Chapter 1Petty Real Heiress

The real heiress of our family returned, armed with a brand of performative poverty so extreme she was determined to make us all suffer with her.

Our family had a chauffeured car to take us to school, but she refused to get in, insisting that my brother and I ride a rickety electric trike with her instead. When the trike inevitably flipped, my brother and I broke our arms shielding her from the fall.

At school, she’d toss out the lavish lunches our chef prepared, only to produce stale bread and pickled vegetables from her bag, forcing us to join her in a life of "frugal simplicity." My brother, Dan, was a dancer; he fainted from hunger in the middle of rehearsal.

When we pleaded with our parents, they’d just sigh. "Sadie's had a hard life. She's a pitiful girl. Just try to be patient with her."

"Besides," they’d add, "frugality is a wonderful quality."

This continued until her official welcoming gala. She replaced all the fine wine with orange soda, the gourmet hors d'oeuvres with potato chips and spicy cheese puffs, and walked on stage wearing a faded, secondhand dress.

That was when our parents finally snapped. "Get that pathetic rag off you and throw it away! Who are you trying to look pitiful for?"

Dan and I burst into tears of relief and hugged each other. "They finally get it…"

* * *

The day the real heiress, Sadie, came home, our whole family stood at the entrance to welcome her.

The town car pulled up, but Sadie didn't get out.

The driver approached us, looking troubled. "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, the young miss refuses to ride in the car. She says it wastes gas and decided to walk home."

Dan and I exchanged a look of sheer horror.

It was a thirty-mile walk from the city!

If there were two people in the Sterling family who loved spending money, it was me and my brother, Dan. Our shared philosophy was simple: life is meant to be enjoyed, and money is the key.

He bought the latest sports cars; I bought the latest designer bags.

He bought top-of-the-line motorcycles; I bought couture gowns.

We were blissfully, unapologetically extravagant. If a destination was more than a block away, we took a car. Our family used to look at us with disdain for it.

Hearing the driver's words, my parents were stunned for a moment. Then, my mother’s face broke into a pleased smile. "Frugality is a good thing. It's alright, we can wait."

Our older brother, Sterling, had no such patience. He turned on his heel and went back to his office.

Dan and I were about to make our own escape when our parents grabbed us. "You two stay right here. You could learn a thing or two from Sadie. Stop being so lazy all the time."

We waited. And waited. An entire day passed, and still no Sadie. Dinner had been reheated three times. Just as we were all about to starve to death, the doorbell rang.