The Heiress Is Done Playing Nice!

Five years after my parents kicked me out of the Bennett family mansion, my ex-boyfriend, Ethan Carter, knocked on the door of my cramped studio apartment.

Your parents are getting old, Chloe. They want you back home.

I was about to say no.

But then I thought about my companys current funding round. To secure the final group of investors, I desperately needed the leverage of being a "Bennett heiress." So, I agreed.

After returning to the Bennett estate, I became exactly what they wanted.

Poised, quiet, and no longer acting like an annoying personal housekeeper.

The wellness tonics I used to stay up all night brewing for Mom were replaced by expensive jewelry I bought on a whim. The constant nagging for Dad to take his meds turned into empty, polite small talk.

Even when Ethan was about to get engaged to Serena, the fake daughter, I just smiled and congratulated them.

I thought they would finally be satisfied.

But after just one week, Ethan broke down and confronted me.

"Chloe, you never used to treat me like this..."

Even my parents pleaded with tearful eyes, "Chloe, can't you just go back to the way you were?"

***

**1**

Hearing Ethan's voice outside, I paused for a couple of seconds before finally opening the door.

"Can I help you?"

I leaned against the doorframe, making no move to let him in.

Ethan didn't seem to mind. His eyes swept over the tiny, cramped space behind me, wrinkling his nose at the smell of instant ramen.

He frowned. "Chloe, I'm here to take you home. Your parents are getting older, and their health isn't what it used to be. They talk about you all the time."

"They want you back. They want us to be a family again."

I didn't say anything. I just let out a cold laugh.

What was there to go back to?

Five years ago, I didn't leave by choice. They threw me out.

Five years ago, Serena secretly drank the organic gut-healing wellness broth I had spent four hours brewing for Mom. She had an allergic reaction, and her face broke out in a horrific red rash.

My mother was devastated. Furious, she screamed at me:

"All you do is obsess over cooking and cleaning! Do you have any dignity as a Bennett? Did I ask you to act like a cheap maid? I can take care of my own health! You're just trying to poison us!"

"I regret ever bringing you back from that middle-of-nowhere town. You've made me the laughingstock of my social circle!"

My father cast a disgusted look at me and made a cold decision.

"We brought her back, we can send her away."

"Get her out of here! Now!"

The maids took the hint. They brutally stuffed my belongings into a suitcase and threw it out the door. The latches popped open when it hit the pavement.

My clothes spilled out, scattered messily on the ground.

Just like my dignityshattered into a million pieces.

I was so terrified back then.

Feeling completely helpless, I looked at my boyfriend, Ethan, begging him with my eyes to speak up for me.

Our eyes met for a split second.

"Fix your own mess," he said.

Then, he coldly looked away, gently lifting the allergic Serena into his arms and rushing her to the hospital.

I was left standing there like a fool, picking up my dirty clothes and shoving them back into the broken suitcase. As my mother screamed, "Get out and never come back!" I was officially exiled from the Bennett family.

It has been five years.

Honestly, I'm doing pretty well now.

This cheap apartment was the only place I could afford when they kicked me out. I was actually scheduled to move into a nice condo next week, which is why the place was a messy disaster of half-packed boxes. And the instant ramen? It was just faster than waiting for UberEats.

My startup, SIO, was close to wrapping up its Series A funding. The time I saved on cooking was time I could use to polish two more pages of my pitch deck.

But then, I thought about the funding...

If I had the title of "the Bennett Heiress," those last few stubborn investors would probably sign the checks without hesitation.

My tight grip on the doorknob slowly loosened.

Maybe I had been too greedy back then. Why search for love when money is so much better?

So, I heard my own voice echo in the hallway:

"Fine. I'll go back with you."

Ethan nodded, completely unsurprised. He probably thought I should be crying tears of gratitude to escape this dump for a mansion.

"Give me half an hour. I need to pack."

"No need," Ethan said, stopping me in my tracks.

"This junk... there's no point in bringing it to the mansion. That laptop looks decent, though. Company-issued? Just bring that."

I didn't bother explaining.

I just nodded silently, slid my laptop into my bag, threw away the ramen, and locked the door.

I followed Ethan downstairs.

His luxury sports car stood out like a sore thumb in this neighborhood.

A familiar figure was leaning against the passenger side.

Before I could even get a close look, a sweet, high-pitched voice called out:

"Chloe!"

It was Serena.

**Chapter 2**

***

**2**

Ethan froze for a second, clearly not expecting Serena to show up.

