My mother personally raised four orphans for me to later choose a marriage from.

But when she passed away and I returned home to handle the funeral, I found the house had long been taken over by the four foster brothers’ pampered woman.

Sophia sat in my Rolls-Royce, wearing my Chanel heels, towering above everyone. “It’s not my fault—you’ve probably never seen anything this grand, have you?”

Everyone bowed and called her Miss Rivers, but I scoffed.

“You may be Miss Rivers…so what does that make me?”

The four foster brothers slapped me across the face.

“Do you have a problem with our little sister?”

Seeing them tightly shielding Sophia behind them, I swung my hand back. “You’ve been raised at home for so long, you really think you won’t turn into four wild losers!”

——

A loud smack echoed through the air.

“Ah!”

The slap didn’t land on my eldest brother Andrew’s face—it hit Sophia, who had suddenly lunged forward.

She cried out and collapsed into Andrew’s arms, tears immediately streaming down, yet she still choked out.

“I…I’m fine… As long as you’re okay andrew…”

Another sudden slap landed across my face.

It was from my second brother, Victor. My mother had given him this name. Of the four, he was the one who liked me the most.

My mother had hoped that since he willingly stayed by my side, he would be devoted and loyal, never harboring divided loyalties.

But now, he looked at me—struck and lying on the ground—with cold eyes, frowning as he said sharply at the bodyguards.

“What are you standing there for? That ungrateful wretch just slapped Miss Rivers—are you just going to let Lady Rivers watch?”

The “Lady Rivers” he referred to was my mother.

The bodyguards immediately understood, rushing forward to haul me up and drag me all the way to my mother’s coffin. One of them kicked my knees, forcing me to kneel.

Before I could even speak, a heavy hand slammed across my face.

“You wretch! Bullying her daughter at Lady Rivers’s funeral! Do you really want to die?”

“You’re just a poor student supported by Miss Rivers. If it weren’t for her kindness, a wretch like you wouldn’t even deserve to be in this grand estate!”

“Exactly! You’ve sullied Lady Rivers’s funeral!”

My arms were held tight, my body swung from side to side with each slap. I couldn’t speak—only stared in shock at my four foster brothers.

They all avoided my gaze, occasionally frowning at me.

It turned out they said I was just a poor student sponsored by Sophia?

“You don’t want to live, do you?”

I roared, “Do you really think you can stand against Flying Cavalry Special Guards?”

The slap that was about to land on my face froze. The lead bodyguard exchanged a startled glance with his colleagues.

“How… how could she know about the Flying Cavalry Special Guards?”

“This… isn’t that something only people inside the Rivers Family would know?”

The Flying Cavalry Special Guards were a domestic security team my mother left for me. From my childhood to now, I had been kidnapped 88 times and each time this team had intercepted the threat.

“It was us who told her. What’s the problem?” Victor suddenly spoke. “She’s just a poor student sponsored by our sister. We didn’t really guard anything from her. Why would it be strange that she knows?”

My fourth brother, Grant, boldly stepped in front of Sophia. “This team has long been given to Sophia. Are you planning to snatch it from the person who helped you?”

I widened my eyes.

Sure enough, with a snap of Grant’s fingers, the entire security team that had always stood by my side now aligned perfectly behind Sophia.

But none of them bore a familiar face anymore—no one would realize that I was the true heiress.

Their eyes were sharp and predatory, making even the bodyguards still holding onto me tremble slightly.

“You gave her the team Mom left me and replaced my people?” I gritted my teeth. “What right do you have?”

“Pfft!” Someone snickered. “In the future, this family’s leadership will come from one of these four. If they don’t have the right, who else would?”

“Exactly. She’s just a poor student backed by Miss Rivers, yet she’s so daring. If I had even a bit of that confidence, I wouldn’t be so awkward in social situations.”

“You!” I gritted my teeth and stared at the four of them.

Each of them wore an expression of complete entitlement.

Andrew, even frowned and scolded, “Please, everyone, maintain silence at Mom' s funeral.”

Immediately, someone whispered, “This eldest brother really has the bearing of a leader. Maybe in the future, he’ll be the one heading the Rivers Family.”

Andrew’s face showed no trace of surprise.

The other three also wore expressions of “as it should be.”

“Have you forgotten? You’re nothing but four bums raised by the Rivers Family!”

The moment I spoke, all four of them furrowed their brows sharply.

I pointed to the bag lying on the ground. “There are two copies inside. You’ll know once you look.”

The four of them looked and their expressions changed.

They were two copies of a will.

I pushed the bodyguard aside. “Mom had long anticipated this day. So before returning to the country, she specifically had the lawyer draft two copies of the will.”

I picked up one of them. “This one states that if you remain loyal, I will have the right to choose my husband and take on the Rivers Family responsibilities with him. The remaining three will each have their own shares and dividends.”

The next moment, I tore this document in half.

The four people all held their breath, the words they wanted to say stuck in their throats.

I picked up another document. "If you are unfaithful, you will leave with nothing!"

