Standing on the doorstep, I felt a chill deep in my heart. I never expected my brother would actually kick me out. But if that’s how they want it, then I won’t be polite either.

I took my luggage and found a hotel to stay in. The next day, I contacted a lawyer. Since both properties are in my registered ownership and the transfers haven’t been completed, reclaiming my houses should be straightforward.

I also dug through old chat records with my brother. Every time he asked for money, he’d always say he wanted to borrow some. It was his go-to line. Of course, he never paid any of it back. But now, that line would be working in my favor.

Going through the chats, I calculated that just from his “borrowing,” he owes me over 600,000 dollars! And that doesn’t even include all the money I’ve given to their family.

With all this evidence, I handed everything over to my lawyer. My only goal was to get back what’s rightfully mine. At the same time, I hired a private detector because my mom had said I wasn’t her biological child. Naturally, I wanted to find out the truth.

I also bought a villa in Rosewood Manor, the most exclusive neighborhood in the city. I moved in with my luggage and started enjoying a laid-back life.

One day, my mom called me out of the blue.

“Anabella, what’s the meaning of this? Are you seriously suing your brother, Howard?” Her voice was filled with anger. “You want to take those two houses and make him pay back over 600,000 dollars?”

“Why shouldn’t he pay it back? He borrowed the money, didn’t he?” I replied calmly. “Since you kicked me out, I’m not going to indulge you anymore.”

“Anabella, that’s your brother, Howard! How can you be so heartless and cruel?” she snapped.

“Am I your mother? Are you going to throw me out?” she demanded.

“No, you’re not my mother,” I said with a smile. “Mrs. Chen, you made it clear when you kicked me out—I’m not your daughter anymore. My debts have nothing to do with you, so if Howard owes me money, it’s none of your business.”

“You ungrateful girl! Do you really think you can get away with this? I’m your mother!” she yelled. “As long as I’m around, your money should go to me. I’ve already said it—your brother doesn’t need to repay that money, and those two houses are his! Not only that, but you also have to support me. I’ll tell your brother, and we’ll sue you!”

“Go ahead and sue me,” I replied, not backing down.

“Just wait until your brother finds you—you will be doomed!” she threatened, her voice full of fury.

I couldn’t listen to anymore, so I hung up the phone.

After I hung up, the private investigator contacted me.

“Ms. Elton, we’ve completed the investigation as you requested,” he said. “Your real parents passed away a long time ago. They left you an inheritance, but your aunt had her eyes on it. She and her family took the inheritance meant for you and adopted you.”

Hearing this, I was taken aback. So, the woman I had been calling “Mom” was my aunt. She only adopted me because my parents had left me a large inheritance. As for what happened to that inheritance, it’s obvious—she spent it all.

Growing up, I always had the worst food at home. From a young age, I was stuck doing all the chores while my mother doted on my brother, who barely lifted a finger. He was treated like a little prince, while I was more like the maid.

Not only did their family take the inheritance my parents left me, but they also never spent a dime of it on me. Instead, they treated me like a servant. Even when I went to college, they didn’t give me a cent. I had to rely on student loans and scholarships to get by.

It was only after I became successful that they started treating me better. Now I realize that it wasn’t me they cared about—it was my money. From the beginning, I was just a means to an end for them.

“Your parents left you a property, which your stepmother, Kate, sold out,” the private detector told me, handing me a document. “If you didn’t know about this, you can sue them for embezzling your property.”

I took the document and immediately forwarded it to my lawyer. I already had the upper hand legally, but this new evidence was a game-changer. It wasn’t just about getting back what they took from me—it was about reclaiming the inheritance they stole from my parents. With this proof, I could finally cut all ties with that family for good. They wouldn’t be able to claim me as part of their family or try to take advantage of me ever again.

I handed everything over to my lawyer and had no intention of seeing that family again. I knew exactly what they were like—scoundrels with no knowledge stock of law. They were the kind of people who might do something extreme if given the chance, so for my own safety, I decided to let the lawyer handle everything. The high fee I offered made them more than willing to take on the task.

One day, I got a call from an old friend I used to work with. He was coming for a business banquet and wanted me to join him. Even though I’d sold my company, I still had plenty of connections, and a lot of people in my circle knew me. After being cooped up for so long, I figured it was a good opportunity to get out for a bit, so I agreed.

What I didn’t expect was to run into my sister-in-law, Kate, at the banquet. When she saw me, her face twisted with anger. Their family had just received a court summons a few days ago, so they were probably too busy dealing with the lawsuits to focus on anything else. She looked at me with such hatred, like she wanted to tear me apart.

“Bella, what are you doing here? Didn’t you go bankrupt? What makes you think you belong at a high-end banquet like this?” Kate sneered, pointing at me.

I glanced at her, all dressed up. Over the years, she had wormed her way into high society with the money I’d given her, which was how she managed to get into events like this. I only found out about that later from others.

“Do I need your permission to be here?” I asked, giving Kate a cold look.

“Anabella, you don’t want everyone finding out about your bankruptcy, do you?” Kate suddenly smirked, her eyes locking onto mine. “If you drop the lawsuit, I’ll keep it quiet. Otherwise, you’re going to be humiliated at today’s banquet!”

I just smiled at her. “No need to drop the lawsuit. You and Howard have taken enough of my money over the years, and I’m looking forward to getting it back to pay off my debts.”

As I turned to leave, Kate grabbed my hand.

“Everyone, look over here!” she shouted. “This is the woman who squandered all her family’s assets, racked up a mountain of debt, and even tricked my mother out of her house. She’s been swindling my family for years!”

Her voice rang out loudly, drawing the attention of everyone in the banquet hall. Kate looked pleased with herself, clearly enjoying the scene she was creating.

“If you won’t let me live peacefully, I’ll ruin your reputation!” she said viciously.

But I just kept smiling. I noticed several people approaching us, including some of the event organizers who also happened to be my friends. One of them was Elsa Kemble, a long-time friend who had played a big role in helping me sell my company for a good price.

As soon as she arrived, she gave me a questioning look. I shook my head with a wry smile. “Ms. Kemble, please don’t mind this little family drama.”

Ms. Kemble smiled back reassuringly. “It’s all right,” she said.

“She’s bankrupt! She has no right to be here. Be careful not to let her fool you!” Kate’s voice cut in, full of spite.

“Bankrupt? She just sold her company for a cool $100,000,000!” one of the onlookers said with a laugh.

A few people who knew my story started chuckling, turning their gaze on Kate like she was the joke of the evening.

“What?” Kate looked stunned.