Awakened, I Booted My Family Out

My parents have a unique condition. They claim to suffer from Memory Confusion Syndrome. For my entire life, theyve mistaken me for their adopted daughter.
And theyve mistaken our housekeeper's daughter for their own flesh and blood.
All their tenderness, all their love, was reserved for her. They took her to lavish restaurants, sent her to the best universities abroad, and paved her future with money, ensuring her path was smooth and triumphant.
Meanwhile, I, their biological daughter, was a stranger in my own home.
I ate leftovers, slept in the guest room, and fought my way into college on my own merit, even earning my own tuition.
At first, I didn't mind. I even searched desperately for renowned doctors, hoping to cure my parents. I believed that once they were well, they would finally see me as their daughter.
That hope shattered the day the housekeeper's daughter returned from her studies abroad. My parents went on national television and publicly declared that she would inherit everythingthe family fortune, the company, all of it.
The hospital report in my hand, another in a long line of them, clearly stated: "Neurological systems normal."
That was when I finally accepted the truth. My parents didn't love me.
So I stopped hoping. I laid the inheritance papers my grandfather left me on the table before them.
"Starting today, you and your little family can leave. You're not welcome in my house anymore."
1
"Ms. Tepper, perhaps we should run the tests one more time? It's possible the new equipment isn't calibrated correctly..." the doctor suggested, noticing the dark expression on my face.
I looked at the number on the report103and let out a bitter laugh.
"There's no need. If the 103rd test comes back normal, then the machine isn't the problem."
If the machine and the doctors were fine, then the problem was with them.
In the end, it was simple. My parents had felt no love for me from the moment I was born. They didn't want the responsibility, so they invented a lie. And I was foolish enough to believe it for all these years.
I had spent my life not only coaxing them to come to the hospital for check-ups but also growing accustomed to their beatings and their cold indifference. If my grandfather hadn't told me, over and over before he died, "They are your parents, Elara. You must believe they love you," I might have given up sooner.
But Grandfather, I believed those words for twenty-five years. Today, I just can't lie to myself anymore.
On the television screen, my parents were sitting pressed close to the housekeeper's daughter, Jenna. They looked like the perfect, happy family.
The host gushed, "Wow, Mr. Tepper, it's clear how much you adore your daughter. But there are rumors that you have another daughter."
"I believe she's currently an intern at your company. By leaving all inheritance rights to Jenna, are you not concerned about causing a rift between the sisters?"
My father didn't deny it. He answered magnanimously.
"Elara was a child my wife and I sponsored during a charity trip to a poor, rural area. Strictly speaking, she is our foster daughter and has no right to be involved in our family's affairs."
"We raised her, which was a great kindness. Without us, she'd probably still be stuck in some forgotten town with nothing. If she dares to fight Jenna for the family fortune, I won't hesitate to throw her out."
"After all," he concluded, "nothing is more important than my daughter."
His declaration of love earned a round of applause from the studio audience. The nurse watching the TV next to me sighed.
"Wow, he really spoils his daughter. The CEO of a public company... I wish I had a father like that!"
The words were like acid in my ears.
The host pressed on. "I have one more question. Your wife's maiden name is Wallace, and your last name is Tepper. Why did you name your daughter Jenna Sullivan? Is there a special meaning?"
The blunt question seemed to stump my father. My mother, who had been sitting quietly, spoke up. "Jenna was lost for a time when she was young. It took us a great deal of effort to find her."
"She has a kind heart and has never forgotten the kindness of the family that took her in, so she was reluctant to change her name."
This performance only enhanced their image as loving, understanding parents. The internet was flooded with comments.
"To have parents who love her so much and are so accepting... she's won the lottery of life."
I watched in silence, then quietly pulled out my phone and dialed a number.
"Mr. Howell, please bring the papers. It's time for me to sign."
2
After I pressed my thumbprint onto the document, Mr. Howell reviewed the agreement one last time. Satisfied, he stood and bowed to me.
"Ms. Tepper, as of today, you are the official heir to all Tepper family assets. You hold absolute authority to hire and fire within all subsidiary companies and foundations of Tepper Industries."
"It is my honor, on behalf of your grandfather, to pass the responsibility of the Tepper family into your hands."
"From now on, I will serve as your personal executive assistant, guiding you in taking control of the company and providing you with the best teams at your disposal."
I helped Mr. Howell up, signaling that he didn't need to be so formal. "Mr. Howell, you've known me my whole life. I'll be counting on your support. Please, there's no need for such ceremony between us."
"I'll be at the office tomorrow to make some personnel changes. I'd like you to be there with me."
"Of course."
After confirming the time, Mr. Howell and his team departed, leaving me with a secure phone for any emergencies.
Once it was all done, a wave of relief washed over me. Just then, a message popped up on my phonea birthday greeting from my service provider.
