When the Real Heir Came Knocking

Ive been painfully honest and hyper-paranoid about risk since the day I was born.

My mom can watch hundreds of millions of dollars evaporate in the stock market in a single day without even blinking.

My dad buys luxury high-rises the way normal people buy groceries at the corner store.

And Rachel, my sister, started investing her trust fund at the age of three, becoming a ruthless market shark everyone in the business world is terrified of.

Then theres me. Im the kind of guy who hesitates to pay extra for avocado on a sandwich.

Ive lived this ultra-wealthy life in absolute terror, always feeling like God is going to come knock on my door one day to collect interest on a loan I never asked for.

So, on the night of my eighteenth birthday gala, when the real heir showed up at our front door holding a DNA test...

I let out a massive sigh of relief.

See? I knew it. How could a paranoid, penny-pinching guy like me ever be the actual heir to a massive empire?

On the night of the gala, I stood on the stage wearing a custom designer suit worth millions, feeling completely out of place.

"Dad, this fabric is itching crazy. Can I please change into something else?"

My dad glared at me, his face dark, and waved the makeup artist over to touch up my face.

"Arthur, remember. Your most important job tonight is to keep your mouth shut."

I pouted, metaphorically zipping my lips, and stared blankly at the bustling crowd of high-society guests below.

"Honey, sometimes I really wonder if Arthur is actually ours," my mom sighed.

Before she could say anything else, the grand heavy doors of the ballroom were slammed open.

A boy wearing a faded, washed-out T-shirt marched in. He held a thick manila folder high in the air, his voice echoing through the hall:

"Here is the DNA test! I am the real biological son of the Sterling family! Youve all been fooled by Arthur!"

The room fell into dead silence, followed instantly by an explosion of wild whispers.

"The real vs. fake heir? I knew coming tonight was a good idea! This is pure drama!"

"Honestly, I always thought the Sterlings' son was weird. He has zero ambition."

"Last time my kid asked him to invest in a tech startup, the guy looked like he was going to cry and pulled a ten-dollar bill out of his pocket! Like, what was that even supposed to do?"

Hearing their gossip, I swallowed hard.

Yes! Thank God. I knew it.

I'm the type of person who needs a whole mental pep talk just to buy a premium sandwich. There was no way in hell I was a billionaire heir.

Looking at the boy who just stormed in, I actually felt like walking over, shaking his hand, and thanking him.

Before I could move, he pointed a finger at me and shrieked, "Arthur! You didn't expect this, did you? You didn't think Id actually find my way here!"

"You knew all along that I was the real Sterling heir! Why did you hide it?"

I blinked, totally lost. What kind of fan-fiction plot was he running?

I had literally never seen this guy in my life.

I opened my mouth, instinctively reaching into my pocket for the little notebook I used to track my daily expenses.

But after fumbling around, I realized this fancy suit didn't have functional pockets, so I hadn't brought it.

Seeing me hesitate, the boy grew even more smug.

"My name is Tyler James. But of course, itll be Tyler Sterling very soon."

He puffed out his chest, confidently stroking past the guests to stand right next to me, and grabbed my wrist.

"Not only did you steal my life, you fake heir, but you even stole the family heirloom bracelet our father left for me!"

"You did it on purpose to keep me from finding my real family, didn't you?"

I looked down at the simple metal band on my wrist in confusion, then looked at my dad.

The script of this drama felt a bit off.

I had been wearing this bracelet for over ten years. It wasn't some Cartier gold piece; it couldn't be worth more than a few bucks.

"That bracelet is worth a million dollars, Arthur! You couldn't pay it off even if you worked for the rest of your life!"

"If you behave and act like my loyal dog from now on, I might consider letting you off easy."

Tyler Jamess eyes were red, looking as if he were the most abused victim in the world.

"Are you saying the bracelet on his wrist is yours? And that its worth a million dollars?"

My dad set his champagne glass down. His voice was quiet.

But the entire ballroom instantly fell dead silent.

"Yes!"

Tyler James threw his head back. "Dad, we caught him red-handed! Throw him out of the house right now!"

Every eye in the room landed on me.

I clenched my fists. I wanted to defend myself, but I didn't even know where to start.

After what felt like an eternity, my dad spoke.

"Impossible."

"If you told me he robbed a bank, Id believe that before I believed he had the guts to steal from you."

Tyler Jamess face turned pale. "Dad, are you seriously protecting a fake heir?"

He collapsed onto his knees, tears streaming down his face. "I was kidnapped and taken to some remote mountain town when I was a kid. I barely escaped my abusive foster parents!"

"I came all the way to this big city, only to find out someone else had stolen my life."

"It was you, Arthur! You, the imposter, living like royalty every day! Don't you feel any guilt?"

My face remained blank, but in my head, I was nodding along.

