: I Am the True Heiress

I'm the real heiress, but after returning home, I was ostracized in every way imaginable.

Mr. Lowell said, "It's useless for you to come back. Our only daughter is Susie!"

Mrs. Lowell said, "Susie will always be our sweet, caring daughter."

They also said, "Don't even think about depending on us! We won't give you a single cent!"

'Who said I was going to depend on them?'

'I achieved financial freedom long ago!'

1

It's ridiculous. Even though I'm the real heiress, I was ostracized the moment I was brought home.

My own father didn't care for me, and my own mother didn't love me.

My brother and sister were both holding the fake heiress's hands, their eyes red with tears.

"Susie, even though we're not related by blood, you'll always be my sister in my heart."

"Susie, I won't let you go! You're the only sister I'll ever acknowledge in this family!"

Me: ...'Excuse me? So, what was the point of bringing me back, then?'

'Fine. I'll just take my things and go visit my adoptive parents.'

Even more ridiculous was my biological father's reaction. Mr. Lowell blurted out, "Claire, it's useless for you to come back. Our only daughter is Susie."

Mrs. Lowell immediately added, "Claire, you should just go back. There's no place for you in this family anymore!"

And they looked terrified that I was going to plot against them for their fortune.

'What a joke!'

'When did I, Claire Lowell, ever say I was going to depend on them?'

Not a single one of them knew that I had actually achieved financial freedom long ago!

It would be a lie to say I wasn't hurt at all.

But I'm the type of person who accepts reality easily. Ever since I was little, I've known you have to look forward.

You can't force a melon to be sweet. People like them are only destined to walk with me for a short part of my life's journey.

Just because you share blood doesn't mean you'll share a bond.

I don't hope for it, and I certainly won't force it.

Even so, my arrival put Susie Lowell under immense pressure.

To make her happy, the family had no choice but to move up her engagement party with her fiancé.

"No choice," as in Mr. and Mrs. Lowell were afraid my return would ruin their adoptive daughter's good marriage prospects, so they deliberately moved up the engagement party for her and their future son-in-law.

Susie Lowell wore a pure white, diamond-encrusted gown that made her look noble and elegant.

When her gaze fell on me, a flash of defensiveness and wariness crossed her eyes.

She hypocritically came over, grabbed my hand, and said, "Claire, you'll find a wonderful fiancé someday too, and you'll definitely be happy."

I nodded.

"Of course. I don't know if other people will be happy, but I know I definitely will be!"

Susie Lowell was momentarily speechless.

'There's really nothing to say to this green-tea sister,' so I found an excuse to slip away to a quiet corner and eat some dessert.

Ten minutes later, the Lowell siblings appeared before me, their faces murderous.

Four eyes glared at me as Charles Lowell spoke first, "Claire, how could you bully Susie?"

Me: ?

Chloe Lowell looked like she wanted to kill me. "Brother, do you even have to ask? She's just jealous of Susie!"

I didn't know what Susie Lowell had said to provoke this pair of simple-minded, brawny siblings, but I have a clear conscience.

"Bully her? Why on earth would I bully her for no reason? And you say I'm jealous of her?"

I gave a slight, cold smile. "What part of her is worthy of my jealousy?"

"In terms of looks, she could generously be described as cute, but not stunning."

"In terms of education, Mr. and Mrs. Lowell paid for her to 'study' abroad for four years."

"In terms of ability, the funds under my name are enough to buy the entire Lowell Corporation."

...

The two siblings were stunned into silence by my questions.

Chloe Lowell stammered, "It must be... you're jealous that she's about to marry such a handsome fiancé!"

I fought the urge to roll my eyes. "Sorry, but I've seen plenty of handsome men, and I'm not interested in someone so unremarkable. Do me a favor and tell her that if she has a persecution complex, she should see a doctor instead of trying to get a rise out of me."

2

I had met Susie Lowell's fiancé, Dylan Jacobs, once before.

It was the second day after I returned to the Lowell family. As soon as he walked in, Susie Lowell threw herself into his arms, crying.

"Baby, what's wrong? Did someone hurt you?"

Susie Lowell just cried without saying a word, shaking her head nonstop.

It made Dylan Jacobs anxious to see her like that.

"Did that woman bully you? Heh. Some wretched girl from who-knows-where dares to compare herself to my Susie. She really has a death wish."

He shot me a furious glare, scowling as if I owed him millions.

Leaning against Dylan Jacobs's chest, Susie Lowell's lips curved into a smug smirk before she tugged on the corner of his sleeve.

"Don't say that. Claire is the real lady of this house. WAAAH..."

With that, she started feigning tears again.

The moment the family saw her crying, they all rushed over and started comforting her, all talking at once.

They repeatedly assured her that there was only one princess in this family: Susie Lowell.

I sat on the sofa, my face cold and my arms crossed, watching this whole family put on a play like I was a complete stranger.

Say what you will, but Susie Lowell was the best actress of the bunch. If she ever decided to enter show business, winning an Oscar for Best Actress would be no problem for her.

Susie Lowell basked in their coddling for a long time before she finally stopped crying.

