Steven Lambert claimed my mother almost killed his wife and daughter, branding me as a sinner from birth. For twenty years, he and his family tormented me in the name of atonement. I was forced into a cruel marriage with the vile Caleb Carpenter in Cindy's place, only to suffer a tragic end. Only then did the Lamberts realize I was their daughter. Yet all this time, the very existence they believed to be a sinner enjoyed their bottomless affection and adoration.
View MoreThe last thing I saw was the electronic mouse clock on the table not far away. A small camera was hidden behind it.By the time Layla received the video, I would have probably died.It was necessary. I needed to atone for the wrong I had done.However, being hit really did hurt.Never had I imagined I would get the chance to witness my murderer's punishment. This was probably a reward from the heavens above.With the evidence, Caleb was soon caught. Lucy, the mastermind behind the crime, was arrested and brought to justice just before she was about to leave the country.Carpenter Group's stock price plummeted for days, and stakeholders cut ties with the group. The Carpenters were going down.The Lamberts weren't doing well, either.Some kind-hearted people posted all the information about how they treated me after I was swapped at birth twenty years ago.The Lamberts' public relations manager tried his best to suppress the news, but his efforts were rendered futile. They insta
That was when Mark approached with shuffling steps. The hesitation on his face was obvious. Steven, who was too annoyed to make a guess, simply asked, "What did you want to say?""Huh? N-Nothing…." Mark stammered. He was startled by Steven's question."Hang on. That's not true." Mark scratched his head and spun in place twice before deciding to voice his findings."The last time we were at the store, I saw Cindy avoiding that woman's gaze. It seemed like she had known that woman for a long time.""What did you say?!" Sophia grabbed Mark's hand violently. Before Mark could cry out in pain, she let go of him and took a few steps back in bewilderment."She knew all along that she wasn't my daughter," she muttered under her breath.Agony was drawn all over her face. She found it hard to believe, but she had to.Mark froze for a moment when he heard this. He turned to Steven for help.Only then did Steven realize Mark hadn't found out about this yet. He sighed, and spilled the b
After the authorities received public opinion and launched an investigation into the incident, people realized that I might not have been the first victim.Caleb's past female partners either went missing, died, or kept their mouths shut about him. Caleb, or rather Lucy, used their power and money to erase all evidence.By the time my parents arrived at the hospital, all they saw was a handful of ashes in a tiny jar. In order to minimize exposure of the crime, Lucy instructed someone to get rid of my corpse. By now, she was no longer in the mood to imagine the expression on my parents' faces once they saw my corpse.I followed from a distance, but was surprised to see Randal and Steven facing each other off.Randal's hair had grown long. His formerly pale face was now flushed with rage. He was sitting in a wheelchair, holding onto my ashes and refusing to let go."You have no right to take Rachel's ashes! Give the urn to me. I can let it slide," Steven said.Grandma stood behi
I felt restless.Steven didn't seem like the kind of guy who took rejection well, especially when it also involved his daughter, Cindy.As expected, I got a call that day. My entry to the academy was denied.I knew Steven had to be behind this. He was forcing my hand.Right after that, bad things happened one after another.After Randal found out about this and Steven's visit, he had a heart attack.The doctor said he needed a new heart. Although it sounded simple enough, we all knew how many people were waiting in line for a donor.All of a sudden, Grandma fell sick.Although she was just as anxious, she saw my haggard appearance when she woke up, and the first thing she did was to comfort me."Rachel, don't worry. There will be a way."Steven approached me. He brought a pile of information on Randal's case, including the latest treatment plan, the post-operative recovery program, and the heart donor's information that was placed at the end.That was when I learned that Ran
I watched as Steven closed his eyes in embarrassment, feeling zero interest in the turn of events.I could tell he was remorseful. Based on how well I knew him, though, I knew he only regretted not realizing the truth about the switch, rather than the abuse of an innocent child for the past twenty years.Steven was heartbroken by the fact that he misidentified his daughter. He was even more crushed to see his lover's current state. He clutched his wife's trembling hands, trying to pull her into his arms. However, he was met with strong resistance."It's all your fault!" Sophia yelled, pushing him away and pointing at his face. "If it wasn't for you, Lucy wouldn't have swapped our children! I wouldn't have lost my daughter, my baby—"She paused after saying the word 'baby'. It sounded as if she wanted to say my name, but ultimately couldn't bring herself to do so.After all, my name was a culmination of her husband's malice. She had kept quiet about it for over twenty years. Ho
According to Caleb, Lucy was twisted but resourceful.When the Carpenters were going downhill some years ago, she was the one who had brought assets into the family to save them from decline.Lucy groomed Caleb to be just as twisted and stubborn as she was.Realizing that Lucy was always paying attention to the Lamberts, Caleb quietly carried out an investigation. Consequently, Lucy found out and punished him severely.That was how he came to be the first person to know about the substitution.Back then, Lucy bribed people to induce Sophia into early labor. She then took oxycodone with the purpose of swapping Cindy and me, who were born at the same time.She wanted Steven and Sophia to torture their own daughter. Then, she would show up at the right time to make them suffer from the realization of what they had done.Caleb resented the fact that Lucy paid too much attention to the Lamberts. Hence, he came up with a plan to trick Mark and force one of Mark's sisters to marry him.
