At that moment, I understood Tanya's intention. She wanted to frame me, making it look like I had pushed her down the stairs so my parents would see me as a vicious person.

The live comments also started celebrating too soon.

"Tanya knew there were cameras in the villa, but she deliberately chose a blind spot to fall down the stairs. Now, the fake heiress has no way to defend herself."

I watched the scene expressionlessly and then pressed the button beside the staircase.

The next second, Tanya, who should have slammed hard onto the ground, was launched into the air, forming a graceful arc instead.

Her smug expression instantly cracked.

"Wait. Who installs a trampoline under their own staircase?"

Normal people would not, but I had paranoia. Places like staircases were high-risk zones for framing incidents. How could I not prepare for that?

After countless rehearsals with hired actors, I installed a full-coverage safety trampoline system. With just a press of a button, it deployed in 0.01 seconds.

Mom rushed over when she heard the noise. "Tanya, what happened?"

Tanya's eyes darted around with a calculating glint. Just as she was about to spin another lie, she saw me pull a small surveillance device from my collar and casually play with it in my hand.

Even if there were blind spots in the cameras, I had nothing to fear. I carried my own portable monitoring device with me.

Tanya's face instantly went pale. She stared at me like she had seen a ghost and shook her head frantically.

"I'm fine, Mom. I only slipped. Luckily, Faye's trampoline caught me."

After that incident, Tanya stayed unusually quiet for quite a while. She started to feel like something was haunting her, as if every move she made was known by me.

At home, she avoided me like the plague, terrified of getting caught in something again.

Eventually, her school transfer application was approved. On the day we went to school together, she looked like she had been reborn.

As she got out of the car, she leaned close to my ear and whispered in an eerie tone, "Faye Lockman, if your classmates found out you're just a fake heiress who has been lying to them all along, I wonder what they would think of you."

The comment section came alive again.

"Tanya is pretty cunning. She can't get the upper hand at home, so she's shifting the battlefield to the school instead."

"Tanya is amazing at manipulating public opinion. Back in middle school, she drove someone who bullied her to the point of dropping out. The fake heiress is done for."

They chatted away, discussing my tragic downfall.

I said nothing and simply walked toward the classroom with my backpack.

When it was time for self-introduction, Tanya shot me a smug glance and then turned to the class, smiling sweetly. "Hello, everyone. My name is Tanya Lockman. You might be wondering why I share the same surname as the Lockman family's heiress, Faye."

She stretched her words out, milking the suspense for all it was worth as she savored the look of torment on my face.

"That's because I'm the real daughter the Lockman family just found. Faye is nothing but a fake heiress who has been living under my identity for 18 years."

Tanya ended her words with a confident smile. However, the students exchanged confused glances.

"What is she even talking about? I don't understand a word."

"Who's the Lockman heiress? We don't have anyone like that at this school, right?"

Even the teacher, Ms. Elsa Stark, frowned slightly and reminded her, "Tanya, this is a self-introduction. You're straying off topic."

Tanya quickly composed herself and stubbornly repeated her claim, "Faye, the so-called heiress of the Lockman family, is a fake. I'm the real heiress who was brought back. You've all been fooled by her!"

At that point, Ms. Stark's expression soured. She immediately sent Tanya back to her seat.

"Tanya, this is a public school, not some elite private school. If you're trying to bring class hierarchy into this, I will be contacting your parents."

The classmates stared at Tanya like she had completely lost her mind.

"Even if you're wealthy, it's not like we're getting any of it. Who cares if you're the real heiress?"

"Even if Faye were a fake heiress, she's never acted high and mighty about it. We're friends with her because of her personality, not her status. What's wrong with you?"

Tanya returned to her seat, looking as though her entire worldview had collapsed.

I bit down on my laughter so hard I almost suffocated.

Fearful that being branded a fake heiress would make me unable to survive in an elite private school, I had chosen to attend a public school all these years. I had also never once publicized my background.

From the very beginning, I had been preparing for this exact situation.

Even so, I knew very well that the scheming Tanya would not give up that easily.

Sure enough, when I returned home after school and saw a black Maybach parked outside the gate, a sense of unease settled in my chest.

Just like in those online fiction stories, the fake heiress always came with a fiance candidate.

I was no exception.

The Gilmore family was one of the most influential upper-class families in the capital, representing a level of wealth and status the Lockman family would never normally be able to reach.

However, my sister just so happened to be the Gilmore heir's first love.

Yes, I had another sister.

Like many women cast as a first love in stories, Irene Lockman was the one the domineering CEO could never forget.

Before she left, her final wish had been for him to take care of her younger sister. The problem now was that Tanya turned out to be the true heiress.

Even worse, Tanya had a face that looked strikingly similar to Irene's. Furthermore, she was Irene's biological younger sister.

That realization sent my mood straight into free fall.

With a girl who closely resembled his first love standing in front of him, it was difficult not to show favoritism.

As expected, Jason Gilmore froze the moment he saw Tanya.

The comment section instantly erupted in excitement.

"Fate itself is favoring Tanya. That face is her most powerful asset."

"The Lockmans might be rich, but how could they compare to the Gilmores? With Jason backing her, the outcome is already decided."

Tanya's cheeks flushed red. She walked over to Jason in a soft, coquettish manner and struck up a conversation. While chatting with him, she would intermittently laugh and cast me smug looks.

It was just before dinner that Tanya came running downstairs after changing, clutching torn fabric in her hands and tearfully accusing me.

"Faye, I know I'm nowhere near you, and I've never tried to steal Jason away. I just couldn't help my feelings and chatted with him a few times.

"Why would you ruin the dress Jason gave me? It's the most precious gift I've ever received. I've already backed down again and again, so why are you still targeting me?"

Tanya broke down in tears, looking utterly devastated. She clutched the fabric to her chest as if it were some priceless treasure.

Jason's usually soft expression darkened immediately, and he snapped, "Faye, what is going on? Don't you have any manners?"

With Jason backing her up, Tanya instantly found her confidence again. A smug look crept into her tear-filled eyes.

"Faye, you were the only one upstairs the entire time, weren't you?"

I nodded calmly. "Yes. But I never went into your room, and I didn't damage your dress."

Even so, every word of my explanation sounded pale and powerless. As long as she stuck to her story, I would have no means of proving my innocence.

A spark of triumph lit up Tanya's tearful eyes as she finally turned the tables. She clutched Jason's hand and said through her tears, "I know I can never compare to Faye, and I've never tried to compete with her to become your fiancee."

With trembling hands, she took out a diary from her arms. "I found this in Irene's room. It records her final wishes."

I couldn't help but feel curious about what she would say next.

She paused briefly and continued, "Irene's greatest wish before she passed was for me to live happily. That's why she entrusted you, Jason, to take care of me. I can tolerate Faye, but I can never go against my sister's wish.

"Faye has to pay for this. Otherwise, how are we supposed to honor Irene's soul?"

Jason accepted the diary. In an instant, the air around him seemed to freeze, and his gaze turned icy.

Tanya looked down at me with a triumphant smile.

"Faye, if you sincerely apologize to me, I might be able to persuade Jason to go easier on you out of respect for my sister."

The comments behind her broke out in a wave of excitement.

"So, this is what a first love can do, even after death. Tanya only looks somewhat like her, yet she already has Jason completely wrapped around her finger."

"The Gilmore family is far more powerful than the Lockman family. Getting rid of a fake heiress would be as easy as swatting an ant."

I couldn't help but gesture at myself as I asked, "Are you certain you're talking about me?"

Tanya's grin widened, carrying a hint of something sinister. "Of course."

She was so absorbed in her victory that she completely missed the unease on my parents' faces beside her.

My heart thudded in my chest. It wasn't fear I felt, but excitement.

A cold, twisted smile formed on Tanya's lips. "Jason, what do you think? How should we deal with Faye so she learns her lesson?"

Under her expectant gaze, Jason trembled with suppressed rage. He raised his hand and struck her across the face.