The room falls silent when the butler of the Sherwoods places the DNA test results on the table.

In my previous life, the real heiress, Phoebe Sherwood, is so greedy for wealth that she forces me to stay in the slums in her place. Later on, the Sherwood family is accused of money laundering. Their whole business empire collapses.

Meanwhile, after news breaks that my poor parents and I win a lottery worth over 100 million dollars, someone targets and murders us. We die with hatred in our hearts.

Now, in this life, Phoebe suddenly acts as if she's gone crazy. She throws her arms around our impoverished adoptive mother, whose clothes are covered in patches.

She says, "I'm not leaving! Rosalyn is spoiled and delicate. She can't handle hardship. Let her stay with the wealthy family and enjoy a life of luxury. I want to stay with my parents and fulfill my duties as their daughter!"

She cries pitifully, but when she turns around to sign a document severing ties with the Sherwoods, she can't suppress the smile tugging at her lips.

My adoptive father is so moved that tears stream down his face. "Get out of here! The daughter we raised ourselves is the thoughtful one. We can't afford to associate with an ungrateful wretch like you!"

The Sherwoods frown as they look at me. They open their mouths as if to say something but ultimately remain silent.

My face devoid of any expression, I look at my adoptive family before turning and walking toward the luxury car.

"Dad, Mom, let's go home."

Phoebe is clueless. She doesn't know that in my previous life, I was the one who bought those winning lottery tickets.

In that instant, after the car door closed, isolating that absurd farce, the awkward atmosphere inside the car became impossible to mask.

My mother, Elizabeth Turner, remained silent by my side after the car set off. Meanwhile, my father, Isaac Sherwood, kept his hands on the wheel as he stole a glance at me through the rearview mirror, a swirl of conflicting emotions visible in that glance.

"Rosalyn…" Dad began, but trailed off, finding himself at a loss for words.

I raised my head and met his gaze. "I'm fine, Dad."

I figured they probably thought that someone who had just learned she'd been switched at birth 18 years ago and was meeting her biological parents under such circumstances should have broken down or caused a scene, rather than remaining as calm as I was.

It wasn't long before the car pulled smoothly into the hillside villa area and stopped in front of a brightly lit building. The butler, Liam Barton, was already waiting at the entrance. He respectfully opened the car door and said, "Welcome home, Mr. and Mrs. Sherwood, and Ms. Rosalyn."

He still addressed me the same way, but there was a hint of detachment in his voice.

Once more, I stepped into the home where I had lived for 18 years, where everything looked familiar but felt entirely foreign.

I noticed that dinner had already been laid out; the long dining table was filled with exquisite dishes. I had just instinctively taken my seat when Liam suddenly spoke in a calm, deliberate tone.

"Your seat is right over there, Ms. Rosalyn," Liam said, pointing to the far end of the dining table—a seat normally reserved for guests—near the kitchen entrance.

Dad's expression instantly hardened. "What do you think you're doing, Liam?"

Liam kept a respectful posture and bowed slightly. "You and Ms. Rosalyn are not related by blood, Mr. Sherwood; thus, the rules of the household should be gradually adjusted going forward.

"Your biological daughter, Ms. Phoebe, will return one day, so we couldn't possibly mistreat the true heiress of the Sherwood family, Mr. Sherwood."

Mom's breathing hitched for a moment, her fingertips turning white as she gripped her handkerchief tightly.

"How insolent of you!" Dad roared, slamming his hand on the table.

Liam remained composed, keeping his head lowered. "I'm doing this for the sake of the Sherwood family, Mr. Sherwood. If an adopted daughter of questionable or illegitimate standing holds the position of the heiress of the Sherwood family, it would reflect poorly on the family's reputation if it were made public."

I didn't look at Mom's and Dad's reactions and went straight to the seat at the far end. I pulled out the chair and sat, saying, "Liam is right."

I paused briefly, then echoed Liam's sentiment. "It's only right for someone to have a legitimate status."

In that instant, everyone was stunned. Liam clearly hadn't anticipated such a reaction, leaving him completely at a loss for words for a moment.