I realized it was my birthday. I think I used to celebrate it. It was just so long ago, I'd forgotten.
I lay down on the living room sofa and, without realizing it, drifted to sleep.
I was jolted awake by a sharp tug on my ear and a shove that sent me tumbling to the floor.
"Who said you could sleep here? Get up!"
The pain cleared my head. I thought my parents were back, but the face staring down at me was both strange and familiar.
Maria. Jenna's mother. Our housekeeper.
"Look at you, a pathetic mess. Lying on the sofa in your dirty clothes. Do you think this is your house? Do you have any idea how expensive this sofa is?"
"Get back to your room, now. My daughter will be here with the master and mistress any minute."
"After tomorrow, she'll be the rightful heir of this family. You're just a useless obstacle. You'd better know your place and get out of the way. You waste of space!"
Since my grandfather's death, I had become completely invisible in this house. And Maria, emboldened by my parents' doting on Jenna, had started treating me like a servant to be ordered around. In the past, to please my parents, I had endured it. Not anymore.
The moment she finished speaking, a sharp crack echoed in the room as I slapped her across the face.
Maria clutched her cheek, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You little bitch! You dare hit me?"
"You're damn right I do," I said, and slapped her again with my other hand. This time, I didn't hold back. The blow split her lip and sent her sprawling onto the corner of the sofa.
"My parents might have lost their minds, but have you lost yours too? No matter how little they care for me, my last name is still Tepper."
"You're a housekeeper. Who the hell do you think you are to order me around?"
"You"
"You what? You thought I was an easy target, didn't you? Today, I'm going to teach you your place."
I raised my hand again and again, slapping her for five solid minutes. A familiar voice finally cut through the haze.
"Elara, what are you doing? Let go of my mother!"
3
Jenna rushed forward and pushed me away, her face a mask of distress as she cradled her mother's swollen cheek.
"Elara, what did my mother ever do to you?"
"Why do you do this the moment I come home? If you don't want me here, just say so! Why take it out on my mother?" Jenna screamed, her eyes red.
My father, still holding a cake box, stormed over and slapped me hard across the face.
"Elara, have you lost your mind? Apologize to Maria right now!"
The stinging pain on my cheek dragged me back into the past. It started the first time my parents claimed to have "Memory Confusion Syndrome." I had accidentally spilled soup on the floor during dinner. My father forced me to kneel and lick it clean like a dog. Even then, he wasn't satisfied. He slapped me until my face was raw and threatened to seal my mouth shut with a pair of pliers. If my grandfather hadn't intervened, he might have actually done it.
Later, he apologized, claiming he had mistaken me for someone else. He promised he would never hit me again. He bought me toys and snacks for days until I finally forgave him. I thought he would keep his word. But today, he hit me again. For a stranger's mother.
"Do you have any idea what you've done?" my mother chimed in, seamlessly joining the chorus of condemnation. "Jenna finally comes home, and we wanted to surprise her with her mother. You've ruined everything."
"It's her birthday today! Did you have to destroy the mood?"
I turned my head and saw the cake in my father's hands. The frosting read, Happy Birthday, Jenna. I finally remembered. It was Jenna's birthday today, too.
"This is a birthday surprise? I thought the real surprise was the Tepper family inheritance."
My father's face darkened. "This is our family's business. What does it have to do with an outsider like you? Weren't all the years of luxury we gave you enough? Now you're after our money too?"
"Outsider? Luxury?" I took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me.
My mother grabbed my arm, her voice impatient. "Exactly. What's it to you? Why are you just standing there? Apologize!"
"Apologize for what? Aren't you the ones who should be apologizing?"
"You hit someone, and you think you're right?" my father roared. "It seems we've been too lenient with you. Today, I'm going to teach you a lesson."
He unbuckled his belt and raised it to strike.
Just then, Jenna ran over, her voice dripping with false sincerity as she grabbed his arm. "Dad, wait."
She composed herself and looked at me. "Elara, I know you've always hated me. But Maria is still my foster mother. What did she do to make you so angry?"
"If you have a problem, take it out on me."
Seeing her walk right into it, I had to laugh. "Is she really your foster mother? Don't you feel any shame saying that?"
My words made her flinch, but she quickly recovered, her expression firm. "Yes. When I was lost, it was Maria who found me. If it wasn't for her, my parents would never have found me."
"Jenna, why are you even talking to this bitch?" my father's voice boomed. "We never should have taken her in. We should have let her rot in that backwater town."
Hearing him call me a bitch, a worthless piece of trash, again and again for so many years... I had had enough.
"You don't deserve to be parents. All these years, who have you been performing for?"
I pulled out the stack of my parents' neurological reports and threw them in their faces.
"The doctors told me. There is nothing wrong with you!"

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