My eyes brightened as I looked at the elderly man who had appeared at the door.My previously cold expression melted into one of deep grievance. I eagerly ran to him and threw myself into his embrace. "Grandpa, I've missed you so much. They've been so harsh to me!"Grandpa chuckled and gently patted my head. "Well, I'm here now. With me here, I'll make sure no one dares to bully you, especially not that live-in son-in-law!"I nodded repeatedly. Then, I carefully helped him up onto the stage.At this moment, the crowd was stunned by Grandpa's mention of "live-in son-in-law".It was widely known that Tyler was Grandpa's biological son. He had inherited Campbell Group and contributed significantly to promoting traditional pottery.Though Tyler didn't carry the Campbell surname, he explained that he had taken his mother's family name.No one had ever doubted it. Some even praised Grandpa for being progressive, saying that he allowed his only son to take his mother's surname despite
Tyler's face turned ashen as he hurriedly tried to explain, "Dad, you've misunderstood! I only have Maddie attend in Phoebe's place because she's been in the mountains for so many years. I just thought she wouldn't be comfortable attending such events."Phoebe and Maddie are sisters, after all. We're all family! There's no such thing as taking anyone's place. Since Lindsay passed, I've been managing the company and supporting the family. You've seen my efforts, haven't you? Let's talk at home, please."Tyler knew that Grandpa valued relations, so he had no choice but to start playing the sympathy card.But Grandpa wasn't buying it. No matter how well Tyler spoke, it didn't move him even a little."Sisters? An illegitimate daughter calls herself Phoebe's sister? Back then, you said you adopted her to keep Phoebe from feeling lonely after losing her mom. I agreed, but that doesn't mean she has the same rights as Phoebe. To me, she's nothing but Phoebe's maid!"Madison trembled, and
Madison was completely overwhelmed by the voices of ridicule and the harsh comments flooding the live chat. Her head drooped in shame.Biting her lip, she cast a resentful glare at me.But then, it seemed like she had an idea. Instead of harboring ill feelings for Tyler abandoning her, she rushed over to help him up.After that, she put on a weak but defiant expression and said, "Grandpa, I may be an illegitimate daughter, but my mom is already gone. Since my dad is your son-in-law, I'm also considered your granddaughter. You can't deny that."Her audacity stunned me. I was speechless, and the others reacted with even more shock."Is she out of her mind? Who could say something like that?""Wow, I'm actually laughing. This is the funniest thing I've heard all year!""Claiming to be the granddaughter like that? If I had half her shamelessness, I'd never have to worry about being rich!"Despite all the laughter at her expense, Madison continued to play the part of the dutiful dau
Someone in the crowd remarked, "It's impressive that a young woman in her 20s has gone to such lengths to learn traditional pottery.""Maybe we've been too hard on her. Perhaps, as she said, she's just trying to fit into the Campbell family. After all, she's only an illegitimate daughter and probably fears being cast out.""If it were just for a day or two, it could be faked, but this account has been active for eight years! Even if it's all an act, we can't deny her effort."I was almost in awe of her acting skills and nearly applauded her performance.But eight years ago was the time I made the decision to go into the mountains with Grandpa and devote myself to learning traditional pottery.And while those hundreds of videos did indeed show the process of learning traditional pottery, the problem was that Madison never once showed her face in any of them.In fact, even her hands, which were supposedly calloused and scarred from all her hard work, looked completely off.I chuck
Screaming, Madison lunged at Tyler and furiously punched and kicked him. "Don't drag me into this! You're the one who did all these terrible things! Don't try to blame me!"Her sharp nails scratched Tyler's face. He didn't hold back either. He slapped her hard across the face, sending her into a daze.He muttered, "I've avenged you, Phoebe. Now, you must believe that I love you, right?"I watched coldly as the father and daughter tore into each other, feeling nothing but indifference.It was clear now that the so-called deep father-daughter bond between them could easily shatter when it came to personal gain.My previous envy of how Tyler had doted on and indulged Madison felt ridiculous at this moment. It was clear now that selfish, heartless people were not capable of love.As their fight escalated, Grandpa was worried that they might accidentally hurt me. He stood in front of me and ordered the bodyguards to take them both away.At last, it seemed that all the truths had come
My grandpa, Dylan Campbell, was a successor of intangible cultural heritage. Today, I was supposed to attend an intangible cultural heritage ceremony as his rightful successor. But when I arrived, I was surprised to find Dad's adopted daughter, Madison Lloyd, was already standing on stage.Draped in a designer dress and holding a trophy, she was giving a teary-eyed acceptance speech.The old me might have quietly walked away without stirring up trouble.But now?I smirked coldly. Before anyone could process what was happening, I marched up the stage, snatched the trophy out of her hands, and slapped her so hard she stumbled two steps back.The entire room froze.Madison was the first to recover. Clutching her cheek, she shrieked, "Phoebe Campbell! What the heck are you doing?"You laze around at home like it's your full-time job, and now you've got the nerve to embarrass yourself at a public event? Do you even care about the Lloyd family's reputation?"She was shouting accusa
