Eighteen years flew by . I lived up to the brilliant mind Fate had granted me . In the competition circuit , the name Aspen Blackwood was synonymous with excellence . had so many trophies there wasn't enough room to display them . A spot on the national team for the training camp was already mine , and I was just one step away from a guaranteed scholarship to a top - tier university . Thanks to my genius , the Blackwood family's reputation soared in their social circle . As for Brenda Hayes , who tried to swap me , and her daughter Serena Hayes , it was like they'd vanished into thin air . I never saw them again . I thought that whole incident was long behind us , until my eighteenth birthday . The birthday party was grand , with many guests. I was about to cut the cake when the ballroom doors burst open . Under the harsh lights , Brenda , pulling a girl who looked around my age , stormed in . The girl wore a faded school uniform , her complexion wasn't great , but her eyes were fixated on me . 82 11:56 Sat , Oct 18 M < :. 27 82 Her face , surprisingly , bore a striking resemblance to my mom , Eleanor - about seventy or eighty percent . The entire room erupted in murmurs . Brenda fell to her knees with a thud , tears streaming down her face . " Eleanor ! I'm so sorry ! I'm so sorry to the Blackwood family ! Eighteen years ago, I was blinded by greed . I switched your daughter ! " She trembled , pointing at the girl beside her , feigning a tearful performance . " Serena , * she * is your biological daughter ! Aspen Blackwood , the girl you've raised for eighteen years , is * my * daughter ! " At her words , a wave of whispers swept through the crowd . I watched the farce with cold indifference , wanting nothing more than to laugh . Serena slowly walked towards me , her gaze never leaving my face . " Aspen , you've stolen eighteen years of my life . Now it's time to pay it back . " Before my parents could react , she turned and walked to the large screen in the center of the ballroom . She picked up a marker and quickly wrote a complex formula on the whiteboard next to it . It was the most challenging problem from the International Olympiad . She tossed the marker down , her eyes full of provocation as she looked at me . " Some genuine talent can't be bought with family money . " My mom immediately, almost instinctively , let go of my hand , her gaze shifting to Serena . 11:56 Sat , Oct 18 M : 82 Watching my family's indifferent reaction , my heart turned to ice . Even after I'd brought them eighteen years of " prestige ," it still couldn't outweigh the simple , powerful words : " biological daughter ." I took a breath , met Serena's gaze , and slowly spoke . " You say I'm fake ? " " Where's your proof ? " 3