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.

"Penelope, how could you do this to me?"

Hearing Clara's sobs, Ursula turned around. "Clara, do you know her?"

"Mom, she's a friend from the orphanage. Henry, her, and I grew up together.

"She was only repeating what I told her. I'm the one who shared those stories.

"Penelope, I trusted you like a sister when I shared those memories. How could you turn around and use them to lie to my parents?"

Henry stepped forward, his expression darkening like a brewing storm.

"Penelope, Clara has tolerated you over and over. Why can't you just leave her alone?"

Victor was taken aback. "Wait, did she bully Clara?"

"Yes, Mr. Wright. Clara never said anything because she has a kind heart. She didn't want to cause you any trouble.

"But personally, I've had it with Penelope's toxic and jealous behavior!

"She has been envious of Clara since we were kids. At the orphanage, she would steal Clara's toys. Once we started school, she even tore up her homework.

"With time, her jealousy worsened, fueled by Clara's acceptance into your family and her newfound wealth. She even questioned me about why Clara was picked.

"I told her it was because Clara looks so much like Mrs. Wright. After that, Penelope deliberately went and had plastic surgery to resemble Mrs. Wright!"

His words hit me like a lightning strike. I stared at Henry in disbelief, my body shaking uncontrollably.

Those 18 years we shared as kids meant nothing at this moment; he was a complete stranger.

What unsettled me the most was the cold, merciless gleam in his eyes. It was a side of Henry I had never seen before.

Tears welled up, blurring my vision. "Don't be ridiculous! We grew up side by side. How could you not know what I look like?

"She's the one who stole my identity to get close to my parents. How dare you have the nerve to blame me for plastic surgery!"

Henry's expression darkened even more. With a sharp glare, he hissed through clenched teeth, "It's precisely because we grew up together that I know your true nature. I remember better than anyone what you used to look like."

With that, he pulled out an enlarged photo and handed it to Victor and Ursula.

The girl in the picture had crooked features and bore no resemblance to Ursula whatsoever.

"This is what Penelope looked like before," Henry said, pointing at the photo.

[That scumbag is ruthless. I can't believe he used someone else's photo to fool Ursula.]

[Don't cry! Hurry, show them your selfies!]

I quickly grabbed my phone, but the moment I opened the photo gallery, my heart sank.

Three years ago, Henry had dropped my phone into the lake while we were out on the water.

This new phone only contained recent pictures. Any evidence from the orphanage was completely wiped clean.

[It's over. Those two villains set this trap three years ago. There's no way the heroine can prove herself now.]

Seeing me clutch my phone in silence, Victor and Ursula exchanged helpless glances, realizing I had nothing to show.

Seizing the opportunity, Clara sobbed quietly.

"Penelope, I know losing the scholarship has been hard on you. If it's money you need, I can give it to you.

"You can have anything you want… just please don't take my parents away from me..."

Ursula immediately wrapped her arms around her.

"Don't cry, sweetheart. We'll always be your parents. There's no way we'd ever leave you. Let's go home."

Victor shot me a cold, disapproving glance. With a flick of his hand, he called for the bodyguards to escort me out.

[This is bad. The heroine has no proof left!]

Just as the bodyguards reached for me, I blurted out, "We can do a DNA test!"