One day, a wealthy couple is invited to give a speech at my university.

My childhood sweetheart, Henry McGregor, tugs me along, eager for us to sneak out to the cafeteria and do some part-time work.

He tells me to go grab the empty bucket from the shelf.

But just as I take a step, a flood of messages suddenly appears in front of my eyes.

[Don't touch that bucket! It's filled with scalding soup that Henry prepared. He wants to ruin your face!]

[Three years ago, Henry had his first love impersonate you, becoming the long-lost daughter of the Wright family. Now, he plans to disfigure you so you'll never be able to return.]

[You'll endure severe burns all over your body and undergo countless skin grafts. In the end, the fake heiress will poison you by swapping your medicine.]

[Meanwhile, that scumbag will marry into the Wright family. Along with the impostor, they'll drain the Wrights of everything they have.]

[You need to go back right now and let Mrs. Wright see your face. This is your only chance to reclaim your rightful place as their daughter!]

At that moment, I hear Henry urging me again to hurry and move the bucket. As I glance at the flood of messages once more, I freeze, stopping dead in my tracks.

"Penelope, why are you zoning out? Hurry up and bring the bucket over. I can't carry it myself!"

Henry McGregor was my childhood sweetheart of 18 years.

He stood about 30 feet away, holding two heavy bags of potatoes.

The flood of messages kept bombarding my vision.

[My poor heroine, please, don't touch that bucket!]

[Run! Your face is identical to Mrs. Wright's. If it's ruined, you'll never be able to return home!]

My legs trembled as I slowly took a step back.

Henry called out to me twice more. When he noticed I wasn't moving, he took a couple of steps forward.

"Penelope, what's going on in your head?"

Glancing away from the bucket, I asked, "Henry, I heard Mr. Victor Wright is here to give a speech today. He found his long-lost daughter a few years ago, didn't he?"

Henry's eyes widened, but he quickly masked his surprise with a shrug.

"How would I know about the affairs of rich people?

"But if we don't finish the job, we won't get paid today."

He kept urging me, but I simply sat down at the doorway.

"I'm a little tired. Can I rest for just two minutes?"

Henry's anxiety grew. "You can rest after moving the bucket."

The more anxious he got, the more suspicious I became.

Ignoring him, I took out my phone and quickly searched online. Sure enough, I found the Wright family's news from three years ago.

The young woman crying in Ursula Wright's embrace was none other than Clara O'Malley, our childhood friend.

It made sense now why Clara had changed her last name to Wright just as freshman year started.

She had even told me it was because a fortune teller had advised her to do so.

Biting my lip, I held out my phone to Henry, who was still pressing me to move the bucket.

"Isn't this Clara?"

Henry swallowed hard, avoiding my gaze. "I guess so. But I've been busy with work. I don't have time to worry about such trivial things.

"Now, hurry up and move the bucket, will you? Once we're done, I'll take you out for some crawfish."

Why was he changing the subject? It was obvious he was hiding something.

It felt like my heart was being ripped from my chest.

I was just two years old when I was abducted. A year after arriving at my new home, my adoptive parents abandoned me.

It was at the orphanage where I met Henry. He was the same age as me.

We grew up together as childhood sweethearts and eventually found ourselves at the same university.

Over the years, he took great care of me. He'd save up to buy me snacks and even took me out during the holidays.

When my classmates teased me for being an orphan, he took up martial arts just to protect me.

He even pinned down the ones who bullied me and made them apologize.

Five years ago, he gave me a bouquet of roses and confessed his feelings. He knew that roses were my favorite flowers.

He promised his eternal love, assuring me that we were each other's one and only family.

I'd always pictured Henry and me getting married and spending forever together after graduation.

But just two years after I became his girlfriend, he had another woman assume my identity to "find her real family."

"Henry, am I your first love?" I asked, struggling to keep my voice steady.

Henry lowered his head, casually brushing away imaginary dust from the potato sack.

"Of course, Penelope. You're my first love."

[He's lying! This scumbag deserves to rot for deceiving you!]

A bitter sting filled my nose. I lowered my gaze, disappointment crashing over me.

Clara entered the orphanage when we were just ten years old.

With her mesmerizing voice and striking beauty, she quickly grew attached to Henry, trailing him around every day.

Henry considered her a nuisance at first, but with time, he became more accepting of her. Soon enough, he was inviting her to eat and play with us.

Just thinking about Clara calling my name with such tenderness made my fists clench.

Who could have guessed what the two of them had conspired behind my back?

Together, they kept the truth from me, allowing Clara to step into my shoes as the Wright family's daughter.

Now that the Wrights had arrived to give their speech, Henry was trying to ruin my appearance to keep them from recognizing me.

No. I had to take back what was mine.

I couldn't let them keep the lies going any longer.

"Henry, my stomach hurts. I need to use the restroom."

With those words, I turned and made my way toward the auditorium.

Inside, Victor and Ursula had already finished their speech. Now, Clara was on stage.

Dressed in a luxurious, custom-tailored gown, her makeup was impeccable. Her hair was styled flawlessly, and even her hairpin sparkled with diamonds.

She spoke with poise, every word carefully chosen.

"This scholarship program for underprivileged students is something I've dedicated myself to. I'm incredibly grateful to my parents for their constant support.

"Without them, I wouldn't be where I am today, and this project wouldn't have helped so many students pursue their academic dreams.

