Love Is Worthless

A year after I was exposed as the fake heiress, my friends all said I was like a different person. I was no longer the spoiled, extravagant girl who desperately chased after my parents’ approval or threw tantrums to win Sebastian’s love. The harsh reality of my financial situation had me scrambling to survive, and it taught me that love and affection were the most useless things in the world. I became the quiet, unassuming person they had always wanted me to be. So later, when Sebastian brought the real heiress home again, I simply went to the guest room, quietly waiting to surrender everything that was once mine. But the very people who had wished for my obedience were now furious, asking me why I had stopped fighting. … When Sebastian brought the real heiress, Isla, home again in the dead of night, I didn’t make a scene. I just forced my exhausted body out of bed and quietly moved to the guest room. As I passed Isla, she grabbed my hand, her voice a sickly sweet coo. “Zara, you’re misunderstanding me.” “I just came to get a necklace I left here last time. I’m not trying to steal Sebastian from you…” Sebastian frowned, about to scold me for being possessive, just like he always did. But I cut him off, my voice calm. “I know. Our marriage was only because I was in your place. He… was always meant to be yours.” I had already come to terms with it. Marriages between wealthy families were never about the individuals, but about their backgrounds. When my true identity was revealed, Sebastian had immediately demanded a divorce. I had cried and screamed, starved myself, and even threatened suicide, barely managing to hold on to the title of Mrs. Croft. But what was the point? My parents had taken back everything they had ever given me, and the Crofts wouldn’t give me a single cent. I had the title, but in reality, I was broke and desperate. Isla, probably not expecting my response, stared for a moment before speaking. “Oh, well, that’s good then. I was worried you’d be upset that I’m starting a new job as Sebastian’s personal assistant at his company.” She knew where it hurt. She knew I couldn’t stand seeing them together. I could see the glint of triumph in her eyes, but I just nodded calmly. “That’s great. Once you’re trained, you’ll be ready to take over the Thorne Corporation.” “Dad… Mr. Thorne will be very pleased.” I gently removed her hand from my arm. “Sorry, I’m a little tired after a full day of food deliveries.” “I’m going to lie down. You two carry on.” The guest room door closed softly behind me. I shut my eyes, a wave of weariness washing over me. The ache in my chest felt like a draft from a broken window in winter, seeping cold into my bones. I was just drifting off to sleep when the door was kicked open with a loud bang. Sebastian stood by my bed, his face a dark storm cloud. He demanded, “What game are you playing now?”

2 What game could I possibly be playing? For the past year, I’d been blacklisted by every major corporation. I ended up delivering packages, doing food delivery, and even trying my hand at live streaming. The pampered princess I once was had long since vanished. I was a porcupine with all its quills plucked out, yet he was still afraid I would hurt someone. He offered a rare explanation. “Isla felt dizzy last time, so I let her rest on the bed for a bit. The necklace must have fallen off then.” “Her being my personal assistant was your father’s idea, so she could learn from me. Don’t overthink it.” I kept my eyes closed and murmured a soft, “Mm.” He remained standing by the bed, silent. After a long moment, just when I thought he had left, I heard his voice again. “My dad’s birthday is the day after tomorrow. The banquet.” “You’d better not make a scene with Isla. If you do, you can forget about the title of Mrs. Croft.” I sighed softly, my mind racing to calculate how many deliveries I’d have to make tomorrow to afford a gift. I was completely drained, with only a few words left in me. “Okay, I understand.” … I scraped together just enough money at the last minute, rushing into the store to buy the gift just before it closed. By the time I got to the hotel, I realized from everyone’s expressions that something was wrong. Isla was the first to speak, a laugh in her voice. “Zara, why are you wearing your delivery uniform to the banquet? There are so many people here today. You could at least try to save Sebastian some face.” I looked down and saw that in my haste, I had forgotten to change. The bright yellow delivery uniform felt like a slap across my face. I held out my hands, red and chapped from the cold, and gently placed the gift on the table. “Dad, I’m sorry I’m late… I was held up.” “This is just a small token. I wish you good health and a long life.” My father-in-law’s expression didn’t soften. My mother-in-law picked up the gift, glanced inside the box, and then contemptuously tossed it on the floor. “If you truly wished your father-in-law a long life, you would agree to divorce Sebastian.” “How dare you present such a cheap gift. It’s utterly pathetic. You’re an embarrassment to the Croft family.” “Honestly,” she sighed, but that small sound was like a heavy stone dropped into the placid water of my heart. My own father lifted his chin, his voice filled with righteous indignation. “Blood really does tell. You can’t change the cheap genes in her bones.” “When my wife, Eleanor, gave birth in the hospital, the babies were switched by accident. My poor Isla suffered out in the world for twenty-five years before she could come home… but by then, Sebastian was already married…” My mother started to wipe away tears. “And what’s worse is that this cuckoo in the nest still shows no remorse for what she’s done!” … I looked up at the parents who had once doted on me, now wishing I were dead. I saw the undisguised contempt on my in-laws’ faces. It all felt so meaningless. The chilblains on my hands were itching intensely. I lowered my gaze, wanting to tell them that I had worked from dawn till dusk, racing against the clock for this gift, nearly crashing my moped several times. But in the end, I just opened my mouth and then closed it, choosing to leave in silence. I walked for what felt like an eternity before I heard Sebastian’s voice drift from behind me. “Dad, actually, this vintage fountain pen… it’s quite a nice one.”