Then she had the nerve to run up to me and grab my hand. "Claire, please don't steal Dylan from me," she said with false sincerity. "I love him so much. I can't live without him."

As she spoke, she gazed lovingly in Dylan Jacobs's direction.

Dylan Jacobs immediately looked back at her. "Baby, don't you worry. No one can replace you. No one."

He spat out the last two words through gritted teeth, glaring at me furiously.

Heh. Looking at his utterly average face made me feel as disgusted as if I'd swallowed a fly.

'Who gave him the audacity to think I'd be interested in him? He and Susie Lowell can be shackled to each other for life for all I care.'

On stage, Susie Lowell and Dylan Jacobs were now exchanging engagement rings.

Susie Lowell looked at the diamond ring on her finger, let out a gasp, and covered her mouth in feigned surprise.

"Thank you, darling. I love it."

The two of them embraced and kissed on stage, met by a wave of applause from the audience.

Chloe Lowell was clapping the loudest, as if she were trying to clap her hands raw.

"See that? Susie and Dylan are the real perfect couple. A true match of talent and beauty. Hmph. Not like some women, who are only fit to watch from the sidelines."

That passive-aggressive tone of hers made it sound like I'd come back to the Lowell family for one of two things: their money or Susie Lowell's man.

"Exactly. Some mutts just don't belong in the Lowell family."

Charles Lowell chimed in, standing off to the side.

"Heh. As if I'd want to be one of you Lowells."

I knew my sudden return to the Lowell family was hard for them to accept, so I had tolerated their initial rejection.

But I never expected them to dislike me this much.

To be honest, it's not like I insisted on showing up just to piss them off.

If my adoptive parents hadn't insisted I come, I wouldn't have even bothered to spare them a glance.

After saying that, I couldn't be bothered to waste another breath on them, nor did I want to witness another second of that shameless couple's fake affection on stage.

I turned and left.

:

3

My adoptive parents once told me that if I was ever unhappy with the Lowell Family, I should come home immediately. Our home would always be my safe harbor.

Before heading back, I decided to buy something for my adoptive parents along the way.

I went to the luxury boutique I usually frequented.

The moment I walked in, the store manager came hurrying over. "Ms. Lowell, it's been a while! We've just received some new arrivals. Let me show them to you."

I nodded. "Mm."

I was a regular here, and a VVIP client.

Usually, when the store got new products or limited-edition items, they would hold them internally for VVIP clients like me.

I sat down on the sofa as usual, and an employee immediately brought me the herbal tea I always drank, along with my favorite osmanthus cakes and rose pastries.

I took a sip of the tea as the employees came out with the new products.

They stood in a line for me to make my selection.

"These outfits are fresh off the runway, and these bags are all new models. Ms. Lowell, if you don't like any of these, we have other new arrivals as well."

I raised my hand and pointed to the outfits and a few bags.

"I'll take these. Just nothing too vibrant."

'My adoptive mother probably wouldn't like such bright colors.'

The manager immediately smiled and nodded. "Of course. We'll wrap them up for you right away. We also have a limited-edition bag, the only one in the world. Would you like to see it?"

I nodded, and the manager immediately scurried off with the staff to get busy.

I picked up my tea, about to take another sip.

A commotion erupted at the entrance.

"Where is everyone? Are you all dead? Get all your new products out here, now!"

The shouting sounded familiar. I followed the sound with my eyes.

Susie Lowell was clinging to Dylan Jacobs's arm, yelling from the entrance, her face a mask of pure arrogance.

The moment she looked up, she saw me sitting on the leather sofa.

Her expression instantly turned cold. Still holding Dylan Jacobs's arm, she stormed in my direction.

"Well, well, look who it is. Isn't it Claire?"

Her face was full of contempt, as if I had no right to be in a place like this.

Dylan Jacobs also chimed in sarcastically, "Heh, stores these days have no standards. They'll let just anyone in."

'I wasn't looking for trouble, but trouble came looking for me.'

Looking at the shameless pair standing before me, I scoffed.

"You don't own this store. If you can come in, why can't I?"

Dylan Jacobs reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on. He pointed a trembling finger at my face. "You think someone like you can afford luxury goods?"

He sneered and said through gritted teeth, "Are you even worthy?"

"That's right, Claire. Look at the price tags in here. There's no way you can afford this stuff."

Susie Lowell's face was also full of ridicule, as if my presence in the same store was an insult to them.

Susie Lowell even sat down next to me pretentiously and patted my arm. "Claire, you shouldn't be so vain. You should leave."

I turned my head and gave a cold laugh.

"Heh. I suggest you get up. Not just anyone is qualified to sit here."

"If you're qualified to sit here, why aren't I?"

Susie Lowell crossed her arms, refusing to move from the sofa.

'Heh. The truth is, this leather sofa was custom-made for me and kept at the store for my use.'

'Whenever I come here to shop, the staff brings out this sofa for me to rest on.'

'Just the maintenance fee for this sofa alone costs me 2 million a year.'

'Honestly, besides me, no one is qualified to sit on this sofa.'