Olivia’s Pov

The car stopped in front of a stunning, breathtakingly white house. Its beautiful design and perfectly groomed lawns left me speechless.

Having grown up working for the wealthy Cooper family and later marrying into wealth, I thought I had seen it all. But this house was on a completely different level. It reeked of nothing but luxury.

The exterior walls were decorated with beautiful stone designs, while the huge windows reflected the moonlight like diamonds. A large fountain stood at the entrance, its gentle splashing creating a strangely calming sound.

As I stared at the magnificent house in awe, I suddenly felt the car door open.

I turned and realized the guards had already stepped out and were now waiting for me to get down.

I stepped out gently, my eyes still fixed on the majestic house.

The moon cast a silver glow over the perfectly manicured grounds, while the gentle night breeze carried the sweet scent of blooming flowers through the air, creating an almost peaceful atmosphere.

“OH MY GOODNESS, OLIVIA!”

I heard my name being called.

I turned around, and my eyes immediately met Mrs. Carter’s.

The Minister’s wife was rushing toward me at full speed, a radiant smile plastered across her face.

Before I could even say a word, she wrapped her arms around me and pulled me into a tight hug, completely catching me off guard.

I stood there frozen, unsure of what exactly was happening.

My eyes darted toward Mr. Carter, the Minister himself, who stood a few feet away from us.

His expression was filled with emotions I couldn’t quite identify.

Sad?

Happy?

I honestly couldn’t tell.

But one thing was certain— the warmth in his eyes was genuine.

Strangely, it made me feel safe.

“Thank you, my baby. Thank you so much for staying alive,” Mrs. Carter sobbed, her trembling voice muffled against my body as she continued holding me tightly.

I remained frozen, unsure of how to react.

My eyes returned to Mr. Carter, and he was still looking at me with that same warmth in his eyes.

“Um… I… I don’t know what to say. Can you please tell me what exactly is going on? I’m quite confused,” I muttered carefully, my voice barely above a whisper.

I was still completely confused by everything happening around me.

Earlier, when their men had referred to me as “Ms. Carter,” I had assumed they were mistaken.

But judging from the way these people were behaving, I could tell that something much bigger was going on.

Mr. Carter stepped forward.

He gently placed a hand on my hair and caressed it, his eyes now brimming with unshed tears as he locked gazes with me.

“Welcome home, dear. We’re so thrilled to have you back where you rightfully belong,” he said, his deep voice cracking with emotion.

“Huh?”

Mrs. Carter slowly pulled away from me, her face stained with tears.

“Yes, Olivia. Welcome back home. We thought we had lost you, dear. We thought…” she began, but her voice broke, and she burst into tears again, burying her face against my shoulder.

I stood there awkwardly.

I didn’t know whether I should wrap my arms around her and comfort her or simply let her cry.

“Mrs. Carter, I—”

“Call me Mom, dear.”

She pulled away from me and gave me a sweet smile.

Something about that smile immediately reminded me of Daniel’s mother.

That was exactly how she used to look at me— with nothing but pure love.

“What?!” I exclaimed.

“Dear, I know you’re very confused right now, but don’t worry. We will explain everything to you once we get inside. Can we go in for now and talk about everything inside?” Mr. Carter asked gently.

I nodded.

Even though I was still confused, I quietly followed them inside.

At that moment, nothing was more important to me than staying away from Daniel and having a roof over my head.

My heart swelled with relief at the thought that I would finally be safe here.

I didn’t know what any of this meant, but one thing I was certain of was that I was going to be safe.

As long as I never had to see Daniel again, I was willing to accept whatever came my way.

The moment we stepped inside, my jaw dropped once again.

The interior was even more stunning than the exterior.

From the fancy light fixtures to the beautiful paintings and luxurious furniture, everything screamed wealth and elegance.

Mrs. Carter turned toward me and smiled.

“Welcome home, dear. Please, have a seat and make yourself comfortable.”

