My Best Friend Declared I Was the Fake Heiress

Abigail's POV: On Christmas Day, my best friend announced in front of everyone that I was a fake heiress while she was my parents' biological daughter. My parents threw me out. My future in-laws wanted nothing to do with me, and so did all my old friends. In one day, I lost everything. Only my childhood sweetheart and fiancé, Evan Whitaker, still held my hand tightly. "I've known since we were kids that you're the one for me. Even if everyone is against us, I'm still going to marry you." Through tears, I nodded and agreed. There was no engagement settlement, no family money for the wedding, no wedding, and no blessing from our parents, relatives, or friends. Still, Evan and I had known each other for years, and I truly loved him. On the way back from city hall, I clutched the marriage certificate and looked at it again and again, too excited to put it away. 'At least I still have one person I can trust and depend on.' Then I turned to the seal page but found nothing. My mind went completely blank. Evan saw my reaction and said impatiently, "Stop looking. It's fake. Meg and I have already registered. She's pregnant, with my baby." I stood frozen, my throat closed up, and I couldn't speak. The family I'd been proud of, the friendship I'd treasured, the love I'd tried so desperately to hold on to—all shattered at once. When I said nothing, Evan continued as though the situation were perfectly reasonable, "She's the real daughter of the Mercer family. Otherwise, it would be hard to explain things to both families." He pressed a card into my palm. "Abby, don't worry. Megan and I are only keeping up appearances. You're the one I love most." My heart lurched. For the first time, the man I had admired and loved for so long felt like a stranger. I could barely find my voice. "Why would you do this?" Evan sighed, "When our parents arranged the childhood engagement, they agreed that the Mercer family's daughter would marry the Whitaker family's son. You're not part of the Mercer family anymore, but my feelings for you haven't changed." I couldn't understand how everything had turned into this. My mother had once gone out of her way to earn a teaching certificate just so she could better help with my education. My father had always encouraged me to try anything that interested me. Somewhere along the way, everything had changed. My throat tightened, and I dug my nails into my palm. "Then you could have chosen not to marry me. I wouldn't have clung to you. Why did you have to lie to me?" Evan opened the car door and looked back at me. "If I don't marry you, where else can you go?" I had no answer. My parents hadn't even bothered to get a DNA test. One casual "She does look like us" was enough for them to accept Megan Caldwell as their daughter. That very night, Megan moved into my bedroom and threw everything I owned into the trash. "Abigail, nothing in this room belongs to you. Mom and Dad bought all of it for their daughter." My mother stood in the doorway, watching coldly. "Abby, it's time you went out and learned how the real world works. You can't depend on us for everything." My father cut off every source of financial support and even made sure I couldn't get a credit card. "You need to learn to be independent. We can't let you develop a habit of spending money you don't have." My internship paycheck wasn't due for another 3 days. I didn't even have enough money to buy a loaf of bread. Resigned, I got into the back seat. The moment I sat down, a shopping bag rolled onto my lap. I looked over and saw the seat beside me piled high with designer clothes and handbags. Megan's voice came from the front passenger seat. "Abby, Mom and Dad said they wanted to make it up to me, so they gave me a card and told me to spend whatever I wanted. They even transferred Evan's $20,000,000 engagement gift into the account. I don't think I could spend it all if I tried." She turned to look at me, triumph gleaming in her eyes. "I'm pregnant and I haven't been feeling well, so I can't be cramped in the back seat. Sorry." When I didn't respond, her expression shifted into something wounded and helpless. "After all the years we've been friends, I wanted to buy you something too. But Mom and Dad wouldn't let me. They even said they regretted ever having a daughter like you." I said nothing. I opened the door and got out. Evan frowned. "Can you stop throwing your spoiled-heiress tantrums? Meg is pregnant. She can't keep standing around outside at noon. If you don't want to come, stay here and calm down. I'll take her home first." Without another glance at me, he drove away. It wasn't the first time Evan had left me behind. Growing up, every time he ignored me, I would be so upset that I couldn't eat or sleep. I would pester him until he apologized, and every time, he eventually gave in. But this time, I was exhausted. I didn't want to follow him anymore, and I didn't want to hear him say "I'm sorry" again.