Revenge of the Three-Year-Old Heiress

I was just born when the housekeeper swapped me.

She put me in the servant's quarters, claiming I was the illegitimate daughter of a staff member.

She placed her own daughter in the gold-trimmed crib, turning her into the beloved true heiress everyone envied.

For three years, I watched her wear princess dresses, drink imported formula, and be cradled in my parents' hands.

Meanwhile, I slept on a mat, ate leftovers, and my name was chosen at random.

That night, the housekeeper drank too much and let slip the truth.

I heard every word clearly.

That same night, while everyone was asleep, I crawled into the master bedroom.

In the crib, the fake heiress slept soundly.

I climbed up, aimed at her, and raised my foot

01

*Thump*

The dull thud of a body hitting the carpet.

Immediately followed by Liliana's heart-wrenching screams.

The lights in the entire villa flashed on.

I heard hurried footsteps in the corridor.

My father, Jonathan, my mother, Elizabeth, and the housekeeper, Mrs. Green.

They rushed in together.

The sight before them made them all freeze.

I, Ivy Vance, the illegitimate daughter of a servant in their eyes, lay comfortably in the Ashworth heiress's crib.

And their treasured daughter, Liliana, lay on the cold carpet, crying as if her lungs would burst.

"Liliana!"

My mother, Elizabeth, was the first to react, screaming as she rushed to pick up Liliana.

My father, Jonathan's face was ashen, his gaze like daggers shooting towards me.

Mrs. Green's face, however, instantly lost all color.

She knew, more than anyone, what this meant.

"Liliana, my darling, where did you fall? Let Mommy see."

Elizabeth held Liliana, tears streaming down her face from distress.

Liliana's small face was streaked with tears. She pointed a finger at me.

"It's her! She pushed me!"

Her words were slurred, but her meaning was clear.

Everyone's gaze focused on me again.

Jonathan's eyes grew colder.

"What happened?"

His voice was heavy with suppressed fury.

Mrs. Green's body trembled like a leaf.

She quickly stepped forward and roughly pulled me from the soft crib.

Her grip was strong, making my bones ache.

"I'm sorry, sir. I'm sorry, madam."

"It's my fault. I didn't keep an eye on this little devil."

"She must have been sleepwalking and just climbed up herself."

As she spoke, she fiercely pinched my arm, her eyes full of warning.

I endured the pain.

I said nothing, merely staring at the nominal parents before me with wide, dark eyes.

My gaze was filled with timidity and fear.

Like a startled little animal.

This was an act.

In three years, I had learned how to disguise myself to survive.

Elizabeth's attention was entirely on Liliana; she didn't even look at me.

Jonathan, however, was scrutinizing me.

His brow was deeply furrowed.

Perhaps he was wondering how a three-year-old child could run from the servant's quarters to the master bedroom and then climb into such a tall crib.

"Sleepwalking?"

He repeated, his tone laced with suspicion.

Mrs. Green's cold sweat instantly poured down.

"Ye... yes, sir."

"This child has always had that habit."

"I'll take her away right now and lock her up. I'll make sure she doesn't bother young Miss anymore."

As she spoke, she moved to drag me away.

I sneered inwardly.

Lock me up?

She wished.

My goal tonight wasn't just to kick Liliana.

I wanted to stay.

To stay by their side.

So, I started to tremble.

My small body shook violently, my teeth chattering.

I looked at Jonathan, my eyes filled with extreme terror, as if I had seen something dreadful.

Then, I burst into tears with a "wah."

Crying more miserably than Liliana on the floor.

My cries were frantic and fearful, mixed with an inexpressible sense of grievance.

"Not me... not me..."

I cried, speaking in broken sentences.

"There was... there was a bad man..."

"A bad man in black clothes. He carried me up here."

"He also tried to carry my sister. I was scared, so I pushed him..."

My words were muddled.

But the core message was clear.

An intruder had entered.

Jonathan's face instantly changed.

He wasn't concerned about me, but about the Ashworth family's security.

"What did you say? A man in black?"

He demanded sharply.

I flinched at his voice and cried even harder.

Mrs. Green froze.

She hadn't expected me to invent such a lie.

She wanted to refute it, but dared not.

Because if she said there was no intruder, how would she explain my presence here?

Would she admit she was drunk and let slip the truth, which I overheard?

She wouldn't risk it.

"Sir, this girl is talking nonsense!"

She could only deny it, forcing a brave front.

"How could a stranger get into the house?"

Jonathan ignored her.

His sharp gaze swept around the bedroom.

