She Returned as the Real Heiress They Feared

June had just marked the end of the SAT season. Serena Vale finished her discharge procedures alone and returned home. The moment she stepped into the Vale family's villa, a suitcase slammed down at her feet with a heavy thud. A well-dressed woman stood at the entrance, looking down at her. Her gaze swept over Serena's delicate features and pale skin. A flicker of jealousy crossed her eyes, quickly replaced by open disgust. "I've already had your things packed. Starting today, get out of this house and go back to your real parents." Serena did not even glance at the suitcase. She looked calmly at Eleanor White, the woman she had called mother for seventeen years. The noise at the door drew attention. Soon, Victor Vale and his two children stepped out as well. Victor glanced at the suitcase, then at his wife, his tone carrying a trace of reproach. "Eleanor, what are you doing? Serena has been our daughter for eighteen years." "She's nothing but an ungrateful burden." Eleanor glared at Serena. "I made it clear that the city ambassador position should go to Lydia. She ignored me completely. If I hadn't checked the final list, we would still be in the dark. If she had any conscience, she wouldn't have taken something that belonged to her sister." Standing nearby, Lydia Vale lowered her gaze. A flash of resentment flickered in her eyes before it disappeared behind a soft, aggrieved expression. "Mom, please don't be like this. The opportunity is rare. It's normal that Serena didn't want to give it up. Maybe I just wasn't good enough, or I would have been chosen." "How are you worse than her? Everything she has came from the Vale family." Eleanor's voice softened as she comforted her daughter. Serena watched the two of them quietly. She had seen this performance countless times growing up. Now, it stirred nothing in her. If anything, she almost found it amusing. Four days ago, she had been hit by a car and thrown over sixty feet while saving Lydia. Everyone thought she would not survive. When Eleanor and the Vale family arrived, their first reaction was not to check her injuries, but to comfort Lydia, who had been frightened into tears. Lying on the ground, Serena had felt her body turning cold. Yet what chilled her even more were the words she overheard. "The car was completely wrecked. She probably won't make it." "Maybe that's for the best. If she dies, it means Lydia's disaster has been averted. At least raising her all these years wasn't a waste." Serena had always known what she meant to the Vale family. She was nothing more than a tool, raised to take Lydia's misfortune in her place. As a child, she never understood why Eleanor forced her to stay by Lydia's side whenever Lydia fell ill. Each time, Lydia would recover quickly under her care, while Serena would fall seriously sick afterward. Later, after meeting her mentor, she finally learned the truth: her fate and Lydia's formed a perfect balance within the structure of the Five Mystic Arts, two halves of a whole, with Serena carrying the fortunate half. By keeping her close, the Vale family had used her fortune to offset Lydia's misfortune. With each disaster she took on, Lydia's destiny improved while Serena's declined. If Serena had not prepared in advance, she would have died in that accident four days ago. It was also because of that accident that her biological father had finally found her. "Are you done? If so, may I leave now?" Having heard them calmly discuss her death with her own ears, Serena had lost the last trace of expectation she held toward the Vale family. She felt nothing about leaving. "Serena, don't blame your mother. You were in the wrong this time." Victor finally stepped forward, his expression as stern as ever. "Since you've found your biological parents, you should go back with them." Lydia spoke softly beside him. "Serena, please don't be angry with Mom. She's only doing this for me." She picked up an envelope and handed it over, her tone gentle and considerate. "This is for your travel expenses. Dad said your real parents live deep in the mountains. They're very poor, and the area doesn't even have proper internet. It's better to have cash." Eleanor let out a cold snort. "Don't say we're heartless. This money is enough for you to live on for a year out there. We've done more than enough for you." She gave a mocking laugh. "Once you go back, you probably won't have the chance to come out again. I heard there are plenty of old men in those mountains who can't find wives. You can just marry one of them. With your grades, you were never getting into college anyway." Serena glanced at her, her expression calm. "The lines on your forehead are deep. Too much scheming, too many debts piling up. Instead of worrying about me, you should use that money to buy some skincare." She paused, then added evenly, "Though it probably won't help." Her tone was calm and matter-of-fact, but Eleanor's face twisted instantly with anger. "You little b***h, who gave you the right to talk to me like that?" She raised her hand and swung it toward Serena's face. Serena only looked at her coldly and stepped slightly aside. The slap cut through empty air. Eleanor froze in disbelief. "You dare dodge?" Lydia quickly stepped forward and grabbed Serena's arm. "Serena, don't make Mom angry. If you speak nicely, she'll forgive you." Her words sounded gentle, but her grip was meant to stop Serena from moving again. Serena was about to push her away, but her gaze suddenly paused. She noticed the jade bracelet on Lydia's wrist. In an instant, she grabbed Lydia's arm instead, her voice turning sharp. "How did you get that bracelet?" Lydia had worn it deliberately to show off. Now that Serena had finally noticed, she immediately let out a soft cry. "That hurts…" The moment Lydia spoke, Eleanor's expression changed. She rushed forward, pulling Serena away. "Serena! What are you doing?" Serena stared at Lydia, her voice cold. "That bracelet was left to me by Grandma." "What do you mean yours? It was left to the daughters of the Vale family. You're not one of us anymore. Of course it belongs to Lydia." Serena clenched her jaw. She let go of the suitcase and turned to Victor. "I won't take anything from this house. I only want the bracelet Grandma left me." If there was anything in the Vale family she still cared about, it was only her grandmother, the only person who had ever truly loved her. Even on her deathbed, her grandmother had worried about what would happen to Serena after she was gone. That bracelet was the only thing her grandmother had left.