I am the real daughter of this family. My daily pursuit is to lie on the sofa and do nothing, watch TV shows and eat takeout.
When my foster sister heard I was back,
To prove she was better than me, she and I took over two of our family’s failing subsidiaries at the same time.
The words barely left her mouth when an emergency news bulletin flashed across the screen.
My old factory, which I barely remembered owning, had just been rezoned as a core development area due to new urban planning. The compensation? A staggering two hundred million dollars.
1.
“Hazel, just look at you!” My mom, Vivian Hart, jabbed a finger at my nose, trembling with rage. “Why can’t you be more like Camilla? More ambitious?”
“If you had even half of Camilla’s drive, would the Hart family still be scrambling to impress the Lees?”
Beside her stood my adoptive sister, Camilla Hart, who had received an elite education since childhood.
Camilla was dressed in a designer suit, her makeup flawless, exuding an aura of polished professionalism. She was a top university graduate, fluent in four languages, the golden girl everyone admired.
Meanwhile, I was in an oversized T-shirt and shorts, about to order a huge plate of spicy shrimp takeout.
To smooth Camilla’s path, Mom had signed me up for a business gala, practically dragging me out of bed. She frowned, eyeing my T-shirt.
“You’re wearing *that*? You’ll be a complete embarrassment to the Hart name!”
Camilla, ever so graceful, glided over. Her voice was soft, but in her hand, she held a Dior dress she’d clearly outgrown. “Mom, don’t be upset. Hazel, I’ve only worn this Dior once. You can wear it, try not to shame the family.”
Her tone was pure condescension, a charity handout.
I couldn’t be bothered to argue, but Mom shoved me into the room anyway, forcing me into the ill-fitting dress.
At the gala, Camilla was the center of attention, effortlessly navigating the crowd. She could chat in fluent French with guests and engage in deep discussions with top business magnates, glass of champagne in hand.
Me? I just wanted to find an unnoticed corner to hide.
A sleazy man with a drink in hand sidled up to me, a lecherous grin on his face. “So this must be the Hart family’s second daughter? Heard so much about you. Care to join me for a drink?”
I looked at him, dead serious. “Will drinking with you get me a free spicy shrimp platter?”
The entire room fell silent.
The man’s face flushed crimson.
Camilla elegantly came to my rescue, yet her words made me feel utterly worthless. “My apologies, Mr. Thompson. My sister is a bit… unrefined. She grew up in the countryside, isn’t used to society. Please don’t mind her.”
My dad, Richard Hart, looked absolutely furious. He dragged me home, cleared his throat, then slammed two documents onto the coffee table.
“These are two of the group’s near-bankrupt subsidiaries. You two girls each get one. One month. Whoever can turn their company around will have a better claim to…”
He didn’t finish, but his meaning was crystal clear. He looked at Camilla, his eyes full of expectation, then glanced at me, adding coldly, “I know Camilla’s capabilities. What about you? What can you bring to the Hart family?”
Camilla picked up one of the files, a triumphant smirk playing on her lips. “Dad, Mom, don’t worry. I won’t disappoint you.”
She finished, then shot a challenging look my way.
I nonchalantly picked up the other file, not even bothering to read the company name, and simply stuffed it into my pocket. “Sure, got it.”
My attitude completely enraged them.
“Hazel Hart! What kind of attitude is that?! Do you have any idea how much Camilla sacrifices for this family? She raises investments, runs deals, she’s running herself ragged! And you? All you do is lie here and order takeout!”
Mom’s voice was shrill and piercing.
Too lazy to argue, I turned and went back to my room.
2.
The next day, I went to the so-called company.
A dilapidated office, a few scattered desks, and a dozen employees looking utterly miserable.
There was fifty grand left in the bank.
I called the accountant over. “Distribute this fifty grand to the employees based on their tenure and position. Consider it severance and compensation.”
The accountant was stunned. “Ms. Hart, this… this is all the company’s remaining liquid capital! If we pay it all out, the company will truly go bankrupt!”
“Then let it.” My reply was concise.
That afternoon, the company was dissolved on the spot.
I dusted my hands and headed home, continuing my grand project of lying flat.
That evening, Camilla returned, looking utterly worn out. Her heels clicked aggressively on the floorboards.
She kicked open my door, a report slammed onto my face.
“Hazel Hart! You useless idiot! I closed a hundred-thousand-dollar deal today! And you? You actually dissolved the company! You’re just a good-for-nothing, can’t be helped!”
