The moment I stepped through the Ashworths’ front door, a small boy, no older than six, burst past me and threw himself to his knees before the family. “Grandma, I finally get to meet you!” he wailed. “Mommy said she’s the real heiress, the one who was switched at birth, and she was coming back to the Ashworth manor to live a life of luxury.” “But I was born from her and some man she wasn’t married to, so she couldn’t bring me with her.” “But I wanted to see you all so much! Even if Mommy beats me to death for this, I won’t regret it!” As he spoke, he shot a timid, fearful glance in my direction. Julian Ashworth, the eldest son, frowned in disgust. “Utterly shameless. What a disgrace to the Ashworth name!” The fake heiress, Vivian, offered a saccharine attempt at comfort. “Don’t be too hard on her, Julian. She must have made a mistake. The child, at least, is innocent.” At that, the little boy pulled out a photograph. It was a picture of me, with my arm wrapped affectionately around him. He grabbed my hand, his eyes wide with a desperate longing. “Mommy, I’ll leave now…” “I’ll disappear, just like you wanted. I’ll go back to living on the streets. I promise I won’t ruin your new life here at the manor!” I tilted my head, an amused smile playing on my lips. Funny. I don’t remember ever saying I was the long-lost daughter. … The boy scrambled to his feet and began to stumble towards the door. “Wait a minute!” Eleanor Ashworth cried, finally snapping out of her shock. Her voice, sharp with emotion, made the boy instantly flinch. He wrapped his arms around his head and curled into a ball on the floor, trembling violently. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” he whimpered, his lips quivering. “Mutt won’t do it again. Please don’t hit me, Mommy!” “Mutt will slap himself! I’ll do it until Mommy is happy!” He raised a small hand to strike his own face, but Julian lunged forward and grabbed his wrist. Julian’s face was a dark thundercloud. “What did you say your name was?” he asked, his voice low and incredulous. “Mutt?” “What kind of a name is that for a person?” The boy shrank back, glancing fearfully at me before quickly lowering his head. Eleanor knelt beside him, her voice softening as she tentatively stroked his hair. “It’s alright, sweetie. Don’t be afraid. You can tell us anything.” The boy’s head shot up, his eyes swimming with tears as he looked at Eleanor. “Grandma, you’re so nice. Mommy has never, ever spoken to me so gently…” “My daddy ran away as soon as I was born, so Mommy has always hated me.” “She gave me that name so I would never forget that I’m just a dog.” “Until I was three, she chained me to a tree outside and fed me from a dog bowl!” “It was only because a neighbor threatened to call Child Protective Services that she finally let me live inside the house…” As his words hung in the air, every eye in the room turned on me. Julian pointed a shaking finger, his voice raw with fury. “Are you even human, Lily?” “He’s your own son!” “You couldn’t control yourself, had a child out of wedlock with some stranger, and you take all your resentment out on him!” “Someone like you has no right to be an Ashworth!” Eleanor shook her head, her face a mask of disappointment. “If you can be this cruel to your own flesh and blood, what genuine feelings could you possibly have for us?” “It seems the boy was right. You’re only here for the Ashworth fortune!” Vivian, who had been silent until now, rushed to Eleanor’s side and gently rubbed her back. “Mother, please don’t get upset! It’s bad for your health!” “I’m sure my sister has her reasons. Sister, if you have some story to tell, please explain it to Mother.” “Were you… were you forced?” I ignored her, my gaze fixed on the boy. For a split second, I saw a flicker of triumph in his eyes. When he saw me looking, he immediately began to tremble again. “Mommy, don’t worry,” he whispered meekly. “I’ll never tell Grandma that you plan to kick her adopted daughter out and take over the manor!” “Or that you said the fake heiress stole your life, and once she’s gone, you’re going to hire men to… to defile her and make her suffer!” He clapped a hand over his mouth, feigning regret. “Oh, Mommy, I’m sorry… I shouldn’t have said that…” A humorless smile touched my lips. “You certainly haven’t left anything out, have you?” “Haven’t you heard, little boy? Liars get punished. Sometimes, they even lose their tongues.” The boy’s face