Imposter Bride

The day I earned my Ph.D., I secretly flew home to surprise my father and brother. Instead, I walked in on them preparing a wedding for the housekeeper's daughter and my fiancé. My proud older brother, who had always listened to me, treated her like a princess. He not only gave her the wedding dress our mother had specially designed for me but even knelt to fix her train. Then my father, who had never lied to me before, stepped onto the stage and publicly announced that the housekeeper's daughter was her daughter. And I was the housekeeper's daughter. In my previous life, I chose to stay silent to protect the family's reputation. But in the end, they worked together to push me off a cliff. After my death, my mother was so devastated that my father tricked her into giving up the company and left her with nothing. She eventually died alone on the streets. Then, by some miracle, I was reborn. This time, I stormed onto the stage and ripped the veil off the smug housekeeper's daughter. "You're the one who's gone too far! How dare a housekeeper's daughter touch what belongs to me?" Chapter 1 Everyone in the room was shocked after hearing what I said. My brother, Ethan Carter, was furious. He shoved me aside, took off his jacket, and draped it over Olivia Carter's shoulders. He pulled her into his arms as she stood there with tears in her eyes. Then he glared at me coldly. "Emily, have you lost your mind?" My dad, David Carter, was just as angry. He slapped me across the face. "How dare a housekeeper's daughter bully her own family? You've gone too far!" My cheek burned. I looked at Ethan and David, who were clearly taking Olivia's side, and laughed bitterly. I shot back without holding anything back. "What? She's the one taking what belongs to me! No wonder the wedding was moved up. You deliberately planned Olivia's wedding with my fiancé while I was studying abroad, didn't you? You wanted Olivia to take my place! If I hadn't come back early, you would've gotten away with it!" The day I earned my Ph.D., I secretly flew home to surprise Ethan and David. Instead, I discovered that they had arranged for Olivia to take my identity and marry my fiancé, Adam Sullivan, in my place. In my previous life, I had chosen to stay quiet for the sake of the family's reputation. I didn't make a scene. But what did I get in return? Their betrayal. They worked together to kill me. They even dragged my mother, Christina Carter, into it. This time, I wouldn't stay silent. I would expose their lies and their whole scheme in front of everyone. And I would make them pay. Olivia said nothing at first. Instead, she forced out a few tears and put on a helpless, innocent look. "Emily, we've always treated you so well. How can you say things like this? "Yes, you're the housekeeper's daughter, but you lost your father when you were young. Dad felt sorry for you, so he kindly supported you as you grew up. I've always treated you like my own sister, too. You've always been treated well in our home. "When Mom heard that you wanted to study abroad, she agreed right away. She was even worried about your safety and went with you. Even when you borrowed my clothes, I never complained. "I know you probably wanted my wedding dress this time, too. But Mom had it specially made for me. That's the one thing I can't give you." She kept twisting the truth. Soon, everyone around us started looking at me strangely and whispering among themselves. "A nobody trying to play somebody? She's shameless!" "Exactly. Emily is so ungrateful! Who does she think she is? She's meant to stay at the bottom of the ladder! She should know her place..." Ethan gently wiped Olivia's tears with his thumb. But when he looked at me, his eyes were full of blame and coldness. "What are you waiting for? Give the veil back to Olivia!" At that moment, he suddenly felt like a stranger. In my eyes, Ethan had always loved me. He had spoiled me and never even raised his voice at me. But everything changed after Olivia appeared. Chapter 2 He kept getting angry with me because of Olivia. In the past, whenever he won jewelry at an auction, he would give it all to me. But now, he would immediately hand everything over to Olivia instead. Whenever Olivia and I had an argument, all she had to do was cry. Ethan would instantly take her side. He would assume that I had bullied her without even asking what happened. And he hated me more and more. He even worked with David to help Olivia marry into the Sullivan family. While I was studying abroad, they secretly let Olivia pretend to be me