Family Aided Fake Heiress, I Cut Ties & Shocked All

I was the long-lost daughter of the wealthy Sterling family. On the day I officially moved back to the estate, my parents and my elder brother were nowhere to be found. The vast manor was empty except for the housekeeper. As I was wondering what was going on, a trending topic popped up on my phone: #RichFamilyThrowsLavishPartyForBelovedDaughter'sDog. The housekeeper tried to comfort me. "Miss, you've grown up out there, struggling even to make ends meet. You probably don't care about these empty gestures of ceremony." I stood frozen in place. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tablet lying beside the housekeeper, and a group chat had just popped up on its screen. It was the family group chat. Everyone in the household—including the servants—was in it. Everyone except me. Mom: Annie has been pampered since childhood, and now that Ellie is back, we can't let Annie feel bad. Dad: Ellie couldn't even get into college. She should stay home and focus on her studies, not indulge in fun and games. Noah: Ellie is petty and vain. On the first day we met, I bought Annie a bag and didn't get one for her, and she made a huge scene. We must make sure she doesn't find out about today's party. The home I had finally returned to had already been taken over by someone else. The housekeeper's phone rang. She picked up and said, "Mr. Noah Sterling, Ellie has arrived." I paused mid-step, a flicker of hope stirring in my chest. Maybe everything I'd seen was a mistake. Maybe they were planning a surprise party for me. Reality hit me like a slap. My brother, Noah Sterling, his impatient voice crackled through the phone. "Put her in the guest room on the first floor. Don't let her go upstairs, and especially keep her away from Annie's room. Annie doesn't like others near her space." I'd just reached the bottom of the stairs when the housekeeper hurried over and grabbed my bag. "Ellie, don't wander off. I'll show you to your room. Before Mr. and Mrs. Sterling get back, you'd better stay in your room and not come out. Just call me if you need anything." I clutched my bag protectively. "I can carry it myself. There are important documents in it." She let out a dismissive snicker. "You might want to get rid of those country souvenirs you brought from the village. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling won't appreciate seeing them around." I didn't argue. I just followed her to my room. As we passed the living room, I noticed a corner stacked with new designer deliveries—items that had arrived from the boutique earlier. The staff had all gone to the dog's birthday party and hadn't had time to put them away. The housekeeper caught me looking and shot me a wary glance. It was just like before. On the day I came home, my brother had bought Annie a woven bag. Back in my village, our neighbor Aunt Gracie loved making those kinds of bags—I'd even heard that a big company had approached her about buying her designs. I'd only glanced at it because I wanted to tell her that if she liked that style, I could give her one of Aunt Gracie's—a different pattern. But Annie noticed my gaze and immediately put on a hurt expression. "Oh, do you like this bag, Ellie? It's a gift from Noah for getting into Harvard. If you like it, I can give you another one." I quickly waved my hands. "No, I have a similar one." Aunt Gracie had given me one. Noah laughed out loud. "This is a runway piece. Costs tens of thousands. How could a country girl like you possibly have something like this?" Annie chuckled. "It's not embarrassing to not know things, Ellie. But you really shouldn't try so hard to seem like something you're not." I looked at my parents, hoping they'd believe me. My mother let out a barely audible sigh, disappointment flickering in her eyes. "Ellie, bragging won't get you anywhere." I should have known then and there that I didn't belong in this house. This place, bound to me by blood, had already been taken over by another girl. The housekeeper led me to my room. It was tiny—even smaller than the room I'd had back on the farm in the village. Just a simple bed and a small wardrobe. She pointed down the hall. "The bathroom's at the end of the corridor. You can use it if you need to." I'd seen Annie's room on her i********:. It was the complete opposite of mine. Spacious, lavishly decorated, with a walk-in closet, and a private study attached. Her bathtub alone was almost bigger than this entire room. I'd never been materialistic. A comfortable bed and good food were enough for me. But seeing how they treated an adopted daughter so much better than their own flesh and blood—it stung more than I wanted to admit. After the housekeeper left, I lay down on the narrow bed and pulled out my phone. I opened Annie's i********: out of habit. She'd just posted a new photo: a group shot of all of them together. The caption read: Family is everything. In the picture, she was holding her little Bichon Frise, Ruby. Noah had his arm around her shoulder, and my parents stood behind them. I could feel their joy through the screen. My finger slipped and I accidentally double-tapped to like it. But when I refreshed a second later, the post was gone. I'd been blocked.