Madison jerked her head up. Her eyes were wide with panic as she stared at me.With a scoff, I looked down at her. She was probably wondering how I knew she wasn't just an adopted daughter but Tyler's illegitimate child.But I wasn't about to explain myself to her.Today, all the truth would come to light.Unfortunately, despite what I said, no one seemed ready to take my side.After all, over the years, Madison had attended various events with Tyler as the successor of the traditional pottery. Many people had known her.Meanwhile, ever since my mom, Lindsay Campbell, passed away, I'd been living in seclusion with Grandpa. There, I learned the art of traditional pottery in the mountains. I rarely stepped into the outside world.Just as we were in a standoff, a man suddenly stepped onto the stage. He glared at me with a sharp, commanding gaze. "Enough!"I recognized him immediately. He was my fiancé, Wilson Guzman, who had a small but notable reputation in the heritage community
Upon hearing the crowd's curses directed at me, Wilson smiled smugly and tried to reason with me. "If you apologize to me and Maddie now, we might still let you off the hook and pretend this never happened."Otherwise, once I tell your dad, you won't be able to stay in the Lloyd family anymore!"Madison, hiding behind Wilson, rolled her eyes at me. Her smug expression was full of self-satisfaction. After all, she knew all too well that when it came to me and her, Tyler would always choose her.I was eight when Mom died in a car accident while rushing to take me to the hospital for a high fever. Tyler blamed me for her death and developed a deep hatred for me.I had always felt guilty and tried to earn his approval, so I obeyed him and showed respect in everything I did.Whenever Madison brought up Tyler, I would helplessly give in. But this time, I didn't give her the reaction she was expecting.Wilson's ridiculous words amused me. I pulled out my phone to dial Tyler's number."
Screaming, Madison lunged at Tyler and furiously punched and kicked him. "Don't drag me into this! You're the one who did all these terrible things! Don't try to blame me!"Her sharp nails scratched Tyler's face. He didn't hold back either. He slapped her hard across the face, sending her into a daze.He muttered, "I've avenged you, Phoebe. Now, you must believe that I love you, right?"I watched coldly as the father and daughter tore into each other, feeling nothing but indifference.It was clear now that the so-called deep father-daughter bond between them could easily shatter when it came to personal gain.My previous envy of how Tyler had doted on and indulged Madison felt ridiculous at this moment. It was clear now that selfish, heartless people were not capable of love.As their fight escalated, Grandpa was worried that they might accidentally hurt me. He stood in front of me and ordered the bodyguards to take them both away.At last, it seemed that all the truths had come
Someone in the crowd remarked, "It's impressive that a young woman in her 20s has gone to such lengths to learn traditional pottery.""Maybe we've been too hard on her. Perhaps, as she said, she's just trying to fit into the Campbell family. After all, she's only an illegitimate daughter and probably fears being cast out.""If it were just for a day or two, it could be faked, but this account has been active for eight years! Even if it's all an act, we can't deny her effort."I was almost in awe of her acting skills and nearly applauded her performance.But eight years ago was the time I made the decision to go into the mountains with Grandpa and devote myself to learning traditional pottery.And while those hundreds of videos did indeed show the process of learning traditional pottery, the problem was that Madison never once showed her face in any of them.In fact, even her hands, which were supposedly calloused and scarred from all her hard work, looked completely off.I chuck
Madison was completely overwhelmed by the voices of ridicule and the harsh comments flooding the live chat. Her head drooped in shame.Biting her lip, she cast a resentful glare at me.But then, it seemed like she had an idea. Instead of harboring ill feelings for Tyler abandoning her, she rushed over to help him up.After that, she put on a weak but defiant expression and said, "Grandpa, I may be an illegitimate daughter, but my mom is already gone. Since my dad is your son-in-law, I'm also considered your granddaughter. You can't deny that."Her audacity stunned me. I was speechless, and the others reacted with even more shock."Is she out of her mind? Who could say something like that?""Wow, I'm actually laughing. This is the funniest thing I've heard all year!""Claiming to be the granddaughter like that? If I had half her shamelessness, I'd never have to worry about being rich!"Despite all the laughter at her expense, Madison continued to play the part of the dutiful dau