He quickly turned to me to explain, "Chloe, I didn't ask her to come!"

Then he turned and snapped at her, "Serena, didn't I tell you to stay at the house? Why did you have to..."

I knew exactly why Ethan was nervous.

Serena and I had always been at each other's throats. Back then, I thought she had stolen my parents' love from me. Now I realized you can't steal something that was never yours to begin with.

I cut Ethan off to keep the peace. "It's fine. Serena was probably just worried about you. It's late. Let's get in the car."

With that, I opened the door to the backseat.

Ethan instinctively reached out to stop me, giving me a puzzled look. "Aren't you riding shotgun? I saved it specifically for you this time."

I frowned, not understanding his game.

In the past, no matter how much I threw a fit, the shotgun seat always belonged to Serena as long as she was around.

"No, thanks. Serena likes the front seat, right? Let her have it."

"It wouldn't feel right for me to sit there."

Ethan fell silent, but his gaze in the rearview mirror grew increasingly baffled.

Serena sat in the passenger seat, stealing glances at me.

Seeing me quietly typing away on my laptop in the back, she tried to bait me with a fake, sweet tone. "Chloe, you're so lucky to be coming back."

"Mom and Dad redecorated a room just for you. They styled it exactly like my old room. Finally, you don't have to stay in the guest room anymore!"

She turned around, giving me a smug, provocative smirk.

I knew exactly what reaction she wanted.

But I was genuinely too busy to waste energy on her.

Without even looking up, I gave a distracted reply, "Oh, really? That's nice of them."

Serena's smile faltered.

She probably thought the last five years of living in poverty had broken my spirit, making me submissive.

Her tone turned even more passive-aggressive as she rattled on. "By the way, Chloe, so much has changed since you left. For my birthday two years ago, Mom built me a beautiful glass greenhouse in the backyard filled with rare orchids. If you want to garden now, you won't get scolded for making a mess anymore!"

"And Dad bought me a gorgeous diamond necklace on his last business trip. Come to think of it, did Dad ever buy you a gift? I can give you a couple of my old ones if you want!"

"Oh, and this watch? Ethan got it for me at an auction for my birthday last year..."

"Serena, shut up!"

Ethan's sharp voice cut her off before she could finish boasting.

My fingers paused on the keyboard, and I raised an eyebrow in surprise.

What was this? A lover's spat right in front of me?

Terrified of getting dragged into their drama, I kept my mouth shut and typed even more quietly.

An hour later, the car pulled into the driveway of the Bennett estate.

The moment we stepped out, my parents rushed down from the porch to greet us. Under the warm lights, their ecstatic smiles looked almost surreal.

My mother reached me first, scanning me up and down. "Chloe, you're finally home! Are you exhausted?"

"Look at you, you've gotten so thin. But you're home now, and that's all that matters!"

Even my father, who had never given me a kind look in his life, softened his voice.

He offered a warm smile. "You must be hungry. Let's head inside. We can catch up over dinner."

To be honest, seeing them this welcoming didn't bring me any joy. I didn't feel like I had regained my lost family; I was just terrified of saying the wrong thing and setting them off.

I replied with cautious politeness, "Thank you. I really appreciate it. I could have grabbed a bite on the way, you really didn't have to go through the trouble of making dinner. Sorry for causing an inconvenience."

My parents' smiles froze. They clearly hadn't expected such a distant, formal response.

My mother stammered, "Oh, silly girl. I'm your mother. You don't need to thank me."

"Exactly," my father added. "This is your home. It's just dinner. No need to be so polite."

We walked into the dining room.

I didn't hesitate and headed straight for the seat furthest from the head of the tablemy usual spot.

When I looked up, I saw my father's hand frozen in mid-air; he had been gesturing for me to sit right next to him.

I gave him a polite, harmless smile. "Thanks, Dad. But I'll just sit here. I'm used to this spot."

Seeing my refusal, Serena seized the opportunity and slid into the chair next to him. "Dad, if Chloe doesn't want to, I'll sit next to you!"

My father glanced at Serena with a flicker of annoyance, giving a low grunt in response.

The meal was incredibly quiet.

Years ago, I would desperately try to find topics to talk about during dinner, trying to bring up things I thought they would find interesting. I would gesture wildly, babbling with a desperate, pleasing smile on my face, begging to be noticed.

Back then, all I got was my mother's disgust:

"Learn some manners from Serena. Sit up and eat quietly!"

And my father's scolding:

"No talking at the dinner table. When are you going to drop those uncivilized habits from that town?"

Now, I had learned my lesson.