and take everything that belonged to me. Remembering this, my eyes turned cold as I tightened my grip on the veil. "I'm not giving it back. Mom designed this veil especially for me. It represents her love for me. I won't let anyone else touch it!" As I spoke, I rushed forward and tried to pull the wedding dress off Olivia. David roared angrily. "Hold this ungrateful brat down! Take the veil away from her!" Arthur Johnson immediately obeyed. He walked toward me with a dark look on his face. Arthur was David's most trusted butler, and he had always taken Olivia's side. Whenever new clothes or the latest designer pieces arrived, he would let Olivia choose first. Then he would send whatever she didn't want to my room. If I made a mistake, he would immediately report it to David. But when Olivia broke an expensive vase, he never said a word. I used to think these were just little things, so I never paid much attention to them. But now I could see the truth. Arthur clearly favored Olivia. He was nothing more than her lapdog. By the time I realized it, Arthur was already standing in front of me. He quickly snatched the veil from my hand. He moved so fast that the tiny crystals on the wedding dress scraped across my palm. Blood immediately started flowing from the cut. The sharp pain made me cry out. Arthur only looked at me with disgust. "Stop pretending! Do you really think you're some rich heiress? Just because you share the same last name as everyone else doesn't mean you're equal to Ms. Olivia. She's the true Carter heiress! "She was only being kind by putting up with you all these years. Otherwise, someone as greedy and ungrateful as you would've been beaten half to death and thrown out long ago!" I laughed angrily. This butler actually dared to bully me. I slapped him across the face and kicked him away. "Are you talking about yourself? Someone come over here and take this useless servant who refuses to follow orders away. Beat him half to death and throw him out!" David, Ethan, and Arthur all froze in shock. I had always been gentle and soft-spoken. This was the first time they had ever seen me act so forcefully. No matter what they thought of me, I was still a Carter heiress. Arthur finally realized that he had gone too far. He panicked and quickly turned to David, Ethan, and Olivia for help. "Ms. Olivia, you always tell us to treat Emily like one of the family, but she's gone too far! It's bad enough that she bosses us around and hits people, but now she even wants to have me beaten half to death! Please stand up for me!" David's face darkened. "I'd like to see who dares do that!" Ethan glared at me coldly. "Emily, you've gone too far!" They were already furious. Olivia quickly grabbed both of their sleeves. She bit her lip as if she were making a huge sacrifice. "Forget it. If Emily really wants the veil that badly, I'll give it to her. I don't mind getting married without a veil. The wedding is more important anyway. Adam will be here soon. We can't waste time over something so small." The moment everyone heard this, they began praising Olivia for being generous. At the same time, they cursed me even more. "Emily is so cruel! I think she did this on purpose just to ruin Olivia's wedding!" But they had no idea. Olivia's identity and this wedding were supposed to be mine. David and Ethan exchanged a look after hearing this. It was as if they had suddenly thought of something. They quickly ordered the wedding preparations to continue. The servants rushed over to fix Olivia's hair and makeup. Even Ethan, who was usually obsessed with keeping everything clean, actually knelt down and carefully straightened Olivia's dress. Chapter 3 Later, they even started giving Olivia wedding gifts. "Olivia, Dad and I have a gift for you before you get married." But the moment I saw what they were holding, I froze. Ethan gave Olivia a sapphire necklace. David gave her documents transferring 10% of Carter Group's shares to her. Those were clearly the wedding gifts Christina and Grandma Elizabeth Carter had prepared for me. The sapphire necklace was called Ocean's Heart. Christina had spent 30 million dollars at a world auction to buy it for me. It was the only one in the entire world. She had kept it locked safely in a drawer all this time. She had planned to give it to me in person as my wedding gift. The 10% stake had also been prepared for me by Elizabeth as my wedding gift. Carter Group had originally belonged to Elizabeth and her husband. After her husband passed away, Elizabeth took over the company. David was a live-in