The women in our family had special genes. For generations, Hart women could only give birth to daughters, and those daughters had to take their mother's surname. Only then would they have a chance to inherit the exchange system.

This was just a legend passed down among the Hart women. I never imagined Mom would actually inherit the exchange system.

The first time I realized something was wrong was after my college entrance exam results came out.

I had always been an excellent student, but I only scored 700 points. Meanwhile, my sister Poppy, who had partied for three years straight, scored 1350.

Poppy became the biggest underdog story that year and was interviewed constantly by the media. While classmates and relatives showered her with praise, I became a joke.

"This is hilarious. The top student only got 700? She must have been cheating on every test before."

"She always studied so hard. How did she only get 700? Was the exam really that brutal? I got 1100."

"Damn, Poppy really hit the jackpot, though! She can go anywhere she wants now."

After listening to everyone mock me, I immediately requested a score review. However, the state examination board came back with ‘no errors found’.

I went home defeated and started preparing to repeat my senior year.

That summer was torture.

Poppy sprawled on the couch, watching TV and eating watermelon. She went on trips around the country with Mom and had packages delivered every single day. She was living her best life.

I locked myself in my room every day reviewing material, gearing up for round two of senior year.

Poppy loved rubbing it in. "Elisa, you're just not built for standardized tests. You crack under pressure and always bomb the big exams. Just get a job at some factory and call it a day."

Whenever Poppy went after me like this, Mom would stop her. Then, she would turn to me with encouragement. "Elisa, don't worry about repeating. You'll do great next year."

I thought it was odd that my scores had tanked so much, yet Mom did not seem surprised at all. However, hearing support from my mother, who usually ignored me, made me brush off the weird feelings I had.

The next year, I ranked third in the state and got into Whitmore University's finance program.

Finally, I could hold my head high. However, Mom insisted I come home after graduation and get a government job.

I refused.

She cried, threw fits, and threatened suicide. I had no choice but to pretend I was applying for government positions while I was actually prepping for investment banking interviews.

After my interview, the professor who referred me said I was a shoo-in. The offer would arrive in a few days.

I called Mom to share the news. "Mom, I got it! I have a job!"

She sounded thrilled. "Are you sure? Did you really get it?"

"Yes, I'm positive! The interview went so well! But it's not..."

She hung up before I could finish.

I decided to wait for the official offer before explaining everything. I wanted to tell her that investment banking paid incredibly well.

A few days later, my guaranteed offer disappeared. My professor told me they had given it to someone named Poppy Hart instead.

Furious, I rushed home to confront Poppy. However, I stopped when I heard her and Mom talking.

"I swapped your exam scores for you and got you a stable job, too. You'll coast through life now. That makes me feel so much better."

Poppy nestled against Mom, grinning. "Mom, you're amazing. I love you so much. Will the last swap be for Elisa's husband?"

Mom shook her head. "Of course not. I'll find you a good husband myself. The last swap needs to be saved for emergencies, so you'll have a backup plan when you're in labor or if something terrible happens."

Poppy looked even happier. "You're the best. Thank god Aunt Margaret dumped Elisa on you before she died. With her around, I don't have to lift a finger. I’ll just swap everything with her!"

Mom stroked Poppy's hair affectionately. Inside the room was a picture of perfect maternal love.

I stood frozen in the doorway, ice running through my veins.

Fury boiled up inside me. I dug my nails into my palms so hard that I nearly drew blood, barely keeping myself under control.

This was the ugly truth. The woman I called ‘Mom’ was actually my aunt.

She had an exchange system that she could use three times, and she had already stolen my exam scores and my job.

She still had one swap left. I could not risk tipping her off.

I did not go inside. I turned around, went back to school, and immediately started interviewing at other companies.

Along with my new investment banking offer came a furious call from Mom.

"Elisa, what's going on? Didn't you say you got a government job? What's this about an investment banking offer?"

I played dumb. "Mom, I didn't apply for government jobs. I interviewed at an investment bank, but I didn't get in. Did a bank send an offer to your email? Is it my offer?

"Mom, can you show me?"

Mom snapped, "It's not yours!" Then, she hung up.

I stared at my phone and laughed. Who cared if she swapped the offer? Poppy would probably fail horrendously before her probation period ended.

Back when Poppy used my scores to get into a top university, she could not keep up with the coursework at all. She failed multiple classes and nearly flunked out.

Mom only managed to get her a degree by bribing every professor and academic advisor she could.

After graduation, Poppy could not find work anywhere. She moved back home and mooched off Mom. After bumming around for a year, she suddenly got an offer from a top investment bank. She could not handle the fast pace of corporate life at all.

Sure enough, after three days on the job, she came home and quit. She refused to work, and Mom was perfectly happy to support her.

As for me, knowing they had one swap left felt like the sword of Damocles over my head. I constantly worried about when and how they would use it on me. It was like a ticking time bomb that could go off at any moment and destroy my life.

I needed that bomb to detonate on my terms, within my control.

From then on, I made a point of casually mentioning good things that happened to me. Things like I won $500,000 in the lottery or I bought myself a small condo with my savings. However, Mom and Poppy did not take the bait.

Then one day, I overheard Mom setting up blind dates for Poppy.

Poppy was unhappy with every single match. I knew my opportunity had come.

After careful searching, I finally found James. He was a gift I had handpicked specifically for Poppy, one she would not be able to resist.

A week later, James picked me up in a luxury car. We went to pick Poppy and Ralph up to join us at the airport.

The moment Ralph got into the car, he could not contain his excitement. He took countless selfies with the interior.

Poppy looked furious. She slapped his phone out of his hand. "Can you stop embarrassing yourself? It's just a car. What's the big deal? You're acting like such a hick."

Ralph's excitement vanished after hearing her harsh mockery. He pocketed his phone, sat back down, and did not say another word.

At the airport, James went to find his friends, while Poppy leaned over and whispered in my ear. "Elisa, did James rent this car?"

I shook my head with a shy smile. "He just bought it. His old sports car couldn't fit all of us."

Poppy looked skeptical. "I don't mean to be rude, but how did someone like James even fall for you? You're not feminine at all."

Because of my job, I always dressed in business attire and had developed a no-nonsense management style after years of leadership. Apparently, to Poppy, this professional appearance meant I had no femininity whatsoever.

I smiled and did not respond.

Ralph spoke up instead. "Poppy, how could you talk to your sister like that?"

Poppy kicked him. "Whose side are you on? Don't tell me you're into my sister now."

Ralph's face turned bright red instantly. "No! She's your sister. How could you even think that about me?"

While the two of them argued, James and his trust fund friends were already walking toward us.

"Wow, she's gorgeous!"

"So this is the beauty who landed our boy James!"

"No wonder James has been MIA lately. He's been keeping her all to himself!"

Sweet talk was second nature to James's crowd. Even though we had never met, they immediately started praising me and played up James's status.

Once they learned Poppy and Ralph were my sister and her fiancé, they made polite conversation for a few minutes.

Poppy pulled me aside again and whispered in my ear. "Why are all of James's friends so hot? Are they loaded too?"

I sneered internally but kept a smug smile on my face. "They have some money, sure, but none of them are as wealthy as James. He's the real deal when it comes to being a trust fund kid."

I could not let Poppy shift her target to anyone else. After all, James was the only one I had painstakingly found from the wife-killer club.