Chapter 2 Back then, I survived on rotting scraps from the dump. When exhaustion hit, I'd curl up atop the filthy piles to sleep. I lived like that for eight years. Every morning, the stench of waste was the first thing I woke up to. Until the day Child Protective Services finally showed up. They pulled me out of that hell and sent me back to the Harringtons. That was when I learned the truth-I was the true heiress of the Harrington family, but my adoptive mother had swapped me at birth. The first time I laid eyes on the so-called daughter, Madeline, wrapped in pink and pampered beyond belief, I broke down in tears. I begged Richard not to send her away. Because I knew. I knew how cruel life was in the dump. I couldn't bear the thought of anyone else living the nightmare I had endured. When Madeline's gaze locked with mine, all I saw was malice and jealousy. She deliberately bumped into me, sending the ice cream cone in my hand tumbling to the floor. "Oh no, Anna, I'm so sorry," she said sweetly. "I lost my balance." I stared at the fallen cone. At the dump, I could scavenge anything-moldy bread, sour fruit, spoiled leftovers. But never ice cream. Ice cream was the one thing I used to dream about. So the first time I held that unlimited platinum card, I bought only a single soft-serve cone. And it had ended with me beaten and humiliated. Madeline's eyes gleamed when she caught me staring. She grew smugger. "I was just so thrilled to see you," she said, feigning sweetness. "I even begged Dad to bring you back for my engagement party." She flashed her hand in front of me, showing off a diamond ring the size of a pigeon's egg. My heart skipped. That was the very ring I had chosen myself for my future sister-in-law. No. It couldn't be. Alexander's fiancée was Madeline? Christopher stroked her hair tenderly, "I was wondering how she dared to sneak back home... turns out Madeline really has a heart of gold." Then he gave me a mock glare. "Aren't you going to thank Madeline? Where are your manners?" Chapter 2 7.69% QUIZ f Facebook 4.1 FREE Installed Open See which Facebook Instant Games are trending now. Open the app. He gritted his teeth in exaggerated frustration. 1 let out a bitter laugh. "And why would I have manners? I was punished to dig in mines because of a fake daughter. My father and brother abandoned me. What kind of upbringing was I supposed to have?" By now, guests were gathering at the entrance, whispering. "Isn't she the real Harrington daughter who was lost years ago?" "What a tragedy. Replaced by a fake heiress. Otherwise she'd be the one marrying the Oil Prince tonight." "You!" Christopher raised his hand, ready to strike. But when his eyes met mine, he froze. Slowly, he lowered his hand, his voice softening. "Forget it. An ice cream cone isn't worth anything. I'll give you ten times the money to replace it." "Don't bother. I'm not short of money." I said calmly. No wealth could ever make up for the love I'd been denied. He clenched his fists. "If it weren't for your faint resemblance to Mom, do you really think I'd ever look at you twice after all the low tricks you've pulled? Even if you got down on your knees and begged me today, I would never recognize you as my sister!" Frustrated, he pulled out his phone and tried to transfer money. But the screen flashed: This account has been frozen. His eyes widened. "The card was frozen? Don't tell me... you haven't been using the allowance Harrington family gave you all these years?" He looked at me with a flicker of surprise, almost pity. The truth was, that card had been useless since the day I was dumped in West Africa. Did he really believe I'd survived on Harrington charity? Madeline's eyes filled with tears, shimmering like a well-rehearsed performance. "Anna, ten years ago you invited homeless men into my bedroom just to drive me out of the family... And now that I've finally moved on and found happiness, you still won't let me go. I never meant to steal your life!" I smiled faintly. "If it weren't for you stealing my life, I'd probably be suffocating in that tiny little house every single day." Ten years ago, I had screamed myself hoarse, begging them to believe me. Chapter 2 7.69% All I got were slaps. Now, laughter rippled through the crowd. "She must be insane. She called the Harrington mansion suffocating. That's the most coveted estate in Baymont." "No wonder the Harringtons disowned her. What a vain, delusional girl." "Obviously she's crawling back because she heard about the Westbrook marriage." "Who wouldn't? Compared to Edward Westbrook, even the Harringtons are small fry." Christopher's arm tightened protectively around Madeline, his glare burning into me. "Enough pretending. You share my blood, but I will never allow you to hurt her. Today is Madeline's engagement day. Get out!" Engagement day? My brother had just chosen this date because it conveniently fell on my day off. He hadn't even wanted to hold this engagement party in the first place. "It's just a marriage of convenience -both sides getting what they want." I had insisted that he announce the engagement publicly, so his fiancée would get the respect she deserved. I stood my ground. "Are you sure you want me to leave? One step out that door, and this engagement party is canceled." Chapter 2 7.69%