The windows were tightly shut, and the door was locked.

Indeed, it didn't look like an intruder had entered.

His gaze fell on me again, filled with scrutiny and impatience.

"Enough, stop crying."

Elizabeth had finally soothed Liliana.

Holding her daughter, she looked at me with disgust.

"A servant's child, all she does is lie. Truly, like mother, like daughter."

"Mrs. Green, take her away quickly. She's irritating to look at."

Mrs. Green looked as if she had been granted a reprieve.

She immediately grabbed my arm, trying to drag me out of this troublesome place.

I knew this was my last chance.

Once she took me back to the servant's quarters, a more brutal beating awaited me.

I couldn't leave.

Just as Mrs. Green pulled me, I used all my strength to wrench free from her hand.

I dropped to my knees with a thud.

Not towards Mrs. Green, nor towards Elizabeth.

I knelt towards Jonathan.

The ultimate authority of this household.

I looked up at him, my face streaked with tears.

My eyes no longer held only fear.

There was a hint of deference and dependence.

"Daddy... Ivy is scared..."

I called out timidly.

That single word, "Daddy," instantly plunged the room into silence.

Everyone froze.

Including myself.

No, I hadn't meant to call him Daddy.

I meant to call him "Sir."

But this three-year-old body seemed to have its own instincts.

In extreme fear and a desire for protection, it uttered the deepest address of its heart.

Jonathan's body stiffened.

He looked down at me.

At my thin, gaunt little face, at my dark eyes, like grapes.

I saw a complex emotion flash in his cold gaze.

There was shock, bewilderment, and a hint of a tenderness he himself hadn't noticed.

Mrs. Green's face was already as white as a sheet.

02

Silence.

The air seemed to solidify.

Elizabeth, holding Liliana, frowned even more deeply.

"What did she call you?"

She asked Jonathan, her tone full of disbelief and revulsion.

"A servant's bastard child, daring to call you Daddy?"

Mrs. Green was terrified out of her wits and also dropped to her knees with a thud.

"Sir, madam, I'm sorry!"

"This child has problems, always talking nonsense. I'll go back and teach her a good lesson!"

She kept bowing her head, trying to cover my mouth.

I shrank back, dodging her.

I remained kneeling, looking up at Jonathan.

I didn't speak, just stared at him with eyes remarkably similar to Elizabeth's, stubbornly.

My gaze said: I didn't make a mistake.

Jonathan's Adam's apple bobbed.

He didn't immediately get angry, nor did he tell Mrs. Green to take me away.

He just stared at my face for a long time.

So long that Elizabeth grew somewhat impatient.

"Jonathan, what are you waiting for? Tell Mrs. Green to get her out of here!"

"Liliana is already scared."

Liliana in her arms cooperatively started sobbing again.

"Daddy, I'm scared, she's so dirty."

Liliana's voice pulled Jonathan from his contemplation.

The flicker of emotion in his eyes instantly vanished, returning to its usual coldness.

"Mrs. Green, take her downstairs."

He spoke calmly.

"Yes, sir."

Mrs. Green breathed a sigh of relief, quickly got up, and grabbed me like a chicken.

This time, I didn't resist.

Because I knew my goal had been half-achieved.

The seed of doubt had been planted in his mind.

I had caught that momentary glance.

A man who commanded the business world wouldn't be easily swayed by emotion, but he would absolutely trust his own eyes and judgment.

My face was the biggest piece of evidence.

Mrs. Green dragged me, walking quickly out of the master bedroom.

Behind us, Elizabeth's voice could be heard comforting Liliana.

"Liliana, don't be scared. Mommy will make her leave our house tomorrow, okay?"

"Okay!" Liliana immediately stopped crying.

Mrs. Green's steps faltered.

My heart sank too.

Leave this house?

That wouldn't do.

On the way back to the servant's quarters, the long corridor was silent.

Mrs. Green said nothing, but her grip on my arm tightened.

I knew a beating awaited me.

Sure enough, as soon as we entered that dark, damp little room, she locked the door from the inside.

Then, she turned around. The fear was gone from her face, replaced by savagery and venom.

"You little hussy!"

She slapped me across the face.

It stung, burning.

I stumbled, thrown to the floor.

"Who told you to run out? Who told you to talk nonsense?"

Still not satisfied, she lifted her foot and kicked me.

I curled into a ball, shielding my head with my arms.

This was the most effective self-preservation method I had learned in three years.

I was long used to this pain.

Compared to hunger and endless cold, physical pain was the easiest to endure.

"Did you hear something?"