I nodded as she guided me toward a comfortable couch.

She sat beside me, gently taking my right hand in hers and caressing my fingers.

“Aren’t you hungry? Do you want me to get you something to eat? What would you like? Just tell me, and I will prepare it for you right away,” she said, still stroking my fingers with one hand while gently rubbing my hair with the other.

“Um… just water is fine,” I mumbled, loud enough for her to hear.

I suddenly realized how thirsty I actually was.

There were several maids moving around the house, but surprisingly, Mrs. Carter got up herself to get me the water.

I would be lying if I said I didn’t have questions.

So many thoughts were running through my mind.

But I choose to remain calm.

A few moments later, she returned with a glass of water and handed it to me.

“Thank you.”

I gulped down the entire glass in one go.

That alone proved just how thirsty I really was.

After a while, Mr. Carter cleared his throat.

His expression had suddenly become serious.

“Olivia, I know you’re confused about everything right now, but I want you to know that it was never our fault that we abandoned you. We had no idea you were swapped at birth.”

I stared at him in confusion.

“Swapped? What do you mean, swapped? Who got swapped? And can you please tell me what exactly is going on?”

“We will, dear.”

Mrs. Carter took a deep breath before continuing.

“You see, it all started twenty-six years ago, when I was about to have you. It was such a happy moment for your father and me because it had taken us lots of years after our marriage before I finally became pregnant.”

“We were so happy when we discovered that I was carrying you. Your father, especially, couldn’t contain his joy.”

“On the 15th of September, I gave birth to you.”

She paused, her eyes filling with tears.

“And we never knew that you had been swapped with another baby at the hospital.”

I stared at her silently.

“We happily welcomed another child who wasn’t even related to us into our family. We showered her with love, care, and everything she could ever need, never knowing that our real daughter was somewhere out there, suffering and going through hell.”

“When she turned twenty, she fell critically ill. We rushed her to the hospital, and after several tests were conducted, the doctor told us she needed a blood transfusion.”

“Your father and I were ready to give her our blood. We were desperate to save our precious daughter.”

She paused, swallowed hard before continuing again, “But when the test results came out, we discovered that our blood didn’t match hers.”

“We were confused. There was no way our blood wasn’t supposed to match hers.”

“The doctor suggested that we conduct a DNA test. I refused at first because I strongly believed she was our daughter. But eventually, we agreed. And that’s when we discovered the truth.”

Mrs. Carter’s voice trembled.

“She wasn’t our biological daughter.”

My heart began pounding hard as she said that.

“I was devastated. I kept asking myself how the daughter I had loved and raised for twenty years could turn out not to be mine.”

“Your father was my only source of strength. He assured me that everything would be fine and that together, we would get to the bottom of the mystery.”

“We began making inquiries and eventually discovered that you had been deliberately swapped at the hospital at birth.”

“The identity of the person who did it remains unknown to this day, even though we’re still doing everything we can to find her.”

Tears rolled freely down Mrs. Carter’s cheeks as she speaks.

“I have so many questions for that woman. Why did she do this to my precious baby? Why did she take you away from me? What did we ever do to her? What did we do to deserve such an evil act?”

By now, her entire face was covered in tears.

And somehow, everything she was saying sounded painfully genuine.

But I still couldn’t bring myself to believe it.

How could someone walk into a hospital and swap two newborn babies?

I was just a newborn.

I had barely entered the world.

I didn’t know her.

I hadn’t offended her.

So why would she deliberately give me a bitter and painful life from the very beginning?

Why would she make me experience suffering and hardship when my real parents were actually filthy rich?

What did I ever do to her to deserve such a life?

The questions raced through my mind as tears began streaming down my own cheeks.

“I was so angry and hurt, Olivia. I couldn’t believe that all those years, I had been nurturing someone else’s child. Your father and I decided to secretly search for you.”

She reached for my hands and held them tightly.

“After another painful five years, we finally found you.”

A broken smile appeared on her face.

