“A perfectly good birthday party, ruined by this rat shit of hers, so bad luck.” someone muttered loudly, their voice dripping with disdain.
My eldest brother’s face twisted with anger as he turned to me. “Haven’t you caused enough trouble? Are you only satisfied when the Ashford Family’s reputation is dragged through the mud?” His voice was cold, his words razor-sharp.
“This necklace is called ‘One & Only’ for a reason,” he continued. “Dad wanted to make it clear to the world that Elissa is his only biological daughter.”
He sneered, his gaze cutting through me like a knife. “We’ve spoiled you for far too long, letting you forget your place. Do you even remember where you came from?”
My second brother chimed in, his voice filled with mockery. “Why don’t we just send her back to that mountain village she crawled out of? With the Ashford Family’s resources, finding another girl with a matching blood type for Elissa wouldn’t be difficult.”
Their words struck me like icy shards, chilling me to my core. These were the brothers who had once doted on me and stood by my side through everything. Now, their venomous accusations painted a far darker picture.
Memories from my past life surged forward. Back then, my parents had spent a fortune searching for children with matching blood types to mine, ultimately letting me choose one to bring home as an adopted sister.
But after seeing the photos sent by these children, out of all the candidates, my brothers unanimously chose Elissa. I thought nothing of it at the time. I hadn’t cared who it was—after all, they were only meant to grow up alongside me and donate blood when I needed it, so it didn’t matter who it was.
Thinking about it now, it all seemed far too calculated. The way they both reacted at that time was strange. Two people with very different personalities would pick a girl simultaneously. In my previous life, they also took advantage of me during this very same party when my parents had been away on a business trip.
My brothers had used the occasion to throw a grand celebration for Elissa, publicly declaring her as the true daughter of the Ashford Family. I, meanwhile, was reduced to nothing more than a paid-for foster child, a walking blood bank.
I was scolded by everyone for being shameless. And, in the end, because of a few words of provocation from Elissa, my brothers forced me to drink an entire bottle of highly concentrated white wine before locking me in the dark basement.
By the time my parents returned, my body was starting to rot from the alcohol allergy that killed me.
In my past life, their betrayal had left me broken. I had cried until my voice gave out, unable to find the strength to defend myself.
But not this time.
I straightened my back, my voice steady and resolute. “You know exactly who the true daughter of the Ashford Family is,” I said, meeting their furious gazes without flinching. “Bullying me in front of all these guests? Let’s see how you explain this to Mom and Dad when they return.”
My boldness caught the room off guard. Whispers rippled through the crowd and I noticed some of the guests beginning to waver.
“Could she really be the Ashford Family’s true heiress?” someone murmured, doubt creeping into their voice.
“Now that you mention it,” another guest said, “her features resemble Mrs. Ashford’s. And she carries herself differently—she doesn’t look like someone from a small village.”
Elissa’s composed facade cracked for a split second. Panic flickered in her eyes before she quickly replaced it with an expression of heartbreak.
Biting her lip, she forced tears to well up in her eyes. Her voice trembled as she spoke. “Sister, I already said you could have the necklace. Why do you insist on ruining my birthday? Do you hate me that much?”
She choked back a sob, her voice breaking. “Fine. If it will make you stop embarrassing the Ashford Family, I’ll admit it—I’m just the adopted daughter. You’re the real heiress. Are you happy now?”
Then, as if the weight of her words was too much to bear, she turned to the crowd and bowed deeply. “I’m so sorry, everyone. This is all my fault. I don’t deserve such a grand celebration as an adopted daughter. I’ve let you all down.”
Tears streamed down her face as she delivered her pitiful performance, each sob perfectly calibrated to stir the crowd’s sympathy. She looked like the picture of self-sacrifice, a poor, selfless girl humiliated by her cruel, ungrateful sister.
The room erupted.
“Alyssa! The Ashford Family has given you everything—food, clothing, shelter—and how do you repay them? Forcing your benefactor into such a pitiful state? Don’t you fear being struck by lightning for your cruelty? How do you even sleep at night?”
“You’re worse than an animal!” someone else spat, their disgust evident.
“What kind of terrible karma must the Ashford Family have to end up saddled with someone like you? A leech clinging to them, tarnishing their good name!”
“Apologize! Apologize to Miss Elissa Ashford immediately!” another demanded, their voice trembling with indignation.
The room buzzed with righteous fury, a storm of accusations and insults swirling around me. But just as the intensity reached its peak, a tall figure stepped out from the crowd, silencing the chatter with his mere presence.
It was James Hansley—the man I had been engaged to me as a baby.
