The company was in trouble, and Father said whichever of us saved it, my brother or me, would be the one to inherit it.

My brother spent his days drinking and chasing women, sunk in one soft distraction after another.

I ran the R&D team day and night until we cracked the hardest technical problem we'd faced, and the new three-piece serum and moisturizer set seized the market the moment it launched.

In a single month, it sold out completely.

On the day of the company's celebration banquet, I put on a custom evening gown, ready to stand there while my parents named the heir in front of everyone.

But when the big screen lit up, what it played was a recording.

"Simmons' new product line was developed by my team, under me."

"Twenty million, and I'll hand you the core technology!"

My own voice sent a shockwave through the room.

I fought to explain that I hadn't sold anything out.

But Father, furious, slapped me across the face.

And announced, right there, "The future heir of this company is my son, Connor Simmons!"

"As for Kathy Simmons."

"She sold the company's secrets."

"She deserves to face the full weight of the law!"

...

The whole room erupted.

No one had imagined that I, the one who'd pulled the company back from ruin, the sure heir in everyone's eyes.

Could turn out to be the traitor who'd sold its secrets.

The company's old guard.

One after another, they smashed their glasses on the floor.

The curses coming out of their mouths were vicious, ugly to hear.

Some called me greedy for wealth.

Some called me short-sighted.

My brother, Connor Simmons, came toward me with a glass of wine in his hand.

The corner of his mouth lifted, just slightly.

Then he sighed.

"Sis, you were too greedy."

With that.

He poured the whole glass over my head.

And as he watched the cold wine drip down my cheeks.

He scoffed. "You need to sober up!"

"I didn't sell out the company!"

"Someone framed me!"

I ground the words out through my teeth.

"Heh..."

Connor sneered again.

"Sis, the evidence is right there. You still want to argue your way out?"

I fixed my glare on my parents.

"You don't believe me?"

Father was shaking with rage. He jabbed a finger at the screen and roared, "The proof is right here. How do you expect me to believe you?"

"Call the police."

The words out of Mother's mouth left me unable to believe them.

"You... you're calling the police to arrest me?"

All at once the cold sank all the way through me.

This cold.

It spread from the inside out.

"The company isn't ours alone."

"We owe an answer to everyone who has supported it!"

Mother said, her face cold.

"That's right."

"As for whether someone framed you."

"Let the police look into it."

Soon enough, someone called them.

The celebration banquet became the scene of an arrest.

With every eye on me.

The police took me away.

"Everyone, allow me to apologize on my sister's behalf."

Just as the officers were about to take me away.

Connor stepped up onto the stage and bowed deeply to the whole room.

"She's done great things for this company. No one can deny that."

"But she's also a criminal."

"Because she sold out the company's interests."

"I know that apologizing on her behalf can't undo the harm you've all suffered, but I can promise you this."

"From now on, I'll make this company better and better, and I'll make sure your incomes keep rising."

The room erupted into warm applause.

And me.

While no one was watching, I was led away by the officers.

At the station, facing the interrogation.

I held my ground.

"I didn't sell out the company."

"That recording is fake."

Confirming whether a recording is real or not takes time and some technical work.

So that night I had no choice but to stay in the holding cell.

Curled up alone in the corner of the cot.

I thought about a lot of things.

Where did the recording come from.

Who was trying to frame me?

Turn it over as I might.

The most suspicious person was my fake brother, Connor.

My parents were the traditional sort.

They always believed a family business needed a male heir to carry it on.

So back when my mother was told she could never get pregnant again.

They went to an orphanage and adopted a boy.

Later renamed Connor.

The brother I have now.

Growing up, he was doted on endlessly, always fighting me for everything.

While I, being a daughter.

My parents weren't just hard on me, they were almost twisted about it.

I understood that clearly.

Parents like that would never be anyone I could lean on.

I only had myself.

The next day.

Captain Finch told me someone wanted to see me.

I thought it was my parents, come to post bail.

Then I caught myself, and the thought seemed ridiculous. They were the ones who called the police. Why would they turn around and bail me out?

And things turned out exactly as I expected.

The person who'd come all the way to the station wasn't family.

It was a handsome man.

Seeing him, I froze.

He gave a slight smile. "Surprised?"

I nodded. "What are you doing here?"

His name was Lambert Kaufman, my father's arch-rival in business.

The company's current crisis was entirely his doing.

"I heard you were framed at the celebration banquet."

"And reported by your own parents."

"Figured you had it pretty rough, so I came to see you."

At that, I laughed.

"Yeah. Pretty rough."

Lambert shrugged. "Actually, the police have already confirmed the recording was spliced together from multiple audio clips. Someone set out to pin it on you.

"I sent people to track down the staff member who played the recording last night.

"He said someone gave him money and a USB drive.

"We could've followed the thread and found out who framed you."

"Only, unfortunately..."

"The hotel's security cameras were down for maintenance yesterday. There's no way to find out who's behind it."

"The hotel security cameras were down for maintenance?"

"How convenient."

I let out a cold laugh.

Lambert shrugged again. "You said it, not me."

I narrowed my eyes at him.

A long moment passed.

Then I asked, "I'm the one who got framed. Why do you care more than I do?"

"That's exactly the point!"

Lambert tapped a finger lightly against the table.

"Your own family turns you in."

"And your worst rival is the one who cares."

"You still don't get what I'm saying?"

I shook my head. "No."

"Kathy, yes, you do."

"Forget who we're supposed to be to each other."

"The truth is, I admire you. A lot."

"Simmons Enterprises was about to go bankrupt."

"And you dragged it back to life single-handedly."

"I really can't wrap my head around it."

"Your parents have a genius daughter right there in front of them."

"And they'd rather push that useless son up the ladder instead."

"Their heads must be full of water!"

Every word he said landed right where it hurt.

But I wasn't about to admit it.

"My family's business is none of yours."

I said it evenly.

"You're right, it isn't."

"But I can't stand to watch your talent go to waste."

"A woman like you."

"You belong under the spotlight, with everyone's eyes on you."

"Not being set up and framed."

He paused.

Then, right there, he had his secretary bring in a document.

"Take a look at this."

I opened it and skimmed a few lines.

He watched the shock creep across my face.

And he smiled.

"If you're not happy with the terms, there's room to talk."

I set the document down, my brows drawing together. "You want me to join Dream Harmony?"

"Yes."

"Not a chance!"

I pushed the document back at him. "Simmons and Dream Harmony are archrivals. We're in direct competition. How could I ever join Dream Harmony?"

"Don't be so quick to turn me down. Look at this first."

Lambert pulled out his phone and played a video for me.

In it, my father was holding a press conference.

First he formally announced that Connor was now the general manager of Simmons Enterprises.

Then he announced that every position I held in the company had been stripped from me.

"You see that? Simmons doesn't want you anymore."

"So what exactly are you still holding on for?"

Even then, I clung to a sliver of hope.

"They've just misunderstood me."

"Once I go back and tell them the recording is fake."

"They'll give me my positions back."

Lambert let out a sudden sigh.

"Looks like you won't give up until you hit rock bottom."

"Fine."

"I won't force you. But I'll wait."

"You're welcome to call and bother me anytime."

Lambert left.

And I walked out of the police station without any trouble.