The day my wealthy biological parents came to pick me up, I let out a heavy sigh. "Never mind," I said. "You guys definitely prefer the daughter you raised. If I go back, I’ll just be a nuisance. Let me just fend for myself out here." My parents laughed awkwardly. "How could you say that? You are our biological daughter." After getting into the car, I spent the entire ride scribbling in my little notebook. My mom leaned over, curious. "What are you writing, sweetheart?" "I’m pre-planning all the ways your adopted daughter is going to try and frame me." The pity play: Make my parents think I’m bullying her. Frame me for stealing. …… My parents repeatedly promised that nothing like that would ever happen. That was, until Chloe threw herself down the stairs and frantically claimed I pushed her. My parents immediately spun around, raising their hands to hit me. I calmly checked off the "pity play" box in my notebook. Remembering my warning from the car ride, they abruptly pulled their hands back. "Let’s check the security cameras. If you really pushed her, we will punish you." [Chapter 1] Chloe’s sobbing came to a screeching halt. She shrieked, "Cameras?!" I nodded and pointed to the small camera aimed directly at the staircase. Because I had anticipated these exact difficulties, I demanded my parents install cameras before I even agreed to move in, just to guarantee my innocence. They had accused me of making a mountain out of a molehill back then. Little did they know, the cameras would prove useful within forty-eight hours. Chloe, the girl who had taken my place for fifteen years, had no idea they were there. If she had known, she wouldn't have chosen to throw herself down the stairs. "Mom, Dad, I can't believe you don't trust me. It hurts... it hurts so much. I think I'm dying..." Chloe clutched her slightly bruised ankle, weeping beautifully. My mother’s tears instantly fell. My father scooped Chloe up in his arms and said anxiously, "Let's get you to the hospital!" I stood to the side and asked softly, "Mom, Dad, are we still checking the footage?" My mother stayed silent, but my father lashed out, "Maya, do you have any empathy at all?" "Your sister is hurt like this, and you're still obsessing over security footage?!" Hearing this, my mother glared at me through her tears. "Exactly, Maya! Whether Chloe fell on her own or you pushed her, she's injured now. You should be checking on her. She is your sister, after all." I didn’t understand. Why should I care about someone who was openly hostile toward me? Besides, falling down three steps wasn't going to kill her. I sighed, watching my parents slam the door as they rushed her out. I sat on the stairs, rewatching the security footage on my phone. I clipped the exact moment Chloe threw herself down the steps and saved the video. My older brother, Liam, walked through the front door carrying a bag of takeout. "Chloe! Look what your big brother brought you!" He scanned the room. Not seeing Chloe, he asked the housekeeper, "Maria, where's my sister?" Maria pointed in my direction. "Young Master, your biological sister is right there." Liam gave me a cold, dismissive glance. "I only have one sister, and that's Chloe. Don't make that mistake again." "Where's Chloe? Did something happen?" Under Liam's relentless questioning, Maria finally told him the truth. "What?! You're saying Chloe fell down the stairs?" Liam immediately pointed a finger at me. "Did you do this?!" I opened the video on my phone and held it up to his face. "She threw herself down to frame me." Liam swatted my phone away, sending it crashing to the floor. "Enough! If you hadn't come back, Chloe wouldn't be feeling so insecure and terrified of losing us!" "Falling down the stairs... she must be in so much pain..." Liam's eyes grew red. He shot me a look of pure hatred and ordered his driver to take him to the hospital. I honestly didn't expect this. Even with irrefutable proof of my innocence, no one stood on my side. I couldn't help but sigh. Blood ties really were nothing compared to fifteen years of companionship. Maria walked over to comfort me, saying the two siblings grew up together and were very close, and told me not to take it to heart. I shook my head. There was nothing to be sad about. I had predicted all of this anyway. Once you mentally rehearse a tragedy in your head beforehand, it doesn't hurt when it actually happens. That evening, I stood by the window and watched Chloe arrive home, riding on