“You have no idea how happy your father and I were when we found you. We had no idea you had been so close to us all these years. I’m so glad you’re here now, Olivia. I’m happy that you’re finally in my arms and under my watch. I’m sorry.”

Her voice cracked at the end of her sentence, before adding again, “I’m truly sorry that I let you down all these years. I’m sorry I wasn’t there for you.”

“I wish we had found you earlier, but it wasn’t easy. We tried. We really tried our best to find you, but it took time. I’m so sorry it took us this long to find you.”

She clutched my hands tightly, tears streaming down her face.

We were both crying now.

Mr. Carter crouched down in front of me and reached out to wipe away my tears.

But I immediately shoved his hand away and jumped to my feet.

“So… are you telling me that I’m your biological daughter and Juliana isn’t?”

My voice trembled with confusion.

I still couldn’t believe everything I had just heard.

Maybe they were mistaken.

How could I possibly be dealing with two major problems at the same time?

First, there was the betrayal of my husband— the man I had trusted with all my heart and believed would never hurt me.

And now… I was discovering that I had been born into one of the wealthiest and most prestigious families in the country.

I stared at them in disbelief.

I AM THE TRUE DAUGHTER OF THIS FAMILY?

“Yes, dear.”

Mrs. Carter nodded, tears still running down her face.

“You’re our long-lost, precious daughter. And you’re right. Juliana was the baby who was swapped in your place.”

“AND WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN BY THAT, DAD?!”

A familiar voice suddenly screamed from behind me.

I froze.

Slowly, I turned around.

And there she was.

Her fiery eyes were locked directly onto mine, filled with nothing but rage.

For a few seconds, neither of us moved.

Then, without warning, she charged toward me.

Her eyes blazed with pure fury.

And the look on her face told me one thing… she was ready to do something crazy.

Olivia’s Pov

I stood there frozen as she almost hit me. Her body was trembling with anger, and it was all thanks to Mr. Carter, who hurriedly held her back before she could lunge at me.

“Daughter?” she muttered, a scoff escaping her lips. “You’re not my parents’ daughter!” she spat, her eyes blazing with fury. “You’re just a fake, trying to steal my position in their hearts.”

“Calm down, Juliana. We can talk this out peacefully,” Mr. Carter said to her, his grip on her still firm as he tried to calm her down.

“Let go of me, Dad!” she hissed, struggling against his grip, her face still red with anger. “There’s no way she’s your real daughter and I’m not! You can only have one daughter, and that’s me!”

She insisted again.

Despite Mr. Carter’s firm grip on her, she continued throwing her legs and hands at me. I’m sure if she had been left to do as she pleased, I would have been six feet underground by now.

How did she even have the guts to come after me like this?

She had been sleeping with my husband for months, took him away from me, and now she’s threatening me again?

“If you don’t leave this house quietly, I will kill you! I promise you that, Olivia. I will be the one to end your fucking useless life!” she snarled, her voice dripping with malice. “You’re not welcome here, and you never will be! Nobody wants you here. My parents don’t care about you! We’ve been living perfectly all these years without you being involved, so what makes you think anything will be different now? I’m warning you, leave quietly, or you’ll find yourself in another world by tomorrow morning because I will definitely make sure I end your miserable life for good!”

A chill ran down my spine as her threats escalated. I couldn’t believe she had the audacity to say all of this in front of her parents. She didn’t even look scared at all.

One part of me wanted to leave this place as quickly as I could, but another part of me desperately wanted to stay.

This was what I had been wishing for all my life.

I grew up without parents, not knowing my identity or even who I truly was. I was treated like a nobody, and now, now that I had finally found my real identity, why did it have to be Juliana?

Of all people to have a clash of fate with, why did it have to be her?

All of a sudden, she broke free from her father’s grip and dashed toward her mother.