I slowly tore open a bag of chips, crunching loudly. “Oh, congrats.”
“You…” She gasped, her chest heaving, her pointing finger trembling. “The Hart family has no room for a self-sabotaging waste like you! Just you wait!”
I watched her retreating back, fuming with frustration, and popped another chip into my mouth.
Why bother fighting? Lying down is so much more comfortable.
The next day, I was woken from my sleep by a commotion. My mom, Vivian Hart, pushed open my door directly, followed by several household staff.
“Throw out all her junk food! And all these messy clothes, every last one!”
I frowned, sitting up. “Mom, what are you doing?”
“What am I doing? I’m teaching you how to be a person!” She stood with her hands on her hips, looking at me with exasperated disappointment. “Your sister was up until three in the morning working for the company, and you? You slept until now! From today onwards, all your bank cards are suspended. You’ll only get a thousand dollars a month for living expenses. I want to see how you’re going to ‘lie flat’ then!”
I watched the staff toss my beloved snacks, bag by bag, into the trash. It annoyed me a little. But arguing was too tiring, so I chose to stay silent.
After they finished their rampage, I slowly got up and freshened up. Then I received an unfamiliar call.
It was Dave, a former employee from that company yesterday.
“Ms. Hart, thank you so much! My wife’s sick and desperately needed money. The money you gave me really saved my life!”
On the other end, Dave’s voice was tearful, overflowing with gratitude. He said the employees had pooled money and wanted to treat me to dinner.
I refused. Doing good deeds without seeking recognition – mainly, going out to dinner was too much effort.
But somehow, the news reached Camilla.
That evening at dinner, she started speaking in a snarky tone: “Well, well, our great philanthropist is back? I heard you used all the company’s money to buy goodwill? Hazel, you really are something. You’d rather give money to outsiders than help your own family.”
My dad also snorted, “You’re a hopeless case, can’t even stand on your own, and now you’re trying to look like some kind of saint. That fifty grand, if it went to your sister, it could’ve revived a project. In your hands, it’s just money down the drain.”
I took a sip of soup and said nothing.
Seeing I wouldn’t engage, Camilla pressed on. She pulled a cheap cloth bag from her purse and tossed it in front of me.
“Seeing as your cards are suspended, you probably can’t afford a decent bag. I happened to pass a street vendor today and picked this up for you. Twenty bucks, no need to thank me.”
Her dismissive gaze was like looking at a beggar on the street.
I looked at the flimsy Peppa Pig tote bag and suddenly found it a little funny. “Thanks, sis.”
I accepted it calmly. It would be perfect for grocery shopping tomorrow.
She turned livid with anger, left her dinner unfinished, and stormed upstairs.
Mom sighed dramatically, heartbroken. “What a tragedy. Camilla is such a good child, how did she end up with a sister like you?”
I quietly finished my meal.
Alright, the word “sister” still sounded quite natural. They seemed to have forgotten that Camilla and I weren’t actually blood relatives.
3.
In the days that followed, Camilla was like a woman possessed, leaving early and coming home late, constantly attending business dinners. Her company was reportedly thriving, quickly securing its second and third rounds of investment.
Meanwhile, I went to the local produce market punctually every day, carrying my Peppa Pig tote bag. Because my living expenses were cut, I learned to haggle fiercely with the elderly vendors over every single cent.
One day, as I was battling it out with a vendor over the price of a potato, a man in a sharp suit approached me.
It was Dave.
He looked much more energetic than last time, with a middle-aged man beside him.
“Ms. Hart, let me introduce you. This is my cousin, Mr. Harrison. He’s in the construction materials business.”
Mr. Harrison handed me a business card, his manner very polite. “Ms. Hart, I’ve heard so much about you. Dave told me everything. You’re a truly generous person. I’m looking to expand a warehouse recently, and I heard you own a disused old factory. Would you be interested in selling it?”
I paused, surprised.
An old factory?
I remembered now. It was a birthday gift from my grandpa when I turned eighteen. He’d held my hand and said, “Hazel, you have a kind heart, unlike the others. This land will bring you blessings someday.”
But that place was practically in the middle of nowhere, a forgotten wasteland for years. I’d almost completely forgotten about it.
“That place… it can actually be sold for money?”
“Of course!” Mr. Harrison’s eyes lit up. “Even though the location is remote, the area is huge, which perfectly suits my needs. I’m willing to offer you four hundred thousand dollars. How does that sound?”