went white, his eyes widening in terror. “You shut your mouth, Lily!” Julian’s face was flushed with rage. “You dare threaten a child right in front of us?” “You want to kick Vivian out? And defile her? How can you be so venomous?” “Let me tell you something. We would throw you out on the street before we ever let Vivian leave!” “She will always be my sister!” Eleanor nodded in agreement. “That’s right! Lily, we may have acknowledged you as our blood, but Vivian is our daughter too. You must accept that!” Vivian’s eyes welled with tears. Taking a few deep breaths, she walked over to me. “Sister, I don’t blame you. It’s true that I’m the one who stole your life.” She reached out and took my hand in hers. “But I can’t bear to leave Mom, Dad, and Julian. Please, I’m begging you, don’t make me go… Can’t we be real sisters?” “I’ll spend the rest of my life making it up to you!” “Ah!” Vivian cried out, snatching her hand back with a sharp hiss of pain. She stared at me, her voice trembling with hurt. “Sister… why… why did you pinch me?” The boy immediately rushed forward and grabbed the hem of my shirt. “Mommy, calm down! You can hit me, but you can’t just hit other people!” As he spoke, he deliberately rolled up his sleeve, revealing angry purple bruises on his small arm. Eleanor gasped. She grabbed Vivian’s hand and, sure enough, saw a raw, red mark near her thumb where I had supposedly pinched her. She whirled on me. “Lily, you dare lay a hand on Vivian? You uncultured brute!” Julian was more direct. He raised his hand to slap me. I caught his wrist, my voice cold as ice. “Shouldn’t you take a closer look at the child’s injuries first?” Julian froze, then glared at me with contempt. “What? Now you’re pretending to care about him? Stop the act!” I ignored him and reached for the boy’s arm. He tried to pull away, a flash of malice in his eyes. I swiped a firm hand across his arm. Eleanor, seeing this, rushed to pull him into a protective hug. “What are you doing now…” “Funny how your bruises seem to be smudging,” I interrupted her with a dry laugh. “What…” Eleanor stared, then looked down at the boy’s arm. Where the purple marks had been, there was now a distinct smear, revealing the smooth, unblemished skin underneath. Before anyone could react, I grabbed Vivian’s hand and gave it a hard wipe. “And your red mark seems to be coming off, too.” Panic flashed across both Vivian’s and the boy’s faces. I crossed my arms, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “My apologies. I forgot to mention, I have a habit of carrying makeup remover with me.” The room fell silent. Eleanor and Julian stared, mouths agape, utterly speechless. After a long moment, Eleanor finally found her voice. “Well, that doesn’t prove you didn’t pinch Vivian. It just means you didn’t pinch her hard enough to leave a mark.” “As for the red on her hand, she probably just got something on it without realizing.” “And the boy… well, after all the abuse you’ve put him through, it’s no wonder he’s learned a few tricks to protect himself.” I had to admire her ability to twist logic into such a pretzel. Julian, however, was frowning, a thoughtful expression on his face. Seeing this, the boy quickly produced the photograph of us again. “Mommy, don’t be mad,” he said with a manufactured sadness. “Mutt only did this to get your attention…” “You never wanted to be close to me. I had to beg for so long just for you to take this one picture with me.” “I thought… I thought maybe if I was hurt, you would finally pay a little attention to me…” Eleanor sighed. “You poor, poor child.” Vivian, having recovered from her initial panic, quickly chimed in. “Sister grew up in such a poor environment, of course she never received a proper education.” “What she did was cruel, but I’m sure she didn’t mean it. She just… wasn’t taught any better.” Her words only deepened the disgust on Eleanor’s face as she looked at me. I glanced at the photo, then said casually, “It’s a fake.” “That photo is Photoshopped. I don’t know this boy, and I am not his mother.” Eleanor and Julian stared. Then, Eleanor let out a harsh laugh. “Lily, I never imagined you would turn out like this.” “Selfish, cruel, and a compulsive liar. If you had just admitted it, I might have had a shred of respect for you. This just makes you even more disgusting.” I had wanted to deny it from the start, but their rapid-fire accusations had already cemented the lie as truth in