Reclaiming the Empire

At the family banquet welcoming the return of the true daughter, my wealthy adoptive parents publicly announced that I should transfer the shares in my name to the "wronged" true daughter.

All the guests praised my parents for their fairness and congratulated the true daughter on her hardships finally coming to an end.

Relatives gathered around to persuade me. "You enjoyed twenty years of wealth that should have belonged to her. Giving up the shares is the right thing to do. You should know how to be grateful."

My husband Javier Andrews, married to me for only half a year, also stepped forward and gently advised me. "Michelle, this originally belonged to your sister. Give it back to her. From now on, I'll take care of you."

Everyone praised him for his deep affection and commended my adoptive parents for their justice, waiting for me to put on a show of sisterly love.

Instead, I picked up the red wine from the table, walked over to the pitiful-looking true daughter, and smiling, poured the wine over her head.

The entire room erupted in shock.

My adoptive father, Kaiden Walsh, trembled with rage, pointing at me and cursing. "You ungrateful wretch!"

Javier looked utterly disappointed. "Are you really that jealous of her? Do you have to make such an ugly scene?"

I casually set down the empty glass and said lightly. "Ugly? I think this color suits her quite well."

...

Kaiden's slap stopped just short of my cheek. I even felt the cool breeze from his palm, but I did not flinch.

Javier stepped forward. "Michelle, stop this nonsense and apologize to your sister right now!"

The disappointment in his eyes was thick and unbreakable, as if he looked at an unreasonable madwoman.

I brushed his hand aside, my gaze passing over him to land on Brenna Walsh.

She huddled in the arms of my adoptive mother Talia Walsh, soaked through, with droplets of red wine clinging to her hair, looking disheveled and pitiful.

The guests' whispers merged into sharp blades that stabbed at my heart.

"Michelle is truly an ungrateful woman. The Walsh family treated her so well, yet she treats their real daughter like this."

"Exactly. She enjoyed twenty years of luxury that wasn't hers. Now that she's asked to return a little, it's like taking her life."

"Andrews is unlucky too, marrying such a jealous woman. He's going to suffer in the future."

Seeing that I still refused to bow my head, Kaiden's chest heaved violently with anger. "I have no daughter like you! Get out of here right now!"

Talia held Brenna and cried out to me. "Michelle, how could you do this to Brenna? She suffered for twenty years! Is your heart made of stone?"

I looked at this picture of the three of them in happy harmony and felt only deep irony.

Twenty years of upbringing turned into chains of debt the moment their biological daughter appeared.

I said nothing, turned, and started to leave.

As I passed Javier, he grabbed my arm. "Where do you think you're going? This isn't resolved yet. You can't just walk away."

I shook off his hand. "Let go."

"Michelle!" He lowered his voice with a warning tone. "What good will it do you to fall out with the Walsh family now?"

I looked at his handsome face, the one I once loved to my very core, but now it only made me feel sick.

From the day Brenna returned, his scale had tipped completely.

He no longer acted as the Javier who peeled shrimp for me, carried me on his back in the rain, or promised to love me forever.

He became the Walsh family's son-in-law, Brenna's protector.

And I became nothing more than an obstacle.

I ignored him and walked straight toward the door.

Behind me came Kaiden's furious roar. "Freeze all her cards immediately! I'd like to see what she's worth without the Walsh family!"

My steps did not falter as I left that gilded cage.