I spent three years studying abroad. When I finally returned home, I found my daughter’s bedroom occupied by a strange girl named Luna. Seeing my fury, the housekeeper stepped forward to kick Luna out, but my husband stopped her. "Honey, don't," he said smoothly. "Lily was being impossible. I had to send her to boarding school." Lily? Impossible? My daughter was the sweetest, gentlest soul. She cried for half a day when our goldfish died. How could she possibly be "bad" enough to be shipped off to boarding school? I stared at the man in front of me, disbelief washing over me. "You sent your seven-year-old daughter to boarding school? And then you let some random kid squat in her room?" He grabbed my shoulders, trying to calm me down. "You don't understand. Lily is rotten to the core. Luna came over for a playdate, and Lily tried to push her down the stairs." "We had to teach that little monster a lesson. If we didn't, she'd probably end up murdering us in our sleep!" I didn't waste another breath on him. I was going to get my daughter. And then, I was going to kick every single one of these parasites out of my house. This spineless man lived off my money, my inheritance, and my hard work. Did he really think he was the master of this house? 1 When I walked through the front door, Lily didn't run into my arms like she used to. The house was dead silent. Even my husband, Julian, was nowhere to be found. I figured since I came home early, maybe Julian took Lily out for ice cream. I carried the custom cake I bought—Lily’s favorite—up to her bedroom. I pushed the door open. The room looked even more lavish than when I left a year ago. More toys, new decorations. At least Julian seemed to be taking care of her. I set the cake on the desk and noticed a small lump under the duvet. Lily was sleeping. My heart melted instantly. I sat on the edge of the bed, moving as quietly as possible, and leaned over to see the little face I had missed every single day for a year. But when I pulled back the covers, it wasn't Lily. My brain short-circuited. I ripped the duvet off completely. The girl was wearing Lily’s pajamas. Sleeping in Lily’s bed. In Lily’s room. The sudden movement woke her up. She rubbed her eyes and glared at me. I forced down the panic rising in my throat and tried to be gentle. I didn't want to scare a child. "Sweetie, why are you sleeping in Lily’s room? Where is she?" The girl blinked her sleepy eyes open, then smirked with an arrogance that looked bizarre on a child’s face. "My daddy said Lily doesn't deserve to sleep here anymore. This room belongs to me now! I'm Luna!" "Who are you? Get out of my daddy's house before I tell him to throw you out!" Her words hit me like a machine gun. Daddy's house? The bad feeling in my gut turned into a scream. I grabbed her wrist. "Where is Lily?!" She raised her hand to hit me, but then her eyes darted behind me, and her expression instantly shifted to pure terror. "Auntie, please! I really don't know where Lily is!" Before I could process the sudden change, a strong hand yanked me backward. I lost my balance and slammed into the wall. Julian rushed past me, scooping the girl into his arms, his face full of anguish. "It's okay, Luna. Daddy's here. Don't be scared." A woman followed him in, looking fragile and teary-eyed. "Mrs. Vance, I know you don't like us, but how could you treat a child like that?" I hadn't even asked why these strangers were in my house, and they were already gaslighting me? I ignored the woman and lunged at Julian, grabbing him by the collar. "Where is my daughter?" The righteous anger in Julian’s eyes flickered, replaced by guilt. "She... I sent her to boarding school." "Boarding school? You sent a seven-year-old to boarding school?!" My grip tightened. "Which one? Tell me exactly where she is!" Julian’s face turned red as he struggled to breathe, pounding on my hand. I threw him to the floor. The woman immediately threw herself over him, weeping. "Mrs. Vance, please don't blame Julian! It's my fault. I brought Luna over to play, and we upset Lily." Julian caught his breath and immediately shielded the woman. "Lily is a bad seed! Luna was just visiting, and Lily tried to push her down the stairs!" "A vicious brat like that needs to learn a lesson. St. Jude’s Academy will straighten her out!" St. Jude’s. The "reform school" that was all over the news last month for abusing students. He was insane. I didn't bother arguing with this trash couple. I grabbed my car keys and sprinted out the door. They better pray Lily is okay. If she has a single scratch on her, I will make them pay a hundred times over. 2 I ran ten red lights. I drove like a maniac and made it to the gates of St. Jude’s in record time. I stormed past security and kicked open the classroom door. The scene inside felt like a hand crushing my windpipe. A massive, hulking man was kicking a small figure curled up on the floor. It was Lily. She was sobbing, gasping for air. "Instructor Stone, I'm sorry! I won't do it again! I'll be good, I promise!" "Mommy, help me! Mommy, I miss you!" Every word she screamed was a dagger in my heart. Adrenaline exploded in my veins. I charged into the room and tackled the instructor, slamming him to the ground. Lily gasped. "Mommy! You came!" I pulled my