Chapter 1

Five years after I had been recognized as the true heiress of the Gardner family when Helena Gardner, the imposter who had taken my place, crashed her car into mine and ruined my legs. My parents and my childhood friend, Bowen Jacobs, rushed me to the hospital in a frenzy.

When the doctor said I might be in a wheelchair for the rest of my life, Bowen immediately proposed, vowing to take care of me forever. My parents cut ties with Helena and urged me to hand over the evidence of her crime so they could handle it, insisting I focus on recovering.

Later, they told me Helena had fled in fear of punishment and accidentally drowned.

I believed them. But five years into my marriage, I stumbled upon Helena—Helena, who was supposedly deceased, yet very much alive.

She was holding a little boy and said to Bowen, "Thank goodness for you and my parents all these years. Otherwise, I might have ended up in prison because of Maisie."

She continued, "That cripple probably never expected that you and I have Levi now—our son. Even Mom and Dad helped me cover up everything. They didn't just destroy the evidence; they switched out her recovery meds with vitamins.

"Bowen, I feel bad that you had to go through all this—marrying that pathetic cripple just to keep up the act."

Bowen replied, "Don't say that. Marrying her was the only way I could sign off on her legal documents as her husband and make sure you walked away scot-free. As long as you and Levi are happy, my sacrifice would be worth it."

It turned out that the marriage I thought was my salvation was nothing but a lie. My own parents had deceived and hurt me for the sake of the imposter. If that was the case, then I had no reason to stay.

...

At the hospital lobby, I saw Helena holding Levi. With Bowen standing with them, their little family looked picture-perfect. My heart felt like it had been ripped out of my chest, and the pain was unbearable.

The man who promised to care for me forever was in love with the woman who nearly killed me. Even after destroying the evidence, my own parents did not believe me. They still forced me to marry Bowen—just so he could protect Helena by signing the legal waivers on my behalf.

Just then, my phone rang—it was Mom. "Mae, why didn't you wait for us? We're almost at the hospital. Where are you?"

Her voice was frantic, but I felt only anger. I replied coldly, "Oh, I thought I shouldn't trouble you anymore, so I came for my rehab session alone."

"What are you talking about? We're family! You're never a bother. Are you at the hospital yet? We're on our way!" Mom insisted.

In the past, my parents always accompanied me to my rehab sessions. I had thought it was out of love and concern, but now I knew better.

"Yeah, I just got here. I'm about to enter the lobby," I said, steering my wheelchair toward a corner.

As expected, their tone changed instantly. They told me not to go in yet, saying it was too crowded and unsafe. They said they were nearby and would come find me.

I hung up and watched as Bowen answered a call. His face turned tense, and he whispered something to Helena before handing Levi to her and quickly leaving through the back door.

Helena disappeared into the crowd. It was obvious that the call was from my parents, warning them to hide because they were afraid I would see Helena and Bowen together.

The shock and grief overwhelmed me. Everyone had lied to protect Helena, the one who had ruined my life. My nails dug deeper into my palms, the sharp pain keeping me grounded. If this was how they wanted to play, I would turn the tables on them.

I pulled out my phone, hit the record button, and wheeled toward the entrance, meeting my so-called parents as they hurried in.

Chapter 2

Mom's eyes flickered with panic. "Mae, why didn't you wait for us before going in?"

Beside her, Dad frowned and added, "We told you the hospital is crowded and chaotic. We didn't want you going in alone!"

"I waited for a while, but you didn't show up, so I went in to use the restroom," I replied calmly, keeping my expression neutral.

Mom hesitated, then asked tentatively, "You didn't run into anyone, did you?"

Her nervous expression cut through me like a knife. At that moment, I wanted to scream and demand answers on why they had lied to me. Nonetheless, I knew asking now would be pointless. After all, I had already decided to leave.

I replied, "Run into anyone? I was in a hurry and spent a long time in the restroom. I didn't notice anything."

Seeing that I did not seem to be lying, they visibly relaxed. Dad grabbed the handles of my wheelchair and said, "Let's go, we'll take you upstairs."