She kicked a few times, then seemed tired, stopping to catch her breath as she asked me.

I lay on the floor, saying nothing.

"I'm asking you a question!"

She grabbed a handful of my hair, pulling me up from the floor.

A tearing pain shot through my scalp.

I was forced to look up at her distorted face.

"I'm warning you, Ivy."

"From today on, if you dare to run around or speak nonsense again, I'll break your legs and rip out your tongue!"

"You remember this: I am your mother! And that Liliana, she is the true young lady of the Ashworth family!"

"You're just a nobody's bastard, destined to serve my daughter like a slave your whole life!"

She spat venomously.

I looked at her, my eyes calm.

I didn't cry, nor did I beg.

My calmness seemed to anger her even more.

"You dare to glare at me?"

She raised her hand, about to hit me again.

Just then, a knock sounded from outside the door.

"Mrs. Green, are you in there?"

It was the voice of a young maid.

Mrs. Green's movements froze.

Her face changed.

"What is it?"

She asked impatiently.

"Sir wants to see you."

The maid said from outside the door.

Mrs. Green's pupils suddenly contracted.

Sir?

So late, what did Sir want with her?

An ominous premonition enveloped her.

She released my hair, roughly throwing me back to the floor.

"You stay put! Don't you dare go anywhere!"

She warned me in a low voice, then walked over and opened the door.

The maid outside looked at her, startled.

"Mrs. Green, your face..."

"It's nothing, just accidentally bumped into something."

Mrs. Green vaguely explained, tidying her clothes and hair.

"Where is Sir?"

"In the study."

"Good, I'll be right there."

Mrs. Green closed the door and locked it from the outside again.

I heard her hurried footsteps fade into the distance.

In the room, darkness and silence returned.

I crawled up from the cold mat and went to the door.

I pressed my ear against it, hearing nothing.

But I knew Jonathan must have grown suspicious because of my "Daddy" earlier.

He wanted to verify.

And Mrs. Green was his first step in that verification.

A cold smile touched my lips.

Mrs. Green thought locking me up would solve everything?

Too naive.

This tiny servant's room couldn't hold me.

I walked to the window and skillfully moved a small stool.

The window wasn't locked, just a simple latch.

I stood on tiptoe, struggling to slide it open.

Then, I pushed open the window and took a deep breath of the cool night air.

Jumping down from here would sting a bit.

But it didn't matter.

I knew the show was just beginning tonight.

I had to see it with my own eyes.

03

The study light was on.

Jonathan sat behind the large mahogany desk, his fingers tapping rhythmically on the surface.

In front of him, sat a cold cup of coffee.

He hadn't drunk it.

His thoughts were a mess.

In his mind, the scene of that child crying and calling him "Daddy" echoed repeatedly.

And her eyes.

Those eyes, almost identical to Elizabeth's.

Three years ago, on the day the child was born, he was abroad negotiating an important contract.

By the time he returned, the child had been born for several days.

Elizabeth was somewhat weak after childbirth; he didn't think much of it.

Family matters had always been handled by Mrs. Green.

Mrs. Green was a distant relative of Elizabeth's, and had been with them since Elizabeth married into the Ashworth family.

They trusted her implicitly.

Therefore, he had never doubted his daughter.

But tonight, that child named Ivy, like a pebble, had been thrown into the calm lake of his heart, stirring up ripples.

Could a three-year-old child have such eyes?

It wasn't just fear; there was a calmness and stubbornness beyond her years.

It was too strange.

*Knock, knock.*

A knock on the door interrupted his thoughts.

"Come in."

Mrs. Green pushed the door open, her head bowed, her expression both respectful and uneasy.

"Sir, you called for me?"

"Sit."

Jonathan gestured to the chair opposite.

Mrs. Green was a little flattered and cautiously sat down.

"That child, her name is Ivy?"

Jonathan asked directly.

Mrs. Green's heart leaped into her throat.

"Yes, sir."

"Who is her father?"

Jonathan stared into her eyes.

Mrs. Green's gaze flickered.

"I... I don't know either."

"She was an abandoned baby I found outside my old home. I took pity on her and kept her by my side."

This lie, she had prepared long ago.

It was watertight.

Jonathan said nothing, just looked at her.

His gaze seemed to penetrate her soul.

Mrs. Green felt a prickling on her scalp, cold sweat streaming down her face.

"How many years have you been with Elizabeth?"

Jonathan suddenly changed the question.

"Almost ten years, sir."

"Ten years."

Jonathan nodded. "Elizabeth trusts you very much."

"Madam has been incredibly kind to me."

