When I was five years old, my mother, carrying a stuttering child like me, married into the ridiculously wealthy Sterling family. Everyone whispered that my mother was a master manipulator, a gold digger who had snagged the jackpot. They all bet that it wouldn't be long before the Sterling family chewed us up and spit out our bones. The wedding day arrived, and the venue was packed with the city’s elite. Tucked away in a small side room, a group of snobby little rich girls cornered me. They pulled sharply at my collar, choking me, laughing and calling me a "mute little burden." No one believed my new stepfather would ever stick his neck out for me. But the very next day, my stepfather stood before his peers and announced: "Chloe Sterling is my youngest daughter. She is not mute. And she is an equal heir to the Sterling fortune." 01 "Are you a mute?" Caleb Sterling asked, leaning down to look at me. I wasn't a mute. I just had a severe stutter. When other kids my age were chatting in full sentences, I could still only manage single syllables. Realizing something was wrong, my mom took me to specialists. The doctors said it was partly genetic, and partly because I was born prematurely. Most kids with stutters gradually improve with the help of a speech therapist. But I didn't. In fact, it got worse. It got so bad that eventually, I refused to even try making a single sound. I hated talking. I hated the way people looked at me when I tried. I wasn't intentionally ignoring him or refusing to call him "brother." I knew I was supposed to speak today. But my throat just closed up. The harder I tried, the more panicked I became, until huge, silent tears started rolling down my cheeks. My mom rushed over, pulling me into her arms in a panic. She kissed my forehead, cooing gently, "Oh, baby, don't cry. Caleb was just making a joke. Our little Chloe isn't a mute; she just gets nervous and the words get stuck, right?" My stepfather’s face turned stern as he looked at Caleb. "Is that how you speak to your sister? Apologize." Caleb clearly hadn't expected his casual comment to make me cry so hard. He stood there, frozen, his handsome face looking a little foolish. His biological sister, Victoria Sterling, shot him a look of pure schadenfreude. Caleb opened his mouth, and the voice that came out was barely louder than a mosquito: "I'm sorry. I was wrong." My stepfather frowned, completely unsatisfied. "Louder!" My mom, not wanting to cause a massive scene on her very first day in the house, gently patted my stepfather's arm. "It's fine, it's fine. The baby heard her brother apologize, didn't you, sweetie?" I rubbed my swollen eyes and nodded as hard as I could. That evening, my mom and stepfather had to entertain hundreds of VIP guests and business partners, so my stepfather asked Victoria to keep an eye on me. She was about seven or eight years older than me. She wore a beautiful pale-yellow princess dress and a small pearl tiara nestled in her dark hair. Her skin was porcelain white. I had never seen a girl as pretty as her in my entire life. She brought out a pile of toys and patiently, gently showed me how to play with them. Knowing I had a stutter, she didn't try to force me to talk. After a while, her phone rang. She walked over to the furthest window to answer it. Since I was a baby, I’ve had incredibly sharp senses. I could hear whispers from across a room and see the tiny veins on a leaf from a distance. Only my mom knew about this. Victoria obviously didn't know, otherwise she never would have taken that call in the same room as me. The caller was her aunt. Caleb and Victoria's biological mother had passed away from cancer years ago, and since then, they had maintained a very close relationship with their mother's sister. "Vicky, how is that woman? Has she shown her true colors yet? With a face like that, she’s clearly a seductress. I knew from the start she was bad news. She bewitched your father so thoroughly he married her after only knowing her for a few months." "A divorced woman with a kid in tow... managing to pull off a stunt like this? I am so worried about you and Caleb." "She’s no good, and neither is that daughter of hers. You and Caleb need to make sure you don't let them win you over." Victoria had her back to me, so I couldn't see her expression. I just heard her hum in agreement a few times before asking how her aunt's business in Europe was going and when she would be back. "If I wasn't tied up with this merger, I would be there right now to put those two in their place and back you up. Ugh." "Did anything happen today?" Victoria hesitated for a second before recounting what had happened with Caleb earlier. Her aunt let out a cold, sharp laugh through the phone. "That mother-daughter duo is establishing dominance. Forcing the heir of the Sterling family to apologize to them on day one? Just wait until she pops out a son for your father. Who do you think will really be running that house?" "They say when you get a stepmother, you get a stepfather. It’s true. Vicky, you need to warn your brother. Watch your backs around those two." "My brother and I will be careful," Victoria promised. 