar? I spend more than eighty million just throwing a fireworks party. If you want to marry me, you need to show the highest level of sincerity." That haughty, arrogant attitude actually made Carter narrow his eyes in appreciation. "Alright. Then I'll set the wedding budget at five hundred million, with no upper limit." I slapped the table playfully. "Come sit over here. How are we supposed to discuss details from so far away?" "I want the top designers for my wedding dress. If it isn't covered in diamonds, I'm not wearing it." Carter gave a knowing smile and moved to sit beside me. The comments were panicking: [Harper has truly mastered the essence of the princess! Neither the Sterlings nor the Vanderbilts can tell she's a fake. What if she actually marries Carter?] [Can the princess please punish Harper? It's obvious this ugly duckling really wants to climb the social ladder using Carter!] The Vanderbilt family was extremely pleased with me and transferred a ten-million-dollar pre-wedding gift on the spot. As soon as the meeting ended, I transferred the money to Serena. "Harper, you did well tonight. It was practically indistinguishable from the real thing." I thought Serena had lowered her guard. But suddenly, her expression changed, and she slapped me hard across the face. "Remember your place. A fake is a fake; it can never become real." "Your only purpose for breathing is to get married for me, and then transfer money to me to keep your pathetic parents alive." With that, she actually had my parents dragged out again. Right in front of me, she brutally shattered one of my father's legs. "If I ever find out you're trying to use this opportunity to actually replace me, I'll shatter the remaining three legs between your parents!" Amidst my parents' agonizing screams, I wiped my tears and humiliatingly kowtowed to her. "I'll do whatever you say. I will absolutely never covet things that don't belong to me." Serena tossed all her ID documents to me, confiscated my original IDs, and began finalizing her elopement plan. Through the floating comments, I learned that she and the broke student had booked passage on a smuggling boat and had already secured a house abroad. Following Serena's instructions, I sold all her valuable designer bags and jewelry and transferred every cent into her account. During this time, I relentlessly paved my own way. Whenever I returned to the Sterling mansion, I secretly collected strands of the real Serena's hair, keeping them safe for future emergencies. The comments grew more and more anxious: [The more I look at this Harper, the more I realize she's not a good person. The princess is raising a tiger that's going to bite her.] [If the princess just looked at the weather forecast before setting her itinerary, she could avoid the tsunami entirely!] I counted down the days to the elopement, my heart pounding with excitement. As long as Serena got on that boat and died in the tsunami, I would never have to live in fear again. I seized every opportunity to heat things up with Carter. However, Carter was a man of deep mystery. One day, he actually said to me: "Miss Sterling, you are quite different from what I imagined." I used a spoiled pout to mask my panic and asked him how I was different. "According to my investigations, you were deeply in love with a scholarship student and even wanted to break off our engagement for him." "I wonder what made you change your mind and agree to marry me?" I scoffed, putting on a look of sheer disgust. "Can we not talk about that broke ex-boyfriend? It's bad luck. Or do you have some weird fetish for being cheated on?" Carter stared at me meaningfully. "Since you hate your ex-boyfriend so much, I'll keep an eye on him for you. I won't let him harass you ever again." I forced down my panic, treating Carter's words as a joke. In our subsequent interactions, I started casually bringing up the broke student occasionally, just to keep Carter from getting suspicious. After a few more grueling days, the day of Serena's elopement finally arrived. According to plan, I stayed over at Carter's penthouse that night. I wanted to take this opportunity to solidify our relationship by sleeping with him, while the comments were live-streaming the elopement process. [It makes me so mad seeing Harper kissing and hugging Carter! She's here cuddling a billionaire, while the real princess has to sneak onto a boat to elope.] [Sigh, the princess finally boarded the boat of no return. The tsunami is approaching. My main character is really going to die like this...] Seeing the comments confirm that Serena's boat had set sail, the massive boulder weighing on my heart finally lifted. After tonight, I would be the true Serena Sterling! No one would ever harm my family again, and I would never have to be anyone's dog. The future waiting for me was filled with endless wealth and glory. Suppressing my inner excitement, I was about to continue kissing Carter when his assistant suddenly knocked frantically on the door. "Mr. Vanderbilt, it's an emergency! That broke scholarship student eloped with Serena Sterling! Someone saw them boarding a boat heading out of the country!" My body went completely rigid, my mind descending into chaos. I had calculated everything, but I hadn't calculated this. Carter wasn't joking; he was actually having the broke student followed! If Carter decided to investigate this to the bottom, I would definitely be exposed! If that happened, not only would all my hard work be for nothing, but my family of three wouldn't escape a gruesome death... Just as I was panicking, Carter gave me a confused look, then opened the door and questioned his assistant: "Are you certain the woman eloping is my fiancée, Serena Sterling?" "Positive! I received photos!" Carter took the phone, and his expression instantly froze. The next second, he grabbed my wrist with a vicious grip. "If the woman eloping is Serena Sterling, then who are you?" My heart leapt into my throat. At the same time, the comments scrolled frantically across my vision.
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