Honestly, I had suspected I wasn't a biological Sterling for a long time.

The Sterling family was a dynasty. Everyone was a top-tier elite.

My mom was a wall street shark. She could lose hundreds of millions in a day without flinching, casually telling people, "Money comes and goes, but the game is forever."

My dad was the CEO of the Sterling Group. The first thing he did every morning was swipe through his iPad to see which commercial buildings he wanted to buy.

And Rachel, my sister, didn't even need an introduction. She started investing at age three. Last year, she used her allowance to fund a green energy startup and tripled her money in six months.

I was the only anomaly.

When I was six, my dad gave me a black card.

I casually took it to school and used it to play card-flipping games with the neighborhood kids on the dirt.

Later, when I found out it had an unlimited credit line that could buy a small country, I immediately returned it to my dad, untouched.

When I was eight, I found a penny on the school playground. I stood under the scorching noon sun for an hour waiting for whoever lost it.

When no one showed up, I literally walked to the local police station to hand it in.

I gave them the exact time, location, and a list of every ant that had crawled past the penny.

I knew I didn't fit in with the Sterling family.

Even in high society, whenever people talked about me, they always rolled their eyes.

"Arthur? The guy doesn't even know the difference between a Rolex and a Swatch!"

"I saw him at a charity gala once. He was literally counting the zeros on the donation board with his mouth wide open. It was hilarious."

I knew what they whispered.

And honestly, I agreed with them.

I mean, how could a guy like me ever be a billionaire heir?

My dad chuckled, taking a sip of his wine. "Arthur once asked me for ten dollars, and he insisted on writing a formal promissory note for it."

"And youre saying he stole from you? If you have evidence, call the cops."

He smiled faintly, sitting back down. "But let me remind you, filing a false police report is a felony."

Tyler Jamess crying stopped instantly.

He wiped his tears and handed the DNA report to my dad.

"Maybe... maybe I misremembered the bracelet."

"But the DNA test doesn't lie."

My mom flipped through the pages carelessly, then pinched the bridge of her nose.

She gave the butler a quick nod. Within ten minutes, the entire ballroom was cleared of guests.

"Honey," she said, looking at my dad. "Care to explain where you got this secret love child from?"

My dad froze. To prove his innocence, he dragged the entire family to the private hospital for a rush DNA test that very night.

While waiting for the results, Tyler James stayed at the Sterling mansion.

The next morning, we were all sitting at the long dining table for breakfast.

I was carefully arranging my platesalad, eggs, and toastin a precise layout.

Based on my calculations, eating them in this exact order optimized digestion.

No choking, no wasting, and most importantly, no getting sick. That way, I wouldn't cost the family any medical bills.

Just as I took my first bite, Tyler James started his drama again.

He raised his glass of milk like he was making a grand toast and chugged it.

Then he stood up. "Everyone, since I am sitting here, it means youve already accepted me as a Sterling."

"In that case, there is something I can no longer keep secret."

Tyler James took a deep breath, looking as though he were making a monumental decision.

He pointed at Paul, our butler who was serving the dishes, and then glared triumphantly at me.

"Paul, I heard you with my own ears today! You said Arthur stole two hundred thousand dollars in cash from the family safe!"

"We have a witness! Arthur, what do you have to say for yourself now?"

The platter in Pauls hands almost slipped. He waved his hands in a panic.

"I never said such a thing! Sir, where did you hear that..."

Tyler James clapped his hands together, his eyes locking onto Paul like a hawk.

"I am the real Sterling heir! How dare you still protect this imposter?"

"Don't worry! As long as you tell the truth, I promise I won't let my parents fire you!"

Paul looked like he was about to burst into tears.

"I... I was just whispering to myself! I noticed Arthurs allowance this month was twenty dollars more than last month, and I was just worried he didn't have enough money for something..."

"It was literally twenty dollars! Not two hundred thousand!"

Hearing this, I looked up from my plate, staring at Paul in absolute horror.

How did he know I had asked for an extra twenty dollars this month?

I was planning to use it to buy a luxury triple-cheese sandwich from a food truck before I got kicked out of the Sterling house!

Now my secret was out!

Tyler James completely misread my expression.

He thought I was paralyzed with guilt.

"Look at his face! If he didn't steal two hundred thousand dollars, why is he looking so ashamed that he can't even lift his head?"

Rachel let out a cold sneer. "Tyler, you haven't even officially joined this family, and you're already trying to run the household?"

"And stop project your own cheap, narrow-minded thoughts onto Arthur."

I nodded in agreement.

Exactly. Even though I wasn't the real heir, I knew which money was mine to take and which wasn't.

"You! Rachel! I know you haven't accepted me yet..."

"You grew up with Arthur, so of course you prefer him."

"But you have to understand, we are the ones who share actual blood!"

