My biological parents, the wealthiest couple in Mapleton Heights, tracked me down one day and offered me the chance to inherit their billions. After getting home, I couldn’t wait to tell my adoptive parents, Robert and Shelly Evans, about it.

I casually joked with them, saying I’d be moving in with the richest family in town.

But the moment the words left my mouth, Robert and Shelly’s faces darkened. “You think you can just up and leave? You’re our daughter, and you’re not going anywhere!”

That’s when it hit me—Robert and Shelly had switched me with their son at the hospital all those years ago, sending him off to live in luxury while they raised me instead.

And now, to protect their real son, they’d do anything to keep me from leaving this messed-up situation.

***

I covered my face, completely bewildered. “Mom, why did you hit me?”

I couldn’t wrap my head around how our peaceful little family had suddenly blown up over a simple joke.

Shelly sneered at me. “You ungrateful little brat! We’ve taken care of you all these years, and the second your real parents show up, you’re ready to run off to them like a dog after a bone!”

Tears stung my eyes.

“Mom, what are you even talking about?”

I gave her a small push, and before I knew it, she slapped me so hard that I was knocked to the floor.

Robert calmly finished his cigarette and then reached for the kettle of boiling water. “Maybe if we burn that pretty face of yours, they won’t recognize you anymore.”

I stumbled back in terror. “Dad, Dad, I was just kidding! What’s gotten into you both?”

The home that once felt so safe and secure had suddenly shattered into pieces.

Robert and Shelly shared a look. “As long as you can’t go back to them, our son will keep his life of luxury.”

Shelly grabbed a kitchen knife and swung it at my leg. I screamed and staggered back.

My hand found the doorknob, and somehow, I managed to drag myself out of there.

Maybe it was a pure survival instinct, but they didn’t manage to catch me, even though I was seriously hurt.

I made it to the police station and reported everything.

As the female officer comforted me, memories of my family started flooding back.

We used to be so happy together.

Robert and Shelly never yelled at me for bad grades. They bought me a phone, and a tablet, and they never skimped on food or clothes.

The only strange thing was how Shelly would sometimes pick up a photo and gently stroke it with her fingers.

She’d say, “This is your brother.”

It all made sense now—I was supposed to live a life of luxury for eighteen years, but that life had been stolen and given to their precious son.

Now that I wanted it back, they were having none of it.

The officer called for medics to treat my wounds.

The cut on the back of my calf was so deep you could see the bone, a clear sign Shelly was trying to cripple me.

A shiver ran through me.

How could they do something so horrible after living with me for eighteen years?

My birth mother suddenly called. “Irene, what happened? Your dad’s phone just got an alert that you’re at the police station. I’m so worried about you!”

Tears welled up in my eyes.

It was clear my real parents actually cared about me—unlike Robert and Shelly.

“Do you have a son, too?” I asked.

She didn’t hesitate. “I’ll have him out of our house right away if you come back to us, Irene!”

I wiped my tears away.

I had been willing to leave that boy alone, but after what Robert and Shelly did to me, I wasn’t about to let their son off so easily.

“I want you to kick him out and make him live the life he should’ve had all these years!” I demanded.

My words, said in a moment of anger, were taken seriously. A couple of beeps later, my bank account showed a transfer of $100,000.

“Okay, we’ll get him out of Irene’s house immediately. We just sent you $100,000—if you need more, just let us know,” my mom said.

It was time to set things right, to reclaim the life that was meant to be mine.

I glared at my injured leg.

Most families try to resolve things peacefully.

But after what they did to me, I wasn’t about to forgive and forget.

Robert and Shelly were standing outside the police station, too afraid to come in.

I locked eyes with them. “I won’t accept any settlement. I’m pressing criminal charges—this is attempted murder!”

Shelly suddenly lurched forward, slamming her hand on the table. “You ungrateful little wretch! You really want to drag us to court?”

I smirked. “You’re both guilty of premeditated murder. You’d better find yourselves a good lawyer.”

The female officer next to me widened her eyes, glancing between the three of us.

This was a big case. If their precinct could take it on, it would be a major win for them.