their minds. Besides, I was curious to see what other tricks the little performer had up his sleeve. Vivian shook her head in disapproval. “Sister, there’s a photograph. Are you still going to deny it?” “We’ll help you raise him, I promise. Please don’t disown him. That would be too cruel…” “Don’t worry about what other people might say. It’s not a big deal!” Gossip wouldn’t be a big deal for her, of course. The whispers would all be about the Ashworths’ real heiress being shameless trash. I raised an eyebrow at her. “Whether it’s Photoshopped or not is easy enough to prove. Anyone with basic skills could tell.” “It wouldn’t even take much time.” Vivian’s face paled. “But what if the person you find is in on it with you?” she muttered, just loud enough for everyone to hear. I scoffed and was about to reply when Julian took the photo and studied it closely. “It actually is Photoshopped,” he said, a flicker of confusion in his eyes. “Could it be… this boy really isn’t Lily’s son?” Vivian went even paler. Just then, the butler rushed into the room, flustered. “Ma’am, there’s a man at the door! He claims to be Miss Lily’s husband!” A faint blush returned to Vivian’s pale cheeks, and the corner of her mouth twitched into a subtle smile. Before the butler could finish, a rough-looking man burst into the villa. His eyes lit up when he saw me, and he immediately lunged to grab my hand. “Wife! There you are! Come on, let’s go home!” He flashed a set of yellowed teeth, his voice loud and grating. Eleanor’s face was a mask of undisguised revulsion. The man, ignoring everyone else, continued to shout. “It’s me, Zeke! What’s wrong, wife? Don’t you remember that night we had together?” “You’re the one who seduced me! We had our fun, and I wanted to marry you, but then you said I was too poor and you just took off!” “I’ve been looking for you for years! Lily, you have no idea how hard I’ve been searching!” The little boy suddenly piped up. “Are… are you my daddy? I have a daddy…?” His voice trembled, and fat tears rolled down his cheeks. Zeke strode over and swept the boy into a hug. “That’s right! I’m your dad!” “I’ve always known about you, son. I’ve been looking for you this whole time!” The “father and son” clung to each other in a deeply moving reunion. I clapped my hands slowly, my voice dripping with sarcasm. “How touching. Except I have no idea who you are.” “If you continue with this charade, I’m calling the police.” Zeke’s face fell, and he instinctively glanced towards Vivian. My suspicions were confirmed. Vivian avoided his gaze and, in a seemingly casual gesture, touched her own shoulder. Zeke’s eyes lit up as if remembering something. “I have proof!” he yelled. “The night we were together, I saw it! You have a red birthmark on your left shoulder!” Before I could react, Vivian rushed forward and yanked down the collar of my shirt. There, for all to see, was a vivid red birthmark. Vivian gasped, covering her mouth. “How can this be?” “I didn’t believe a word this man said! I just wanted to help you prove your innocence, sister, but…” “Sister, please don’t be angry with me. I truly didn’t mean any harm…” I looked at her and raised an eyebrow. “You certainly did your research.” Her eyes flickered for a moment before she looked down, feigning guilt. “I just never expected…” she trailed off, then turned to Zeke, her voice firm as if defending me. “This doesn’t count! A birthmark proves nothing!” “Do you have any other proof? If not… then you can… cough cough… get out!” Vivian’s display of emotion sent her into a fit of coughing. Julian immediately wrapped an arm around her. “Vivian, don’t get so worked up. It’s bad for your health.” “This birthmark is enough to prove Lily was involved with him. She’s a woman with no self-respect. You don’t need to fight for her.” He glared at me, his face red with shame. “I am so embarrassed for you! How could the Ashworth family have a daughter like you?” “When you go out from now on, you are forbidden from telling anyone you are my sister!” Zeke’s eyes darted around, and he started yelling again. “Who says I don’t have other proof?” “If that’s not enough, I have a paternity test! It proves this boy is my son!” He puffed out his chest and pulled a folded document from his pocket. No one else seemed to notice that from the moment my birthmark was revealed, Eleanor Ashworth hadn't said a word. She was just staring at my shoulder, lost in a daze. “You two