“M… Mom… Mom, please, just send her out of this house. I can’t stand having her here with me! I don’t even think I can stand another second with her in this house. You always listen to me, right? You always do whatever I ask… Remember, I’m your favorite daughter, so please, just send this bitch out of here and we will be happy once again. I’m going to continue making you happy, just like I’ve always done. You don’t need her here. I’m here with you. So please… please, please, please, just throw this bitch out of our house,” she begged desperately, clutching Mrs. Carter’s hands tightly.

Instead of replying to her, I watched as Mrs. Carter raised her hand, her eyes burning with anger and disappointment, and landed it roughly on Juliana’s cheek.

I was shocked. Not only me, but everyone else in the room was too.

Juliana, especially, looked completely stunned. Her face contorted with shock, anger, and humiliation. Tears welled up in her eyes as she touched her stinging cheek.

I could tell she was deeply hurt and surprised that her mother could hit her.

For some weird reason, I didn’t even feel sorry for her.

Rather, I was hoping for more.

“ENOUGH! That’s enough, Juliana Carter!” Mrs. Carter snapped. “I’ve heard enough of your silly and annoying attitude. It needs to end now. I’ve always tolerated your bad behavior because I felt you were my only child, and I should always make you happy. But right now, the situation has changed. Olivia here is my blood and flesh! And I won’t let you disrespect her or hurt her in any way. Am I understood?”

So, it was really true?

I was truly their daughter?

I had really been taken away from them right after my birth?

“M… Mom? Yo… You just slapped me?”

“And I will do it again and again if you don’t stop this stupidity of yours right now. Now, go to your room. We will discuss more about this tomorrow morning,” she ordered, her expression stern and unwavering.

Juliana’s gaze slowly darted toward me, her eyes blazing with resentment. For a moment, I feared she would lunge at me again.

But then, something seemed to break inside her. Her shoulders slumped hopelessly as she turned to face her father.

“Dad… Dad, please talk to Mom. She’s been bewitched by this girl.”

Without listening to her words, Mrs. Carter’s gaze turned toward me, warmth and love shining in her eyes.

“I’m so sorry for that. This is all my fault. I pampered her too much, and most times, she tends to forget her manners.”

I nodded, still trying to process everything that was happening.

“Please come with me, dear. Let’s get you settled into your new room,” she said softly.

As we sauntered upstairs, Juliana’s desperate pleas echoed through the house, growing fainter with every step.

“Moooom!! Mom, please, wait! Don’t do this! You don’t even know her that much. How can you trust her and believe her words?! Why can’t you just see that she’s here to separate you and me?”

But Mrs. Carter remained unmoved, her silence showing that she had deliberately chosen to ignore Juliana’s outburst.

Her soft caress on my arm made me turn to look at her. She nodded once more, giving me a comforting smile that softened my heart and made me feel safe.

We reached my new room, and Mrs. Carter opened the door, revealing a beautiful space that took my breath away.

“This is your room, dear. Welcome home once again,” she said softly, her eyes shining with happiness and warmth.

I stepped inside, looking around in wonder.

There was no doubt that this room had been designed to make me feel calm and comfortable. Soft, creamy walls painted in a light purple color, complemented by a dark wooden floors.

A big king-sized bed in the middle of the room, looking incredibly soft and comfortable, decorated with purple and white pillows. The bedding looked so inviting.

To my left, a large walk-in closet beckoned, with shelves and organizers waiting for my things. A cozy reading spot caught my eye, with a plush chair and footrest beside a tall bookshelf filled with various books.

My goodness! How did they know that I loved reading books?

They must have done their research so well because everything in this room screamed nothing but my taste.

The room was so huge— three times bigger than my old room at the Cooper’s house.

For the first time in my life, after looking around carefully, I felt like I truly belonged here.

The nagging questions about my past and the uncertainty that had bothered me for so long started to fade away.

I had finally found my family— MY ROOTS.

Mrs. Carter’s gentle squeeze on my arm brought me out of my thoughts.