The officer squeezed my hand. “Sweetheart, if there’s anything you need to say, just say it! You’re in the police station now—you don’t have to put up with these bullies!”

I nodded. “I want to report that eighteen years ago, they kidnapped me and swapped my life with their son’s. That’s an illegal transfer of residency. And just now, they tried to kill me!”

I made sure to emphasize the word "kill." The room fell silent, and everyone strained to hear what was happening.

Shelly spat, her voice dripping with venom. “Hah! We gave their son to your parents! Do you think they weren’t happy about it? It’s not like they were forced to raise you, you little money-grubber!”

“Having kids is my parents’ business, not yours!” I snapped. “And you sent your son away so he could have a better life. But to give him that life, you treated mine like it was worthless! You even thought about pouring boiling water on my head—I was terrified!”

I let out a cold laugh and didn’t bother explaining further.

Robert glared at me. “That wealthy family raised our son all these years, put so much into him. Do you really think they still want you? They’re just throwing some money your way to get rid of you.”

Hearing this, I couldn’t help but smile even more. “Oh, and by the way, your son’s already been kicked out of my biological parents’ home. He’s probably on his way to find you right now.”

“And he must know he’s not really my parents’ biological child, right? All these years, he’s been living the life meant for me while you two fooled my parents.”

Shelly's face turned white as a sheet. She quickly pulled on Robert’s sleeve. “Stop talking. The more you say, the worse it’ll get.”

“We’ll keep quiet until our lawyer gets here,” Robert said.

When the lawyer finally arrived, we couldn’t reach any agreement. I stuck to my accusation of attempted murder.

Both Robert and Shelly were sentenced to fifteen days in jail for the attempted murder charge.

As they were leaving, Robert shot me a venomous look. “You’ll never find a husband or have children! Your family line will end with you!”

I just laughed, finding his curse laughable. “Thanks for the good wishes.”

Out of nowhere, I received a mysterious call. “I’m at the café on the second corner of Willow Crescent, waiting for you. I’m sure you want to meet me.”

Who could this be?

I was puzzled. I didn’t know this person.

But my curiosity got the better of me, so I went to the café.

Inside, there was only one person sitting quietly, looking like a character straight out of a high-end portrait.

He struck me as oddly unpleasant, though he seemed vaguely familiar.

“Hi, Irene. I’m your so-called older brother, Kevin.”

I grabbed my bag and turned to leave, but Kevin gestured sharply. “Stop her.”

Suddenly, a group of bodyguards in black appeared from every direction, blocking the café entrance.

The café owner had locked the door.

A wave of fear washed over me.

I slammed my bag on the table. “What’s going on? I haven’t done anything to you! I only sent your parents to jail because they tried to kill me, and that wasn’t my intention!”

“You had your parents throw me out of their home. That’s more than enough reason for me to be angry,” he said.

I could hardly believe my ears. “That was just setting things right. Kicking you out was what you deserved.”

I sneered and continued, “It’s just a return to the way things should be. Why are you so upset?”

He stayed calm. “It doesn’t matter. What I really want is for your parents to rot in prison.”

I was stunned. “What? They’re your real parents!”

He paused, giving me a cold smirk. “Does it matter if they’re my biological parents? What matters is that they couldn’t give me a better life. And do you know why your parents didn’t bring you back but just sent you money?

“You’re eighteen now and have been raised poorly. Only I can become the heir to your real parents' wealthy family and make it thrive. You, on the other hand, are just a worthless waste.

“If you behave, I might support you for the rest of your life.”

I walked over and cupped his chin, leaning in so my red lips brushed his ear. “But you’re not my parents’ real son, you know? Bloodline is what really matters in a family. I could easily marry someone powerful and have children who would be raised by my parents.

“They’re still young enough to see their grandchild.”

Kevin’s calm facade cracked. “What! What are you saying?”

I smirked. “You know exactly what I mean. Whether you’re a man or a woman doesn’t make you more important. Don’t think your gender makes you superior.”

I grabbed my bag and pushed past the crowd at the café entrance. “Get out of my way!”