Tyler's face turned ashen as he hurriedly tried to explain, "Dad, you've misunderstood! I only have Maddie attend in Phoebe's place because she's been in the mountains for so many years. I just thought she wouldn't be comfortable attending such events."Phoebe and Maddie are sisters, after all. We're all family! There's no such thing as taking anyone's place. Since Lindsay passed, I've been managing the company and supporting the family. You've seen my efforts, haven't you? Let's talk at home, please."Tyler knew that Grandpa valued relations, so he had no choice but to start playing the sympathy card.But Grandpa wasn't buying it. No matter how well Tyler spoke, it didn't move him even a little."Sisters? An illegitimate daughter calls herself Phoebe's sister? Back then, you said you adopted her to keep Phoebe from feeling lonely after losing her mom. I agreed, but that doesn't mean she has the same rights as Phoebe. To me, she's nothing but Phoebe's maid!"Madison trembled, and
My eyes brightened as I looked at the elderly man who had appeared at the door.My previously cold expression melted into one of deep grievance. I eagerly ran to him and threw myself into his embrace. "Grandpa, I've missed you so much. They've been so harsh to me!"Grandpa chuckled and gently patted my head. "Well, I'm here now. With me here, I'll make sure no one dares to bully you, especially not that live-in son-in-law!"I nodded repeatedly. Then, I carefully helped him up onto the stage.At this moment, the crowd was stunned by Grandpa's mention of "live-in son-in-law".It was widely known that Tyler was Grandpa's biological son. He had inherited Campbell Group and contributed significantly to promoting traditional pottery.Though Tyler didn't carry the Campbell surname, he explained that he had taken his mother's family name.No one had ever doubted it. Some even praised Grandpa for being progressive, saying that he allowed his only son to take his mother's surname despite
Tyler's face immediately turned pale. He hadn't expected me to stand up to him like this.Madison rushed over to support him and asked in concern, "Dad, are you okay? I don't know why Phoebe's acting like this but don't blame her. She's my sister, after all."Her act of humble submission not only tugged at Tyler's heartstrings but also garnered sympathy from the audience."Mr. Lloyd, you're finally here! Look at what your adopted daughter has done to Ms. Lloyd!""How vicious! She's been assaulting Ms. Lloyd right in front of us. Who knows what she's been doing behind closed doors?""For such a prestigious family like the Lloyd family to have such an adopted daughter is like a rotten apple in a barrel of good ones. She should be kicked out of the family immediately!"Wilson also stepped forward at the right moment, adding, "Exactly, Mr. Lloyd. She's accusing Maddie of being the adopted daughter and claiming she's the real successor. A liar like her doesn't deserve to stay in the L
Upon hearing the crowd's curses directed at me, Wilson smiled smugly and tried to reason with me. "If you apologize to me and Maddie now, we might still let you off the hook and pretend this never happened."Otherwise, once I tell your dad, you won't be able to stay in the Lloyd family anymore!"Madison, hiding behind Wilson, rolled her eyes at me. Her smug expression was full of self-satisfaction. After all, she knew all too well that when it came to me and her, Tyler would always choose her.I was eight when Mom died in a car accident while rushing to take me to the hospital for a high fever. Tyler blamed me for her death and developed a deep hatred for me.I had always felt guilty and tried to earn his approval, so I obeyed him and showed respect in everything I did.Whenever Madison brought up Tyler, I would helplessly give in. But this time, I didn't give her the reaction she was expecting.Wilson's ridiculous words amused me. I pulled out my phone to dial Tyler's number."
Madison jerked her head up. Her eyes were wide with panic as she stared at me.With a scoff, I looked down at her. She was probably wondering how I knew she wasn't just an adopted daughter but Tyler's illegitimate child.But I wasn't about to explain myself to her.Today, all the truth would come to light.Unfortunately, despite what I said, no one seemed ready to take my side.After all, over the years, Madison had attended various events with Tyler as the successor of the traditional pottery. Many people had known her.Meanwhile, ever since my mom, Lindsay Campbell, passed away, I'd been living in seclusion with Grandpa. There, I learned the art of traditional pottery in the mountains. I rarely stepped into the outside world.Just as we were in a standoff, a man suddenly stepped onto the stage. He glared at me with a sharp, commanding gaze. "Enough!"I recognized him immediately. He was my fiancé, Wilson Guzman, who had a small but notable reputation in the heritage community
My grandpa, Dylan Campbell, was a successor of intangible cultural heritage. Today, I was supposed to attend an intangible cultural heritage ceremony as his rightful successor. But when I arrived, I was surprised to find Dad's adopted daughter, Madison Lloyd, was already standing on stage.Draped in a designer dress and holding a trophy, she was giving a teary-eyed acceptance speech.The old me might have quietly walked away without stirring up trouble.But now?I smirked coldly. Before anyone could process what was happening, I marched up the stage, snatched the trophy out of her hands, and slapped her so hard she stumbled two steps back.The entire room froze.Madison was the first to recover. Clutching her cheek, she shrieked, "Phoebe Campbell! What the heck are you doing?"You laze around at home like it's your full-time job, and now you've got the nerve to embarrass yourself at a public event? Do you even care about the Lloyd family's reputation?"She was shouting accusa