Chapter 1

I’m the true heiress.

On the very first day of our reunion, my biological mother pushed a bank card across the table towards me.

“A million dollars a month. You don’t have to genuinely treat me like your mother. Just put on a good show in front of outsiders, and don’t embarrass me.”

I froze for half a second, then immediately dropped to my knees, clinging to her leg as if my life depended on it.

“Mom! How can you even talk about conditions with me? We’re a match made in heaven, anyone who tries to break us up will face karmic retribution!”

Her brow furrowed. “…Don’t say such things.”

I instantly corrected myself. “I get it, I get it, low-key. We’ll just call it a family subsidy, and I’ll take it.”

Twelve million a year…

Forget playing the loving daughter, I’d even call the fake heiress ‘sister’ with more sweetness than anyone else.

1.

My knees ached, the marble floor was unforgivingly hard.

But the smile on my face never wavered.

Ms. Eleanor White, my recently acknowledged biological mother, clearly wasn’t used to this kind of theatrics.

“Get up,” she commanded. “What kind of behavior is that?”

I scrambled to my feet.

“Right away, Mom. Your wish is my command.”

“Let’s get one thing straight,” she settled back into the sofa, crossing her legs. “Cassandra Miller has lived in this house for twenty-two years. She’s delicate, with a heart condition, and can’t handle stress. To the outside world, you’re twins. She’s the older sister, you’re the younger. I don’t want to see any jealous squabbles.”

I clasped the card with both hands and tucked it into my jeans pocket.

“Don’t you worry, Mom.” I stood ramrod straight, practically saluting. “As long as the money’s there, Cassandra is my true sister. If she wants water, I’ll never offer her soda. If she wants to walk, I’ll never let her sit in a wheelchair. Oh, no, I mean, I’d carry her myself.”

Just then, a girl leaned over the banister, looking down.

This was Cassandra Miller, the fake heiress who’d occupied my place for twenty-two years.

Her eyes were red-rimmed, and she looked at me, tears already welling up before she spoke.

“Mom… is this… Ms. Brooks?”

According to the typical script, I should have been pointing my finger at her and calling her a thief.

But I was different.

This wasn’t an enemy; this was my personal ATM! If it weren't for accommodating her delicate feelings, would Eleanor White be paying me such a generous salary?

Cassandra bit her lip. “Ms. Brooks, I’m so sorry, I stole your life… If you mind, I can move out…”

Eleanor White’s face darkened, she was about to speak.

“Sis! What are you talking about?!”

I widened my eyes, feigning deep sorrow, channeling the same sincerity I’d used to convince old ladies to buy portable chargers at the train station back in the day.

“‘Stealing’ and such, how awful! These twenty-two years, you’ve suffered in this mansion!”

Cassandra was stunned, tears clinging to her eyelashes, unsure whether to fall or not. “Huh?”

I gripped Cassandra’s hands tightly, my voice brimming with heartfelt emotion. “Sis, just look at you, so thin! The food in a mansion isn’t delicious, is it? Too many rules? Too much pressure? I heard that wealthy people have to learn piano, painting, horseback riding, and attend social events constantly, how exhausting! I’m different, I was out in the countryside feeding pigs and chopping wood, strong as an ox, eating anything with gusto. Only a rough-and-tumble person like me could endure that hard life. You suffering for me all these years, little sister here feels awful about it!”

Cassandra’s mouth hung open, unable to utter a word for a long moment.

I struck while the iron was hot, turning to Eleanor White. “Mom, see how Sis is being so distant with me? From now on, with me around, no one will ever bully my sister. Sis, you just relax and stay put. Live exactly as you did before, I promise not to talk too much, not to cause any trouble, and never to worry you two.”

“Alright. Since everything’s been said, let’s eat.”

2.

I’d just picked up my chopsticks when a middle-aged man walked in.

This was my biological father, Nick White.

Though I called him Dad, he was actually the son-in-law who’d married into the family. The White family was rich, he was handsome – the script back then was likely a poor boy marrying a rich girl.

“So this is… the one from the countryside?”