Mom crouched beside me and carefully adjusted my face mask. "The flu's been going around lately. You need to protect yourself, or I'll worry if you get sick."

In the past, I would have been moved deeply by the concern in her eyes, but now, I couldn't even feel an ounce of love in them.

...

When we reached the rehabilitation center on the 12th floor, I lay down on the hospital bed and let the doctor administer the anesthesia. As I drifted in and out of consciousness, I overheard my parents talking to the doctor, Dr. Adam Roberts.

"Ms. Gardner's leg has been neglected for too long. If we don't operate soon, she might never walk again," Dr. Roberts said, his voice low and urgent.

"The previous rehab sessions were only half-completed, and her medication was replaced with vitamins as you instructed. Mr. Gardner, are you really going to let your daughter spend the rest of her life in a wheelchair?" Dr. Roberts pressed.

Dad's voice was sharp as he snapped, "I paid a fortune to bring you here from abroad. Don't question me—just do as you're told!"

Mom chimed in, her tone equally cold. "So what if she can't walk? We can take care of her for the rest of her life. It's none of your business!"

Dr. Roberts quickly backtracked. "I didn't mean it like that. It's just that Ms. Gardner has been on anesthesia for so long that she might develop immunity. What do we do then?"

"That's your problem to figure out. Just make sure her legs don't get better or worse. Keep it under control," Dad ordered.

"Understood," Dr. Roberts replied.

Then, the door opened, and my parents left. I lay on the bed, feeling as though I had been plunged into a frozen hell.

They had no idea that my body had already built a resistance to anesthesia. I had heard every word and even recorded it all.

So, this was their plan all along. It turned out they had hired Dr. Roberts from abroad and kept him on their payroll for five years just to deceive me. It finally made sense to me why the rehab center was located on the 12th floor of the inpatient ward—this whole place was a setup.

My heart ached, and tears silently streamed down my cheeks.

...

After the "treatment", my parents wheeled me home, their faces full of false concern. Bowen, who had been cozying up to Helena at the hospital just two hours earlier, greeted me at the door wearing an apron.

"Darling, rehab must be exhausting. I made you some homemade chicken soup. It'll help you recover faster," he said, his eyes filled with what looked like genuine care.

Bowen still looked like the devoted husband who swore he would love me and take care of me forever. If I had not seen him with Helena earlier or heard their conversation, I might have been moved.

But now, his smile only felt like a mask. Bowen had never loved me at all. Instead, his heart belonged to the woman who had shattered my life.

Chapter 3

To protect Helena, Bowen had even sacrificed his own marriage, pretending to love me. He had gone as far as having a child with her.

During dinner, Mom suddenly teared up as she stared at the dishes on the table, wiping her eyes. Bowen quickly put down his utensils and asked what was wrong while Dad gently patted her back and sighed.

"She probably saw Lena's favorite dish and started thinking about her," Dad explained. "Even though Lena made mistakes, we raised her for over a decade. She didn't deserve to die..."

I noticed them glancing at me, and a bitter feeling rose in my chest. I was baffled that Dad could say Helena did not deserve to die, and it sounded as if I deserved to be sacrificed instead.

Bowen said, "Darling, it's been five years. Helena was only 20 back then. She might have just acted impulsively. We grew up together, and she's always been a bit extreme. She probably felt like you were trying to take everything from her."

He hesitated before adding, "The anniversary of her passing is in five days. I know you don't want to go, but I'll take your parents to visit her grave, okay?"

His eyes darted nervously as if bracing for me to lose my temper.

"Sure, go ahead. She spent more time in this family than I did. It's natural you'd have feelings for her," I replied flatly.

Bowen visibly relaxed, his tone softening even more. "Darling, I knew you'd understand. You've always been kind-hearted. You wouldn't hold a grudge against your late sister."

Mom wiped her tears and added, "That's my girl. Blood really does run thicker than water."

I buried my face in my food, letting my tears fall silently. So, they did remember I was their biological child. My stomach churned, and I excused myself, claiming I did not feel well.

Bowen followed me to the room, bringing me stomach medicine and looking genuinely concerned. When I did not respond, he quietly brought warm water and gently wiped my face.