Four hundred thousand dollars.
To me, that was an astronomical figure.
Dave was an honest man, and his cousin looked trustworthy. I barely hesitated before agreeing.
On the day of the contract signing, I deliberately brought the Peppa Pig tote bag my sister had given me, with my ID and household register inside.
After getting the money, the first thing I did was go to the mall and buy a ton of snacks, then took a taxi home.
When I appeared in the living room, lugging multiple shopping bags, the three Hart family members stared at me, their expressions strange.
“Hazel Hart! Where on earth did you get the money for all this junk?” My mom was the first to attack.
“Oh, I sold that old factory Grandpa gave me,” I replied casually.
“Sold it?!” Camilla shrieked. “You actually sold it? For how much?”
“Four hundred thousand dollars.”
“Four hundred thousand dollars?” Camilla burst out laughing as if she’d heard the funniest joke. “Hazel Hart, are you stupid? Even though that factory is remote, the land alone is worth at least half a million! You actually sold it for four hundred thousand? You’re such a spendthrift!”
She acted utterly distraught, as if the factory belonged to her.
My dad’s face was grim. “Nonsense! Why didn’t you discuss family matters with us first? Four hundred thousand, you’ve been ripped off!”
I looked at their outraged faces and suddenly felt completely bored.
“It’s sold, what’s the point of talking about it now?”
I didn’t want to waste any more words on them. I took my snacks and went upstairs.
Behind me, Camilla’s scornful sneer followed. “Trash will always be trash. Even if a gold mine falls into her lap, she wouldn’t know how to keep it.”
4.
A month later, it was the Hart family’s private dinner.
Ostensibly a family gathering, it was actually a celebration for Camilla, hosted by Mom and Dad. Apparently, her subsidiary’s market value had tripled in a month, becoming a small miracle in the industry.
At the dinner, Camilla wore a dazzling red gown, her chin slightly raised, basking in the praise of all the relatives.
“Camilla is truly amazing, a credit to the Hart family!”
“Indeed, unlike some people who occupy a position but do nothing but squander resources.”
Everyone’s gaze subtly shot glances my way. I was wearing a simple white T-shirt and jeans, sitting in a corner, intently gnawing on a king crab leg.
It tasted good, just a little salty.
Camilla, holding a champagne flute, gracefully approached me, looking down on me with a condescending air.
“Hazel, I hear you’ve been living quite comfortably lately, thanks to the money from selling the factory?”
I nodded. “It’s alright. I have unlimited snacks now.”
She scoffed, her voice low but loud enough for everyone to hear.
“Some people are just born trash, a lost cause. Give them all the wealth in the world, and they’ll still blow it. Give them an opportunity, and they’ll ruin it with their own hands.”
She paused, her eyes openly contemptuous.
“A month ago, we were given identical companies. I grew mine to be worth millions, while you personally dissolved yours. Now, for a mere four hundred thousand dollars, you sold the most precious sentimental keepsake Grandpa left you. Hazel, tell me, what good are you?”
The entire room fell silent.
Everyone stared at me, waiting to see my humiliation. My mom, Vivian Hart,’s face was a mix of embarrassment and shame, looking at me as if I were her enemy. My dad, Richard Hart, also had a face so grim he looked absolutely furious.
I slowly wiped my hands, looked up, and was about to say something.
Just then, on the large screen in the center of the banquet hall, where financial news was playing, an emergency bulletin suddenly interrupted.
“Breaking news from the city: To support urban development, the municipal government has decided to officially designate the South City suburb as a core development area, to build a brand new tech city…”
The anchor’s voice clearly resonated throughout the hall.
On the screen, a huge development plan was displayed. A bright red circle was heavily marked in the center of the blueprint.
That location… I squinted. Why did it look so familiar?
The mocking expression on Camilla’s face hadn’t yet faded. She followed my gaze and scoffed, “What are you staring at? What does national news like this have to do with useless trash like you?”
The words had barely left her mouth. In the news, the anchor continued, her voice excited: “It is reported that the demolition compensation standards for this project will reach an unprecedented high. Among them, the former Starlight Machinery Plant, located in the core center, is estimated to receive demolition compensation of… a staggering two hundred million dollars!”
The Starlight Machinery Plant.
Wasn’t that the factory I had just sold?
The entire banquet hall instantly fell into a deathly silence.
Everyone’s eyes immediately fixed on me.
Camilla’s smile completely froze.
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