They Came Home, the Family Fell

I was the Maddox familys living good luck charm. If I so much as sneezed, the Maddox Corporations giant signboard would fall that very day. If a bracelet dug into my skin while I slept, the Maddox estates backyard would mysteriously catch fire that night.

So, until I turned eighteen and discovered I was the unknowingly swapped fake heiress, I was cherished by the entire Maddox family, held as if I might melt in their hands, or disappear from their pockets.

The Maddox familys true bloodline was a pair of fraternal twins. On the first day the real heiress and heir returned home, the entire household was in a frenzy. Meanwhile, I was comfortably curled up in a garden swing chair, a premium coffee in my left hand, an ice cream cone in my right, and waved amiably towards their entrance.

Helen Maddox caught sight of me, her face instantly darkening. Jane Maddox, seeing this, rushed over and knocked the ice cream from my hand.

"A usurper and a fake, you dare to eat our family's food?"

"Now, we are the masters! You should be kneeling to welcome us, then licking that filth off the floor!"

I blinked, a little confused. "But Mom and Dad said I never have to do things like that."

Helen viciously pinched my arm. "If you don't know how, learn! From now on, we make the rules in this house!"

As they shoved me towards the cleaning rags, my mother, miles away at the company, felt a sudden pang in her chest, a flicker of inexplicable unease, and turned to my father.

"Honey, do you feel like our company's stock just shifted?"

"A fake is a fake. Mom and Dad kept you only for the Maddox family's reputation."

"You stole eighteen years of our lives; making you do some chores is an honor."

Helen sneered in my ear as they shoved me towards the cleaning rags. My steps faltered, but I said nothing. Mom and Dad had specifically warned me before going to the company not to cause any big commotion if I got upset. I was always obedient.

Mrs. Higgins, the housekeeper, looked on with a pained expression. "Miss Anna, Miss Helen, Master Jane, Miss Anna is"

"Is what? Do you want to keep your job here?" Jane's face turned cold.

Mrs. Higgins sighed, looking at me. I quietly shook my head at her. Jane's face only softened when he watched me bend down and meticulously wipe away the ice cream he'd knocked to the floor.

He gathered all the servants and announced, "Listen up, now that Helen and I are home, we're in charge. If anyone dares to speak up for this imposter, Anna, pack your bags and leave immediately!"

So, for the entire day, Jane and Helen watched as I poured tea and water, knelt to polish their shoes, and even made me jump into the pool to retrieve a bracelet Helen had deliberately thrown in.

"Haven't you lived in the Maddox house for eighteen years? Can't you even do this little thing?"

I said nothing, merely trembling as I wrapped myself in the towel Mrs. Higgins handed me. Mom and Dad told me that as long as I stayed happy, the "shadow" wouldn't emerge.

By evening, when Mom and Dad returned home, I was still damp, kneeling on the floor, scrubbing.

"What's going on here?" Mom's voice cut through the silence, and the living room immediately hushed.

Dad's gaze quickly landed on me, his brows slightly furrowed. "Anna, what happened to you?"

Before I could speak, Helen rushed forward, hugging Mom and whimpering, "Mommy, does Sister not want us back? Why has she been sulking all day? She even threw a gift I kindly gave her into the pool."

Jane chimed in, "I just asked her to retrieve Helen's gift, and she acted all high and mighty."

I expected Mom to at least question me, but instead, she pushed Helen's hands away and quickly walked towards me. "Anna, my sweet girl, you"

Her words trailed off as she spotted the blood seeping from my sleeve. Her face instantly changed. I instinctively tried to hide my hand, but she grasped it firmly, then summoned a servant to bring ointment and bandages, meticulously cleaning my wound.

"How did you hurt your hand? Did they bully you?"

Helen froze, instinctively retorting, "Mom, it was clearly her!"

"Silence!" Dad's voice was cold. "Before we brought you back, did I not tell you?"

"Anna is our lucky star. As long as she's happy, the Maddox family thrives."

"Anyone who makes Anna unhappy is jeopardizing the Maddox family's fortune."

Helen's face went completely white. Jane clenched his fists, emotions churning in his eyes, but he forcibly suppressed them, and was the first to speak to me.

"Sister Anna, I'm sorry. Helen and I were wrong."

Helen, seeing Jane speak, quickly apologized to me, her eyes reddening. "I'm sorry"

I nodded, then curled my lips slightly. "It's alright, I don't blame you."

After dinner, just as I was about to go to my room to rest, Jane called out to me. "Mom and Dad said to tell you to go up to the attic. It seems they want to give you something special."

I didn't think much of it and followed him to the attic. I didn't see Mom or Dad, but he suddenly pushed me inside and locked the door. Jane's voice, like a spectator, came from outside the door.

"Since you're so important."

"Then I'll see if the Maddox family can survive without you." "Jane" My whole body stiffened, even making a sound was incredibly difficult. The attic was pitch dark, with only a thin sliver of dim light seeping through a narrow crack. The wooden door almost completely blocked out outside sounds, and the air seemed to thin instantly.

"You, please open the door, alright?" I tapped lightly on the door, my voice trembling uncontrollably.

Jane's unhurried voice came from outside. "What, scared?"

I swallowed hard, trying to calm myself. "I, I have claustrophobia. I was kidnapped as a child, and the doctor said I can't be in confined spaces."

