The Oblivious Heiress

I’ve always been a bit slow on the uptake.
So when my biological parents finally brought me home, and the girl who had taken my place, Lila, rushed to greet me with a syrupy smile, I didn’t quite get it.
“Oh, you poor thing,” she cooed, her eyes wide with fake sympathy. “You must have suffered so much. Why don’t you take my room? It’s the biggest one.”
My parents gazed at Lila, their eyes filled with admiration for her generosity.
I, on the other hand, started nodding frantically. “Okay! Great! I love big rooms. I’ll help you move.”
The moment the words left my mouth, the entire room went silent.
Lila’s expression was unreadable, a shadow passing over her face.

1
The moment I stepped into my real family’s home, Lila, the imposter daughter, was there with a welcoming smile, eager to give me a tour.
“This is my bedroom,” she announced, gesturing grandly. “And this is my study, and that’s my music room. And over there is my brother’s room.”
She paused, feigning disappointment. “Oh, dear. It seems the only space left is the little storage closet.” She glanced over at our parents.
My mother wrung her hands. “Stella, dear, the house is a little crowded right now, maybe you could just…”
Lila cut her off, her voice ringing with false magnanimity. “Stella, you’ve had it so hard all these years. Please, take my room. It’s the least I can do.”
At her words, my parents beamed at her, their pride obvious.
My own eyes lit up. I nodded so hard my head bobbed. “Okay! Great! I’d love the big room. Here, I’ll help you pack.”
The air went still. Everyone just stared.
A flicker of something dark crossed Lila’s face before she smoothed it away.
I dropped my backpack and suitcase and immediately started gathering her things.
Lila’s eyes welled up with tears as she turned to our parents, her voice trembling. “Mom, won’t she be scared, all alone in a room that big?”
My mother, catching her drift, hurried over and grabbed my arm. “Stella, there are plenty of other rooms. Why don’t you pick a different one?”
I stopped what I was doing and turned to face them. “But you said the only thing left was the storage closet.” I looked at Lila, my head tilted. “Wait… does this mean you don’t want me to have the room after all?”
Both of our parents’ heads snapped towards Lila.
A blush crept up her neck, and she frowned, but she couldn’t bring herself to admit her generosity was a sham. “No, I… that’s not what I meant,” she stammered.
A wide smile spread across my face, revealing two dimples. “Mom, she already offered. She can’t take it back now. Could you please move? You’re in my way.”
Lila stood frozen in the doorway, silent tears streaming down her cheeks. Seeing her cry, my mother’s own eyes started to redden with sympathy.
I didn’t pay them any mind. I just rolled up my sleeves and got back to work. In no time at all, I had all her things packed up.
I pointed to the tiny closet at the end of the hall. “So, are your things going in there?”
Lila gritted her teeth, shot me a venomous glare, and stormed downstairs without a word.
I couldn’t figure out why she was so upset. But I’ve always been a helpful person, so I moved all of her belongings into the storage closet for her.
Later that evening, my brother, Leo, came home.
The second she saw him, Lila threw herself into his arms and burst into sobs.
“Leo, she took my room! She just… she took it!”
His brow furrowed instantly. He looked over at me, his eyes filled with murder.