For the ten years since I had been brought back to the family, his eyes had only ever been on me. Even when Helena confessed her feelings to him, he had coldly rejected her.

But now, I finally understood. He did not love me—he just wanted to marry the future heir of Gardner Corporation. Love and marriage were two separate things.

Late that night, after Bowen fell asleep, I got up and took his phone from the bedside table. The password was my birthday. I was the top-pinned contact on WhatsApp, and my parents were below that.

Everything seemed normal until I checked his archived messages. That was when I discovered Bowen's secret—his chat with Helena.

Helena: "Bowen, it's been five years. How much longer do I have to keep hiding?"

Helena: "She doesn't even have evidence anymore, and she's a cripple now—what is there to be afraid of?"

Helena: "Levi keeps crying for you. Do you really have the heart to keep him waiting?"

Bowen reassured her. "I'm already discussing things with your parents. Just be patient."

It turned out they had brought Helena back to the country days ago, changed her name, and even registered a real estate company under her. The ribbon-cutting ceremony was set for five days later—the same day as her supposed death anniversary.

My hands trembled as I opened his social media app. I quickly found her account, and the photos made my heart grow colder with each scroll.

For the past five years, Helena had been living lavishly abroad. She wore luxury brands from Gardner Corporation's lines and lived in a villa owned by the company overseas.

Every time Bowen claimed he was traveling for work, he was actually flying out to be with her. Even my own parents were in the photos, smiling brightly. In that moment, I realized they were the real family.

I fought back the tears stinging my eyes, took photos of the evidence, and exited the apps.

Chapter 4

It was also only then that I noticed Bowen had changed his WhatsApp status message. It used to be just one word. The word was "Waiting".

When I asked him what it meant, he smiled and said he was waiting for my legs to heal. But now, his status read, "Time to return." Finally, I understood. "Waiting" had been for Helena to come back; "Time to return" meant she was supposed to come back now.

After that, I placed his phone back on the nightstand and stepped out onto the balcony to make a call. I said, "Hello, I need to book a flight abroad for five days from today."

Five days was enough to say goodbye to these five years of fake love. I returned to bed but did not sleep a wink.

The next day at lunch, my phone lit up with a notification. Bowen glanced at it, and his face turned pale.

"Darling, why are you applying to cancel a card?" he asked, his voice tense.

I calmly turned off the screen and replied, "My bank card is about to expire, so I scheduled a replacement."

He was about to say something, but his phone rang. After answering the call, he said urgently, "Darling, something came up at work. I need to handle it. I won't be able to have lunch with you."

I nodded, and my parents followed him to the company, leaving me alone at home. Just as I was about to head out, an unknown number texted me.

"Maisie, you heard everything at the hospital yesterday, didn't you?"

It was obvious that the text was from Helena, and her messages kept coming.

Helena: "Bowen and I have a son together."

Helena: "When your own parents heard you were injured too badly to have kids, they chose to protect me instead. They pushed Bowen toward me so we could start a family."

Helena: "Bowen and I are the real married couple, and you're just a pathetic joke. They even helped me start a company. The grand opening is in five days—bet they didn't tell you about that, huh?"

Helena: "Honestly, I regret not running you over sooner. If I had, all of this would've been mine years ago."

...

Each word felt like a knife to my heart. So, this was why my parents had chosen to protect her and why Bowen had been so willing to be with her.

I took screenshots of the messages and found my marriage certificate with Bowen. In his nightstand, I also discovered the legal waivers he had signed. Clutching these, I went to see a lawyer.

The lawyer, Fabian Smith, told me that chat records were not solid evidence and that legal waivers signed by family members still held legal weight. When I asked him to help draft divorce papers, he frowned and said our marriage certificate was fake.

I felt like I had been struck by lightning, my heart sinking into an abyss. Helena had been right—I was just a fool, a clown in their twisted game. Fabian's eyes lit up as he explained that if the marriage was fake, Bowen's legal waivers were invalid, which could be considered fraud and obstruction of justice.

Grateful, I begged Fabian to help me draft a lawsuit. After leaving the law firm, I took a cab to another hospital for a complete checkup.

