I Was the Adopted Daughter They Threw Away, Now I'm Their Only Hope

When the adoptive parents finally found their real daughter, I figured it was time for me to leave.

I started making arrangements to move out, just to another villa, nothing dramatic. But when she found out, she got teary-eyed and said, I came back to be part of this family, not to break it apart.

And honestly, that got to me. I stayed.

Big mistake. It didnt take long before she started pulling little tricks. Making things up. Playing the poor, innocent victim.

And the worst part, Jada and Wyatt believed her. Every time.

That was when it finally clicked, she didnt stop me from leaving because she cared. She just didnt want me to take anything with me. She wanted me gone and empty-handed.

So I packed some bags. Well, not mine. Theirs. Because this place, this whole manor, was mine.

A short scream woke me up in the middle of the night. I grabbed a coat and stepped into the hallway.

Right away, Jada came storming over and her face... she looked furious. I had never seen her like that before. She had always been calm, soft-spoken, almost too gentle.

But now, she was livid.

"Susanna," she said sharply, "how could you treat Florence like that? She spent more than ten years out there, finally came home and this is how you act?"

I just looked at her, completely blank. "What did I even do to her?"

My answer only seemed to push her further over the edge.

Wyatt stood nearby, silent but clearly disappointed. The nanny, Anna Watson, looked like she wanted to step in but didnt dare. She just clenched her hands and kept her mouth shut.

And Florence was behind Jada, crying like she had just been betrayed by the world. "Mom... don't be mad at my sister... its my fault..." she sobbed.

And that, of course, made things worse. Jada shot me a look like I had just kicked a puppy. "Look at her, shes still standing up for you! I raised you for over a decade and this is how you treat your sister?"

Before I even had a chance to speak, Jada turned around and gently patted Florences back. "Florence, I know you're a kind girl. Youre saying all this just to keep the peace.

But sweetheart, this is your home too. You dont need to keep quiet or back down. Dont worry, Ill make sure this gets handled properly today."

Then she shot Wyatt a sharp look and snapped, "Whats wrong with you? Your daughter is being treated like this and you just stand there doing nothing?"

I was already annoyed. It was five in the morning. I hadnt even had the chance to open my eyes properly and now they were putting on this dramatic scene like it was prime-time television. My patience ran out.

"What exactly happened?" I asked, not bothering to hide the edge in my voice. "Just say it. Don't stand here acting like Im supposed to read your mind."

Anna, who had been standing awkwardly in the background, finally couldnt hold it in and rushed out the words in one breath. "Miss Florence said you made her sleep in the utility room. Madam heard noises while out for her morning walk and went to check... and found her there."

I blinked, trying not to roll my eyes too hard. Great. Now I was living in a plot twist straight out of a cheesy webnovel.

Still, I knew better than to lose it. The more I snapped, the worse it would look. So I kept my cool. "I set up the second bedroom for you, Florence. You know, the one with the big windows and sunlight all day? Same size as the master. Since when did I ever tell you to sleep in a utility room?"

Florence looked at me with wide, watery eyes, playing her part like a pro.

"Its all my fault," she said quickly. "I chose to stay there. Please dont blame my sister. Mom, Dad, dont get mad at her, or else..."

This half-hearted act was making it look like I was the bad guy, so I had to hold back my anger. "Or what?" I asked, trying not to snap.

Florence looked down, biting her lip. "Or... or Ill feel guilty."

I couldnt hold back a dry laugh. "Guilty? Then why dont you feel guilty about twisting the truth, making me look like the villain and saying I forced you into the utility room?"

Florence didnt respond, just kept crying, head down. Jada, on the other hand, was getting more pissed off by the second.

"You dare to threaten your sister in front of me and your father?" she hissed. "If we werent home, I shudder to think how youd treat her!"

Wyatt, looking equally pissed now, jumped in. "Florence is a good kid, theres no way shed be stuck in a utility room. Who would choose to leave a perfectly good bedroom and sleep in that dingy room? Youve gotta explain this, or"

I couldnt be bothered to keep explaining. I just pointed to the surveillance camera nearby. "Youve only been here a week, so you probably havent noticed the cameras all over the house. Why dont we just check the footage and see if I really made you sleep in there?"

Jada and Wyatt exchanged a glance, clearly getting angrier. "Fine. Lets watch it and once we have proof, you wont be able to talk your way out of this."