He handed his jacket to the housekeeper, unbuttoning his cuffs as he walked over. “Why are you dressed like that? And no manners at the table.”

I glanced down at myself.

The clothes were from a discount store, not the best, but they weren’t revealing either.

Nick White sat down, ignoring me, and instead served Cassandra a piece of fish. “Cassandra, eat more. You’ve looked so pale these past few days, Dad’s worried.”

Cassandra glanced at me, then quietly said, “Thank you, Dad. Dad, my sister just got back, why don’t you get her something too?”

What a perfectly brewed little drama queen, still stirring up trouble for me even now.

Sure enough, Nick White slammed his chopsticks onto the table. “Her? She’s eaten everything under the sun in the village, does she need me to serve her?”

“Now that you’re back, you’ll follow the White family rules. Wash off all that country bumpkin grime and don’t go out embarrassing your mother. And that name of yours, what was it again? Rose Brooks? Absolutely tacky.”

He waved his hand in disgust. “Go change it tomorrow. I’ve decided, you’ll be Victoria White.”

My million-dollar monthly salary included enduring my biological mother’s temper, but it didn’t say anything about tolerating her husband’s bad habits.

I nonchalantly took a bite of a rib, then looked up at Eleanor White.

Eleanor White seemed not to hear.

Got it.

Mom hadn’t said anything, which meant this was considered extra duty.

I put down my chopsticks and wiped my mouth with a napkin. “Dad, I can’t change my name.”

Nick White’s eyes bulged. “What did you say? Talking back the moment you walk through the door?”

“Not talking back.” I put on an earnest expression. “While Rose Brooks might sound a bit old-fashioned, it’s the name my adoptive parents gave me. Even though they weren’t always kind, often scolding or hitting me, and making me feed pigs and work the fields, they still raised me for twenty-two years. If I change my name the moment I return, what will outsiders think? They’ll surely say the White family is arrogant, that I’m greedy and forgotten my roots.”

I sighed. “I don’t care about being gossiped about. But Mom is different. Mom is a businesswoman, and White Enterprises needs its reputation. What if the media sensationalizes it as a wealthy family forcing their true heiress to change her name, erasing twenty years of nurturing? The stock price would crash, wouldn’t it?”

I turned to Eleanor White, looking utterly concerned for her. “Mom, isn’t that right? Losing millions for a bit of false pride, it’s not worth it.”

Nick White pointed at me. “You… you’re just twisting words! How does this involve the stock price?”

“How isn’t it related?” I feigned surprise. “Netizens nowadays hate the rich. Dad, don’t you go online? Oh, right, you usually just drink tea and play golf, you don’t manage company affairs, so it’s normal you wouldn’t know.”

“Enough.”

Eleanor White finally spoke.

“Rose has a point. A name is just a label, changing it is a hassle. Let’s stick with Rose, I think it’s fine, very down-to-earth.”

Cassandra’s gaze at me had completely changed. I grinned at her, then picked up a lobster with cheese and put it in my mouth.

This mansion food, it really was delicious.

And this kind of ‘easy’ money in the mansion, some people found it hard to swallow. But I was different; I earned my keep, standing tall.

After dinner, Eleanor White called me to her study.

“You’re very smart,” she said.

“Thank you for the compliment, Mom.” I stood dutifully before the desk, hands clasped.

“Do you know why I brought you back?”

“Because blood is thicker than water?” I asked tentatively.

Eleanor White scoffed. “Because Cassandra Miller’s fiancé only recognizes the White bloodline. We need to marry into the Henderson family, and Cassandra is a fake, so the marriage won’t happen. But Cassandra is frail, she can’t handle the abuses of that Henderson heir. So…”

“You’ll have to marry him in her place.”

Well, I knew it! There’s no such thing as a free lunch. So this was the catch.

A high-society arranged marriage, a spoiled rich kid, and a stand-in bride. Isn't this just another lucrative contract?

“I’ll need more money,” I blurted out.

Eleanor White paused, then smiled.