2
Seeing Leo, I stood up and politely greeted him. “Hello, brother.”
His face was a mask of ice. “I only have one sister, and it’s Lila. Don’t call me that.”
My eyes widened in shock. “Oh? Are you not their real son either?”
Leo stared at me for a second, then his face twisted with rage. “Stella, what the hell are you talking about?”
“Don’t think for a second that just because you share their blood, you can replace Lila. Blood doesn’t make you family.”
Lila peeked up at him, a triumphant little smile on her face. “Oh, Leo. You’re the only one who really cares about me.”
I nodded in agreement. “Yeah, that’s true. Her biological father was executed, so he can’t exactly be family anymore. And her mom’s in prison, but I guess she has a chance if she ever gets out.”
As soon as I said it, both Lila and Leo froze.
Lila’s face went deathly pale. A fine sheen of sweat broke out on her forehead. Her eyes rolled back in her head, and she collapsed into Leo’s arms.
“Lila!”
Leo’s shout echoed through the house.
I rushed over and started patting Lila’s cheeks, trying to find a pressure point to revive her, but nothing worked. My parents came running down the stairs.
“What happened to Lila?”
Leo, cradling her in his arms, shot me a look of pure hatred and shoved me to the ground. “This is all Stella’s fault. If anything happens to Lila, I’ll never forgive you.”
He then stormed out the door with her in his arms.
My parents glared at me.
“Stella,” my father demanded, “what happened? Why did she just faint like that?”
I looked down, my face a picture of guilt. “I’m sorry. I mentioned her biological father who was executed and her mother who’s in prison. I think she fainted from missing them so much.”
My mother looked at me in horror, stumbling back until she collapsed onto the sofa. Tears began to fall. “You… how could you say those things to her?”
I blinked, confused. “What? Are you not supposed to talk about it?”

3
By the time we got to the hospital, Lila was already awake, crying dramatically in her hospital bed as Leo held her.
“Don’t be silly,” he was saying, stroking her hair. “You’re my real sister. Stella is just some orphan they dragged back from the countryside. As soon as she’s eighteen, I’ll have Mom and Dad send her away.”
Lila looked up at him, her eyes red and puffy. “Really, Leo?”
He smiled. “When have I ever lied to you?”
The moment she saw us, Lila scrambled out of bed and fell to her knees in front of me.
“Stella, I’m so sorry! I never knew my birth parents were the ones who hurt you! I’m so, so sorry. Please, just hit me!”
With that, she grabbed my hand and slapped it against her own face.
Leo’s furious shout ripped through the air. “Stella, what are you doing?!”
I just stood there, my mind a complete blank.
All I could see was Lila’s mother. Martha.
Martha used to do the exact same thing. I was a child, and if I drank a whole bowl of porridge, she would grab my hand and force me to hit her with it.
“You ate all that? Are you trying to starve me to death? Go on, just kill me now!”
The second my small hand touched her cheek, she would fly into a rage, screaming. “I feed you, and this is how you repay me? You worthless little stray!”
Then she’d grab a bamboo cane and beat me until I passed out. If I ever displeased her, it was the same routine: she’d make me hit her, and then she’d beat me senseless. I was covered in bruises every single day.
A teacher reported her to the police once. That just made the beating I got when I came home even worse.
It wasn't until the police came from another state that I learned the truth: I wasn’t her daughter at all. She was arrested, but she never told them where she’d stolen me from. The police had no choice but to put me in an orphanage.
Now, in the hospital room, Lila was sobbing, forcing my hand against her face. “Hit me! Just kill me! It’s all my fault!”
I snapped.
I grabbed her by the hair, and in a blind rage, I started slapping her, again and again. For all those years, all I had ever wanted was to kill Martha. But she was in prison.
Lila’s screams filled the hospital corridor. My parents and Leo rushed to pull me off her, but I was surprisingly strong. No one could stop me.
I didn't stop until her face was swollen and purple. Then, the world went dark, and I fainted.
As I was coming to, I vaguely heard a doctor’s voice. “Stella is suffering from Severe Emotional Detachment Disorder. She can’t handle being provoked like that. Were you aware of this?”
“Doctor, what is that?”
“It’s a psychological injury caused by long-term exposure to a hostile environment and severe trauma.”
“But… she seems so cheerful all the time.”
The doctor sighed heavily. “That’s what makes it so dangerous.”
My parents were silent.
My brother stood in the doorway, leaning against the frame. “I knew she was faking it. Mental illness is just an excuse. I only trust science. She’s probably just making it up to get rid of Lila. Don’t fall for it.”
With that, he turned and left.