I took my seat before anyone else, picked up the cutlery, and took a bite of the food. "I'm hungry, so let's eat."

It was a meal that no one could properly enjoy.

I returned to my bedroom that evening, only to stop dead in my tracks the moment I pushed the door open.

I noticed that all the things in my bedroom—photos from when I was growing up, trophies, and some trinkets I had made myself—were completely gone. They were replaced by furniture and decor of an entirely unfamiliar style.

It was then that a maid walked over carrying a basin of water, her expression instantly becoming timid when she saw me. "L-Liam said you'll be staying in the guest room around the corner from now on, Ms. Rosalyn. Your former bedroom will be redecorated for Ms. Phoebe…"

She quickly lowered her head after saying that, not daring to look at me again.

I didn't say anything but simply stood at the doorway, taking in the room that had already been cleared out.

Liam appeared at the end of the hallway out of nowhere, wearing his usual standard smile. He, however, was looking at me with a completely detached gaze. "Are you settling in alright, Ms. Rosalyn?"

He approached at a leisurely pace, his movements as graceful as ever; he was someone who never lost his cool, regardless of the circumstances. "You see, this guest room is the best in the house and has a wonderful view. You ought to find it to your liking, Ms. Rosalyn."

I ignored him, turned around, and walked into the unfamiliar guest room. I gently pulled the door shut behind me and surveyed the space—stark white walls and crisp, new bedding, completely devoid of any lived-in warmth.

I had been to this place before in my past life. I had just left my impoverished biological parents, and since Mom and Dad still considered me their daughter, they brought me back to live with them for a while.

They were entirely consumed by the excitement of finding Phoebe Sherwood, their biological daughter, which made things incredibly awkward for me at the time.

Liam, an old-timer who had worked for the Sherwood family for 30 years, was bound to be fiercely loyal to Phoebe.

He viewed me as a thief who had usurped someone else's place, using all kinds of methods to ostracize and humiliate me. He even framed me, causing me to lose the very last shred of affection between me, Mom, and Dad.

I was determined not to make the same mistake again, now that I was given a second chance at life.

I went downstairs for breakfast early the next morning, and I was the only one at the dining table.

It was then that the maid served me a bowl of oatmeal with a plate of dried cranberries. She kept her head lowered, not daring to meet my gaze. "Here's everything the staff from the kitchen prepared today."

I picked up the spoon and ate it calmly. I honestly didn't think having something light for a change was a bad thing.

Just then, Mom came downstairs in an elegant nightgown. Her brows furrowed the instant she noticed my breakfast. She then turned to question the maid nearby, asking, "What's the meaning of this?"

"It's because the staff from the kitchen only prepared these this morning—"

"That's ridiculous!" Mom sharply cut her off. "Where is Doreen?"

"D-Doreen said she was feeling under the weather and took the day off."

Hearing the maid's blatant lie, Mom's anger instantly flared. "You're saying she's feeling under the weather? She's clearly grown overly bold! Get these out of here, and bring up a proper breakfast!"

In that instant, the maid shuddered with fright before stealing a glance at Liam, who was standing nearby.

Liam walked over with his customary air of deference. "You shouldn't upset yourself over such a matter, Mrs. Sherwood. Doreen is truly unwell, and since the young staff in the kitchen don't know how to prepare the usual fare, I instructed them to just whip up whatever they could for now."

He assumed a standard apologetic expression as he turned to bow deeply to me. "It was an oversight on my part, Ms. Rosalyn. I-I forgot that you're used to fine dining and probably can't stomach such a simple meal. I'm sure Ms. Phoebe wouldn't be so picky with her food."

I kept hearing him bring up Phoebe; in my past life, hearing this would have naturally upset me.

Mom was shaking with rage. "Do you honestly think I won't fire you right now, Liam?"

"I've worked for the Sherwood family for 30 years, Mrs. Sherwood. I may not have done anything remarkable, but I've always worked hard. Do you really intend to dismiss me for the sake of an outsider, Mrs. Sherwood?" Liam squared his shoulders, his gaze completely devoid of emotion.