02 My mom is never going to have another baby, I muttered silently in my head. That was an agreement she and my stepfather had made before the wedding. I had overheard them talking about it. Victoria hung up the phone and walked back over to me. The look in her eyes had shifted; the gentle warmth from earlier was gone. She sighed and said, "Chloe, stay here and play. I'm going to change my dress." I nodded, knowing she was actually going to find Caleb. Just a few minutes later, the door was violently pushed open. Three girls, roughly Victoria's age, marched in. They were all dripping in expensive, flashy designer dresses. "Where's Victoria? Didn't they say she was in here?" The girls scanned the room. They didn't find Victoria, but they did spot me sitting on the rug with the toys. "Who is this kid? Hey, where's Victoria? Do you know?" I sat on the sofa as the three of them swaggered over, looking down at me like I was dirt on their shoes. I pressed my lips tightly together, shook my head, and pointed toward the door Victoria had just left through. "Why aren't you talking? Whose kid are you? Why are you in here all alone?" one of the girls asked, her eyes narrowing in suspicion. "This is the family's private suite. What's your connection to Victoria?" "Hey... look at her dress. It looks almost identical to the one Victoria was wearing. It's from the same couture line." "I heard Victoria's new stepmom dragged a kid into the marriage. It couldn't be you, could it?" The moment they put the pieces together, they covered their mouths and burst into cruel, mocking laughter, acting like I was the funniest joke in the world. Their laughter made my stomach churn. I dropped my toy, slid off the sofa, and headed for the door to find my mom. "Hey! Where do you think you're going, little burden?" One of them grabbed the back of my collar and violently yanked me backward. They didn't realize how hard they pulled. The collar cut sharply into my throat. My eyes rolled back, and a strangled, panicked whine escaped my lips. Right at that exact moment, Victoria walked back in. Seeing them practically choking me, she gasped and sprinted across the room, snatching me away from them. "Chloe! Are you okay?!" The three girls jumped in surprise, immediately backpedaling. "We didn't do it on purpose!" I coughed violently, patting Victoria's hand to let her know I was breathing. Seeing the involuntary tears streaming down my face from the choking, Victoria was furious. "You are guests in this house! You made my sister cry! What the hell are you doing in my room?!" "We told you, it was an accident! Stop yelling at us!" one of the girls snapped back indignantly. "So she really is your sister, huh? Why didn't she make a single sound? Is she a mute or something?" It was obvious that these three girls weren't exactly best friends with Victoria. Victoria glared at them. "That is none of your business! You have absolutely zero manners. Get out of my room!" After being choked and yanked around like a ragdoll, a normal child would have been screaming and crying. The three girls looked at me with weird, twisted expressions, and then started snickering again. "Victoria, I actually feel bad for you. Your dad marries a gold digger, and she brings a defective little sister into the house! It's pathetic." "In our circle, you don't see many kids with handicaps, do you?" "You've always acted so arrogant and superior at school, Victoria. Let's see how high and mighty you act now with this following you around." Victoria held me tighter, taking a deep breath. "Is this how your parents raised you? Whether my sister has a disability or not, who gave you the right to look down on people with disabilities?!" "There are security cameras in this room. I'm going to have the butler pull the footage and send it directly to your parents." "And you better remember to come back to my house and formally apologize to my sister." 03 The very next day, all three sets of parents dragged their daughters to the Sterling estate to apologize to me. My stepfather sat me right next to him on the main sofa. His expression was dead serious, radiating a terrifying authority. He looked at the three nervously smiling families, cleared his throat, and announced: "Chloe Sterling is my youngest daughter. Whether she speaks or not, when the time comes, she will receive an equal share of the Sterling corporate shares and inheritance." Everyone in the room froze in shock. My mom, sitting on his other side, gasped and grabbed his hand. Looking at her wide eyes, I realized my stepfather hadn't discussed this with her beforehand at all. "Honey..." My stepfather gave her a reassuring nod. The faces of the three girls were much easier to read. They stared at me in absolute horror, then nervously glanced behind us at Caleb and Victoria, their expressions filled with a mix of shock and mockery. I peeked over my shoulder too. Caleb and Victoria were staring at me with incredibly complex expressions. I pretended not to notice and quickly looked forward again. My stepfather gave his two older children a brief, unreadable glance before turning back to the guests. "I strongly suggest you focus on raising your children properly. With behavior like this, I wouldn't dare let the future heirs of the Sterling empire associate with them." The three sets of parents looked absolutely terrified, forcefully pushing their daughters' heads down to apologize to me again and again. I didn't want them staying here any longer, knowing their presence was only further aggravating Caleb and Victoria. I also knew these apologies were entirely forced by my stepfather's power, not genuine remorse. So, I looked up at my stepfather and patted my stomach. "Baby... hungry." The guests and the Sterling siblings jumped again. They had probably been utterly convinced I was completely mute! My stepfather delivered his final sentence. "Chloe Sterling will be attending the prestigious Vanguard Academy alongside her brother and sister. I expect her school life to be pleasant and peaceful." "Show them