Chapter 2

Please. I hadn’t spent my whole life performing for nothing.

I could cry on cue, then pile on the sob stories. In a single evening, I’d changed the entire Bennett family’s attitude toward me.

Everyone except Chloe, anyway. She clearly wasn’t ready to give up.

After dinner, I was washing up in the bathroom when Chloe walked past.

Seeing no one else around, she spat at me viciously.

“Don’t think your poor-little-angel act can replace me. So what if you’re their biological daughter? I grew up in this family. You’ll never have the bond with them that I do!”

Who said I wanted to compete over that?

I looked at her like she was an idiot.

Then Chloe suddenly grabbed my sleeve, leaned backward, and let out a startled cry.

I reacted instantly, catching her before dropping to the floor myself.

I wasn’t giving her a chance to frame me.

As I fell, I deliberately scraped my elbow against the floor. Pain burned through it. Good. The more obvious the injury, the more convincing the performance.

Mom and Dad came running at the noise and found me grimacing in pain.

“Dad, Mom, I’m okay. Chloe didn’t mean it.”

Chloe froze.

Wasn’t that supposed to be her line?

Before she could recover, our parents began tearing into her.

“Chloe, what is wrong with you? Why do you keep picking on your sister?”

Chloe snapped out of it. Her face twisted, and she lunged at me like an animal ready to bite.

“Evelyn, you bitch! You fell on purpose, and now you’re blaming me!”

Dad blocked her, his face dark.

“When did you learn to speak like that? Evelyn is your sister!”

Mom looked deeply disappointed.

“You’re giving Evelyn your princess suite. She hurt her leg and needs room to move around. Your room is bigger.”

Chloe screamed like a rabid dog.

“Why should I? That’s my room! She’s some nobody from the country. She doesn’t deserve my princess suite!”

I ignored her and walked into the room as if it were perfectly natural. Seeing all the designer goods inside, I silently folded my clothes into my suitcase.

Mom looked confused.

“Evelyn, put your clothes in the closet.”

I shook my head.

“Chloe’s clothes are so expensive. I’m afraid I’ll damage them.”

My pitiful expression broke Mom’s heart.

“They’re just clothes, sweetheart. They don’t make anyone better than anyone else. Use whatever you want in here. I’ll buy you new things tomorrow.”

I smiled and nodded.

When I saw Chloe’s face contort with hatred, my smile grew even wider.

The next day, I was enrolled at Chloe’s school.

In the same class, no less.

I took a deep breath. Something told me my first day wouldn’t be easy.

Sure enough, the moment I entered the classroom, a bucket of water came pouring down over my head.

I was soaked from head to toe, shivering from the cold.

“Well, look who it is! Our little country bumpkin. Like your welcome gift?”

“Some trashy hick thinks she deserves to be in our class? Getting into a rich family won’t wash the poverty out of your bones!”

I looked up.

Chloe stood with her arms crossed and her chin raised, her little followers on either side.

“You’re not at home now. Nobody here is going to protect you. I suggest you behave yourself. Don’t try any of your little schemes on my turf!”

Her warning dripped with contempt.

I looked around. Apart from Chloe’s little clique, nobody seemed particularly interested in me.

I took out a handkerchief and wiped off some of the water.

Then I walked straight to the front of the classroom and cleared my throat.

“Hi, everyone. I’m Evelyn Bennett, your new classmate. I’m also the Bennett family’s long-lost biological daughter. Chloe here has been enjoying my life of luxury for seventeen years.”

I smiled at her. “But don’t feel insecure just because you’re not their real daughter, Chloe.”

Every eye immediately turned to me.

Then I lowered my head and stared at the toes of my shoes, looking awkward and uncomfortable.

Following my gaze, everyone looked at my shoes.

Someone couldn’t help speaking up.

“Wait, Evelyn’s the actual Bennett daughter, right? Why is she wearing canvas shoes with holes in them? Chloe isn’t even their real daughter, and her shoes are custom-made overseas.”

“Exactly. Evelyn’s entire outfit probably costs less than thirty bucks. One of Chloe’s tops costs thousands. Chloe said the real daughter was bullying her, but I’m not so sure.”

Apart from her little followers, everyone was starting to look at me with sympathy.

Chloe panicked when she realized the mood had shifted.

“Don’t let her fool you! Getting sympathy is what she does!”

But nobody listened. Anyone with eyes could see I hadn’t been living nearly as well as she had.

Grinding her teeth, she stormed out of the classroom.

I shrugged and went to my seat.

I’d barely taken out my pencil case and textbooks when a tall shadow fell over me.