When True Heiress Returns, I Choose to Leave

I was standing in the corner, forced to reflect on my mistakes. The space before the wall was empty, my designated punishment spot. My feet grew numb from standing. I shifted slightly, and Ethan's cold voice cut through the air, "Stand straight." I pouted and glanced over at Leo. He totally played dumb. Mom sipped her coffee slowly, unfazed by the whole scene. Dad unfolded a newspaper and shot me a helpless look. I gritted my teeth and stood ramrod still, not moving an inch. That was exactly when Holly Bennett burst into the villa to claim her family. She stormed forward and shouted, "I'm the real daughter of the Shaw family!" My ears perked up at once. This mess actually involved me? Holly stood beside me. There was something familiar about her eyes, the calculating glint Mom got when she schemed. She held her posture rigid, her gaze sweeping over me with blatant disdain. "You're the fake, aren't you?" I blinked and said nothing. She pulled a sealed kraft envelope out of her bag and held it high above her head. "This is the paternity test report! I'm your biological daughter, and she's just a cheap knockoff!" A hush fell over the living room for a heartbeat. I nearly cracked up. The heavens finally cut me a break. Still, I dared not move an inch, for Ethan's stare was locked firmly on me. "Holly." Mom took a slow sip of tea, not bothering to lift her eyes. "Got proof?" Holly held her chin high and pushed the report forward. No one reached out to take it. Leo stepped ahead, looking down at her. "You expect us to trust a printed sheet? I could crank out a hundred of these right now." Holly flinched under his gaze but quickly regained her composure. "Then let's run another test right this second. I'm game. Is she?" My eyes lit up. Let's do it. Anyone who backs out is a coward. I almost jumped to my feet, yet Ethan's gaze landed on me. I swallowed my words and stayed put obediently. Mom tossed me a weary glance. I ducked my head instantly, acting as meek as I could. "Fine." Dad drawled. "Run the test." The steward fetched the family doctor, who plucked one strand of hair from me and one from Holly. Then Dad, Mom, Ethan and Leo each gave one hair sample. The results arrived half an hour later. Their genetic match registered above 99.9%, while mine showed zero overlap. Holly's eyes lit up. "You see? She's not related to you. I'm the real one!" I stared at the report, overjoyed deep down, itching to break into a dance right there. I wasn't their kid. I knew it! How could someone as hopeless as me belong to a family of geniuses? I'd always been an embarrassment to them. I could not hold back and let out a loud laugh. Starting today, I never had to stare at confusing company financial reports again. No more pre-dawn ten-kilometer runs Leo dragged me into. No morning art appreciation lessons with Mom, no afternoon merger case reviews alongside Dad. I was free at last! Holly glared at me angrily. "Your silly act won't save you. Why don't you leave already?" "Okay!" I brushed dust off my knees and turned to walk away. "Stop there." Ethan's voice rang out from behind me. I froze on the spot, twisted around with a miserable expression and pointed at Holly. "Ethan… your real sister's right here." Ethan did not spare me a glance and spoke calmly. "Have you finished your two hours of punishment?" "N-no." "Then keep standing there and reflect." "Huh?" I stood dumbfounded. Holly looked equally stunned. The smug look on her face had not even faded away. Ethan kept his expression neutral. "The Shaws can afford extra people. One more won't break us." I had no idea what to say. Holly's face turned every shade imaginable. She pointed back and forth between Ethan and me, her lips trembling. "She admitted she's a fake! Why are you still letting her stay?" Nobody paid her any mind. I trudged back to my spot, hung my arms at my sides, and resumed my punishment with a gloomy look. Holly took a deep breath and switched her tone when she faced Mom. "Mom, just look at her. She has none of the poise a wealthy heiress ought to have. "She never bothers learning anything, wastes her days doing nothing, and got into a fight at the west-side motor yard today. She dragged the Shaw name through the mud." "She's standing right there taking her punishment," Leo remarked casually. "She smashed someone's limited-edition supercar out on the road too!" "Guy ran people off the road? Girl, good job," Dad growled. Mom lifted her eyelids. "You claim she's useless in every way. What can you bring to the table?" Holly paused, then straightened her shoulders. "I know a fair bit about business administration, data analysis and commercial negotiations." "Oh?" Mom's tone gave nothing away. "What about management?" "I started managing branch firms for my family starting my sophomore year, with an annual return of fifteen percent." "Data analysis?" "The models I built during graduate school won two industry awards." "Negotiations?" "I closed three deals worth over one hundred million for my father." "Legal affairs?" "I partnered with others on intellectual property litigation for an eighty-million claim." Mom arched her fine brows and nodded toward the maid beside me, Zoe Fisher. "See her? Her name is Zoe Fisher. She knows everything you just mentioned," Mom paused, "And she's better at all of it." Holly's cheeks flushed bright red. I stood there watching her expression and suddenly felt a twinge of sympathy. Zoe had worked alongside me since she was eight. She grew into a capable woman, while I turned out to be a total lost cause. Going up against Zoe? Holly was just asking to get humbled. Holly stared at me fiercely, her chest heaving. I stayed in place, yet straightened my back, secretly proud of Zoe. Privately, I could not help but marvel: What a bright girl, but why ditch a good life just to come here and get beat up?