"Please let me out, alright? I promise I won't say anything."

Silence fell for a few seconds outside the door. Just as I thought Jane might at least hesitate, he scoffed disdainfully. "Claustrophobia?"

"Anna Maddox, you really know how to make things up." His tone was filled with undisguised annoyance. "Stop with these pathetic tricks to manipulate people."

"I'd like to see if you can really scare yourself to death."

The footsteps gradually receded. I frantically banged on the door, but my throat felt as if it were being choked, my mouth open, yet no sound escaped. My breathing grew increasingly erratic, and my vision began to blacken. I slid to the floor, hugging myself tightly, then completely lost consciousness.

When I woke up again, my body felt completely weak. As soon as I opened my eyes, an excited voice reached my ears. "Anna, is that Anna?" Before I could react, a pair of warm hands clasped mine tightly. "Mommy's here." Mom's voice was clearly trembling, her eyes red, as if she was trying hard to suppress some emotion. Dad stood by the bed, his face also grim, but he let out a sigh of relief when he saw me wake up.

The doctor beside him said gravely, "Fortunately, we found her in time, otherwise"

"Miss Anna cannot endure any more stress."

I slowly came back to my senses. My gaze shifted, and I saw Helen and Jane kneeling not far away. Mom helped me sit up, then glared at Jane. "Anna, did Jane lock you in? Mommy will make sure he pays."

Helen pouted, her voice very low. "Is it really that big a deal? It was just being locked in the attic for a bit."

"So delicate, it's just too dramatic."

Jane said nothing, but his expression clearly echoed Helen's sentiment.

Slap! A crisp sound exploded in the room. Helen's head snapped to the side from the force of the slap; she was completely stunned. Mom's hand still hung in the air, her gaze coldly fixed on Helen. "Say that again?"

Helen clutched her face, looking at her in disbelief. "Mom, I just"

Dad's voice was heavy with suppressed anger. "Do you two have any idea that Anna almost died?"

"If something serious had happened, how would you compensate us?"

Jane's face changed. He couldn't help but argue. "Dad, isn't that a bit of an exaggeration?"

"Anna is perfectly fine, isn't she? We're your biological children! Why are you treating me like this for an outsider?"

"Besides, all this talk about 'lucky stars' is just"

"Enough!" Dad abruptly cut him off, his eyes colder than I had ever seen them. "I haven't even settled the score with you for locking Anna in the attic."

"Now, kneel properly. Don't force me to use the family disciplinary rod."

Jane bit his lip, then suddenly scoffed, his tone clearly defiant. "Dad, Mom, don't you think this is too superstitious?"

"She fainted once, and you're so anxious."

"But the Maddox family is still doing fine, isn't it? Has anything specific changed?"

Dad didn't speak again. His phone rang. He looked down at the screen, and then his face visibly darkened, inch by inch. "Maddox Corporation's stock just dropped three points."

At Dad's words, Jane's face also changed. "Dad, that's just a coincidence. How could it be related to Anna?" He instinctively retorted, but his tone lacked its initial certainty.

Dad didn't answer him, merely looking at the butler. "Bring the family rod."

When the butler returned with the wooden rod, Helen burst into tears. "Dad! You're biased! Anna is perfectly fine, why are you still bringing out the family rod!" She pointed at me, her voice sharp and vicious. "What right does she have!"

"Silence! If you insult Anna again, I'll beat you too!"

Helen's body trembled, and she finally quieted down, merely sobbing into her hands. Just as I was about to get out of bed and say something, Mom pulled me out of the room. "Our Anna can't bear to see such bloody things."

I sighed, tugging at Mom's sleeve. "Mom, I'm safe now, and the 'shadow' won't come out. You don't have to be so"

"That won't do!" Mom tapped my nose, leading me downstairs. "Mommy got you the new season's handbags, and your favorite chocolate cake."

I leaned into Mom, rubbing against her. "I knew Mommy was the best to me."

Sounds of the rod hitting flesh, along with Jane's muffled groans, came from upstairs. Before I could react, Mom quickly placed noise-canceling headphones over my ears.

When I saw Jane again, he had already endured the family discipline, being supported by Helen, walking step by agonizing step towards his room. His face was ashen, and his gaze towards me was like poison.

From that day on, they indeed quieted down. But I always had a faint feeling that things weren't that simple. Jane and Helen no longer openly ordered me around or verbally abused me. They even managed to flash me a strained, almost friendly smile when Mom and Dad were present. But this only made me feel more uneasy.

Mrs. Higgins secretly took my hand, her face filled with concern. "Miss Anna, be careful. I always feel like the way those two look at you isn't right." I nodded, giving her a reassuring smile. "Mrs. Higgins, you know, I'll be fine."

This uncomfortable feeling lingered for several days. Until I went to the conservatory alone for some fresh air. Drifting in and out of sleep, I overheard Jane and Helen's deliberately hushed conversation. Helen's voice even had a whimper to it.

"Jane, this can't go on."

"Mom and Dad only have eyes for her now; there's no place for us in the Maddox family."

After a brief silence, Jane's low, cold voice replied. "I know."

"As long as Anna Maddox is still here, Mom and Dad will always focus on her. Everything in the Maddox family will revolve around her." He paused, his tone unwavering. "So."

"Anna Maddox must die."