my father's back, flanked protectively by my mother and brother. Chloe looked up and met my gaze. She offered a triumphant smirk and said loudly, "Mom, Dad, Liam... promise me I'm still the one you love the most." My parents immediately nodded in agreement. "Of course, of course. We love our Chloe the most." "Don't ever do anything silly like that again. Even with Maya back, our love for you will never change." [Chapter 2] My mother came to my room to discuss transferring me to Chloe's class at the elite prep school. "With your sister there, I'll feel much better knowing someone is looking out for you." Maybe it was because of the cameras in the house. Lately, Chloe hadn't pulled any stunts. In fact, she pretended to be incredibly caring toward me. Even though there were five chicken drumsticks on the dinner table, she insisted on placing her piece into my bowl. Looking at me with faux concern, she said: "My sister suffered out there for fifteen years because of me. I want to give you my piece of chicken. I'll just eat some of the broth." Her fake, overly-dramatic acting made me lose my appetite, but my parents and my cheap older brother ate it right up. Every time Chloe gave up something nice for me, my mother would say approvingly, "Our Chloe has grown up so much. She's really acting like a big sister." Liam would loudly defend her: "Chloe, this wasn't your fault! Here, take my chicken." I pursed my lips and asked with genuine concern, "Is the Sterling family going bankrupt? Why are we passing a single piece of chicken around like we're starving?" My dad slammed his chopsticks down. "Watch your mouth! Maya, Chloe is extending an olive branch. It’s bad enough you don't appreciate it, but to say our family is going bankrupt? How ungrateful can you be!" I looked down at the chicken drumstick in my bowl, which was completely covered in spicy chili oil. "I'm not eating this," I said coldly. They could never remember that I couldn't eat spicy food. The entire table was filled with Chloe's favorite spicy stir-fries. Thinking I was just throwing a tantrum, my dad started yelling at me. Chloe added fuel to the fire. "Dad... Maya hasn't taken a single bite. Let me get her a new bowl of rice. I don't care if she yells at me or hits me. After all, I stole fifteen years of her life. It's only right that she hates me." "Don't you dare! Let her starve!" And so I actually starved for two days, right up until Grandmother Sterling came to visit and noticed how terrible I looked. She scolded my father relentlessly. "You are so cruel! This is your own flesh and blood!" My dad hurriedly explained, "Mom, we haven't mistreated Maya! Ask her yourself. Maya, have we mistreated you?" I looked at the sea of red, spicy dishes on the dining table and stated calmly, "I can't eat spicy food." My dad froze. But Liam said dismissively, "Just rinse it in some water. Why are you acting like such a victim?" He was right. I didn't feel like a victim at all, because no one cared about my feelings anyway. Even though I told my mom I didn't want to be in Chloe's class, she still insisted I give it a try. She told me not to be so pessimistic. We were family, and Chloe would never hurt me. But on my third day of school, I was framed for stealing. "Maya, you were the only one in the classroom during P.E. Did you accidentally take Brittany's necklace?" Chloe walked over, her face a mask of worry. "It wasn't me," I shook my head, but the surrounding students looked at me with clear disbelief. As a transfer student, I was already easily ostracized, let alone with Chloe actively fanning the flames. Originally, no one suspected me, until Chloe started dropping leading comments one by one. "I heard she used to pick through the trash." "No wonder she smells." "Isn't she Chloe's sister?" "They say she's a sister, but who knows? They look nothing alike." Because my parents were afraid Chloe would feel slighted, they never publicly announced my true identity. This led everyone to believe Chloe was the biological daughter, and I was just some distant, poor relative of the Sterling family. Hearing this, I replied, "I am not Chloe's sister." "Her biological mother swapped us at birth, leaving me homeless for fifteen years. I have absolutely no relation to Chloe. I am the true daughter of the Sterling family." Chloe's face drained of color. She looked as if she might faint, her tears falling gracefully. The next second, someone slapped me across the face. "Maya Sterling! I