The file was slammed onto the table and the four of them instinctively took a step back.

The people attending the funeral also widened their eyes.

Many couldn’t believe it.

"You think a few sheets of paper can strip these four gentlemen of their inheritance? Ridiculous."

"You don’t really think Ms. Rivers’s seal is that easy to forge, do you? I’ve been organizing documents under her for ten years—just one look and I can tell…" The person speaking suddenly stopped.

He frowned as he flipped through the documents, his expression growing increasingly grave.

"No… the seal seems to be real… the signatures too… how could this be…"

"This is utter nonsense!"

My third brother, Simon, grabbed my arm. Just moments ago, the bodyguards had forcefully twisted it behind my back and even now, the slightest touch made it ache.

But he showed no restraint. My arm snapped with a sharp “crack,” and the pain brought tears to my eyes.

Yet he forcefully grabbed my chin and the features that had once been gentle toward me were now sharp and merciless.

"When did you steal Mom’s private seal? Hand it over! Stealing an official seal is a crime!"

"Let go!"

A panting man appeared at the doorway.

Someone was the first to recognize him. "Mr. Zucker! What are you doing here?"

Andrew, also frowned. "Mr. Zucker, weren’t you handling the company documents Mom left behind?"

Simon was stunned.

Everyone knew that Mr. Zucker was the only lawyer my mother had in her life. What he meant was what she meant.

"Could it be that this will is really…" Simon looked at the will that demanded the four of them leave with nothing, utterly disbelieving.

Mr. Zucker nodded.

"In light of the behavior just now, I hereby, on behalf of my client, declare that the four gentlemen have lost all rights in the Rivers Family."

Sophia almost lost her footing.

Before the four of them could speak, she fell to her knees with a thud in front of me.

"Mellan! I know you’ve always been jealous of having less than me. Even when I supported you, you never felt grateful. But you can’t be so cruel as to set up this kind of trap! You hate me, fine—I can give you the identity of Miss Rivers and never come back! Please, spare my four brothers!"

I laughed in fury. "I am already Miss Rivers. What exactly are you giving me?"

"Enough!"

The four of them quickly stepped forward, holding Sophia protectively in their arms.

"Can you stop being so malicious all the time!"

I nodded and gestured to my Flying Cavalry Special Unit.

"You’ve seen Miss Rivers’s intentions. Get these ungrateful brats out of here!"

The Flying Cavalry had already reviewed my mother’s will moments ago. At this moment, everyone sprang into action.

The bodyguards clashed with the Flying Cavalry Special Unit. But how could a group of bodyguards possibly win against my elite unit?

Just as the four of them, along with Sophia, were about to be driven out, a commanding voice rang from the doorway.

"What are you all making a scene at Rose’s funeral for!"

My eyes lit up. "Dad!"

I was overjoyed, wanting to rush to him like I used to. But when I saw the woman linking arms with him, my steps froze instantly.

Looking at the middle-aged woman whose face was so strikingly similar to Sophia’s, my hand trembled slightly as I pointed at her.

"Dad, who is this?"

But he didn’t answer me. He simply picked up the will that demanded the four foster brothers leave with nothing. Then he tore it in half and slammed it in my face with a sharp “smack!”

"Ungrateful wretches!"

I stared in shock at this man, who had once had his heart and eyes only for me and my mother, unable to believe what I was seeing.

"Dad… what are you saying?"

"Who allowed you to speak recklessly!" He pointed at me. "If it weren’t for my daughter’s generosity in supporting you, I wouldn’t let you call me ‘Dad’. I’m letting you only out of respect for her. Do you really think you have the right to be my daughter? My daughter supports you and you show no gratitude and on top of that, you dare to forge my wife’s will to try to drive my sons and daughters out of this house! Who gave you the audacity!"

"Who are you calling your daughter!" I shouted in anger.

Dad froze, not expecting me—usually so gentle—to act like a shrew at this moment.

I pointed at the woman behind him. "You yourself said my mother was your wife, so what does it mean that you brought another woman to her funeral!"

My father was at a loss for words.

The woman and Sophia exchanged a glance and shook their heads.

It was Andrew who broke the awkward silence.

"Karen is Mom’s close friend. Dad hasn’t been eating or sleeping these past few days. Without Karen, he would have starved himself. She’s here supporting him to see the funeral through. What’s the problem with that?"

My father’s eyes suddenly reddened.

Many of the funeral attendees shed tears.

"They always said Ms. Rivers and her husband’s love was stronger than gold. Now it really seems so."

"Thankfully, Ms. Rivers has Karen, her close friend. Otherwise, how heartbroken her husband would be."

My father wiped at the corners of his eyes—though no real tears were there—and spoke solemnly. "I’ve decided—from today onward, the Rivers Family will cut off all support to this ungrateful wretch!"

"Support?" I laughed bitterly in anger. "Dad, have you forgotten? You’re just a son-in-law. What right do you have to touch the Rivers Family’s inheritance!"