The Favored Daughter Was a Fraud

After the car crash, I lay bleeding on the hospital bed.

But my father? He just said, “No money!”

I was used to it. My parents only ever saw my brother.

Just then, a wealthy couple entered my hospital room.

They said I was their daughter, swapped at birth.

I asked them, “Will you pay for my surgery? Will you pay for my college tuition?”

After they confirmed, I immediately said,

“Thank you, Mom, Dad!”

I didn’t care if they genuinely loved me, nor did I ask what would happen to Summer, the fake heiress.

All I knew was I had to live well. I’d use them as my stepping stones to claw my way to the top.

The surgery went smoothly.

I was moved to an exclusive VIP suite for post-op observation and recovery.

These were the most comfortable and peaceful days I’d had in my life, or at least as far back as I could remember.

It was in that room that I learned my biological father was Arthur Sterling, chairman of the renowned Sterling Industries, and my mother was Evelyn Sterling, the heiress of Summit Electronics.

Turns out, just two months ago, I was working as a part-time usher at Sterling Industries, unknowingly earning money from my own family.

What was the theme of that gala, again? Oh, I remember now.

It was to celebrate Sterling Industries’ only daughter’s eighteenth birthday.

As an usher working outside, I wasn’t even allowed inside the main hall, shivering in the cold.

Since Grandpa died, no one had ever remembered my birthday, let alone thrown a coming-of-age party.

Hungry, I peered through a small gap, watching the lavish party inside, overflowing with congratulations and warmth.

At that moment, I remember thinking, Look at her, showered with adoration, while I, like a rat in a gutter, secretly watched the princess’s joy.

A world of difference.

That day was also my own forgotten eighteenth birthday.

That night, when I returned home, I was met with:

“Where the hell have you been gallivanting? Don’t you know it’s time to cook dinner?”

“Your brother has big tests coming up. What if he gets hungry?”

“We should have given you away the moment you were born. One less mouth to feed.”

I scoffed internally. They probably couldn’t bring themselves to ‘give me away’ back then, could they?

When I was born, our old neighborhood was being redeveloped, and they only kept me because an extra kid meant a bigger payout.

And if Grandpa hadn’t insisted on my name, Willow, they would have just called me ‘the mistake’ or something even more demeaning.

But I never spoke up to argue. I knew that would only make them angrier.

My adoptive father would get physical. I’d get beaten. That was a lesson I’d learned over years.

Stay silent, quietly do what I was told, and it would pass.

My only hope back then was to get into a university far, far away.

A gentle knock sounded.

My biological parents walked in, followed by a tall, handsome young man in a sharp suit.

“Willow, this is your brother. We’ve come to take you home.”

Just as I suspected. This was Leo Sterling, the heir to Sterling Industries.

I’d heard for ages that this heir absolutely doted on his only sister, giving her the moon and stars if she asked.

Of course, that sister wasn’t me.

He strode over to me, his face slightly stiff, his warm tone betraying a hint of awkwardness.

“Willow, I’m your brother.”

I looked up, offering a small smile, and softly said, “Hey, Leo.”

When I was bullied at school, seeing other boys protect their younger siblings, I used to wish I had a brother.

Leo froze for a split second when I said his name, then his expression softened.

“Mom, Dad, and I talked it over,” he began, “and we think it’s best to pay your adoptive parents a visit.”

“We investigated what happened that day; it was an accident.”

“They did raise you for so long, after all. And then there’s Summer… she’s still overseas…”

I watched them. Their faces held guilt, and their eyes, when they met mine, darted away, yet also held a trace of affection.

Banking on that affection, I tentatively spoke, “They weren’t good to me…”

“Willow.”

I hadn’t even finished my sentence when Leo cut me off.

“From what I found, your adoptive family isn’t exactly impoverished. They raised you for eighteen years; you should be grateful.”

I glanced at my parents behind him. Their expressions seemed to convey mild disapproval of Leo’s words, but they didn’t contradict him. I fell silent.

Turns out, that affection wasn’t solely for me. Much of it was for the daughter they’d adored for eighteen years.

They’d judged me, assuming I was some gold-digger, based on an unfinished sentence.

Fine.

“Okay. Let’s go now.”