can't believe this is how you bully Chloe when adults aren't around. You disgust me!" [Chapter 3] Liam glared at me with absolute loathing, then pulled Chloe into his arms, comforting her gently. His attitude indirectly influenced how my classmates viewed me. "Do you really believe anything Maya says?" "I bet she's not just a thief, she's a pathological liar." "Exactly! If Maya was Liam's biological sister, why would he slap her?" Seeing this, Chloe sniffled. "Maya... I know you hate me. But Brittany's necklace is worth tens of thousands of dollars. We really need to get to the bottom of this." "Tens of thousands of dollars?" I looked up, genuinely surprised. Brittany glared at me. "Yes! So give it back right now, or I'm going to search your bag!" I pulled out my phone and dialed 911 directly. "Hello, police? My classmate lost a piece of jewelry worth tens of thousands of dollars. Yes, Elite Prep School, Junior Class A." From dialing to hanging up, it took less than thirty seconds. Chloe shrieked, "Why did you call the police?!" "A highly valuable item was stolen. Why wouldn't I call the police?" "Or... did you guys personally see me steal it, which is why you're so absolutely certain it's in my bag?" The police arrived. So did my parents and Brittany's mother. "Why did you bring my expensive necklace to school in the first place?!" Brittany's mom scolded her angrily. Brittany glanced at Chloe, and, staying incredibly loyal, didn't sell her out. Instead, she firmly insisted that I had stolen it. I took out my little notebook, checked off the "Framed for stealing" box, and looked up at my mother. "Mom, didn't you say the bad things I predicted would never happen?" My mother froze for a moment, then gripped my shoulders and stated firmly, "Exactly. My daughter has everything she could ever want. She has no reason to steal from anyone." It was the first time I had ever felt what it was like to be trusted. Tears threatened to well up in my eyes. But under Brittany's aggressive demands, the police still searched my bag. And they actually found her necklace inside. The room erupted in gasps. My dad whipped around and slapped me hard across the face. It was even harder than Liam's slap. My ears were ringing. He pointed a trembling finger at the necklace, his lips quivering. "You said you didn't steal it! Then tell me what the hell that is?!" Liam chimed in sarcastically, "Maya, have you still not shaken off those filthy habits you picked up from the streets?" "Maya... did you really take it?" More than my father's slap, the doubt and crushing disappointment in my mother's eyes pierced my heart. The police officer stopped my dad, noting that there were no fingerprints on the necklace and warning them not to condemn a child so quickly. Chloe immediately spoke up. "Oh... no wonder you have a pair of gloves in your backpack. You wore them so you wouldn't leave prints." Everyone looked at me with deep contempt and disgust. I didn't bother explaining. I simply unclipped a barrette from my hair and handed it to the police officer. "This is my micro-camera. You can check the footage." The video clearly showed that I hadn't taken a single step near Brittany's desk. On the contrary, she had paraded the necklace in front of me several times. When I went to the restroom, I took off my hair clip and left it in my pencil case. The screen on the playback was pitch black, but the audio was crystal clear. "Will this work? Will people actually believe she stole it?" "Of course they will. Once Maya is branded a thief, she'll be completely ostracized." "Okay... but you have to promise I'll get my necklace back. If I lose it, my mom will kill me." "Relax. If we can't get it back, I'll buy you ten just like it." Chloe and Brittany's conversation was recorded perfectly. Their faces instantly drained of color. Brittany was dragged over by her ear by her mother to apologize to me. Chloe hid in Liam's arms, trembling uncontrollably. In disbelief, my mother raised her hand to strike Chloe, but Liam blocked her. "Mom, if you want to hit someone, hit me!" My mother wept, her hand dropping limply to her side. "Chloe, why would you do this to your sister? She is my biological daughter!" Chloe sobbed, claiming she had a momentary lapse in judgment and promising she would never do it again. And just like that, the issue was "peacefully resolved." I was the only one standing there with a swollen, red handprint on my face, looking utterly ridiculous. My dad