“Olivia, dear, I’m so glad you’re here with us. Your father and I will make sure we try our best to make it up to you for all those times that we weren’t there for you,” she whispered, tears welling up in her eyes again.

I smiled happily, already feeling close to the woman standing right in front of me.

“Thank you,” I replied, my voice barely above a whisper.

Her soft touch still sent shivers down my spine as she tucked a loose strand of my hair behind my ear.

“Do you like your room, dear?” she asked, her voice gentle.

I nodded, my heart filling with nothing but joy and gratitude.

“I love it. It’s beautiful.”

I watched as her smile grew wider after hearing my response.

“Are you hungry? Do you want something to eat? I can prepare you anything of your choice.”

I shook my head, already feeling overwhelmed by everything that had happened.

“No, thank you. I just… I mean, I will just take a rest.”

She nodded her head in understanding.

“Dear, I know everything seems difficult and confusing right now, but don’t worry too much. You will definitely get used to living with us. I… I know about everything that has been happening with you lately, even before we found you, but I want you to know that I will always be here for you. I’m here now, in your life, and I will never let you get hurt again.”

Before I could reply, she glanced at the clock on the nightstand and smiled.

“We still have a lot to discuss, but it’s getting late already. Let’s continue tomorrow,” she said, her calming words wrapping around me like a cozy blanket.

“Just go to bed and sleep peacefully, okay? Don’t worry about anything else,” she added, her voice soothing.

I nodded, gratitude overwhelming my whole body.

“Thank you, Mrs. Carter,” I muttered.

But her smile faltered for a moment before she corrected me.

“Not Mrs. Carter, dear. Call me Mom. I will be more than happy to hear you call me that.”

My heart skipped a beat.

The word felt unfamiliar, yet wonderfully close.

I nodded again, and Mrs. Carter— I mean, Mom, kissed my forehead gently.

“Sleep tight, my beautiful daughter. Always remember that Mommy loves you so much,” she whispered.

As she left the room, I felt a lump form in my throat. The door clicked shut, and I was surrounded by silence.

I looked around my new room, and I felt like I truly belonged here.

For the first time in my life, I was finally experiencing what it felt like to have a real family— to have a mother who cared so much about me wholeheartedly.

Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes as I whispered the word, “Mom,” to myself.

My mind went back to everything I had been experiencing all these years, how Daniel’s family had treated me like a piece of trash.

Even when he promised to always love me and stand by me, I later found out he was expecting a child with his ex-girlfriend—and she was my parents’ fake daughter.

He was so desperate to take over his father’s empire that he said he needed Juliana by his side because she was the Minister’s daughter.

What would he do when he eventually found out that I was their true daughter and not Juliana?

Would he leave her for me too?

What a bastard and a betrayal!

I hate him! I really, really hate him so much, and I would never forgive him for doing this to me.

This was not the promise he made to me.

He promised to always love me. He promised that no one would ever come between us, but he broke that promise.

I thought I only hated him, but I was even more hurt by what he had done to me.

I missed him so much.

And I knew I was so stupid to be having these kinds of feelings despite everything he had done to me, but I couldn’t help it.

My heart still beat for him.

I had loved him too much. I trusted him completely, without any doubt.

I didn’t realize I had been so lost in my thoughts until I heard continuous banging on my door.

Assuming it was Mrs. Carter or Mr. Carter, I walked toward the door and opened it.

But my expectations were shattered when I saw Juliana standing before me, her eyes burning with anger and her face twisted with hatred.

Not only that, but her hand was gripping a shiny, small sharp knife, and from the look on her face, she was ready to strike me with it.

I stood there paralyzed, my heart pounding so loudly in my chest.

“You think you’ve won, don’t you?” she spat, her voice poisonous. “You think you can just walk in here and take everything away from me? Well, Olivia, be ready to face death because not on my watch will I let you do that!”

I tried to speak, but my voice got stuck in my throat.

Before I could think of any possible way to escape her, she had already raised her hand, ready to stab me with the knife.