"But unfortunately, one friend of mine never received the scholarship over these three years. She would often approach me privately.

"Anyway, what I want to emphasize is that opportunities are given to those who are truly prepared."

I knew all too well that she was referring to me.

[What a spiteful villain! The heroine didn't miss out on the scholarship because of bad grades!]

[Exactly. Clara deliberately sabotaged it, preventing her from meeting the requirements!]

[Damn, she's cold and calculating. Only those who get the scholarship are allowed to take a photo with Mr. and Mrs. Wright. It's clear Clara and Henry are just afraid the truth will come out!]

My heart lurched.

For three years, I had consistently ranked first in my major. Yet somehow, I always fell just short of meeting the scholarship's requirements.

I had even approached Henry and Clara privately, expressing my frustration. But all they did was dismiss me.

"Penelope, this month's pay is enough to get us through. Don't worry about it."

"Don't be sad, Penelope. You'll definitely get it next time!"

They pretended to comfort me, but the truth was, they had cut off my scholarship and ensured I'd never have a chance to see my parents.

My eyes shifted to Victor and Ursula. Their expressions were filled with pride as they looked at Clara on stage.

Just as I was about to say something, a hand slammed over my mouth, pulling me back forcefully.

"Penelope, don't cause trouble at such an important event. Let's get back to work."

[He's a horrible person! He's been living it up with Clara, yet he still insists on making the heroine suffer!]

I recognized Henry's voice. Enraged, I stomped hard on his foot.

He let out a cry of pain, but his grip on me remained firm.

On stage, Clara noticed us.

Her eyes widened for a moment. She quickly regained her composure and whispered something into Ursula's ear.

Ursula's face tightened with worry as she helped Clara down from the stage.

[She's so cunning. I can't believe she pretended to be sick just to avoid being exposed.]

[What a manipulative vixen!]

Just as the three of them stepped off the stage, I bit down hard on Henry's fingers. The moment his grip loosened, I dashed toward the backstage area.

[Go! Let your mother get a good look at you!]

Fueled by the onslaught of comments, I pushed myself to run faster.

It hit me suddenly that the world I had been living in was shaped by the narrative of the true heiress and the imposter.

Today, I was meant to be drenched in boiling soup by Henry and sent to the hospital.

Later, I would cross paths with Ursula and discover we looked alike. But Clara would spin her version of the story with a few lies, and Ursula wouldn't trust me for a second.

Henry would even go as far as showing her a photo of someone else, insisting it was me.

As a result, Ursula would come to despise me for "lying". She would stop funding my hospital bills and cut me off completely.

As I endured countless skin graft surgeries, Henry would openly flaunt his affection for Clara and even secure a position in the Wright family's company.

When my appearance had mostly healed, I thought I would finally be able to meet my parents.

But to my horror, Clara ended my life with a single injection of poison.

After my death, Henry married into the Wright family. Together, they held a lavish and extravagant wedding.

By their second year of marriage, they staged an "accident" that led to the deaths of Victor and Ursula. With their passing, Henry and Clara took control of the entire family fortune.

I couldn't believe my parents and I had all been victims of their treachery. They didn't even spare a thought for a funeral. I was left forgotten in the morgue.

That wasn't the fate of a heroine. My parents were never meant to die.

I had to rewrite my story.

As I reached the backstage, I cried out toward their retreating silhouettes, "Wait!"

Clara was the first to recognize my voice. Without missing a beat, she shoved Ursula and Victor forward.

"Mom, let's go quickly. I'm feeling really dizzy."

Just as Ursula was about to turn, Clara held her back.

I could hear Henry's footsteps drawing closer behind me.

In a moment of desperation, I shouted, "She's been deceiving you! I'm your real daughter!"

Ursula whirled around. When her eyes fell on my face, she gasped in shock.

''You… You look exactly like me!'' she exclaimed.

Her eyes darted between me and Clara, who only bore a faint resemblance to her.

Victor was equally stunned. He took a step forward, trying to get a better look at my face.

I didn't waste a second. ''I'm your daughter! She's the imposter!''

[Finally, the heroine is done holding back. It's time to show that imposter who's boss!]

But just as I finished reading the comment, a hand suddenly grabbed my shoulder, yanking me backward.

''Penelope, we can't stay here. Let's go!'' Henry urged, his voice filled with panic.

"Hey!"

Ursula instinctively reached for me, but before she could, Clara swiftly wrapped her arms around her.

Tears welled up in Clara's eyes, spilling down her cheeks.

"Mom, don't you believe me?" she pleaded.

Ursula's heart seemed to waver, and she hugged Clara tightly. "Of course, I believe you. It's just…"

I could see the conflict in her eyes. Given how much I resembled her, how could she not question everything?

"Mrs. Wright, I was abducted when I was two. I was wearing a green T-shirt, black pants, and white shoes.

"I can still picture the mountain behind our house. Its slopes were covered in peach trees.

"I have this memory of someone carrying me up that mountain to pick peaches. I even cried when I saw a snake."

I shared every detail I could recall from before I turned two. Ursula's eyes welled up with tears, and her voice caught in her throat.

Victor nodded repeatedly. "You're right. The next day, I had every snake cleared from the mountain. But by then, our daughter was already gone."

Behind them, Clara's expression darkened. She exchanged an uneasy glance with Henry.