stepped forward awkwardly, trying to pull me into a hug. I took a step back, my gaze sweeping coldly across their faces, and stated my demand: "I want to transfer classes." [Chapter 4] After realizing they had wronged me, my parents started treating me with extreme caution. I saw my mom keeping a memo on her phone of all my likes and dislikes. Even Liam started showing concern. When he came home, he’d remember to bring me a gift. The dining table was finally filled with dishes I could actually eat. I pulled out my little notebook less and less. Slowly, I began to open up, telling my parents about my past. When I told them how Chloe's biological mother abandoned me in the mountains, and how I was found by an old woman—my Nana Rose—gathering firewood, my mom held me tight, crying onto my shoulder. She promised she would never let me get hurt again. They organized a lavish Welcome Home Gala for me, inviting countless high-society elites to formally introduce me. My parents stood on either side of me on the stage, holding my hands, ready to make the announcement. Suddenly, the massive screen behind us flickered. The heartwarming slideshow of my baby photos was cut off. Chloe's face appeared on the screen. She gave a weak, fragile smile: "Mom, Dad... I know my sister suffered out there for fifteen years. It's only right that you treat her well. It doesn't matter if I'm neglected..." Through tears, she poured out all her grievances. She was truly a master manipulator. In just a few minutes, she painted herself as the understanding, unloved child, and framed me as the arrogant, demanding monster who had ruined the family. Then, she offered a tragic smile. "Mom, Dad, I don't want to make things hard for you. I just hope that in my next life, I can be your real daughter." A razor blade pressed against her wrist. Blood spilled out. My mother let out a hysterical scream. "No! Chloe!" The ballroom erupted into absolute chaos. My parents dropped my hands and frantically pulled out their phones. I stood frozen on the stage, instinctively reaching into my bag for my little notebook to check off a box. I... I actually had predicted that the fake daughter would use a suicide attempt to force me out. Liam lunged forward, snatching the notebook from my hands and ripping it to shreds. His eyes were bloodshot as he glared at me: "At a time like this, you're still playing with your stupid notebook?!" "Maya, do you have no heart at all?! Haven't we treated you well enough lately? Why did you have to push Chloe to suicide?!" Feeling the disgusted, judgmental, and curious stares of all the guests, I took a deep breath and defended myself. "I never pushed her. She's the one who couldn't tolerate my existence." "Enough! Both of you shut up!" my dad snapped, glaring at me. I could read his eyes perfectly. He was thinking that he wished he had never brought me back. Then, all three of them rushed off to find Chloe, abandoning me completely alone on the stage. I don't know how I made it back home. All I knew was that when I opened my phone, I was the number one trending topic online. [True Heiress of the Sterling Family Bullies Adopted Sister into Suicide After Returning] Clueless netizens flooded the comments, attacking me, calling me evil. They even found my personal accounts, dug up my selfies, and photoshopped them into funeral portraits. When I went to school, people threw rotten eggs at me. After someone dumped a bucket of red paint on me, I stood trembling and called my mother, begging her to release a statement to clear my name. But my mom just said, "Maya, Chloe's mental state is very fragile right now. Let's wait until she recovers to discuss your situation, okay?" "But Mom, you know I didn't do any of the things the internet is accusing me of!" Liam shouted at me through the phone: "Chloe literally slit her wrists! Do you have any empathy?! So what if you're getting some hate online? If you're truly innocent, you shouldn't care what people say!" The call hung up. My face was already drenched in tears. The phone rang again. My mother pleaded, "Maya, please just come to the hospital and apologize to Chloe. If you don't, she refuses to eat. She hasn't eaten anything since last night." I didn't say a single word. I silently hung up and blocked all their numbers. I packed my things and left that house without a second of hesitation.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "533234", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel