Once an Orphan, Now the Heiress They Regret Losing

As the real daughter, after being left in the orphanage for eight years, my parents finally decided to bring me home. When the expensive cars stopped in front of the orphanage, I was handing out snacks to the children.

“Freya, I told you before, once Phoebe got into college and became stronger inside, we’d bring you home. The moment Phoebe’s admission letter arrived, I came to pick you up.”

I frowned, looking at the strange woman standing in front of me.

She sighed. “I know you blame Mom, but Phoebe feels insecure because she isn’t our real daughter. You, on the other hand, were born with everything. We just let you enjoy it a little later.”

“It’s been hard for you, staying here for eight years. When you come home, we’ll make it up to you.”

The woman kept talking, telling me not to argue with someone named Phoebe. I raised my hand to stop her.

“Wait a minute, who are you?”

It was ridiculous. A stranger claiming she had come to take me home. But clearly, I already had new parents eight years ago.

——

The woman froze under my unfamiliar gaze, then turned and let out a soft laugh.

“You’ve stayed in the orphanage for eight years and are still this stubborn. It seems that even if Phoebe has been spoiled by your father and me, you still won’t let her push you around.”

But soon, her smile disappeared, and her tone grew cold and warning.

“Phoebe is sensitive by nature. When you come home, you must never mention who’s real and who’s not. You’re both my daughters.”

“From now on, you’ll be her older sister. You must take care of her and never let anyone bully her. In my heart, you’re both just as important.”

Listening to her biased words that could fill an ocean, I finally remembered who she was: Claudia Romero, my biological mother.

After eight years apart, she felt like nothing more than a stranger to me, and a stranger’s words meant nothing to my heart.

“Mrs. Romero, when you left me at the orphanage, did you ever think that I might have already found a new family?”

I was healthy, so it was natural for the orphanage to help me find an adoptive home.

Claudia stepped forward, reaching out to touch my head, but I moved away from her hand.

“I told the director you were only placed here for a while, that you had real parents. Who would ever adopt you?”

“Besides, you were already ten back then, a child from the mountains, poor in studies, with no skills, wild and rough. No one would want you.”

“You’re eighteen now, still without any proper schooling. Other than going home, do you plan to stay in this orphanage forever?”

My biological mother’s face stayed calm as she stripped me of all worth with her words. When it was revealed that Phoebe Romero and I had been switched at birth, they found me right away.

The day before, they hugged me and said I had suffered enough. But the next day, because Phoebe wanted to run away from home, they sent me here instead and left me to survive on my own.

It wasn’t that I felt much for them, but they were still my biological parents. Yet they refused to even give me a place to stay. Feeling upset, I spoke up in protest.

All I got in return was their disgust.

“The switch wasn’t Phoebe’s fault. All these years, she’s been kind and filial. If you move in, people will start asking questions about her background, and it’ll affect her emotionally.”

“You’re our real daughter. You’ll have everything you deserve one day. Once Phoebe gets into college and stops feeling insecure, we’ll bring you home.”

Those words completely broke the little affection I still had for my parents. Without looking back, I walked straight into the orphanage.