My parents have found their birth daughter. They're reunited thanks to her face, which is almost identical to my mother's.

After weeping in my mother's arms, she slowly raises her head and looks at me. Her gaze is filled with hostility.

"You've enjoyed what's supposed to be mine for so many years. Don't you think it's time to give it back?" She doesn't bother concealing her hatred for me.

My parents are still bawling their eyes out over being reunited with her. In the next second, their sobbing abruptly stops. She doesn't notice it, though.

I frowned as I watched the three of them crying uncontrollably before me. The young woman in Mom's arms trembled as she wiped away her tears. Their cries filled the room, loud and raw.

"I'm finally home, Mom! I'm never leaving you and Dad again!"

Mom broke down even more when she heard her biological daughter's words.

Next to her, Dad's eyes were red. He occasionally patted their shoulders, his voice thick with emotion as he said, "Alright, now. That's enough. Look at you two, crying like that. Today's supposed to be a happy day. Faye's finally home!"

Mom reached out her shaky hand to touch Faye Stone's face. "My sweet Faye, you've been through so much all these years!"

I quietly watched as it all happened. Faye was Mom and Dad's biological daughter.

I had known since young that I wasn't their real daughter. I didn't have parents. I was born in a small-town hospital, and my birth mother passed away shortly after giving birth to me.

Faye lifted her head in Mom's arms, her voice weak as she asked, "Who is she, Mom? Did you have another kid? Is that why you never came looking for me all these years?"

Only then did Mom realize I was still standing there. She gave me a sheepish smile and patted Faye's shoulder. "Faye, this is your sister, Audrey."

"Hi," I said, offering a smile.

To my surprise, Faye's face went pale. She pulled back into Mom's arms, holding her even tighter. "No… That can't be right. They told me I didn't have a sister. She—"

I knew what she was getting at and interrupted her, "I was born in the same hospital as you. I'm an orphan, so Mom and Dad adopted me."

Unexpectedly, she started crying loudly. "Mom, Dad, didn't you care about me at all? I was taken away, and instead of looking for me, you adopted another kid?"

I frowned, seeing how pale her face looked as I explained, "No, that's not how it was. Mom and Dad never stopped looking for you."

Dad sighed and said, "Faye, no one was more heartbroken than your mom and me when you disappeared!"

Faye's expression softened slightly when she heard his words, but soon, her eyes reddened again. "What about Audrey?"

The living room went completely silent.

I wasn't clueless. I knew exactly what she meant.

"What are you trying to say?" My voice lost its friendly tone, and Mom immediately shifted her gaze to me. We had lived together for over 20 years, so she could easily tell I was rather upset.

"You have been living the life meant for me all these years. Shouldn't you give it back now?" Faye asked.

Mom and Dad suddenly stopped sobbing, but Faye didn't seem to notice.

"Shouldn't you return to where you belong?" she questioned, sizing me up with a cold, sharp look.

Mom lowered her gaze, trying to shift the conversation. "You've just come home, Faye, and don't really know the place yet. Why not let Audrey show you around—"

Faye cut her off before she could finish, "So, Audrey isn't leaving?"

The living room was filled with an awkward silence. I saw the resentment and frustration in Faye's eyes.

Dad's face stiffened.

I smiled and glanced at Mom, who was avoiding my gaze. I knew she didn't want to upset me or hurt Faye. So, I wasn't going to make things harder for them.

I grabbed my bag and nodded at Mom and Dad. "Thanks for everything you've done for me. I'll always be your daughter, but for now, I'm heading to Uncle Declan's."

As I turned to head for the door, Dad's frantic voice rang out behind me, "Don't go, Dree!"

Faye flinched when she heard him call me that. Her grip tightened on his arm, and the hatred in her eyes grew stronger.

I got in my car and drove off.

By the time I reached the outskirts of town, it was already 7:00 pm. My phone kept buzzing with calls and texts, but I ignored them on purpose. I opened the door, feeling exhausted.

My uncle, Declan Lewis, was following a workout video in the living room. Dad's business wouldn't be where it was without Uncle Declan's support.

My birth mother had been traveling back then when she got into an accident. She had to give birth to me at a hospital in the nearest town. Shortly after, she passed away from blood loss.

I was born early. By the time Uncle Declan found me, I was already a year old.

"What brings you back today?" Uncle Declan asked. He paused his workout, walked over, and grabbed my bag. "Have you eaten yet? If not, I'll have Leah make something for you."

The warmth in his voice hit me, and all the frustration I had been holding in came rushing out. I told him everything—how it all started and how it ended.

His face, usually serious, tightened even more as he listened. "Has Jared completely lost it? The Stones wouldn't be where they are today without you, and now that their real daughter is back, they think it's fine to treat you this way?"

Back then, Uncle Declan couldn't bring himself to take me away. He thought I was too young and too attached to Mom and Dad.

After talking it through with them, he took us out of that small town. 20 years later, the Stone family had built a fortune with their business.

To outsiders, I was always the one spending big—the one Mom and Dad spoiled with love and attention. Even Faye believed I had taken the life she was meant to have.

Honestly, if it hadn't been for me and Uncle Declan, my adoptive parents would probably still be stuck working as truck drivers in that small town. Faye wouldn't be seeing the good life the Stones were enjoying.

That said, I couldn't deny that they had treated me well.

I grabbed Uncle Declan's arm and calmed him down for a while, finally convincing him not to confront Mom and Dad.

"So, what's your plan now?" he asked.

I looked at his slightly reddened eyes, feeling my chest tighten. He must've been heartbroken for me.

The thought of Faye's hateful glare made me click my tongue in irritation. "Sleep in my room. What else can I do?"