Outside, I saw that so-called “brother” slouched dismally on the sofa.

I put on my sunglasses and booked a flight from Mapleton Heights to the capital city on my phone.

No special reason, really. I needed to solidify my position in the family.

From my chat with that so-called brother, it was clear that my biological parents must have painted me as useless.

But I wouldn’t let that stand.

What’s mine is mine, and I’m not letting go, no matter what it takes.

On the plane, everything was eerily quiet.

It was my first time flying. My family had always been poor, classified as impoverished every year, living on government aid.

So, I had never been on a plane before.

I was a bit taken aback, then I clutched my chest.

From now on, I won’t deny myself anything.

At the airport, my biological parents were waiting for me.

I greeted them with a wide smile. “Mom, Dad!”

Then, in a quieter area, I let a few fake tears slip. I announced loudly, “This is the first time I’m meeting my real parents.”

Next, I “accidentally” revealed my leg, wrapped in white bandages.

My mom’s face went pale with concern. “What happened, Irene? How did you get hurt?”

I forced a smile. “It’s nothing, Mom. I’m used to it.”

Mom gave Dad, who was on the phone, a sharp jab. “Look at our child with those bandages! How can you say it’s nothing? It’s breaking my heart!”

I quickly interjected, “Mom, let’s not focus on that right now. My brother...”

They exchanged glances, and Mom gently dismissed my earlier suggestion to kick him out. “Your brother is working on a big project right now, and he’s done an excellent job. It wouldn’t be right to send him away, don’t you think?”

I burst into tears, my voice trembling. “Mom! My wound hurts so much. Can you check if it’s infected?”

Infected!

The word made everything seem far more serious.

Mom rushed to examine my leg, and sure enough, there was a yellow and red stain seeping through the bandages.

I sobbed, “Mom, those people who raised me did this. They were trying to kill me!”

My biological parents were in a state of shock. “They tried to kill you? So they knew all along that the kids were swapped!”

I dabbed at my tears and replied, “Not just that—my so-called brother knew too and even came to threaten me. He’s still at Mapleton Heights.”

“Darling, we can’t let him stay! He’s been trouble from the start, and he knew about this all along without telling us!” My mom, Ivy, was glaring angrily, while my dad, Benjamin, was frowning deeply.

“I understand. Once we’re done here, I’ll make sure he leaves. The sooner he’s out, the sooner we can relax,” Benjamin assured me.

A secret thrill of satisfaction bubbled up inside me. All the pain from yesterday seemed worth it if it meant getting rid of that so-called brother.

Still, I knew better than to relax just yet—things could shift in an instant.

Ivy and Benjamin took me back to the old house. My grandmother was there, sitting regally in the center of the room with a warm smile. “You’re back! It’s so wonderful to see you!”

I gave a faint smile and signaled to Ivy. Ivy introduced, “This is your grandmother, my mother.”

After meeting my grandmother, I was officially settled into the old house.

But just when things seemed to calm down, Robert and Shelly showed up at the door, waving a paternity test.

“Irene is our child! You’ve got it all wrong! Give my child back, and we’ll return your biological son, Kevin, to you,” Shelly demanded, hands on her hips, shouting from the entrance.

Why didn’t she come in? Because the security guards were heavily armed. Crossing the threshold meant risking their lives.

Shelly was visibly scared.

Kevin, however, stayed calm. This was his old home, after all.

To my shock, the housekeeper, Susan, was already tossing my belongings out. She even shot knowing glances at the other staff, saying, “With the paternity test proving it, it’s unclear if Ms. Irene really belongs here. Hurry up and get her out! Really lacking in common sense!”

I tried to intervene, but Susan slapped my hand away. With my bruised wrist and weakened legs, I was helpless.

They were going to throw me out too!

With Benjamin and Ivy away on a business trip and my grandmother at an evening event, the estate was deserted except for me.

It was getting dark, and if they threw me out, Kevin’s people would surely make sure I didn’t survive the night!

I attempted to call the police and my grandmother, but my usually reliable signal kept cutting out.

I was breaking into a cold sweat.

What can I do to save myself?