Tyler James could cry on command. He wrapped his arms around himself, looking tragically lonely. "The path of growth is always lonely, but I am willing to bear this cross."

I blinked, looking around the room.

What was going on? Tyler James felt like a total drama queen. He didn't seem like a Sterling at all.

"Enough!"

My dad wiped his mouth with a napkin, his voice cold. "Paul, go upstairs and flip Arthurs mattress."

Paul looked as if he had just been handed a lifeline. He bolted up the stairs.

A few minutes later, he returned, holding a small stack of crumpled bills and coins.

"There was a total of three hundred and five dollars taped under Arthurs mattress. Nothing else."

No one at the table looked surprised, except me. My eyes went wide.

"Wait... how did you guys know my hiding spot?"

And here I thought I was a master of stealth!

"You tape money under your mattress?! Are you a squirrel, Arthur?!"

Tyler James shrieked, completely unable to believe that my secret stash was only three hundred bucks.

"None of your business! Thats emergency money!"

My face flushed red as I scrambled to explain. "What if the family goes bankrupt one day?!"

"Bankrupt?"

My mom almost choked on her water. "Arthur, we have hundreds of billions of dollars!"

My dad slammed his fork down, his eyes narrowing as he glared at Tyler James.

"Do you see this? His risk awareness is the highest in this entire family. And you think he stole two hundred thousand?"

He offered a patronizing, calm smile. "Tyler, until the DNA results are officially back, you are not a Sterling."

"Try slandering Arthur one more time, and see what happens."

Tyler Jamess mouth twitched. He wanted to say something, but ultimately shut his mouth in frustration.

Just as I thought the storm had passed...

My dads phone rang. It was the hospital.

"Mr. Sterling, your expedited DNA test results are ready."

As expected, my DNA had absolutely no connection to the Sterling family.

Tyler James looked like a victorious rooster, chin held high as he pointed at my nose. "You. Get the hell out of the Sterling mansion."

"And burn everything in his bedroom. I don't want any of his cheap trash contaminating my house."

"Mom, give me thirty million dollars. I found a killer startup to invest in. Guaranteed thirty percent return."

He threw himself onto the luxury sofa, crossing his legs arrogantly. "Arthur, you owe me eighteen years of luxury living. It's time to pay it back."

I nodded quietly, pulling out my little notebook from my pocket and flipping to the first page.

Thank God I was always prepared.

Ever since I learned how to read and write, I had been terrified of this day.

So, I had recorded every single cent I spent.

"I calculated it. Over the years, Ive cost the Sterling family a total of one hundred and thirty-one thousand, one hundred and forty dollars. Don't worry, I will get a job and pay you guys back every single cent."

I nodded, gave them a polite bow, and turned to grab my suitcase.

"Hold on!"

Tyler James lunged forward and grabbed the handle of my suitcase.

"One hundred and thirty thousand? Are you kidding me? The Sterlings are billionaires! Are you trying to scam us?"

"I..."

Before I could finish, my mom called out, "Arthur, what do you think you're doing? This house has plenty of bedrooms. We aren't going to starve just because you're here."

"Mom..."

"Arthur, your mom is right," my dad added. "Even though your risk paranoia is a bit much, it actually balances out the rest of this family perfectly."

"Dad..."

Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at my parents. My heart felt incredibly warm.

"I... I will do my best to keep up with everyone!"

And just like that, Tyler James officially moved into the Sterling mansion, legally changing his name to Tyler Sterling.

At his official welcome gala, he wore a bespoke tuxedo, walking around the room to schmooze and toast the guests.

"Hello, Im Tyler Sterling. In the future, if you need anything from the Sterling family, just come straight to me."

The guests smiled and raised their glasses. One guy joked, "Well, Tyler, I have a project here that needs a bit of funding. Just two figures. Want to take a look?"

Tylers eyes lit up. He raised his glass. "Oh? That cheap?"

"Bring the contract over. I'll sign off on it myself!"

Standing nearby, I gently tugged on Tylers sleeve, signaling him to stop talking.

"Two figures" in high society didn't mean two dollars. It meant two hundred million!

Besides, investing in a project required rigorous due diligence.

You don't just sign off on something over a glass of champagne!

"Get off me!"

Tyler snatched his arm away, shoving me back. "Arthur, you just don't want me to network with these people, do you?"

"Why else would you interrupt when we were having such a great conversation?"

My elbow hit the cold marble column, throbbing with pain.

Before I could speak, Tylers face twisted as if he had just realized something.

"Oh, I get it. Are you afraid I'll tell Dad about you secretly selling off our family heirlooms?"

I pinched the bridge of my nose and sighed.

Tyler really was like a dog that couldn't stop eating trash. Here he was, slandering an honest guy like me again.

Does this guy ever learn?