out." Vanguard Academy was famous across the state. It was the premier incubator for the elite children of City D. Every single student who graduated from Vanguard went on to become a titan in their respective industries. Because of the severe bullying I had endured in kindergarten before, I was terrified of going back to school. I sat in the back of the Maybach, looking miserable. But I didn't realize that my stepfather had used his immense wealth and power to skip me straight into the first grade. Standing outside the classroom door, my mom kissed my cheek. "Go on, sweetie. Don't be scared. Mom and Dad will always have your back." When the homeroom teacher introduced me, she specifically mentioned that I "wasn't very talkative," and thoughtfully seated me next to the class president. The class president was a girl with a short bob and huge, bright eyes. She curiously stuck her hand out toward me. "Hi! I'm Samantha Vance." I shook her hand and gave her a sweet, shy smile. All the teachers knew about my "special situation," so they rarely called on me during class. During recess, since I didn't know anyone yet, no one really approached me either. And just like that, my first week of school passed peacefully. No one knew I had a stutter. "She is so quiet. She can literally go a whole day without saying a single word." "Now that you mention it, have you ever actually heard her voice?" "I haven't. But Samantha talked to her." The only word I had ever said to Samantha was "Thanks." Because the elementary school let out at a different time than the middle school, I rarely rode home in the same car as Caleb and Victoria. But today, they both showed up at the elementary wing to pick me up. I had no idea they were basically celebrities at Vanguard. The reaction from my classmates told me everything I needed to know about their popularity. "Oh my god! Caleb and Victoria Sterling are your older brother and sister?! Chloe, why didn't you tell us?!" "I heard they're ranked number one in their grade again this year! And Victoria is representing Vanguard at an international violin competition!" "I would die for their autographs! Chloe, can you help me get them?" "They're literally the king and queen of Vanguard. No wonder Chloe is so pretty." I looked exactly like my mom. That was the one thing I was most proud of. 04 From that day on, my popularity skyrocketed. Every kid in class crowded around my desk, desperately asking for gossip about Caleb and Victoria. Even if they badgered me for ten minutes and I only gave them a one or two-word answer, they didn't think I was being rude. They thought I was being "aloof and cool." They thought that was exactly how a member of the Sterling family should act. Samantha helped me fend them off, using her authority as class president to order them to stop bothering me while I was studying. And just like that, my secret remained safe. It wasn't that I was intentionally trying to deceive everyone. I just couldn't bear the thought of them looking at me through the warped, judgmental lens of my stutter again. When the Summer Gala rolled around, my homeroom teacher asked if I was interested in performing. I frantically shook my head. The teacher looked surprised. "Your brother and sister are always so heavily involved in the social events and performances. I assumed you would enjoy it too. Vanguard's galas attract a lot of major media outlets and directors from the top arts academies. A lot of A-list talent gets scouted from Vanguard. The competition for performance slots is incredibly fierce." I kept shaking my head. They probably all assumed I was a pampered little princess groomed for the spotlight since birth, just like Victoria. But I wasn't. I didn't have a single special talent. I had no business being on a stage. As I walked out of the teacher's office, Samantha suddenly appeared beside me. "Chloe, can you do me a huge favor? I really want to perform. I can play the piano." I stared at her silently. "Chloe, listen to me. I know you have a speech impediment. You're not being 'aloof' by not talking, you're just terrified people will make fun of your stutter. If you recommend me to the teacher, whether I get the slot or not, I swear on my life I will keep your secret forever. Please?" A crushing wave of depression hit me. I pressed my lips tightly together. When did I expose myself? How did she know? I gripped the hem of my skirt, thinking it over. Finally, I nodded at Samantha, turned around, and walked back into the office. "T-t-t-teacher... I... I... r-recommend... S-s-samantha." By the time I forced the sentence out, my face was burning crimson. The teacher knew about my condition. She gently patted my head. "Chloe is such a good girl. Your voice is beautiful. Will you try to talk to me a little more from now on?" I stood there, frozen, my face practically on fire. "Samantha actually nominated herself earlier. Now that she has your recommendation, I'll definitely give it serious consideration. Head back to class now, Chloe!" Samantha was waiting for me in the hallway. She looked at me with eager, glowing eyes. "Chloe! How did it go? What did she say?" Since she already knew about my stutter, there was no point in hiding it anymore. "T-teacher... s-said... she'll... th-think about it." I kept my head down, completely missing the flash of disgust that crossed Samantha's eyes. She jumped up and down excitedly. "Thank you, Chloe! It's official: you are my absolute best friend at Vanguard!" I have a friend now? That phrase sparked a tiny, fragile flame of happiness in my chest. Samantha got the performance slot