Chapter 1The Long-Lost Daughter Returned... But I'm the Real Heiress

Mom held her in her arms, her eyes red from crying, while Dad swore to make up for lost time:

"My precious girl, whatever you want, it's yours."

She just pointed at me, her face the picture of innocence:

"I want my big sister to go back to her own home, too."

She thought I was just some entitled villainess who had stolen her golden spoon.

But she entirely missed how the color drained from my family's faces the moment those words left her mouth.

* * *

When I rushed back for the family dinner, I saw my mom clutching a scrawny girl, weeping as if her heart had been ripped out.

Even my tough-as-nails dad was wiping away tears.

Mom fussed over her, checking her from head to toe.

"Mia, Mommy finally found you."

"It's my fault I didn't keep a closer eye on you. You've suffered so much out there."

The girl's identity was obvious. She was the biological daughter my parents had accidentally lost years ago.

While I was still studying her features, she looked at me timidly.

"Mommy, who is that?"

She shrank deeper into my mom's embrace, looking like a frightened little deer.

Mom gently stroked her hair and said softly, "Don't be scared, sweetheart. That's your big sister."

Then she turned to me. "Chloe, this is your sister. Her name is Mia now."

I nodded, but when I met her eyes, I caught a fleeting, inexplicable flash of hostility.

She hesitated, acting as if she couldn't believe it. "Mommy, when did I get a sister?"

Seeing my mom struggle for words, I stepped up and explained, "I'm adopted."

Mia looked confused. Shaking her head, she muttered softly, "How can that be?"

"You already have a child... so what does that make me?"

Tears began to cascade down her cheeks, soaking into my mom's blouse.

Mom panicked and immediately started coaxing her. "You are our precious baby, of course!"

"Your sister is family, too. It just means there's one more person in this house to love you."

Mia stared blankly at the hardwood floor, murmuring to herself. "You didn't want me anymore. You got another kid, so you definitely won't treat me well."

Her pitiful demeanor, combined with the tragic backstory of living on the streets for years, wrung every last tear from my parents.

Even I felt a little bad for her. I started to tell the truth, "Hey, don't cry. Actually, I'm—"

Mia's wailing instantly drowned me out. "Maybe I shouldn't have come back! I'm just ruining your perfect family of three!"

My parents were frantic. They swarmed her with comfort. "Mia, how could you say that?"

"You are our flesh and blood. We prayed for this day for years. We are overjoyed! You could never be a burden!"

Mia caught her breath, sniffing. "Really?"

"Of course!" they nodded vigorously.

Having gotten the validation she wanted, she finally smiled through her tears. She nuzzled against Mom's arm and cooed:

"Does that mean I can have whatever I want?"

"Anything!"

But in the very next second, she pointed straight at me and dropped a bomb:

"Then I want my big sister to go back to her own home, too."

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze.

She shook my mom's arm expectantly, but Mom awkwardly pulled away.

Realizing things weren't going according to her script, Mia looked panicked. "Mommy, Daddy... did I say something wrong?"

Dad cleared his throat uncomfortably. "I'm the luckiest man in the world to have two daughters. Let's just keep things as they are."

Mom chimed in, "Exactly. You just got back. If there's anything you don't understand, you can ask your sister."

Mia hadn't expected her demand to be shut down so decisively. She instinctively shot a glare at me.

I just gave her a sweet smile. "Sure."

Then I turned on my heel and walked right out the front door.

Behind me, I could hear Mom screaming in a total panic, "Chloe! Chloe, come back here!"