son-in-law, so he eventually took the Carter last name and became the one managing Carter Group. But the future of Carter Group still belonged to Christina and me. That was also why I had gone abroad to study. I wanted to return with the skills I needed to take over Carter Group as soon as possible. Elizabeth had originally given my shares to David because I was too young to manage them. She told him to transfer them to me when I got married as my wedding gift. But now, David and Ethan had given my wedding gifts to Olivia. Everyone around us gasped in envy. "Isn't that the one-of-a-kind Ocean's Heart from the world auction?" "I heard a mysterious buyer purchased it! I can't believe that buyer was Olivia's brother. She's so lucky! I'm so jealous!" "Exactly! Her father even gave her 10% of the company. Her family really loves her. That's something a nobody like Emily could never get." Even while praising Olivia, they didn't forget to insult me. Olivia smiled. She clearly loved hearing their compliments. As she accepted the gifts, she gave me a smug glance. Then she lifted her chin proudly. My eyes turned red with anger. I stared coldly at David and Ethan. "Those were gifts Mom and Grandma left for me. How could you give them to Olivia?" Olivia immediately hugged the gifts tightly against her chest and took a few steps back. "Emily, I know you call Mom and Grandma by the same names in private, but they're still my mom and Grandma. These gifts were their way of showing their love for me. "I already gave you the veil, so I can't give you these things, too. If you really want them, I can give you all the beautiful jewelry in my jewelry box. But this necklace and the shares are the only things I can't give you." Everyone felt sorry for Olivia and started defending her. "Emily, have you no shame? You took Olivia's veil, and now you want her necklace and her shares, too?" "Who do you think you are?" I couldn't care less about their accusations. I rushed forward and tried to take back the necklace and the share documents. But Ethan stepped in front of me. Then he slapped me across the face. "Stop this! Olivia has been far too patient with you all these years. That's why you've become so spoiled! Olivia is my only sister. She's the only daughter the Carters will ever have!" David went up to the stage and grabbed the microphone. Then he announced loudly, "Starting today, the Carters will stop supporting Emily financially. We are also kicking this ungrateful girl out of the family! From this moment on, she has nothing to do with our family!" I laughed in disbelief. "Dad, you're really cutting me off and throwing me out for the sake of a housekeeper's daughter? Don't you think Mom and Grandma will throw you out once they find out what you've done?" David froze. For a brief moment, his expression changed as if he had suddenly thought of something. Then his face darkened. He answered firmly... Chapter 4 "Shut up! Your Mom is overseas working on a business deal, and your grandma is overseas on vacation. Neither of them can suddenly come back. And stop talking nonsense. Olivia is my daughter. You're just a housekeeper's daughter." I found it almost laughable. The doubts I had carried suddenly had an answer. No wonder they had been so bold. No wonder they had openly favored Olivia and even let her take my place. They were certain Christina and Elizabeth couldn't come back. But they didn't know that I had already told them everything before I returned home. We were actually supposed to come back together. But I wanted to get home and see everyone as soon as possible, so I booked the earliest flight. Christina had to pick up Elizabeth, so she booked a flight two hours later. They should be arriving soon. Once they got here, David and Ethan would be finished. I glanced at David and Olivia before speaking coldly. "You say I'm the housekeeper's daughter and she's your daughter. Where's your proof?" David's face turned ugly. "Do you really think I don't know who my own daughter is? I'm her father. I'm the proof you need." Olivia, who had been silent for a long time, took the chance to pretend to calm me down. "Emily, please stop. Today is my big day. As long as you stop causing trouble, I'll forgive you for everything that happened today. I'll even give you some money. That way, you and your mom can live peacefully after you leave the Carters." Everyone praised Olivia for being kind. But I knew the truth. She was scared. She didn't want me to say anything else because she was afraid people would start questioning her. So, I refused to