I ate in absolute silence, barely making a sound as I chewed.

My parents kept glancing at me, exchanging hesitant looks.

Finally, unable to take the silence, Mom spoke up. "Chloe, your father and I talked it over. Didn't you always want to work at Bennett Enterprises?"

"We've arranged everything. You can start tomorrow."

Dad nodded in agreement. "You'll start as an entry-level employee at one of our subsidiaries to gain some experience. In six months... a year at most, we'll transfer you to headquarters."

He paused, then added proudly, "And we'll make sure you get the exact same benefits and allowance as Serena."

They smiled at each other, waiting for me to shower them with gratitude.

But I just shook my head slightly and turned them down flat. "No, thank you, Mom, Dad. I'm actually very happy with my current job."

"Have you heard of SIO?"

My parents blinked, clearly familiar with the name.

Ethan chimed in, trying to guide me. "SIO is a relatively new startup, but it's got a lot of potential in the tech world."

"Still, Chloe, with your background, you'd probably spend your whole life stuck as a receptionist or an admin assistant there."

"Coming to Bennett Enterprises is a much smarter career move."

Hearing Ethan say that was almost comical.

I let out a soft, dry chuckle. "No, you misunderstand."

"I founded SIO. I'm the CEO."

**Chapter 3**

***

**3**

Ethan looked like he forgot how to breathe, staring at me with wide eyes for several seconds.

I didn't bother throwing any witty comebacks his way. Honestly, the dinner had gotten boring.

I stood up and nodded politely to the stunned audience. "Mom, Dad, Serena, Ethan. Enjoy your meal. I'm done, so I'll head up to rest."

I grabbed my bag and headed straight to the second floor.

I was exhausted. I didn't care about the room Serena said was "newly decorated." As long as there was a bed, I was fine.

After a quick shower, I fell asleep the second my head hit the pillow.

The next morning, I walked downstairs.

Hearing movement, Mom eagerly hurried from her room toward the kitchen.

She had her usual annoyed scowl ready as she began to lecture, "Chloe, how many times do I have to tell you? Stop wasting your time cooking those low-class dishes. I don't need you to"

Her voice cut off instantly.

The kitchen was completely empty.

As she stood there confused, I spoke up from behind her. "Don't worry, Mom. I won't do that anymore."

I reached into my bag, pulled out a velvet box, and slid it into her hands. "I won this ruby piece at a Sotheby's auction recently."

"The clarity is pretty decent. Wear it whenever you want."

My mother stared blankly at the box.

As her fingers brushed against the cold metal and stones, a chill washed over her.

For a split second, she found herself desperately missing the steaming wellness broths I used to bring her.

Just then, Dad walked out into the hallway, massaging his temples. He was frowning, muttering to himself, "Another headache... I forgot my pills again. My memory is shot..."

He looked up and noticed me standing there.

Out of habit, he grumbled defensively, "Did you hear that? Don't start nagging me. I am your father, show some respect. You used to follow me around babbling in my ear, driving me absolutely insane."

Since he put it that way, I had no intention of arguing.

I nodded politely. "I understand. Good morning, Dad. I'm heading to the office now."

I turned and left immediately, not wanting to annoy him.

The front door clicked shut, leaving the house completely quiet.

But instead of feeling relieved, Dad's headache worsened, and a heavy, suffocating weight settled in his chest.

During lunch, Ethan texted me, asking to grab a bite together. I turned him down.

A few minutes later, my phone lit up again.

[Serena is coming over for lunch. Do you know any good fine-dining spots nearby?]

I blinked.

It was bizarre that a wealthy heir like Ethan would ask me for restaurant recommendations.

But I kept my cool and forwarded him a few upscale spots.

[These are all great. I have corporate accounts there, just put it on my tab.]

The chat stayed quiet for a long time. I couldn't tell if Ethan was shocked or angry.

He finally replied with three rapid-fire messages:

[Fine]

[Fine]

[Fine]

I didn't reply.

There was no point.

I just thought Ethan was being incredibly weird. When we were dating, I clung to him, and he found me annoying. Now, five years after we broke up, I had no idea why he was throwing a tantrum.

I quickly scarfed down a sandwich and got back to work.

Since the news of my return to the Bennett family had gone public, the final group of investors had started signing on. However, Vance Capitalthe biggest and most crucial venture capital firmstill hadn't made a move.

I decided to customize a brand-new pitch deck specifically for them.

I was so swamped that I didn't even have time to go home for dinner.

For the next few days, I kept up this exact routine.

