I Stole the Heroine’s Rich Life on Adoption Day

1 I was the orphanage’s most notorious glutton. I could pack away five bowls of rice in one sitting and had the strength of an ox. Nobody wanted to be my friend. Only Sophia would talk to me. One day, a wealthy couple came to the orphanage, planning to adopt Sophia. That’s when I suddenly saw the comments scrolling across my vision: [The female lead is finally getting adopted! Soon she’ll start her angsty romance with her adoptive brother, the male lead!] [On the surface, the male lead acts like he doesn’t care about her and lets her get bullied until she has no self-esteem, but later on, he patiently helps her heal. It’s so sweet!] [Plus, the male lead has an eating disorder, and our baby FL is the one who cures him! They’re a match made in heaven!] After reading that, I nudged Sophia aside. “Sir, ma’am, I’m a really good eater. Please adopt me instead.” After all, I was strong. If this kid acted up, I had plenty of ways to handle him. — I was the toughest kid at the orphanage. My reputation was built on three things: eating five bowls of rice per meal, having the strength of an ox that I used to wreck the place, and being so weird that no one would be my friend. Sophia was the exception. She was six when she arrived—quiet, sweet, and never fought with anyone over anything. She was the only one who would occasionally come over and say a few words to me. Unfortunately, today she was being adopted. It was her turn, and word was the family was incredibly wealthy. Just as she was about to follow the matron out the door, I grabbed her hand. “You can’t go!” Sophia jumped, looking at me with wide, confused eyes. The matron thought I was just sad to see her go and tried to soothe me. “Lynn, Sophia is going to a better place. She might even come back to visit someday. Can you let her go now?” It wasn’t a better place. I was eight, and I could read just fine. I understood exactly what those comments meant. They said Sophia would be bullied and her spirit would be crushed. I spoke slowly. “Ma’am, let me go instead. This orphanage is so poor. If you don’t send me away soon, you’ll go broke trying to feed me.” The matron fell into an awkward silence. While all the staff secretly wanted me gone, fairness dictated they couldn’t just give the opportunity to me. So, she ended up taking both of us out to meet the couple. The couple looked just as rich as the comments described. Not only that, but standing behind them was a handsome, though incredibly smug-looking, little boy. [Ahhh, the first meeting between the ML and FL! The male lead actually saw her through the crack in the door earlier and is just pretending not to care, but his ears are totally red!] [Wait, I thought the FL was the one getting adopted. Who’s this random extra?] [Is she going to steal the spot from our baby FL? If she does, how is the angsty romance supposed to happen?!] The comments were in an uproar. Sophia looked at the people in front of her and offered a polite greeting. “Hello, sir and ma’am. Hello, big brother.” “Who’s your brother?!” Caleb Thorne’s face immediately soured. His perfect little features were twisted with disdain. His shout made Sophia’s eyes well up. She clutched her sleeves, about to shrink back, when I pushed my way in front of her, blocking her completely. “Hello, sir and ma’am. Hello, little bro.” “You! Who are you calling little bro?!” Caleb thought I was deliberately trying to embarrass him and instantly fumed. I gave him an innocent look. “I’m eight years old. Am I older than you? Ma’am, does that make me the big sister?” People have a fatal flaw: they judge by appearances. No one looking at my soft, sweet face would ever guess I was a notorious glutton with a mean streak. The wealthy woman’s hand came to rest gently on my head. “Caleb is only seven. So yes, that does make you the big sister.” She wanted a daughter primarily as a companion for her son. An older sister who could look out for him seemed much more suitable than a younger one who needed looking after. Seeing me already chatting with his mother, Caleb started to panic. “Mom! I want to go home! Now!” “Be good, Caleb. We’ll go home as soon as Mommy finishes the paperwork.” Hearing this only made him throw a bigger fit. Remembering the comments, I deliberately provoked him. “You don’t want me? Is it because you want Sophia? You like her, don’t you?” For a boy his age, there was nothing more horrifying than being accused of liking a girl. He puffed up like an angry cat whose tail had been stepped on. “Who said I like her? I can’t stand the sight of her!” My smile became even more sincere. “Ma’am, please take me with you. Since my little brother doesn’t like her, you have to choose me. Besides, he looks so skinny. I love to eat, and I can definitely help him get his appetite back!” My words seemed to amuse the man, who had been silent until now. He bent down, patted my head, and took my hand. The comments instantly exploded, and a chorus of curses rained down on me.