When the doctor told me my legs could still be saved, I burst into tears. He explained that the car accident had caused a blockage in my fallopian tubes, making it impossible for me to conceive, but surgery could fix it. As for my legs, since they had not worsened over the past five years, surgery could help me walk again.

"Your family must have taken good care of you these past five years. Otherwise, your legs would have been beyond repair by now," the doctor said kindly.

His words filled me with bitterness. Little did he know, my family had been the ones who did not want me to walk again. No, they were not my family anymore.

As I left the hospital, I received another message from Helena. The photo showed her holding Levi, nestled in Bowen's arms, with my parents sitting on either side.

The five of them were smiling brightly in a luxurious villa. Behind them, a calligraphy artwork Dad had made hung on the wall—"Family First".

Chapter 5

The artwork burned my eyes, making them sting with unshed tears. Their family had never included me.

I returned home in a daze, lying on my bed and staring blankly at the ceiling. I had no idea how much time had passed when our butler, Allen Gott, announced their return.

The bedroom door opened softly, and Bowen walked in. He bent down and hugged me. He said, "Darling, I'm sorry. I've been so busy with work lately and haven't had time to spend with you. Your birthday is in two days. I've talked to your parents, and we're planning something special for you."

I stayed silent, refusing to respond. He kissed my forehead, tucked me in, and left. Suddenly, I remembered that five years ago, my parents had announced my engagement to Bowen on my birthday.

That had been the trigger for Helena to crash her car into me, leaving me disabled. In the five years since I had been brought back to the family, I had always felt out of place, unable to act as naturally as Helena did around our parents.

Helena had always been the star at our birthday parties, greeting people I didn't even know. She had once said, "Only I deserve this kind of celebration. You're raised in an orphanage, and you don't belong here!"

She loved stealing the spotlight, and I knew this time would be no different.

...

I knew Helena too well, so I was not surprised when I saw her at the birthday party. She had shown up dressed as a server, wearing a mask.

The family's reactions were priceless—a mix of shock and panic. Dad scolded in a low voice, "What are you doing here? This is reckless! If she finds out, all our efforts over the years will be wasted!"

Mom, however, tried to defend her. "Lena hasn't been home in so long. She just misses us. Why are you being so harsh? She's disguised anyway. Mae won't recognize her."

She pouted and said, "Honey, today is my birthday too. I want to cut the cake later."

"Fine. Since Maisie's in a wheelchair and it's inconvenient for her, you can do it," Bowen replied, seemingly swayed by her act.

And just like that, Helena cut into the towering birthday cake that was supposed to be mine alone. She even split the chocolate figurine of me in half, a cruel smirk on her face.

Then, with a sudden push, she toppled the cake toward me. Everyone was startled by the loud crash and turned to look.

The metal stand inside the cake nearly hit my face. Bowen rushed to my side, pretending to be concerned as he asked, "Darling, are you okay?"

Then, he turned to Helena and scolded her half-heartedly, "You're so clumsy! You can't even cut a cake properly. Get out of here!"

I suppressed a bitter laugh. He had clearly seen Helena do it on purpose, yet he played the part so well. What a perfect son-in-law my parents had chosen—so quick-witted and clever. My parents sighed in relief before turning away to get the staff to clean up the mess.

With the party still in full swing, Bowen got pulled aside by the endless stream of guests. Since I wanted some fresh air, I headed outside.

As I wheeled myself toward the garden, I felt someone push my wheelchair from behind—it was Helena.

She said smugly, "Maisie, long time no see. Did you notice that when they sang 'Happy Birthday' just now? After all these years, they still love me more than they love you."

She continued, "You should've just stayed in the orphanage. Why did you have to come back and try to take everything from me? Now look at you—a cripple, and even your husband is mine. If I were you, I'd be so ashamed I'd want to die!"

I looked up at her and replied calmly, "The one who should be ashamed is you. The man you loved was supposed to marry me, and you resorted to such extreme measures to stop it because you couldn't accept it.

"You were almost thrown in prison for it. Now, you have to live under a fake name, hiding like a coward, and even here, you have to disguise yourself. Isn't that embarrassing?"