Exposing the Impostor

The most popular girl from my high school is getting married. She invites everyone in our class to the wedding. I want to act like I don't see the message, but she deliberately tags me in the group chat.

"You kept pretending to be a rich girl like me in high school, but I don't hold it against you. In fact, I'll allow you to attend my wedding tomorrow to see what the rich life is like."

The other classmates speak up.

"You're so generous, Haley. It's no wonder you can marry someone from the Baumer family. I can't believe you can even forgive someone as materialistic as Emma!"

"Does someone like Emma Larkin even deserve to attend Haley's wedding? She's so full of herself."

As the insults become worse, Haley Stockwell steps forward to keep the peace. "Come on, let's put this behind us. I'm not bothered by these things since it's been so long. Anyway, let's not bear a grudge against Emma when she's already so poor and ugly."

Everyone in the group chat starts singing her praises and calling her kind and innocent.

I sneer. Haley is the one who kept pretending to be rich—I'm the true heiress from an affluent family, yet she made me out to be a liar. She turned me into the target of everyone's insults.

I check the digital wedding invitation to see that the venue is my villa. The groom looks familiar—isn't he my husband's driver?

I smile at the thought of what's going to happen. I reply, "Sure! I have to attend your wedding!"

"Oh my god, is Ms. Vain—Emma Larkin—coming to the wedding tomorrow? For real?"

"Remember how she lied about her dad making a donation for a new academic building, and how she claimed to be the daughter of a tycoon? She tried to copy Haley Stockwell! How does she even have the nerve to show up?"

"True! Haley was too kind to call her out back then. If it were me, I would've made her beg for forgiveness and transfer schools!"

…

Our class group chat erupted into chaos once my attendance at Haley's wedding was confirmed.

They pointed fingers at me, just like they did in high school, accusing me of being a poor girl who faked my status. In their eyes, Haley was the real deal.

In the past, I had kept a low profile and spent most of my time on my studies. I did not dress up or make friends, and I looked just like a nerd.

In contrast, Haley was youthful and eye-catching. She was familiar with the high society lifestyle, which misled everyone into thinking she was the daughter of a tycoon. That was why they sneered at me, the way they did in the group chat.

I snickered coldly while wondering if their attitudes would change once they saw me at the wedding.

…

Haley's wedding was hosted at a villa the next day. To flaunt her status, she spent a fortune to make the venue look extra grand. The empty villa had been adorned with exquisite decorations.

Staring at my villa which had undergone massive changes, I pulled out my phone to ask the butler about it. At that moment, I spotted Haley's lackeys surrounding her in the main hall. They were fawning over her.

"Haley, your wedding is grand! The villa is so spacious! And your wedding dress looks expensive. I assume your husband is loaded!"

"Of course he is! Haley is marrying the CEO of Novalux Group! He's the cream of the crop! Did you know he pulls in an annual salary of a few million dollars? He's hot and rich!"

"How I envy Haley! She grew up a princess and found herself a prince."

The classmates gushed about Haley, who looked smug from hearing all the praises.

I was surprised to hear Haley introduce my husband's company, the Novalux Group, as her husband's.

With a hint of mockery, I taunted her, "If your husband is that rich, why would he borrow someone else's villa for the wedding?"

My words cut through the air, drawing the attention of Haley and her clique. Their smiles vanished and were replaced by sour expressions. With their arms crossed, they sneered back at me.

"Emma Larkin, can't believe you actually had the audacity to show up. Have you no shame?"

"Besides, the villa belongs to the family of Haley's husband. Why are you being snarky? Jealous much?"

"Hey, Ms. Vain, where did you get your hands on that counterfeit Hermès bag? That logo looks damn fake! When are you going to change that vain habit of yours?"

They jeered at me, just like they once did in school.

I snickered quietly. Back when I was in school, Dad made donations for a few academic buildings. Those contributions, along with my stellar grades, had secured me a guaranteed spot at a top university before I even took the SATs.

However, Haley suddenly struck and slandered me. She accused me of impersonating her. Crying, she pitifully showed photos of my villa, including the pool, the private theater, and my dad's collection of sports cars in the garage. She even produced a photo of herself standing next to my dad to make her lies more convincing.

The school turned on me when the photos were released. I became the "poor girl" who pretended to be a tycoon's daughter, and my guaranteed university admission was revoked.

At first, I had wanted to call Dad to clear my name, but he had to undergo urgent surgery for a heart attack. To avoid further stressing him out, I kept the happenings at school a secret.

Thankfully, Dad's surgery was a success. At the same time, I had received an offer from a prestigious school abroad, where I met my now husband, Thomas Siegel.

After Thomas and I were married, we went back to the country, only for me to discover that Haley hadn't stopped her charade. In my absence, she had not only continued pretending to be me but had also taken over my house—this very villa!

I had wanted to reveal the real owner of the villa—the Siegel family—but Haley had already lunged at me and slapped me in the face. "Emma Larkin, you owed me this from 10 years ago! I'm settling the score now!"