4
I was woken by a gentle voice.
“Stella, sweetie, wake up and have something to eat.”
My mother was sitting by my bed, her eyes holding an expression I couldn’t quite decipher. The bowl of porridge she offered me made my stomach churn.
But I was starving. I took it and slurped down half of it before placing it back on the nightstand.
“Are you full already?”
I shook my head. “No. Martha never let me finish a whole bowl. I’d get beaten otherwise.”
My mother looked at the half-eaten porridge, and her eyes filled with tears. “Oh, Stella. You’ve suffered so much.”
I just smiled and shook my head. “It’s okay! It was no big deal, really.”
The moment we got home, Leo blocked my path.
“Stella, Lila is a simple, kind-hearted person. I want you to stay away from her. Don’t cause any more trouble.” He paused. “If you do that, I can try to accept you as my sister.”
My mother’s face hardened. “Leo, how dare you speak to your sister like that. Lila was in the wrong here too. She provoked Stella.”
My father chimed in. “What happened yesterday is in the past. From now on, you will treat your real sister with respect. Do you understand?”
Seeing my parents defending me, Leo clenched his jaw, his eyes burning with resentment.
But I just smiled cheerfully. “Okay! How far away? Is three feet enough?”
My parents looked at me, their faces etched with guilt. “Stella, you don’t have to…”
Leo muttered under his breath, “Let’s see how long you can keep up this act,” before stalking away.
At dinner, Lila and I met at the table. She looked at me timidly, her eyes shimmering with unshed tears. Leo stood beside her, guarding her as if I were a wolf.
I quietly picked up my plate and, under everyone’s watchful eyes, sat down at the far end of the long dining table, maintaining my distance from Lila.
The housekeeper came over. “Miss, can you reach the food from here?”
I smiled. “Nope.”
Everyone froze, unsure whether to eat or not.

5
My mother stood up and walked over to me. “Stella, dear, won’t you come sit closer?”
My father put down his chopsticks. “Stella, come here and eat properly.”
I looked up, glanced at Lila, and said earnestly, “But Leo told me to stay away from her. I can’t.”
Lila’s face fell, her expression a mask of pure anguish. “It’s all my fault. I’ll go. Then Stella can eat.”
She made a show of getting up. She looked around, but neither of our parents tried to stop her.
She shot me a hateful glare and stormed off.
I immediately grinned, picked up my plate, and moved to her empty seat. “She’s gone! I can eat up here now.”
Leo shot to his feet, his face dark with fury. He strode over and slapped the plate out of my hands.
“You drove Lila away. Are you happy now? Does your return mean she doesn’t even get to eat in this house anymore?”
I watched as the perfectly cooked grains of rice scattered across the floor.
Tears sprang to my eyes. “You can’t waste food! If you waste food, they feed you to the dogs!”
When I was seven, I accidentally spilled a bowl of thin rice gruel. Martha made me lick it off the dirty floor. I was terrified, but I did it, cutting my tongue on a piece of broken ceramic. The taste of blood filled my mouth. For a second, I felt a strange thrill, wondering if this was how I would finally die.
But I didn’t.
Martha then dragged me to the village dog keeper’s yard and threw me into a kennel with a pack of vicious dogs. They tore at me, leaving me bloody and mangled. The family only saved me when they heard my screams.
When they brought me back, Martha was cracking sunflower seeds, barely glancing at me. “Still not dead, huh? Just a little punishment to teach her not to waste food.”
…
Now, I scrambled on the floor, trying to scoop the rice back into my hands, ignoring the sharp fragments of the plate that cut into my palms. The metallic tang of blood was on my tongue again. It was a taste that was both terrifying and strangely comforting.
My mother ran to me, her eyes red, and pulled me into a hug. “Stella, no, it’s on the floor. Don’t eat it, please don’t eat it…”
Leo stared at me, a flicker of panic in his eyes. “Stella, you…”
My father walked over and slapped him hard across the face.
“Stella is your sister. Apologize to her. Now.”
Leo’s lips moved, but no sound came out.

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