“Deal.” She pulled open a drawer and slid another card across the table. “This is an adWhite for your dowry. An additional five hundred thousand a month for emotional distress. As long as you handle the Henderson family, I’ll give you half of the White family fortune.”

“Mom, you just watch me. Forget a rich kid, I could tame the devil himself.”

3.

The next day at noon, to celebrate my return, several extended White relatives were invited for a meal.

I didn’t hold back, ready to dig in the moment I sat down.

But before I could even reach for my chopsticks, Nick White turned the freshly served dish of premium abalone in front of Cassandra.

“Cassandra, you’re delicate, have more of this to nourish yourself.”

The Lazy Susan spun a full circle, stopping in front of me with a plate of stir-fried kale.

Nick White shot me a glance. “Rose, your stomach is used to simple food. Eating rich food suddenly might upset your digestion. Dad’s doing this for your own good, eat more greens, they’ll cleanse your system.”

Cassandra looked troubled and said quietly, “Dad, isn’t this… a bit much? My sister just got back…”

“What’s too much?” Nick White raised his voice. “A wild pig can’t appreciate fine grain. It would be a waste to give it to her.”

Nick White, seeing that I said nothing, assumed I was intimidated, and became even more emboldened.

He poured himself a glass of red wine, swirling it. “Speaking of which, our Cassandra truly has good fortune. Originally, the engagement to the Henderson family was for you, but thankfully you’re frail. That Julian Henderson, tsk tsk, who in the social circles doesn’t know him? Drinking, gambling, womanizing, he’s mastered it all. I heard he has a terrible temper too, he broke a young model’s leg last month.”

He took a sip of wine and clapped Cassandra’s hand with a look of relief. “That kind of hellhole, only a thick-skinned country bumpkin is fit to jump into. It’s what they call ‘like finds like,’ trash with trash, a perfect match.”

Cassandra’s tears were about to fall again. “Dad, don’t talk about my sister like that…”

“Dad’s telling the truth!” Nick White grew more excited. “That kind of rich boy is a complete scoundrel. If it weren’t for that business deal, who in the White family would bother with him? Only an unsophisticated girl like Rose would treat him like a treasure.”

I glanced at Eleanor White, who sat at the head of the table.

Understood.

The face my biological mother couldn’t tear, her biological daughter would tear for her.

I stood up.

Nick White, in the midst of his verbose tirade, was startled by my sudden movement. “What are you doing? Going to get more food? No manners at all…”

I flashed him a brilliant smile.

The next second, I gripped the edge of the marble table with both hands, drew a deep breath, and flipped it with a mighty heave.

The entire table of abalone, bird’s nest, red wine, and white soup soared through the air in a less-than-graceful arc, then crashed heavily onto the floor.

Oily abalone sauce splattered all over Nick White, instantly ruining his bespoke suit.

“Ah…!”

Cassandra shrieked, hiding in Nick White’s arms.

Nick White was stunned, his pointing finger trembling. “You… you… you’ve gone mad! Are you crazy?!”

I clapped the dust from my hands, my face righteous and indignant.

“Dad! You’ve gone too far!”

I pointed at the mess on the floor, my voice even louder than his. “Julian Henderson, who is he? He’s my future husband! He’s a crucial partner for our White family! Here you are, in front of all these people, publicly insulting the heir of Henderson Enterprises, calling him trash and a scoundrel! If this gets out, what if the Henderson family withdraws their investment? What if White Enterprises’ stock plummets? What if Mom’s hard work is ruined?!”

I clutched my chest, heartbroken. “It’s fine if I, Rose Brooks, suffer a bit of injustice, even if you made me eat dirt, I’d accept it. But you can’t joke about our White family’s future just to elevate my sister! You’re undermining Mom’s efforts, you’re cutting off our family’s financial lifeline!”

Nick White was so overwhelmed by my accusation that he gasped for breath. “You… you’re talking nonsense! I’m your father, what’s wrong with me saying a few words…”

“You are my father, but you’re also the White family’s son-in-law!”

