Everyone’s a Villain? My Secret Identity is Leaking. I was standing in the middle of a "Welcome Home" gala for a long-lost heiress when the comments started flickering across my vision like a glitch in the Matrix. [This girl is a disaster. To get back at the "fake" heiress, she actually stole the engagement heirloom? Talk about desperate.] [Even if she’s technically the "real" daughter, look at her. The hero has taste; he knows the "fake" sister is his true soulmate.] [What fiancée? She’s just a common thief. Someone kick her back to the slums where she belongs.] Maya Montgomery, the girl currently wearing a princess-cut gown and surrounded by the city's elite, glided toward me. She looked like a dream—the kind of girl who’d never known a day of hunger in her life. "Sister, you’re finally home," she said, her voice dripping with artificial honey. "Mom, Dad, and I have missed you so much. From now on, we’re a family." I didn’t say a word. I just kept chewing on my buffalo wing. When I didn’t respond, Maya’s eyes instantly welled up with tears. With a practiced, sudden movement, she reached into my battered backpack and pulled out a diamond-encrusted women’s watch. "Why would you do this?" she sobbed, holding the watch up for everyone to see. "I know you’re bitter about being replaced, but you can't just steal the engagement gift Harrison gave me! I wanted us to be sisters, but you’re a criminal!" Harrison Kent, the golden boy of the city’s tech scene and my supposed fiancé, stepped forward with a look of pure disgust. "Give it back to Maya right now, then get the hell out of this house." Under the judgmental glares of the 1%, I looked up at the stage where my boss was currently clinking glasses with Maya’s father. I tilted my head, genuinely confused. "Steal what?" I asked. "I’m not here for a family reunion. I’m just here because my boss invited me for the free catering." The comments went into a frenzy: [LMAO, too awkward! She’s not the daughter, she’s just an employee?!] 1 Maya’s eyes widened, her voice hitting a sharp, frantic pitch. "Employee? How could you be an employee!" She turned back to Harrison, the tears flowing even faster now. "Harrison, look at her! She’s still lying! She’s so jealous of everything I have that she’s invented this whole persona just to save face!" Harrison took a step closer, his tall shadow looming over me like a self-appointed judge. "Enough. Stop the act." His tone was dripping with condescension. "Did you really think such a pathetic lie would work here?" I swallowed the last of my chicken, took a napkin, and wiped my mouth. This was getting ridiculous. My father is actually the wealthiest man in the state. However, because I work at his firm and hate being treated like a "nepo baby," I keep my identity hidden and refer to him simply as "my boss" in public. When the Montgomerys invited him to this gala, he turned them down, citing his busy schedule. I was the one who wanted a change of pace, so I begged him to let me go in his place just to see how the other half lived—and to eat some high-end appetizers. I didn't expect to become the main course of the drama. "Why would I be acting?" I asked calmly. "Mr. Montgomery invited my boss. My boss was busy, so he sent me. Is there a problem with that?" I met their eyes directly, refusing to flinch. The comments exploded again. [Lol, what a reach. "Sent her"? What kind of boss sends an entry-level employee to a private family gala?] [She’s just digging her own grave. Does she think playing dumb will help?] [She’s probably trying to imply her boss is more powerful than the Montgomerys. Delusional.] Maya caught onto my words, her face contorting into a mask of faux concern. "Sister, stop it. You look exactly like Mom and Dad. How could you not be my sister?" That one sentence silenced the room. Every eye settled on my face. Internally, I sighed. People with good genes tend to look alike. My father and mother are strikingly attractive people. Maya’s mother, Mrs. Montgomery, did share a passing resemblance to my own mother, but her aura was miles away from my mother’s grace. "Look at them! Everyone sees it!" Maya pointed at the whispering guests, a twisted sense of triumph in her voice. "You’re family. You’re the daughter who grew up in that trailer park! I know it’s a lot to take in, but you can’t let jealousy turn you into a thief!" Her rhetoric was flawless. First, she forced the "family" connection, then she branded me as the "trashy girl from the sticks," and finally, she cemented the crime of theft. Harrison