just met today, and you already have a paternity test?” I asked, a mocking smile on my face. Vivian shot Zeke a venomous look, and he instantly looked flustered. “That’s not important!” he blustered, trying to change the subject. “What’s important is that you and I were together!” “Of course, I get it. Now that you’re a rich lady, you look down on me even more!” “I’m not asking you to marry me anymore. But you have to compensate me!” “Lily, I heard that ever since you found out you were an Ashworth, you’ve been bragging to everyone about how rich your family is!” Julian shot me another dirty look before reluctantly asking, “How much compensation do you want?” Zeke’s greedy eyes swept across the lavish villa. “Five… no, ten million! I want ten million dollars!” “Impossible!” Julian snapped. “That’s extortion. I suggest you don’t get too greedy!” “If you don’t pay up, I’ll tell the whole world about me and Lily! Let everyone see what kind of trash your Ashworth daughter really is!” “You rich people care about your reputation more than anything, don’t you?” Zeke sneered. “You!” Julian sputtered, pointing an accusatory finger at me. “Look at the mess you’ve made!” I had seen enough of the show. I let out a short, sharp laugh and turned to the little boy. “Am I really your mother? Did I really say I wouldn’t bring you back to the manor to enjoy this life of luxury?” He nodded without hesitation. I turned to the man. “And am I really your wife?” He jutted out his chin. “Of course! You told me not to bother you once you got back to the Ashworths!” I chuckled softly. “You two have certainly spun an interesting tale.” “Just stop lying and figure out how to solve this,” Julian said, rubbing his temples wearily. Vivian sighed. “Sister, it’s not that I don’t want to believe you, but… the evidence is overwhelming. Just admit it.” “Who said my name was Lily?” I asked calmly. Vivian blinked. “What? What are you talking about?” I gave her a sidelong glance. “I don’t recall ever saying that I was the real Ashworth heiress, Lily.” Julian and Vivian stared at me, their eyes wide with shock. Just then, the front door opened and Richard Ashworth, the father, walked in, beaming. “Honey, I brought Lily home!” “Lily, come, this is your mother and your brother.” A girl’s soft voice answered, and she stepped out from behind him. Only then did Richard notice the tense atmosphere. “What’s going on? Why are there so many people here today?” He looked at me, his expression grateful. “Miss Clarke! You got here even faster than we did!” “I offered to send a car for you, but you declined. I was worried we might have been neglectful!” Vivian finally found her voice, her face ashen. “Dad, what are you talking about?” “Miss Clarke? And… who did you say she is?” Vivian pointed a trembling finger at the girl behind her father. “Why, that’s Lily,” Richard said with a smile. “Your mother and I discussed it. We were worried that if word got out, Lily would be overwhelmed with attention, so I decided to go pick her up myself.” “Honey, look! Isn’t she the spitting image of you when you were young?” Eleanor, who had been silent all this time, finally reacted. Her eyes reddened, and her lips trembled. “Yes,” she whispered. “That’s my daughter, Lily.” “Because when my baby was born, the doctors showed her to me for just a moment. My daughter… had no birthmark.” “What did you say…” Vivian was completely stunned. Richard continued, “And as for Miss Clarke, we owe her our deepest gratitude!” “Her parents were the ones who adopted our Lily. And after her parents passed away, Miss Clarke worked multiple jobs to raise Lily on her own…” I had always treated Lily as my own sister, and I would have taken care of her for the rest of my life. But a while ago, Richard Ashworth found me and told me that Lily was their family’s long-lost daughter. From that day on, strange people started appearing in our neighborhood. They would quietly ask the neighbors about our family, always focusing their questions on Lily. Our neighbors, who had always looked out for us, warned me to be careful. So I came up with a plan. I asked them that if anyone else came asking, they should say that I was Lily. I was worried about my sister, and when I heard the Ashworths had an adopted daughter, I felt it was better to be safe than sorry. I just never imagined that Vivian would actually plot to frame her. …
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