Reclaiming the Empire

On the first night after getting kicked out of the Walsh home, I sat in a twenty-four-hour convenience store all night.

My phone showed dozens of missed calls, but not one came from Javier.

They all came from so-called relatives and friends, eager to call under the guise of concern but really just to mock me.

News of Michelle Walsh being ungrateful and bullying the true daughter had already spread through the entire circle.

I became the venomous beauty everyone despised, the ungrateful wretch who occupied the nest.

Those who once fawned over me now avoided me like the plague.

I tried contacting a few friends from the past, but without exception, they hung up hurriedly.

I had expected this all along.

It proved easy to do favors when times were good, but hard to stand by someone in need.

The cash on me only sufficed to rent the cheapest cramped single room in the city center.

No heating, windows that let in drafts, the nights cold like a freezer.

This contrasted sharply with the princess-like room I once had in the Walsh home—one in the heavens, one underground.

The huge drop did not break me.

Instead, it made my mind clearer than ever before.

I needed a job.

But every resume I sent out vanished without a trace.

Kaiden kept his word and used his connections to blacklist me completely.

Just as I neared the end of my rope, a high-end club hired me as the lowest-level server.

The supervisor proved a harsh middle-aged woman whose eyes brimmed with contempt when she looked at me. "Miss Walsh, I never thought I'd see you like this. While you're working here, put away that rich-girl attitude."

I nodded and said nothing.

I changed into the cheap uniform and started the first real job of my life.

Serving drinks, cleaning up guest vomit, getting ordered around.

My dignity got trampled underfoot and crushed to pieces.

That evening, the club hosted a grand charity gala.

I carried a tray, weaving through the glamorous guests in their finery.

Then I saw them.

Javier looked sharp and impressive in his suit.

Beside him stood Brenna in a custom evening gown, charming and lovely.

The two stood together like a perfect couple, receiving everyone's blessings and envy.

Javier, in his own name, bid on a diamond necklace worth millions and personally clasped it around Brenna's neck.

Under the flashing lights, Brenna smiled shyly and sweetly.

I could already imagine the headlines for them. "Young Andrews Spends a Fortune on His Beauty: True and False Heiress Outcome Decided."

My heart felt squeezed hard by an invisible hand, the pain almost suffocating.

At that moment, Brenna spotted me.

She clung to Javier's arm and walked toward me.

Her smile carried the gloat of a victor. "Michelle, what are you doing here?"

Her voice stayed just loud enough for everyone around to hear.

Instantly, all eyes focused on me.

Contempt, mockery, anticipation of a show.

Javier saw me too, his brows furrowed tightly, his expression complicated.

There proved surprise, pity, but mostly a reproach like "why are you here embarrassing me."

I straightened my back, trying not to look too disheveled. "I work here."

Brenna covered her mouth in feigned shock. "Oh my God, how could you take a job like this? Mom and Dad would be heartbroken if they knew."

She acted so well.

Anyone who did not know better might truly believe she acted as some kind and innocent girl.

I looked at her coldly and said nothing.

Javier finally spoke. "Michelle, if you're out of money, you could have told me. Why degrade yourself in a place like this?"

His tone carried the condescension of charity from on high.

I smiled. "Mr. Andrews, you're joking. I earn my keep with my own hands and see nothing degrading about it."

With that, I turned to leave, unwilling to watch their performance any longer.

But Brenna refused to let me go.

She grabbed my hand, lowered her voice to a level only we could hear, and said, "Michelle, you can't beat me. Javier is mine, and the Walsh family is mine. Everything you have now belongs to me."

I looked at her face, slightly twisted with jealousy, and replied in the same tone. "Is that so? Then you'd better hold on tight. After all, things that aren't yours will have to be returned one day."