daughter into my arms, shaking with the effort not to kill the man on the floor. "Mommy's here, baby. I'm sorry I'm late. Mommy's so sorry." The instructor tried to get up, but my bodyguards, who had finally caught up, pinned him down. "Do you know who you just kicked? Do you have a death wish? Do you know who my sister is?!" he shouted. To protect Lily’s ears, I ordered my guards coldly: "He's too loud. Shut him up." "Check the surveillance tapes. For every time he hit a child, hit him back ten times. Don't miss a single count." Surrounded by my security team, I carried Lily to the car, holding her so tight my arms ached. Maybe she was exhausted from crying, or maybe she finally felt safe, but she fell asleep in my arms almost instantly. Holding her, I instructed my assistant to investigate the woman and her daughter. I wanted to know everything that happened while I was gone. When we got home, I carried Lily inside gently. The door opened to a nightmare. Julian, the woman, and the girl were gathered around the dining table, cutting the custom cake I bought for Lily. Luna was clapping her hands. "Yay! Mommy and Daddy cutting the cake together!" The woman, acting shy, whispered, "Luna, don't say that. Mrs. Vance will get angry. Don't make trouble for your daddy." Julian’s frown disappeared as he looked at her. "Sarah, you're always so considerate. If only Lily had half your manners." Sarah smiled, hiding the triumph in her eyes. "Luna's fracture from when Lily pushed her healed in a month. It's fine." "Don't fight with Mrs. Vance over us. I don't want you to be in a difficult position." Hearing Lily's name, Julian’s face twisted with anger. "Lily was ruined by her mother! She was a brat before, snatching things from Luna in public. Now that her mom is back to back her up, she'll be impossible!" "She's only been at St. Jude’s for two months. I bet she's still a bad seed!" "If she bullies Luna again, I'll send her back until she learns her place!" Watching him speak with such venom about his own child... I remembered before I left for my studies, I wanted to take Lily with me. Julian stopped me. He said it would be hard to study with a child. He joked that with Lily at home, he wouldn't worry about me running off. He swore he would take good care of her. Before I left, Lily was a happy, chubby, confident little girl. Now she was covered in bruises, begging in her sleep for the instructor not to hit her. I suddenly realized something. He forgot he was just a trophy husband. He forgot that in the Vance family, Lily’s life was worth ten thousand of his. I laughed out loud. A cold, sharp sound. "Wow. 'Daddy' rolls right off the tongue, doesn't it?" "Since when did Julian Vance have another daughter?" Hearing my voice, Sarah and Luna immediately cowered behind Julian. Julian spread his arms protectively in front of them. I sneered and carried Lily upstairs, tucking her into her own bed. Julian followed me, whispering angrily. "That room belongs to Luna now. If you put Lily there, where is Luna supposed to sleep?" I turned slowly to face him. "Are you confused? Since when do I not make the decisions in my own house?" 3 Julian’s eyes darted nervously, but he kept his voice low and insistent. "This isn't about whose house it is. You need to send Lily back to St. Jude’s." "Didn't you see how scared Luna was of her? Lily isn't the sweet girl you remember!" I shot back, icy cold. "Julian, do you even remember which one of them is your actual daughter?" Just then, Sarah and Luna appeared in the doorway. Sarah saw us arguing and gave Luna a subtle nudge. Luna immediately ran forward and hugged Julian’s leg, looking up with big, teary eyes. "Daddy, don't fight with Mrs. Vance because of me. It's okay." "As long as Lily is here, I'll just disappear. I won't come out of my room." Julian’s wavering resolve hardened instantly. "Sarah Vance, send Lily back now. Don't make me say it again." Sarah pretended to try and calm things down. She walked up to me, and in a voice only I could hear, she whispered: "Ms. Vance, when you're old and washed up, you should make way for someone new." "Did you really think a child could keep a man like Julian tied down forever?" I froze, staring into her smug eyes. She didn't know. She didn't know I was the heiress. I was the Vance. Julian just took my last name. Before I could speak, the family doctor arrived. Looking at Sarah's arrogant face, I suddenly felt like putting on a show. I asked the doctor to move Lily to the guest room. After all, things were about to get messy. I didn't want to scare her. Looking at the whip marks on Lily’s arm, I swallowed my tears. Just wait, baby. I'm going to make these two kneel and beg for your forgiveness. Once Lily was settled, I walked back into her bedroom. Julian and Sarah were comforting Luna, acting like she was the victim of some great tragedy. I walked straight into the room and started smashing things. That lamp? Not Lily’s. Smash. Green pencil case? Not Lily’s. Smash. Spotted dog statue? Not Lily’s. Smash. ... They were stunned for the first item. By the second item, they realized what was happening and tried to stop me. But I was moving too fast, throwing things too hard. They couldn't get close. Julian stood there, screaming. "Crazy! You've gone