The journey back was awfully quiet.Everyone seemed afraid the twisted truth would surface and ruin the superficial peace once they opened their mouths.Sophia kept her eyes shut tightly, appearing confused. She seemed to still be thinking about what Lucy had said.Finally, the long silence was broken."We're here," the driver said.Cindy looked at Mark, who was motionless for some reason, and said in a shaky tone, "Mom, we're home."Sophia reacted for the first time since they got into the car.She lifted her head, and looked at Cindy's face. The longer she looked, the more mournful her expression became.It was as if she had finally realized that her daughter looked a lot like her enemy.Cindy's large, round eyes, and the slightly raised ends of her eyebrows when she turned sideways looked a lot like Lucy when the latter squinted at people.Could Cindy really be Lucy's daughter…?What about her own daughter?Sophia immediately shuddered. 'This can't be!'Lucy must be tri
Taking advantage of the fact that no one else could see me, I circled around the crowd and took in everyone's reaction in the room.Sophia's reaction was just as I expected.Lucy was the culprit who had repeatedly tried to destroy her family, and nearly caused Sophia to lose her and her daughter's life.I wouldn't be surprised if Sophia pounced on Lucy at this point, let alone just standing still with a blank expression on her face.Cindy, on the other hand, shouldn't have known who Lucy was. Shouldn't she have been happy when she heard that the store owner was willing to give what she wanted to her?Instead, she was frozen in place. In fact, she even seemed to hide behind Sophia.Meanwhile, Sophia didn't move. Lucy stood still, allowing Sophia to look at her. She seemed completely unperturbed.After a long while, Sophia finally spoke. "We don't want those shoes anymore. Cindy, Mark, let's go.""We don't? Why?" Mark was still not sure what to make of the situation.He didn't k
It was a pair of dancing shoes with smooth lines and sequins dotted on both sides, combined to form a marvelous floral pattern.Cindy saw the shoes too, and her eyes immediately lit up. She instructed the salesperson to bring the shoes over.After putting them on, Cindy twirled around in front of the mirror a few times and said excitedly, “Look, Mom! These shoes go perfectly with the ball gown you gave me for my birthday.”Sophia smiled and gently gazed at Cindy, who was twirling in front of the mirror.Upon closer inspection, she was still in a trance. It was as if she was looking through Cindy at something she could no longer reach.I knew what she was looking at.In her youth, Sophia was a gifted dancer. Not only was she a household name, but she was also known to be at the top of the industry.Her love affair with Steven began on stage. However, her career came to an end because of that.Cindy hadn't inherited Sophia's talent in dancing. Her dancing could only be described
Steven Lambert claimed my mother almost killed his wife and daughter, branding me as a sinner from birth. For twenty years, he and his family tormented me in the name of atonement. I was forced into a cruel marriage with the vile Caleb Carpenter in Cindy's place, only to suffer a tragic end. Only then did the Lamberts realize I was their daughter. Yet all this time, the very existence they believed to be a sinner enjoyed their bottomless affection and adoration. -With every vicious punch Caleb threw at me, my vision grew blurry. Eventually, my body grew numb. Apart from his twisted expression, the only other thing I could see was the electronic clock on the table not far away. A round yellow electronic mouse held up the rectangular display.'March 27, 2024, 19:37.'That day turned out to be my twenty-first birthday.'Oh, Rachel… It's the perfect ending.'Unable to help myself, I let out a sarcastic laugh. A strange lightness enveloped my body, such that I felt as I was ...
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