she wanted. And she kept her promise, acting like a loyal bodyguard. Whenever any classmate tried to talk to me for more than a minute, she would swoop in and chase them away with a few sharp words. Over time, she became the only person around me. Everyone else started giving me a wide berth. A few times, she mentioned her parents were busy and couldn't pick her up, asking if my family's driver could drop her off. I figured it was a small favor and the driver wouldn't mind, so I agreed. I never once considered what these "small favors" were doing to Samantha's ego, or what she was doing with them. Until one day, Caleb and Victoria showed up at our classroom door, their faces like thunderclouds. "Who the hell is going around telling people my sister is a stupid, rich target who's easy to manipulate?!" Samantha, whose hand was currently buried in my backpack fishing for my imported chocolates, froze. She looked up at them in sheer panic. 05 Caleb and Victoria marched me straight to the homeroom teacher's office. They left me in the waiting area while they went inside to talk to her. "Chloe is young and incredibly innocent. We expect her teachers to keep a closer eye on her, rather than letting her be blindly used and manipulated by other students." "Chloe has trauma. She doesn't like to speak. But that is absolutely no excuse for her to be isolated and targeted by vicious rumors." The teacher rubbed her temples, letting out a soft sigh. "I've been trying to encourage Chloe to interact with the students around her. I've rearranged the seating chart multiple times, but she simply refuses to talk." "And she firmly refused to change desk partners." "Chloe's grades are excellent. She's a brilliant child. But she is incredibly strong-willed. If she doesn't want to change, it's very difficult for external factors to force her." Caleb's voice was hard. "We will handle speaking to Chloe. But that Samantha girl... you need to deal with her." Victoria chimed in, "The Vance family is already out there using the Sterling name to secure business deals." The homeroom teacher at Vanguard Academy was no fool. She gave a solemn nod, absolutely unwilling to lose her prestigious job over this mess. Victoria held my hand as we walked to the car. I looked up at her, and after a long silence, I finally asked, "D-does... e-everyone... kn-know... I... s-stutter?" They both crouched down to my eye level. "Are you sad, Chloe?" I nodded. I knew Samantha was the one who had spread the secret behind my back. She was the only person in the entire school I had interacted with. She told me I was her best friend. And she lied to me. Caleb effortlessly scooped me up into his arms. "Chloe, you need to understand something. You are a daughter of the Sterling family. Whether you stutter, or whether you're completely mute, you are an existence they can only dream of reaching. They should be begging to be your friend. You never have to compromise yourself for them." I didn't understand that. Because of my stutter, my biological parents got divorced. Because of my stutter, my mom and I were thrown out onto the street by my grandparents. In my mind, stuttering was the worst crime in the world. If I didn't stutter, my mom wouldn't have had to suffer so much humiliation and pain for me. So I thought it was completely normal for people to mock me. I thought it was normal they didn't want to be my friends. I thought my stutter made me inherently bad. "With one word from you, Samantha got to perform on the main stage. You let her ride in your Maybach, and she paraded it around school. Everyone was jealous of her. Her parents went around bragging that she was the Sterling heiress's best friend, and their business partners literally gave them better deals just to get on your good side." "We saw all of these little tricks, and we didn't care. But she crossed a massive line when she started badmouthing you behind your back. She called you 'the little stutterer.' She called you a 'burden.'" "A manipulative, two-faced snake like her doesn't deserve to be your friend," Victoria said firmly. Samantha was forced to write a formal apology letter and read it aloud three times in front of the entire class. Her face turned beet red, and by the third time, she was sobbing uncontrollably. The very next day, she transferred out of Vanguard Academy. I didn't have a desk partner anymore, and I felt incredibly depressed. My stepfather and mom heard about the incident, and that afternoon, they personally drove to the school to take all three of us out to a fancy dinner. When the bell rang, it started pouring rain. I hadn't brought an umbrella. The teacher told me to wait in the lobby while she went to grab one for me. Suddenly, a girl from my class stepped forward. "Teacher, we're walking the same way. I'll walk her to the gate!" She popped her umbrella open. "Let's go. What are you standing there for? You look stupid." It wasn't until we reached the school gates and I saw my stepfather's Bentley that I gathered the courage to speak. "Th-thank... you." She lifted her chin arrogantly. "Don't get it twisted, I'm not trying to kiss up to the Sterling family. My family's business isn't as massive as yours, but we're doing just fine." "Also, your voice is actually really nice. So what if you stutter? Why do you care so much about what other people think? Grow a backbone." Her name was Mia Thorne, the heiress of the Thorne Corporation. She was incredibly haughty and her words were always blunt and abrasive, which was why she didn't have many friends either.
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