2 The adoption paperwork was processed quickly. When I went back to pack my things, Sophia was watching me with a crestfallen expression. [I hate this extra so much, can she just die?! Look how sad our baby FL is!] [Now that the FL hasn’t been adopted, how will she ever develop a relationship with the ML?!] “Lynn, will… will you come back and visit me?” Sophia asked timidly. I pulled her close and whispered conspiratorially, handing her a small whistle. “Under the fifteenth bar of the playground fence, I left something for you. If you hear me whistle for you at night, whistle back.” “Huh?” She stared at the whistle, completely baffled. But the director was already there to get me. In the car, Caleb’s face was darker than the bottom of a pot. If you looked closely, you could see tear tracks on his cheeks. I ignored him, clambered into the seat beside him, taking up a huge amount of space, and immediately started laying on the charm. “Sir, ma’am, this car is so comfortable! It’s the nicest car I’ve ever been in!” “What a sweet child,” the woman said, her eyes filled with a mix of pity and affection. “Look at these little arms, you’re so thin. When we get home, I’ll have the cook make you something delicious, okay?” I let her squeeze my arm, my eyes darting toward Caleb. His face was beet red. He was unhappy! And for the first time, his parents weren’t comforting him! The little prince felt his world crumbling. He bit his lip, overwhelmed with a sense of injustice. The moment we arrived home, he slammed the car door open and bolted out of the car. I ambled after him and, as I stepped through the front door, casually ordered, “Hey, little bro. Find me some slippers.” “You’re telling me to find you slippers?” Caleb’s eyes widened. He was a pampered young master. Forget fetching things for others; he’d never even put on his own shoes before he was five! And now he was supposed to wait on someone? “Get out! This is my house!” he seethed, suddenly shoving me. “Caleb!” “Stop it!” Two panicked voices, one male and one female, cried out at the same time. “Lynn, are you okay?” I had been standing right at the top of the stairs. Though his father caught me just in time, he was still shaken. Caleb stood frozen, his hands clenched into fists, his eyes red. “I don’t want a sister! I don’t want her in my house!” “Caleb Thorne!” His father’s voice was low and firm, and Caleb immediately flinched. “Apologize!” The command was absolute. Caleb pressed his lips together so tightly they turned white. The comments were filled with sympathy. [The ML is a young master! He can’t wait on people. I bet this Lynn girl did it on purpose!] [She’s just trying to provoke our baby ML. Ugh, she’s so manipulative. I hate her.] I snuggled into his mother’s arms and said sweetly, “It’s my fault. I just asked my little brother to find me some slippers. At the orphanage, the first kid inside always helps the next one. I didn’t know he’d get so mad.” My reasonableness only highlighted Caleb’s spoiled behavior. His father’s tone grew colder. “Do I need to repeat myself? Apologize.” Caleb bit his lip so hard it looked like it might bleed. Tears welled in his eyes, but he stubbornly held them back. “Sorry!” As if he had suffered the greatest humiliation of his life, he couldn’t hold it in any longer. He turned and ran into the house. “That child…” his mother murmured, a hint of worry in her voice. But her main focus was on getting me settled. With a sigh, she let it go. Caleb really was too spoiled. He was like this at home, and he had no friends at school either—always a loner. Hopefully, things would change. They led me through the house, one on each side, and my bell-like laughter echoed through the villa. “Ma’am, this garden is huge! And there’s a swing!” “Wow, sir, are these your goldfish?” They held my hands as if we were a real family of three. Caleb watched from his bedroom window, practically seething with rage. A moment later, I knocked on his door. “Little bro, time for dinner.”

3 Caleb wanted nothing to do with me. The words “I hate you” were practically written on his face. But I didn’t care. Instead, I leaned over the dinner table and whispered devilishly again. “Pour me some juice.” His father had left halfway through dinner for a work call, and his mother was on the phone, leaving just the two of us at the table. He snorted. “Why should I?” “Alright, let’s play a game. If I win, you have to call me ‘big sister’ from now on. If I lose, I’ll go back to the orphanage tomorrow. How about it?” Caleb’s eyes lit up instantly. The comments cheered. [Lynn is digging her own grave! Our ML is a certified genius. Even at seven, he’s way smarter than a normal kid!] [He won a math Olympiad at such a young age, so cool! Hmph, I can’t wait to see Lynn crawl back to the orphanage tomorrow!] Caleb puffed out his small chest, full of confidence. “Fine. What’s the contest?” “Why don’t you choose?” He was proud. My offer immediately triggered his rebellious streak. “You choose! I don’t want you saying I bullied you just to kick you out!” “Then I won’t be polite!” That was exactly what I was waiting for! I pointed a mischievous finger at the dishes on the table. “We’ll see who can finish a plate of food first. Since I suggested the game, you can have the first pick.” Caleb’s face grew serious. He quickly snatched the plate with the least amount of food on it. It was a plate of broccoli. Normally he barely touched the stuff, but the other dishes had too much. The meat would require chewing. He was smart, alright, choosing the one he could finish the fastest. “Your turn!” he declared, certain of his victory. He had carefully surveyed the remaining plates. All of them were piled high, especially the braised pork belly… I reached out and decisively pulled the braised pork belly toward me. “Start!”