Mrs. Green quickly declared her loyalty.

"So, three years ago, when Elizabeth gave birth, you were managing everything inside and outside the hospital."

Jonathan said, seemingly casually.

Mrs. Green's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

What did he mean?

Was he suspecting something?

"That... that was my duty."

Her voice was somewhat dry.

"I remember you said then that the child had a red birthmark on her ankle when she was born."

Jonathan continued.

Mrs. Green's face instantly went white.

The birthmark!

How could she have forgotten that!

That year, to make the Ashworth couple believe Liliana was their daughter, she specifically fabricated the lie about a birthmark.

Because Liliana's ankle did indeed have a red birthmark.

But the true Ashworth heiress had none!

"Ye... yes, sir."

"Miss Liliana's ankle does have a plum blossom shaped birthmark."

She could only force herself to admit it.

"Hmm."

Jonathan hummed in response, not pursuing the topic further.

He picked up the cold coffee cup and took a sip.

"Alright, you may go."

"Remember, keep a close eye on your daughter. Don't let her run around again and scare Liliana."

His tone was calm, betraying no emotion.

Mrs. Green, however, felt as if she had just walked through the gates of hell.

"Yes, sir, I understand."

She quickly rose, bowed, and retreated.

It wasn't until she was out of the study and had closed the door that she realized her back was completely drenched in cold sweat.

That was too close.

Fortunately, Sir didn't press further.

She let out a long sigh of relief and hurried towards the servant's quarters.

She had to go back and teach that cursed Ivy a good lesson.

It was all that little devil's fault!

In the study, Jonathan put down the coffee cup.

He pulled open a drawer and took out a photograph.

It was Elizabeth's baby picture.

The infant in the photo was chubby and fair-skinned, with bright, dark eyes.

Almost identical to the child named Ivy tonight.

He remembered another thing.

Elizabeth's family had a very distinctive genetic trait.

They were severely allergic to mangoes.

Yet his daughter, Liliana, loved to eat mangoes.

Before, he simply thought the child didn't take after her mother.

But now, it all seemed strangely peculiar.

A thought so bold that even he found it absurd, rose in his mind.

Could it be...

He picked up the phone on the desk and dialled a number.

"Hello, Old Leo, it's me."

"I need you to do something for me."

"Tomorrow morning, send your most reliable person to the house."

"Take two samples for a paternity test."

"One is Liliana's, the other..."

He paused, the image of that thin but stubborn little face appearing in his mind.

"...is Mrs. Green's daughter, Ivy."

"Remember, this must be kept absolutely confidential."

Hanging up the phone, Jonathan leaned back in his chair and closed his eyes.

He hoped he was overthinking.

Meanwhile, outside the window, on a large tree.

I hid behind the dense leaves, taking in everything that happened in the study.

Although I couldn't hear what they were saying.

I saw Jonathan's expression.

I saw his contemplation as he took out the photo.

And I saw his serious, resolute demeanor when he finally made the call.

I knew my plan had succeeded.

He was shaken.

Now, I just needed to add fuel to the fire.

To let this spark of doubt completely ignite into an inferno.

I silently slid down from the tree, like a nimble cat.

I didn't return to the servant's quarters.

Mrs. Green was surely in a rage now; going back would be walking into a trap.

I had to go somewhere else.

A place where I could make the fire burn even brighter.

My mother, Elizabeth's room.

04

Elizabeth was still awake.

She sat at her vanity, gently stroking Liliana's hair.

Liliana, having been frightened today, insisted on sleeping with her.

Now, the little girl was fast asleep, a hint of unease still on her small face.

Elizabeth sighed.

She thought again of tonight's events.

That child named Ivy, that dirty little face, and that timid whisper of "Daddy."

To be honest, the moment she saw that child, she felt a very strange sensation.

Not entirely disgust.

There was also a vague... sense of closeness.

Especially when she knelt on the floor, looking at her with eyes so similar to her own, her heart actually felt a pang.

How could this be?

She must be crazy.

That was just a servant's child.

A coarse, ill-mannered, lying bastard.

Elizabeth shook her head, trying to shake off these absurd thoughts.

Just then, she heard a faint, suppressed sob.

The sound came from the balcony.

She paused.

So late, who was out there?

She stood up, quietly walked to the French doors, and pulled back a corner of the curtain.

In the moonlight, a tiny, frail figure was curled up in the corner of the balcony.

It was Ivy.

She hugged her knees, burying her head in her arms, her small shoulders shaking.

She was crying.

Crying so sadly, so helplessly, yet daring not to make too much noise.