3 I didn’t know why Sebastian was defending me. Was it because my public humiliation reflected poorly on the Croft family? For a fleeting moment, a tiny sprout of hope tickled my heart. I slowed my pace, straining my ears to hear my father-in-law’s response. “Get it out of my sight.” A sharp clatter followed. The pen had hit the floor, and it felt like my heart had fallen with it. That night, I raced home on my moped, the cold wind whipping against my face like a thousand tiny knives, scattering my tears into the darkness. I finally understood that a person could die quietly, without anyone ever noticing. By the time I had shed all my emotions and arrived home, Sebastian was already there. I tiptoed inside, but Isla’s head popped out from one of the rooms. “Oh, Zara, you’re back?” “I figured you probably hadn’t eaten since you ran out like that, so I took the liberty of packing up some leftovers for you.” She covered her mouth with her hand in mock surprise. “Oh, I’m so sorry, Zara. I completely forgot you never eat leftovers. Unlike me… when I was taken away… I was always hungry, never sleeping well, and I was beaten all the time. Back then, a scrap of leftover food would have been a feast…” Her words were always laced with poison. Stinging me, reminding me that I had stolen twenty-five years of her princess life, that my crime was unforgivable. I used to jump to my own defense, arguing that I was innocent too, that even though I wasn’t their biological daughter, we had lived together for over two decades, and they had loved me just the same. But that was always just wishful thinking. They didn’t love me. My in-laws didn’t love me. And Sebastian didn’t love me. I stood in the entryway and offered a polite thank you. “It would be a shame to throw it away.” “Just put it in the fridge. I’ll heat it up tomorrow.” Isla stood frozen, her mouth agape, her eyes wide with shock. I turned and went back to the guest room, pulling out cotton swabs and antiseptic from a drawer. I carefully rolled up my pant leg. A raw, gaping wound bled steadily. Just then, Sebastian opened the door. Assuming he was here to confront me, I spoke without thinking. “I’m sorry, I forgot to change my clothes today.” But instead of his usual anger, he took the cotton swab from my hand and began to clean the wound himself. I froze. I used to do anything just to get him to look at me. But now, the muscles in my leg tensed, and my entire body felt rigid and uncomfortable. “Does it hurt?” I blinked, about to shake my head. But he answered for me. “It must. You used to cry bloody murder if you got a tiny paper cut.” I didn’t understand what was happening with him. He looked at me. “I had a few drinks tonight, so Isla drove me home.” “There’s nothing between us.” I pulled my pant leg down and nodded casually. “She’s your assistant. It’s normal for you to spend time together. It’s all for work.” His gaze grew complicated. I couldn’t decipher the emotions swirling within it, and I no longer had the energy to try. He watched me for a long time before finally taking a black card from his pocket and placing it on my nightstand. “Stop doing those menial jobs.” “From now on, I’ll deposit your monthly allowance into this card.” “And… don’t eat those leftovers. I’ll make you some noodles.”

4 It seemed that in this silent war between us, I had finally won. He used to say, “Isla has suffered so much. How can you live so comfortably with a clear conscience?” My parents would cry, “Why? Why is the child we loved for twenty years someone else’s?” They all hated me, directing all their resentment at me. Sebastian was busy in the kitchen. I leaned against the doorframe, watching him beat eggs for the soup. The last time I had seen this was when he was celebrating Isla’s birthday at home. She had said she wanted to taste his cooking, and he had immediately obliged. I had fought and screamed, demanding he cook for me too, only to earn everyone’s disgust. It was a shame, though. I never got to eat his noodle soup. Isla called, crying that she had hurt her hand. Sebastian frantically dropped the spatula. “Isla, she…” Before he could finish, I handed him his coat. “You should go.” He patted my head twice, as if rewarding a pet. “You’ve really become obedient. I’ll make it for you another time…” I smiled. There wouldn’t be another time. I didn’t tell him that I had been accepted into a university in Australia, and that my flight was tomorrow. This past year, I had sold the few remaining things I had, and combined with my meager savings, I had just enough for my tuition. My thoughts were a whirlwind when Sebastian called me. “Zara, you need to get to the hospital! Now!” … Isla had cut her hand. There was a lot of blood. She looked at me, her eyes red-rimmed. “Zara, the doctor said I need a blood transfusion. I remember our blood types are the same.” “Could you…” My mother was frantic. “Of course, she can! After being pampered by the Thorne family for over twenty years, the least she can do is give you a little blood!” My father impatiently waved a doctor over. “Why are you wasting time talking to her? Just arrange the transfusion!” I stood there in silence, which made Sebastian anxious. “Zara, now is not the time to throw a tantrum. This is a matter of life and death!” I emotionlessly beckoned a nurse over. After I signed the consent form, the nurse inserted the needle. I watched as my blood flowed through the thin tube, drop by drop. And then, drop by drop, into Isla’s body. In that moment, I felt a sudden sense of relief. It was as if everything I had enjoyed in my past life was now being returned to its rightful owner, in a different form. This was my atonement, wasn’t it? The transfusion was over, and the nurse was about to remove the needle when my mother stopped her. “Doctor, draw some extra, just in case.” “We can pay for the blood bags. If we don’t end up using them, we’ll just throw them away.” My face was pale as I looked at my mother. I suddenly laughed. There was nothing left to hold on to. Thankfully, I was leaving anyway.