scoffed, his eyes burning with loathing. "Don’t waste your breath on her, Maya." He pointed a finger at my chest. "Give the watch back, and get out. The Montgomerys don’t welcome thieves." The socialites around us began to chirp like vultures. "So she’s the one from the country? No wonder she’s so classless." "How embarrassing for the Montgomerys to have a daughter like this." "Look at her outfit. Does that cost even fifty bucks? Of course she’d go for Maya’s watch." I looked down at my work blazer. It was a company uniform, sure, but the quality was top-tier—my dad doesn't skimp on his staff. I took a breath, trying to be the adult in the room. "First, this watch belongs to me. Second, you’ve got the wrong person. The 'real' daughter you’re looking for is probably out there somewhere, waiting for you." I caught a glimpse of a movement in the corner of the ballroom. A thin girl in a server's uniform was watching the scene with wide, terrified eyes. Her features were a 90% match for Mrs. Montgomery. 2 Harrison lunged forward, grabbing my wrist with a bruising grip. "Give Maya her bag back! Don't make me get physical." A sharp pain shot up my arm, and I felt my temper flare. "Let go of me." "It’s my watch," I snapped. "Why would I give it to her?" [Whoa, she’s fighting back? The audacity of this girl!] [Harrison is so hot! Alpha energy! That’s how you handle a woman with no shame!] [Snatch the bag! Let’s see what else she’s pilfered!] I remembered my dad’s voice on the phone a few hours ago: "Ava, Arthur Montgomery is a bit of a social climber. I’ve never liked his vibe. Go there, see if their 'family values' are as solid as they claim, and just enjoy the food." Well, Dad. The values are non-existent, and the vibe is toxic. Seeing that Harrison had me pinned, Maya grew bolder. she reached out to snatch my backpack. "Get off! This is my bag!" I struggled, twisting my other arm to shield my belongings. In the middle of the scuffle, a woman draped in diamonds and silk approached. It was Victoria Montgomery, Maya’s mother. She immediately pulled Maya into a protective embrace, as if I were a rabid animal. "Maya, darling, what’s happening?" She looked at me with cold, aristocratic disdain. "Mom!" Maya wailed, burying her face in Victoria's shoulder. "She’s the one... the girl from the country! She stole the watch Harrison gave me, and now she’s attacking us!" Victoria’s expression shifted from confusion to pure vitriol. "So, it’s you." She patted Maya’s back, her voice soothing for her daughter but venomous for me. "Oh, honey, of course she won't admit it. Look at her. She reeks of desperation. She’s not fit to be a Montgomery." She paused, raising her voice so the entire room could hear. "I see now. It was a mistake. The hospital must have been wrong. My Maya is the only daughter I need. As for you..." She pointed a manicured finger at me. "A creature who crawled out of the dirt shouldn't expect to keep things that don't belong to her. You’re delusional." [Burn! Go Mrs. Montgomery!] [This is the reality check she needed. Know your place!] [The 'fake' is the real queen. Twenty years of breeding vs. blood—breeding wins every time!] I actually laughed. The absurdity was too much. "Mrs. Montgomery, you might want to watch your tone." "On what grounds are you claiming I’m a thief? Or that I’m from the 'dirt'?" Victoria blinked, stunned by my defiance. Her face turned a mottled purple. "You dare talk back to me?!" She turned to Harrison. "Harrison, why are you just standing there? Take what’s ours! I feel sick just looking at her." Harrison took the cue, his grip tightening until I thought my bone might crack. "I’m not asking again. Give. Me. The. Bag." "No!" The pain sparked a white-hot anger. I swung my leg and kicked him square in the shin. Harrison groaned, stumbling back, but he didn't let go. Maya shrieked, "Oh my god! She’s violent! Harrison, she’s attacking you!" The entire ballroom felt like it was closing in on me. The whispers turned into a roar of condemnation. My dad was upstairs in the study, likely closing a deal with some high-level contact, completely unaware that his daughter was being lynched in the lobby. 