Mom snapped, "Why, you!"

I slowly set my spoon on the dining table just as the tension reached its peak. "Mom…"

I rose from my seat, walked over, and gently patted Mom on the back. "It's alright, Mom. I'm already full."

I picked up a napkin and wiped my mouth. "Go get the chauffeur for me, Liam. I'd like to go out for a drive."

Liam hesitated for a moment, clearly not expecting me to let it drop so easily. He sized me up, his eyes full of suspicion. "Got it, Ms. Rosalyn."

He eventually lowered his head after saying that.

I had the chauffeur take me to the office of a friend who worked as a private investigator. In the past few days, using clues from my past life, I had managed to find some leads regarding the Sherwood family's financial discrepancies.

I sent a message to Dad while on the road. It was simple, containing only a photo of that oatmeal and dried cranberries. I knew that sometimes silence was far more effective than saying everything out loud.

Dad called me ten minutes later. "Your mother told me everything that happened this morning, Rosalyn. You shouldn't take it to heart. Liam—"

I cut Dad off, saying, "It's alright, Dad. I'm too busy with my schoolwork lately to bother with matters like this."

Dad fell silent for a moment on the other end of the line. "Got it. I'll take care of it, so don't concern yourself with the matters at home, Rosalyn."

I leaned against the car window after hanging up the call. I knew Dad would take care of the matter as I watched the cityscape flash past outside. I, however, also knew that this wouldn't end so easily. After all, Liam was too deeply entrenched in the Sherwood family to be put in his place by a couple of warnings.

I returned home that evening and found that the atmosphere had noticeably shifted. The household staff was all on edge, instantly bowing their heads to greet me respectfully whenever I walked past. Liam, on the other hand, was nowhere to be seen.

Mom walked over and took my hand, her eyes already welling with tears. "I'm so sorry you had to go through that, Rosalyn. Your father has already dismissed Liam and the other household staff involved."

I shook my head and said, "I'm fine, Mom."

I found that the dinner was incredibly sumptuous. Dad even personally served me food, as if everything had returned to how it used to be.

Mom and Dad sat right across from me, and on the dining table was the paternity test report, ripped in two.

Dad stated solemnly, "We've talked it over, Rosalyn. We've raised you for 18 years, so regardless of everything, you'll always be our daughter."

Mom nodded, tears welling in her eyes. "Your father is right, Rosalyn. We're family."

She tore the two halves of the report into shreds by hand and threw them into the trash can after saying that.

I nodded, feeling a trace of warmth in my heart. "Alright."

Mom and Dad resumed their warm, gentle smiles.

Phoebe stormed into the room just as we were eating, followed closely by Liam. She looked like an absolute maniac, with her hair a mess and her clothes in tatters. "Get yourself out here right now, Rosalyn!"

Phoebe got stopped by the guards, but Liam motioned for them to step aside and let her pass.

Mom's brows furrowed instantly upon seeing her, a look of pure disgust washing over her face. "What is she doing here?"

I set down the file I was holding and handed Mom a cup of chamomile tea. "You should head in and get some rest, Mom. I'll take care of this."

I walked to the doorway and looked at the almost frantic Phoebe. "Is something the matter?"

Phoebe was thoroughly enraged by my calm demeanor.

"How dare you ask me that! You're a freaking thief, Rosalyn! You stole my life, and now you're trying to take my money too!" Phoebe screamed at the top of her lungs, causing everyone nearby to look over.

"Those winning lottery tickets belong to me! That multi-million dollar jackpot is mine! What right do you have to keep it? Give it back to me this instant!"

I smiled faintly. "You think it belongs to you? Is your name written on it?"

"Why, you!" Phoebe was so furious that she was speechless as she glared at me intently. "Those were rightfully mine to begin with! You shouldn't have taken those winning lottery tickets with you since you've chosen to come back here!"

It was a laughable, absurd argument, but Phoebe's sheer irrational behavior was precisely what I required.