But as soon as Florence heard "surveillance camera," her face went completely pale, like shed seen a ghost. She started shaking, but Jada and Wyatt didnt notice. They just yanked Florence and me toward the monitoring room downstairs.

Before we even reached the stairs, Florence suddenly dropped to her knees.

"Mom, Dad, my sister really didnt know," she said, voice shaking. "She gave me a nice room. But... Ive been through a lot and I always felt like I didnt deserve it. So... I just secretly went to the utility room to sleep when everyone was asleep."

Jada and Wyatt stopped dead in their tracks, clearly stunned. After a long, awkward silence, Wyatt spoke. "Then why did you say Susanna made you sleep in the utility room?"

Florence shook her head, her voice small. "I didnt. I saw how upset you both were and I got scared, so I couldnt say anything. Ive just been through too much... Im too scared to speak up. Its all my fault."

I stood there, my face icy, waiting for Jada and Wyatt to apologize, but instead, they just helped Florence up from the floor, looking at her with pity.

"My babys been through so much out there and we cant change the past. Well make it up to you," Jada said, her voice full of sympathy.

Just like that, they all hugged each other and walked off, leaving Anna and me standing there, still processing. I was honestly a bit confused. Had all the kindness theyd shown me over the years really been fake?

Anna, clearly irritated, spoke up. "Miss Florence is a piece of work. When she came home last week, you told them you wanted to move to another villa and she was crying, saying, 'I came to join this family, not to break it up,' so you stayed. Now look at this!"

She shook her head, clearly frustrated. "And your parents are totally taking her side. Its obvious shes making stuff up." Anna paused, then looked at me. "Whats your plan now, miss?"

I gave a thin smile, but it didnt reach my eyes. "Florence just got back and they feel guilty. Im not gonna stay mad. They were good to me before... Well just see how things go."

Anna let out a sigh. "Yeah, they were always good to you before."

Ever since what happened last time, Florence had been acting cautious around me. She probably figured out I wasnt that easy to mess with. She didnt stir up trouble anymore, just made a few weird little comments in that passive-aggressive way of hers.

My parents seemed to realize theyd gone too far too. They kept buying me gifts as some kind of apology, like that could fix everything.

Then, about a month later, her birthday party was coming up. Florence tiptoed into my room like she was walking on eggshells.

"I really am sorry about last time," she said softly, like she was rehearsing. "But it wasnt my fault. Our parents just misunderstood. Ive been trying to explain everything to them."

She didnt even wait for me to reply before pulling out a shopping bag. "I got you a dress, just a gift. I hope youll wear it to my party. If you do, itll make Mom and Dad really happy."

I glanced at the dress. Expensive. Stylish. Exactly the kind of thing I liked. The right size, too. But I knew better. Florence didnt do anything without a reason.

I grabbed the dress and tugged at it just a little and just like that, the seams split. The whole thing fell apart in my hands like it was made of tissue paper.

Yeah. Imagine showing up to the party in that. What a joke.

Florences expression changed fast. "That wasnt me. It mustve been the store clerk or something"

I tossed the ruined dress back at her and said flatly, "You really dont get tired of this, do you? Still pulling the same stunts. What? Did you forget how last time ended? Didnt you feel embarrassed enough?"

She glanced around my room, then gave me this smug little smirk. "Youre just an orphan my parents adopted. You really think you belong here? Now that Im back, theres no room left for you."

Honestly, I almost laughed. But before I could say anything, she leaned in close and whispered, "Yeah, I lost last time. But I learned something, our parents still love me more. Last time, you had the security cameras to back you up. But this time? No cameras. Lets see what youve got now."

There was something off about the way she looked at me, like she was holding back something nasty. Before I could even react, she suddenly slapped herself, hard.

"You really think I'm soft? That I'm scared of you? That I gave you that dress out of kindness?" she snapped, her voice shaking. "No. I just wanted to kick you out of the Leclair Family before I even told anyone who I really am."

She kept going, voice rising. "I don't want you to just move out of the manor. I want you erased. I want you gone for good. Give back everything, my parents' love, their money, the clothes, the jewelry, even that perfect fianc of yours. All of it. I want it all back."

She started hitting herself again, over and over. But her skin was thick and even though it had to hurt, it didn't look like much, just some redness.