let her get her way. "Your words mean nothing. Let's get a DNA test." Olivia froze. David's face turned red with anger. "That's enough! You have no respect for me at all!" I stared straight at them. "Or are you afraid?" Olivia hesitated for a moment. In the end, she reluctantly agreed. But a strange light flashed in her eyes. "Fine. Let's do what Emily wants." Olivia called the family's doctor and had him bring the equipment to perform a DNA test right there. The results came back quickly. I immediately grabbed the report, ready to expose them. But the moment I saw the results, my fingers began to tremble. "What? The DNA match is 99.99%!" Olivia, David, and Ethan exchanged a proud look. They were clearly pleased by my reaction. I gripped the report tightly. My nails dug deep into my palm. At that moment, all my doubts suddenly made sense. No wonder David had always been cold and strict with me. Yet he was always gentle and patient with Olivia. He had once told me that he cared more about Olivia because she had lost her father when she was young. He said he only wanted her to experience a father's love. But now I knew the truth. Olivia was his secret daughter. I suddenly remembered how David and our housekeeper, Mary Lopez, often acted too close whenever Christina wasn't around. That explained everything. In my previous life, they had been desperate to put Olivia in my place. After Olivia took my identity, they killed me. Then, while Christina was heartbroken, they tricked her into signing away everything she owned. After that, they took control of the company and lived happily ever after. David and Ethan were truly selfish. They had betrayed both Christina and me. They had even stolen Christina's fortune. I would never let them get away with it. Seeing me standing there in shock, everyone around us began laughing at me. "How pathetic. She's such a liar that she even fooled herself. She actually thought she was a Carter daughter. Now she's been proven wrong!" "That's the truth. Olivia has a real blood connection to them. What do you have? You should be ashamed of yourself!" Chapter 5 Ethan continued to defend Olivia. He took the chance to attack me again. "We have all the evidence now. How are you still going to deny it?" David shouted angrily. "Emily, I was going to let you off easy. But you keep going too far. You keep bullying Olivia. Do you know what happens when you mess with the Carters?" He immediately gave another order. "Bring out the club. Break both her legs, then send her to the slums and let her fend for herself!" Everyone agreed and started cheering. "I agree!" "Mr. Carter is still too kind! If it were up to me, I'd kill her right away so she couldn't hurt anyone else!" ... Before I could even react, a muscular bodyguard was already walking toward me with a heavy club in his hand. The club was almost as thick as my arm. One hit could easily break my ribs. I glanced at the arrogant bodyguards and spoke coldly. "How dare you? I'm the Carter heiress! If you hurt me, the CEO and chairman of Carter Group will never let you get away with it!" The bodyguards knew that David was only a live-in son-in-law. Christina and Elizabeth were the ones who truly had the power in the family. They hesitated and finally stopped. Olivia quickly took the chance to stir things up. "Emily, how can you say that? You're showing no respect for Dad or Ethan! Ethan is the eldest son. He'll take over Carter Group one day. And no matter what, Dad has supported you all these years..." Her words immediately made David and Ethan furious. "What are you waiting for? Do it!" "Exactly! Hit her! I'm the eldest son. Carter Group will belong to me one day!" The moment the bodyguard heard this, he stopped hesitating. He then swung the club with all his strength and smashed it into my body. A sharp pain shot through me. My back felt like the skin had been torn open. I coughed up blood on the spot. Olivia pretended to tell the bodyguard to stop. But at the same time, she stepped on my fingers with her high heel. She pressed down hard, as if she wanted to crush my fingers. She leaned closer with a smug smile. "Emily, you're just a rookie. How do you expect to fight me?" The bodyguard raised his club again. But suddenly, someone shouted. "The groom is here!" I quickly looked toward the entrance. The moment I saw who it was, my heart filled with hope. It was my fiancé, Adam. We had grown up together. Ever since we were kids, Adam had always protected me. He couldn't stand seeing anyone bully me. Even if I got the smallest cut on my finger, he would