As if afraid to disturb others, or perhaps afraid of revealing her vulnerability.

Elizabeth's heart felt as if something had violently clenched it.

It hurt.

She didn't know what was happening to her.

She had been so disgusted with this child this afternoon.

But now, seeing her cry alone in the cold night wind, she felt a strange reluctance.

On an impulse, she opened the balcony door.

"What are you doing out here so late?"

Her voice was softer than she expected.

Hearing the sound, my body trembled violently.

I slowly lifted my head, and seeing her, my eyes instantly filled with panic.

I quickly scrambled up from the ground, standing there awkwardly, like a child who had done something wrong.

"I... I'm sorry, madam."

"I... I didn't mean to."

My voice was thick with sniffles, hoarse and pitiful.

"I... I don't dare to go back."

"Mrs.... Mrs. Green said she would break my legs."

As I spoke, tears fell again.

Elizabeth's brow furrowed.

"She's going to hit you?"

"Mm."

I nodded, unconsciously touching my swollen, red cheek.

In the moonlight, the clear slap mark was strikingly visible.

Elizabeth's gaze fell on my face, her eyes narrowing.

She reached out, as if to touch it, but stopped midway.

She seemed to be disgusted by my dirtiness.

I saw her hesitation.

I sneered inwardly, but my face showed even more grievance.

I lowered my head and whispered, "It's okay, madam, I'm not in pain."

"Mrs. Green said it's because I was disobedient, because I made Miss angry. I deserve to be hit."

"As long as... as long as you don't send me away, being hit is fine."

"I don't want to go to the orphanage."

"I heard other servants say that children in orphanages never get enough to eat and are always bullied."

Every word I spoke was like a needle, piercing Elizabeth's heart.

She came from a privileged background. Since childhood, she had never witnessed such a scene.

A three-year-old child begging not to be sent away, willing to be beaten instead.

What kind of despair was that?

For the first time, a hint of displeasure towards Mrs. Green arose in her heart.

Even if it was a servant's child, she shouldn't be abused like this, should she?

"You... come in first. It's cold outside."

She was silent for a long time, then finally spoke.

I paused, seemingly unable to believe my ears.

I looked up at her, my eyes filled with surprised gratitude.

"Thank you, madam."

I cautiously entered the room, standing awkwardly by the carpet, daring not to step further.

I kept my head down, not daring to look at her, nor at any of the luxurious furnishings in the room.

I behaved like a child from the slums who had accidentally stumbled into a palace.

Insecure, yet with a hint of curiosity.

Elizabeth looked at my demeanor, and that hint of displeasure in her heart turned into pity.

"Your name is... Ivy?"

She asked.

"Mm."

"Who named you?"

"Mrs. Green."

I said, "She said I was found under a grapefruit tree."

Elizabeth fell silent.

She looked at me, then at Liliana, who was sleeping soundly on the bed.

One was picked up casually under a grapefruit tree.

The other was cherished like a precious jewel, showered with endless love.

Fate, how unfair.

Just then, I suddenly smelled a sweet scent.

It was a plate of sliced mangoes on the bedside table.

That was Liliana's late-night snack.

My eyes immediately fixed on the plate of mangoes.

Then, an expression of extreme fear appeared on my face.

I began to uncontrollably retreat, my body starting to tremble.

"No... don't..."

I cried out in terror.

"Don't eat that... eating it will... will kill you..."

My reaction was very strong.

As if I had seen some deadly poison.

Elizabeth was startled by me.

"What's wrong with you?"

She asked, puzzled.

"This... this thing, it's poisonous!"

I pointed at the mangoes, my voice trembling.

"I... I saw it before. A child in the village ate this, and red spots broke out all over his body, and then he... he died."

I fabricated a lie that fit my background, filled with ignorance and fear.

Elizabeth froze.

Mangoes?

Poisonous?

She knew, of course, that mangoes were not poisonous.

But she also knew that everyone in the Elizabeth family was allergic to mangoes.

Mild cases caused rashes, severe cases... could indeed be fatal.

This was a family genetic secret.

No outsider could possibly know about it, except for the closest family members.

But this child before her...

Why did she react so strongly to mangoes?

Could it be...

A thought, which even Elizabeth herself found absurd, just like Jonathan's, broke through in her heart.

She looked at me, her eyes filled with shock and disbelief.

She then looked at the "daughter" on the bed, who loved to eat mangoes.

A thought screamed wildly in her mind.

Could this be my daughter?

And who was the one on the bed?

Her world, at this moment, began to turn upside down.