I stared at her, unimpressed and pointed at the scissors nearby. "If you're gonna go this far, at least make it look real. No one is gonna buy it without a little blood."

She actually picked them up. Took a few deep breaths, then stabbed the scissors straight into her palm. She trembled from the pain, but apparently, that wasnt dramatic enough either. She threw herself into the floor-length mirror.

Glass shattered everywhere. Her arms and legs were cut up, her face was red and swollen and she had ripped out chunks of her hair. It was chaos.

And then she made her final move, ran over, grabbed me and rubbed her bloody hands all over my clothes like she was claiming me as part of the scene.

"Mom! Dad! Help! Help me!" she screamed at the top of her lungs.

The door burst open as Jada and Wyatt rushed in. I didnt move. Honestly, I hadnt stopped Florence on purpose, I wanted to see if they would believe me or not. This was their last shot. I was done giving chances after this.

Jada ran straight to Florence and dropped to her knees, clutching her like she was made of glass. Her eyes filled with tears. "Susanna, what did you do to her?"

I folded my arms and kept my voice calm. "Mom, Dad, its not what you think. She did this to herself, just like what happened in the utility room last time."

Florence let out a shaky breath, acting like she barely had the strength to speak. "No... I just came to give her a dress... I wanted to apologize. But she wouldnt listen. She tore it up... got so angry..."

Wyatt turned to Anna without hesitation. "Call an ambulance. Now."

Then he turned to me, eyes cold. "I cant believe this, Susanna. Your mother and I gave you everything and this is how you repay us? By hurting your sister?"

Florence gave a small, pitiful smile, like she was trying to hold back tears. Dont blame her, please... This is all my fault. I upset her last time and maybe... maybe I deserve it. After all, I might be the biological daughter, but in this house, Ive always felt like an outsider. Once I recover, Ill move out. I dont want to make things harder for anyone."

I stared at her, completely done with her performance. "Youre stirring the pot again. Yeah, you should leave."

Wyatt didnt hesitate, he slapped me across the face. "Whats wrong with you? Florence has done nothing but try to be good to you. Why are you so bitter?"

I touched my cheek but didnt flinch. The sting didnt matter. What hit harder was the realization that the people standing in front of me werent my parents anymore. Not since Florence showed up.

Outside, the ambulance siren wailed as it pulled up in front of the house.

Wyatt scooped Florence into his arms and Jada hovered beside them, fussing over every little scrape. Before leaving, Wyatt looked at me one last time. "When I come back, you better be gone."

Anna finally stepped into the room once the coast was clear. Her eyes were full of worry. "Miss, I dont believe a word she said. I know youd never do something like that."

I gave her a tired nod. "Yeah. Help me pack."

She didnt press. She just sighed and got to work. Florences birthday party was officially canceled.

A week later, Florence finally came home, leaning on Wyatt and Jada like she had just escaped a warzone. The moment they saw me, their faces stiffened.

Wyatt didnt even bother hiding his irritation. "Its been a whole week. Why are you still here? I told you to move out."

Florence glanced at the luggage next to me and furrowed her brow. "Susanna, Mom and Dad didnt mean it. They were just upset. I'm all better now, so there's really no need for you to be packing up and leaving.

I'm not that important, if hitting me helps you feel better, I wont hold it against you. I just hope you dont let yourself get that worked up again. Angers not great for your health.

Besides, youve been their daughter for so long. Just admit you were wrong. If you apologize, theyll forgive you. Thats how family works, right?"

I gave her a smile, slow and even. "Who said I was leaving?"

That caught her off guard. Her tone turned dry, a little defensive. "Then... whats all this for? Dont tell me youre planning to throw us out instead?"

I tilted my head. "Bingo. These bags? Theyre yours. I went ahead and packed for you. You can leave now."

Florence stood there stunned for a second, then snapped, "Why? This is the Leclair Familys estate! You want me gone, fine, but why are you kicking my parents out too?"

Anna let out a dramatic sigh and said, "Miss Florence, technically this is the Leclair Familys house but it's Miss Susannas. Not yours. Not Mr. Wyatts. Just hers."

And she wasnt wrong. The manor, the title deed, even the biggest chunk of shares in the Leclair Group, everything was in my name.

That one line from Anna was enough to make all three faces at the door shift at once, like they had just realized they had walked into the wrong house.

Florence looked like shed been slapped. "That cant be right."