…

My life stayed pretty much the same after that. Mom came by a couple of times, but I was never home when she did.

One day, as I was finishing up at the office and was about to head home, the door to my office suddenly swung open.

It was Faye. She had swapped her faded, yellowed clothes for a fancy princess-style dress. She looked totally out of place in that outfit, like she was trying too hard.

"Audrey? What are you doing here?" Faye gasped and dramatically slapped a hand over her mouth.

I gave Faye a quick glance. Honestly, her figure wasn't made for that dress. I was about to say something when her expression abruptly changed.

"What's up with that look, Audrey? Who do you think you're judging?" Faye asked.

I frowned slightly, never expecting her to get so worked up over one glance.

"What's your deal?" I shot her an annoyed look before continuing to deal with the papers on my desk.

"You feel good being the usurper, huh? This is the Stones' company. What makes you think you belong here? Don't you get it? You're not part of the Stone family anymore." Faye rolled her eyes, glaring at me like she could burn a hole through me.

"The Stones' company?" I asked, incredulous. "I'm the usurper?"

Hadn't Mom and Dad told her by now? This company wasn't hers and definitely didn't belong to the Stones. It belonged to Uncle Declan.

Faye walked right up to me with her chin raised, her confidence practically spilling out. "Can you stop with the drama already? You've been living my life for years. How much more do you want? Now that I'm back, it's time for you to get out."

I let out a frustrated laugh and looked her straight in the eye. "Maybe you should check with Mom and Dad before you start talking nonsense again. Or better yet, get your head checked.

"Maybe an MRI scan will show if your brain's turned to mush because that's the only reason you're talking like this."

I didn't want to argue with her. It was a waste of time.

Unexpectedly, she knocked the potted orchid on my desk to the floor. The crash was deafening, and I saw her smug, satisfied grin.

My face went stone cold. For the first time, I was seriously pissed.

"Who gave you the right to break my stuff?" I demanded.

That orchid wasn't just any plant. My cousin, Lucas Lewis, had spent forever getting it shipped from overseas, and now, Faye had ruined it.

When she saw the look on my face, panic flashed in her eyes. She bit her lip and snapped, "You shouldn't have said that to me!"

She didn't look the least bit sorry. Instead, she straightened up and glared at me like she was the one in the right.

"Faye!" Dad rushed in, his face red with anger. He could tell who was responsible for the mess with just one look at the scene. "Apologize to Audrey!"

He gave Faye a little shove toward me, his eyes warning her silently. But, of course, she didn't catch on.

"Dad, I was just checking out my soon-to-be office. I saw Audrey here and was surprised. So I asked why she was here. But then, she started yelling at me!"

My frown deepened with every word she said. She'd twisted everything into something so ridiculous. How could she lie so blatantly?

Dad turned to me, his tone much gentler. "Is that true, Dree?"

I laughed and pointed at the surveillance camera above the filing cabinet. "Well, since that's the story, how about we take a moment to hear what the heiress just said?"

Dad's expression shifted.

I grabbed the office phone and called my assistant. "Jane, gather the senior executives for a quick meeting in the conference room. Those who aren't in the office can join remotely."

"Dree… you…"

I sat back down, my face blank as I locked eyes with Dad. He looked clearly pained, and it hit me right in the gut.

By now, Faye had enough sense to hide behind him, but her burning glare was still fixed on me. Still, the way her body shook gave away her panic.

"Let's go, Dad." I pushed my feelings aside, got up, and walked out ahead.

"Good day, everyone," I greeted the executives politely, one by one, then went straight for the seat at the head of the table.

The smiles on everyone's faces faded, and they grew more serious. I didn't usually sit there. That seat was typically saved for the elders out of respect.

Then, I pulled up the surveillance footage. Their expressions darkened further. They had been friends of Uncle Declan for years. Naturally, they weren't going to let some outsider push me around.

"So, here's the real daughter of the Stones. You all know I'm not a Stone by blood. Since the precious heiress had brought it up, I guess it's only right that I step aside and let her take my place."

I forced a bitter smile, and everyone could see I'd been completely wronged.

Dad's eyes flickered as he heard the distant tone in my voice. He stepped forward and reached for my hand. "No, Dree, that's not what I meant. Faye crossed a line today. I'll make her apologize, okay?"

Faye should've been at the center of all this, yet now, she was hiding behind Dad, refusing to meet my eyes.

"You're part of the Stone family. Your mom and I have treated you like our own all these years. She hasn't been eating since you've been gone these past two days. She's losing weight. Please, come home and see her, okay?" Dad gripped my hand, his eyes showing a hint of desperation.

I'd never seen him like this before, and something heavy settled in my chest and tightened around my heart.

And then, there was Mom.

"Okay," I agreed.

Dad immediately let out a sigh of relief and pulled Faye forward to apologize. "Apologize to Audrey!"

Faye was pushed toward me reluctantly, already preparing to play the victim.

I stopped her before she could start. "I'm not accepting your apology. Since you're so eager, you can take my spot. I'll hand everything over to you tonight.

"And one more thing—the orchid you broke, including the pot, is worth 168 thousand dollars. I'll send you the invoice later, and after depreciation, you owe me 148 thousand dollars.

"For now, you must clean up every piece of that orchid and the broken shards. Otherwise, you're not leaving this building today."

I stared her down, watching her face go pale and her limbs shake. The heaviness I'd felt earlier was gone.

Faye looked around the conference room and saw everyone silent with their heads down. She immediately knew I wasn't joking.

"You're her sister, Dree. Is this really how you're going to handle it? You know Faye has no clue about running a company—"

Dad tried to defend Faye, but one of the senior executives spoke up before he could finish.