I never touched the kitchen. I occasionally dropped off expensive little gifts for Mom. I greeted Dad with polite, empty pleasantries and never asked about his health.

As for Ethan's constant messagesupdates about taking Serena to an art gallery today, a movie tomorrow, a concert the next dayI barely looked at them, let alone replied.

I was finally acting like the quiet, elegant heiress they had always wanted.

One evening, due to a last-minute cancellation of a video conference, I arrived home two hours earlier than usual.

Seeing them all chatting in the living room, I intended to give a polite nod and head upstairs.

But Ethan suddenly called out, "Chloe, Serena and I are getting engaged!"

**Chapter 4**

***

**4**

I paused on the stairs and offered a polite smile. "Oh, really? That's wonderful news! Congratulations!"

"I'll make sure to send a generous check as an engagement gift. I wish you two a lifetime of happiness."

Ethan's face instantly darkened.

My parents stood up, looking flustered and trying to explain. "Chloe, we know you must be upset."

"But Serena is our daughter too, and she's loved Ethan since they were kids. Before, we hesitated because of you... but now that you're so successful on your own, we thought..."

They stammered, unable to piece together a coherent, logical excuse.

But I knew the truth.

Favoritism is human nature.

Serena was the adopted daughter, but my parents simply loved her more.

Whether it was five years ago or now, they had never approved of me being with Ethan. They had always wanted Serena to marry their dream son-in-law.

But it was fine.

I had made peace with myself a long time ago. I was back for business, not for love.

I let out a soft laugh and reassured them. "Mom, Dad, you really don't have to explain. I mean it when I say congratulations."

"Isn't this what you've always wanted? Your dream is coming true, and I'm happy for Serena too."

I turned to Ethan. "And congratulations to you too, Ethan. The past is in the past. I genuinely wish you both the best."

"Now, if you'll excuse me, I'll let you guys get back to planning."

I knew my boundaries.

As Ethan's ex, my presence was awkward enough. Why should I interfere in their family's wedding planning?

Besides, the heir of Vance Capital, Liam Vance, was hosting a charity gala tomorrow night, and he would be there. I needed to finish polishing the pitch deck.

Getting his investment was my top priority.

The gala hall was spectacular, filled with high society elites in designer gowns and tuxedos.

I looked down at my phone at the text from Liam Vance:

[The deck is brilliant. I'm highly impressed.]

It made me want to scream.

Every single time, he was "impressed," yet he never actually wired the money.

What exactly was he waiting for?

I spotted Liam standing across the room, surrounded by a crowd of wealthy sycophants. I decided to walk over and get a straight answer.

If he was out, I'd just pitch to other VCs.

"Mr. Vance, long time no see," I said, stepping up to him with a polite nod.

Liam maintained his signature, smug smile. "Not that long. We had a meeting yesterday, Chloe."

"I know exactly why you're here. But unlike those old traditionalists, I don't care about your fancy 'Bennett Heiress' title, and I don't buy into that family-backed startup narrative."

"I'm a straightforward guy. How about this"

Liam snapped his fingers.

A waiter instantly appeared with a massive silver tray holding twelve shot glasses of dark, heavy liquor.

"Drink all twenty of these."

"Do it, and I'll double my investment. Twenty billion."

That much hard alcohol could easily land me in the ER.

But without a second thought, I reached for the first glass.

Before my fingers could touch it, someone grabbed my wrist.

It was Ethan.

My parents' voices drifted from behind him, using that same condescending tone I knew all too wellthe same tone they used when they first brought me back from that small town.

"Chloe, you don't need to degrade yourself like this."

"If you need money, just ask. Your father and I will help you."

Ethan looked down at me, nodding arrogantly. "Don't worry, Chloe. I have connections in the VC world."

"One word from me, and your funding is secured."

Honestly, in all my backup plans, begging them for help had never even crossed my mind.

When you're disappointed enough times, you learn to rely only on yourself.

I gave Ethan a polite, empty smile and handed his own words back to him. "No, thank you."

"Fix your own mess. I still remember your advice, Ethan."

I wrenched my wrist from his grip.

I picked up the first glass and threw it back. The burn hit my throat, making me wince.

I set it down and picked up the second.

One after another, I drained all twenty of them. By the time I finished the last shot, my lips were pale.

I looked up and saw Ethan standing next to me, his eyes bloodshot.

Watching me drink like my life didn't matter, it was as if he had finally realized something he was too blind to see before.

His voice shook as he asked, "Chloe..."

"You hate your parents, and you hate me, don't you?"