worry about me. Once, someone pushed me into a river and I swallowed several mouthfuls of water. Adam had been so furious that he pushed that person into the ocean. The person was so terrified that he begged Adam to let him go. Afterward, he was so shaken by what had happened that he ran a high fever for an entire week. When I saw him now, it felt like my savior had finally arrived. I struggled to reach out to him. "Adam..." Adam's face was dark as he hurried toward me. "Who the hell did this?" Everyone fell silent. I was about to tell him everything David, Ethan, and Olivia had done to me. But the next second, he walked right past me. He went straight to Olivia behind me and gently touched her tear-stained face. "Why are you crying? Who was bold enough to bully my future wife? Damn!" My hand froze in midair. Then it slowly fell. I stared at Adam in disbelief. I never imagined that the Adam who once promised to protect me for the rest of my life, the Adam who swore he would marry me, would take Olivia's side too. "Adam, what are you talking about? Olivia is just the housekeeper's daughter. I'm your future wife!" Adam gave me a disgusted look. Then he let out a cold, mocking laugh. Chapter 6 "Stop being ridiculous. I'm engaged to Olivia. How could it possibly be you, a housekeeper's daughter? Emily, stop dreaming. I love Olivia. You'll never be able to compare to her!" With just a few words, Adam confirmed Olivia's identity as the true heiress and painted me as an ambitious woman who was desperately trying to marry into a rich family. Everyone started whispering. "Emily has some nerve. She actually thinks she can chase after Adam Sullivan. Who does she think she is?" "She deserves to be humiliated!" Just then, David and Ethan started complaining to Adam about me. "Adam, you're finally here! You have no idea how Emily treated Olivia!" "Exactly! She stole Olivia's wedding veil and wedding gifts. Now she even wants to steal you!" Olivia forced a bitter smile and pretended to be generous. "Forget it. Emily is just jealous of me. I don't blame her. Please don't be angry with her..." She said she didn't blame me, but tears filled her eyes. She looked so pitiful. Adam immediately pulled her into his arms. He gently kissed away her tears, one by one. Then he turned his cold eyes toward me. "Emily, you've gone too far! Apologize to Olivia right now!" After seeing the way they held each other and the looks they exchanged, everything finally made sense. No wonder Adam hadn't resisted when Olivia married him in my previous life. I had thought he was just like me, willing to endure the humiliation for the sake of our family's reputation. I never imagined they had been having an affair all along. I had been so stupid. The three men had played me like a fool. I let out a cold laugh. "If anyone needs to apologize, it's you. You're the ones who wronged me! Adam, since you love Olivia so much, I'll give you what you want. Let's call off our engagement. Our engagement is over!" Adam's face turned ugly after I humiliated him in front of everyone. "Emily, have you lost your mind? Are you delusional?" Then he said coldly, "You think a few hits are enough for a rat like you? Someone tie her up and throw her into the pool. Maybe that'll knock some sense into her!" I froze when I heard Adam's words. My fingernails dug so hard into my palms that they drew blood. He knew better than anyone that I was terrified of water. Yet now he wanted to throw me into a pool. The people closest to you always know exactly how to hurt you the most. I tried to run instinctively. But Adam, David, and Ethan grabbed me and held me down. "Let go of me!" No matter how hard I fought, I couldn't overpower three grown men. In the end, they tied my hands and feet behind my back. I couldn't move at all. Ethan grabbed me by the hair and forced my head into the pool. Water rushed over my nose and mouth. I instinctively tried to scream for help, but water poured into my lungs instead. The cold water slowly swallowed my senses. I felt like I was going to die. Just when I was about to suffocate, Ethan finally pulled me out. I coughed violently, spitting out water as I desperately gasped for air. He glared at me. "Emily, if you know you're wrong, apologize to Olivia right now..." Before he could finish, I cut him off coldly. "I did nothing wrong!" "Hmm... You still refuse to admit your mistake? Then you brought this on yourself!" Furious, he grabbed me and was about to throw me back into the pool. Suddenly, a furious voice rang out from behind us. "Let's see who dares!"