crazy!" Luna wailed on the bed, heartbroken over her stuff. "The bad lady is breaking my things! She's a crazy witch!" Sarah was scared, but mostly she looked thrilled that I was acting like a lunatic. It meant her takeover was imminent. She stepped in front of Julian and Luna, acting the martyr. "Mrs. Vance, if you're angry, hit me! Don't hurt Julian!" I had just finished clearing the desk. I smiled at her. "Great idea! I was waiting for you to say that!" Slap! Slap! I backhanded her twice across the face. Hard. My hand went numb. Sarah’s delicate face swelled instantly. She stared at me in shock. She didn't think I'd actually do it. Her daughter reacted fast, charging at me to bite. I was faster. I grabbed her arm and pinned her. "Luna, sweetie, did you think you were immune?" I lifted her wrist. "This crystal bracelet? I spent twenty grand customizing this for Lily. Take it off." Luna froze, then started crying, clutching the bracelet. "Daddy gave this to me! It's mine! You old hag!" "Mommy was right, you're not good enough for Daddy! You should die!" Julian looked stunned. Sarah rushed over to hug Luna. "Ms. Vance, you're scaring her! She doesn't know what she's saying!" I laughed and waved my hand. My security team stepped out from the hallway. "Scaring her? Honey, I haven't even started." 4 Seeing the dozen bodyguards behind me, Sarah’s mask of gentleness cracked. I signaled the guards. They moved forward to restrain Sarah and Luna. Julian, furious, stepped in front of them. "Sarah! Enough! When will you stop this madness?!" "You smashed the room! You tore their clothes! What do you want?!" "If you touch them, I will divorce you right now!" The chaotic room went silent. Sarah hid behind Julian, smirking at me triumphantly. The bodyguards hesitated, looking at me for orders. Just then, my assistant whispered in my ear. She had the investigation results. Listening to the report, I laughed out loud. This leech had lived off me for so long he actually thought he was the king. "Bring those two in." My assistant nodded and left. I looked at Julian’s twisted face and spoke coldly. "Don't rush, Julian. Your surprise is coming." I signaled the guards again. Before Sarah and Luna could hide their smirks, the guards slammed them to the floor. They stripped Luna of everything that belonged to Lily. The $20,000 bracelet. The $5,000 hair clip. The $30,000 gold locket. Sarah tried to maintain her dignity, looking at Julian with tear-filled eyes. Luna, terrified, screamed for help. "Daddy! Daddy save me!" "Kick these people out! Especially this smelly woman!" I walked up to Luna and smiled. "Kid, this house is mine. If anyone's getting out, it's the three of you." "Now, go to the guest room, kneel by Lily's bed, and apologize!" Sarah looked blank for a second. "The house is..." Before she could finish, a booming voice came from the hallway. "Sarah Vance! Have you lost your mind?!" I turned around. It was my older brother, the current head of the Vance family. He stormed in with his own team of bodyguards, looking like he wanted to execute me on the spot. I scoffed. "Do you know what they did to Lily?!" Julian suddenly grew a spine. He cut in. "What did we do to Lily?! She was spoiled rotten! I sent her to boarding school to learn some discipline! Is that a crime?" "Brother, you've been gone a long time. You don't know how bad Lily has become! Luna came to visit, and Lily stole the gift I gave Luna! She claimed it was hers!" "Last time, if I hadn't caught her, she would have pushed Sarah into traffic!" "She's seven and already this manipulative. If we don't correct her..." I used every ounce of strength in my body and slapped Julian across the face. "Julian! How dare you talk about your own daughter like that!" He stumbled, nearly falling. I raised my hand to hit him again, but my brother spoke, his voice ice cold. "Sarah Vance. Did our parents teach you to beat people in public?" "If the Vance family ends up in the tabloids tomorrow for bullying, can you take responsibility?" Sarah, kneeling on the floor, saw her chance. She started wailing. "Mrs. Vance, you are too much!" "Julian works so hard to hold up the Vance Corporation. And you? You spent the family's money partying abroad for three years!" "He has to run the company and take care of the daughter. Do you know how much my heart breaks seeing him so tired?" "And now you hit him in front of his brother?!" "You are truly..." My brother looked confused. He interrupted Sarah's passionate speech. "Excuse me, miss. I think you're confused." "Sarah Vance is my sister. Julian here... he's just the man who married into our family." Sarah’s jaw dropped. "Married... into...?" "Isn't Julian the son of the Vance family?" My brother, previously furious at me, looked at Sarah with an amused expression. He looked between Sarah, Luna, and Julian. Then he smiled, understanding dawning on him. "Miss, the Vance family has only one son. Me." "As for the man beside you... he's a trophy husband." Sarah looked at Julian in horror, forcing a smile. "Julian... is that true?" Julian didn't answer. He glared at me with hatred. My brother laughed. "Julian, my friend. You've lived the good life too long. Don't forget where your bread is buttered."
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