3 Victoria watched Harrison stumble and her eyes turned murderous. She folded her arms, looking down at me as if I were a bug she was about to squash. "Shameless. And a brat to boot." She addressed the crowd. "I apologize for the scene, everyone. We thought we were bringing home a long-lost relative, but it turns out we just invited a viper into our home." With those words, my fate was sealed in the eyes of the guests. [Mrs. Montgomery is so poised. She’s handling this like a pro.] [By comparison, this girl looks like a street brawler.] [Call the cops already. Stop talking to her.] Harrison, bolstered by Victoria’s support, yanked my arm again, trying to drag me toward the corner. "You heard her! Give it back!" I lost my balance, stumbling into a table. Enough was enough. I used every ounce of strength to shove him away. "Don't touch me!" Harrison wasn't expecting me to fight back so hard. He crashed into a dessert table, sending a champagne tower wobbling. Maya saw her opening. With the timing of an Oscar-winner, she let out a theatrical gasp and threw herself backward. "Ah!" She didn't hit the floor. She landed perfectly in Harrison’s arms. "You’re actually hitting people now?" Harrison roared, holding a 'trembling' Maya. Victoria was shaking with rage. "This is it! You ungrateful little peasant! We were going to give you a life, and this is how you repay us? Stealing, lying, and now assault? You’re a common thug!" I looked at this family of actors and felt a wave of nausea. "I hit someone? He put his hands on me first. That's self-defense. I shoved him because he was trying to rob me." I pointed at Maya. "And as for her? That fall was the fakest thing I’ve seen since her last Botox appointment." "You!" Maya turned white. "Liar! I was terrified!" She huddled closer to Harrison. "Harrison, I’m so scared... she’s crazy... what if she has a knife?" Harrison’s eyes were filled with murderous intent. "Security!" he bellowed. "Where is security?!" "We have a thief and a violent trespasser! Get her out of here and call the police!" Two uniformed guards came running. Victoria added coldly, "Pin her down. Don't let her run. When her 'boss' comes down from his meeting with my husband, I want him to see exactly what kind of trash he’s employing." The guests parted, their faces filled with a sick kind of excitement. [Finally, the handcuffs! So satisfying!] [She needs to go to jail to learn a lesson.] [Let her rot! Make her pay for ruining the gala!] The guards closed in. I backed up until my spine hit a cold marble pillar. There was nowhere left to go. My heart sank. My dad was just a floor away, but he was being kept in the dark while his daughter was being humiliated. "Get her!" Harrison urged. A rough hand reached for my shoulder. I gritted my teeth and reached into my bag for my phone. If logic wouldn't work, I’d have to call in the cavalry. I had to call my dad. 4 Just as I unlocked my screen to dial the number I knew by heart, a dark shape blurred in front of me. Smack! My phone was swatted out of my hand. It skidded across the polished floor, hitting a wall with a sickening crack. The screen shattered instantly. It was Harrison. "Looking to call for backup?" He sneered. "Who do you think you are? A thief from the gutter—who’s coming to save you? Even if your 'boss' shows up, what is he compared to the Montgomerys and the Kents?" My heart went cold. He’d cut off my only lifeline. [Good move! Shut her down!] [Let her feel the despair! Hahaha!] [Harrison is such a boss. This is how a real man protects his woman!] Maya leaned into Harrison’s chest, watching my face pale. She mouthed two words at me: You lose. Victoria folded her arms, gesturing to the guards. "Stop wasting time. Bind her hands. When the police get here, we’ll have the stolen goods and the witnesses. I want to see her try to lie her way out of a cell." The guards moved in again, zip-ties in hand. I was pinned against the pillar, alone, surrounded by a sea of cold, mocking faces. Humiliation and fury bubbled in my chest. I had done nothing wrong, yet I was being treated like a criminal because I didn't look the part. Why? Because I looked "poor"? Because I didn't have their "status"? A hand grabbed my forearm, twisting it behind my back. I struggled, but I was no match for two trained men. The cold plastic of the zip-tie touched my skin. Harrison spoke, his voice dripping with cruel amusement. "Regretting it now? If you had just played nice and given the watch back, you could have slunk away with a little dignity." Maya chimed in with her fake pity. "It’s true, sister. I didn't want it to end like this. But you’re just so stubborn." The guard yanked my arm harder, forcing me into a painful wince. "Ow—" Suddenly, a voice like a thunderclap erupted from the top of the grand staircase, vibrating through the very bones of the building. "STAY THE HELL AWAY FROM HER!"
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