I took a step forward, my presence commanding. “You’re eating the White family’s food and then smashing the White family’s pot! You’re just taking advantage and then badmouthing them! This kind of ungrateful behavior, I, Rose Brooks, won’t stand for it!”

Nick White was trembling with rage, wanting to lunge at me, but he slipped on the oily mess on the floor and fell sprawling, face first.

“Enough.”

Eleanor White’s voice came at just the right moment.

She set down her napkin, not even glancing at Nick White on the floor, merely sweeping her gaze towards me. “If you can’t eat, then don’t. Rose, Julian Henderson has scheduled a meeting this afternoon, go get ready.”

I nodded obediently. “Alright, Mom, I’ll go right away. I’ll make sure to dress beautifully, not to embarrass our family, and certainly not to let that fifty million dollar dowry go to waste.”

With that, I stepped over my groaning biological father and headed upstairs without a backward glance.

Behind me, I faintly heard Eleanor White’s cold voice. “Clean up the floor. And from now on, anyone who dares to speak out of turn at the dinner table won’t eat.”

4.

I met Julian Henderson at a private club.

The lighting was dim, and the rumored playboy heir was slumped on a sofa, a cigarette between his left fingers, a drink in his right hand, three shirt buttons undone, and a look of utter impatience on his face.

“Well, well, if it isn’t the… country bumpkin the Whites dug up?”

“I heard you used to feed pigs in the countryside? What, do the Whites think I’m like a pig, so they specifically found a professional to take care of me?”

The several hangers-on beside him burst into laughter.

I wasn’t angry. I picked up an empty glass from the table and poured myself a drink. “Mr. Henderson, you jest. Feeding pigs means getting up early, mixing feed, and shoveling pig manure – it requires high-level skills. Taking care of you, however, is much simpler. As long as the money is right, you tell me to go east, I won’t go west. You tell me to swat a dog, I won’t chase a chicken.”

Julian Henderson froze for a moment, apparently not expecting such bluntness from me.

He sat up straight, about to speak, when the private room door was pushed open.

A woman in a white long dress burst in.

“Julian…” Her voice trembled, her eyes fixed solely on Julian Henderson. “Are you really going to marry this… this country woman?”

Julian Henderson’s face instantly darkened.

I raised an eyebrow.

I knew this one.

According to the information Eleanor White gave me, this was Julian Henderson’s ‘first love,’ Sienna Reed. She’d once ditched him, complaining he was irresponsible, and ran off with a jock. Now, hearing Julian was getting married, she’d reappeared, playing the role of the deeply devoted lover.

Before Julian Henderson could even open his mouth, Sienna Reed had already rushed towards me. “Ms. Brooks, is it? I know you’re only marrying Julian for money. How much do you want to leave him? A million? Two million?”

Two million? Who did she think I was?

My current worth was in the hundreds of millions.

“Ms. Reed.” I looked at her. “Please watch your words. I am Julian Henderson’s fiancée now, the future Mrs. Henderson, recognized by both our families. You come in here, throwing money around, aren’t you being a little disrespectful to my professional ethics?”

Sienna Reed was stunned. “What professional ethics?”

I stepped forward, blocking her path to Julian Henderson.

“Taking care of Mr. Henderson is my profession. My client… oh, no, my fiancé is currently drinking and isn’t in a very good mood. You coming in here, crying and making a scene, and then trying to insult his judgment with money—are you disrupting my work environment, or are you questioning Mr. Henderson’s taste?”

Sienna Reed’s face turned pale with anger. “You… how could someone like you be worthy of Julian! Julian and I have a history!”

“A history?”

I scoffed, glancing back at Julian Henderson, only to find him watching me with interest, showing no inclination to intervene.

I turned back to Sienna Reed, unleashing my full verbal artillery. “Ms. Reed, this ‘history’ thing is too vague, it doesn’t hold its value. You claim you have a history, why did you run off in the first place? Now you’re back, did that jock get tired of you? Trying to come back for seconds? Sorry, but this ‘grass’ is already fenced off. Whether it’s tender or withered, it’s mine, and no one else is getting their hands on it!”