My Family Regretted Choosing the Fake Heiress

My best friend’s surgery failed, and she’s dying.

I held her, sobbing uncontrollably, until she whispered a single sentence in my ear.

I froze—then, unbelievably, I laughed.

Just hours ago, my best friend was in a car accident and was in critical condition. Only my brother and my husband, both top surgeons, could operate on her.

My brother was her husband, so I called him first.

“Brother, Lena’s been in a terrible accident. You need to come quickly—only you can save her!”

“What are you two up to now? Will Lena Frost die if she stops pretending? It’s Clara’s birthday, and I’m busy. Don’t bother me.” He hung up. When I called again, his phone was off.

Helpless, I phoned Ethan Lane.

“Ethan, you—”

“Didn’t I say to leave me alone for Lena’s birthday? Don’t you understand plain language?” He hung up and blocked me.

With no choice, another doctor took over the surgery, but it failed.

——

After Lena’s death, I managed her funeral alone.

She once told me, if she died first, to scatter her ashes at sea. She loved the ocean—and since she didn’t belong to this world, she said she didn’t need to return to the earth.

When I got home, night had fallen, but the house blazed with lights.

It was Clara Hart’s birthday party, full of guests and laughter.

“Iris, why are you late? Don’t you know it’s my birthday?”

“Where’s Sister-in-law? Didn’t she come back with you?” Clara’s face looked so innocent—only Lena and I knew the malice beneath it.

Her brother pulled her aside. “Ignore them, they always ruin the mood.”

“Brother!”

“Lena’s surgery failed. She’s gone.” I handed him the death certificate.

He glanced at it, laughed, and tore it up. “You two think you can fool me with this? Lena’s hiding, isn’t she? If she doesn’t come back tonight, she never should.”

He walked off, arm around Clara, who gave me a smug smile that said, See? Even as their real daughter, you’ll never matter like I do.

Lena and I are both transmigrators. It’s been ten years in this world.

I’m the true heiress, switched at birth, while Clara—the impostor—was raised by my family for twenty-five years.

Lena loved my brother, and I loved Ethan, so we chose to stay.

But Clara made us realize love here meant nothing. So we decided to leave.

Lena went first. I’ll follow.

I recalled her final whisper: “Iris, don’t cry. I’m just going home. The system will reward me with 150 million. I’ll take care of you there.”

Back in my room, I had just set my phone down when two men burst in.

Clara’s brothers.

“Who let you in? Get out!”

They grinned, locked the door, and stepped closer.

My guard shot up.

“What do you want?”