Chapter 2

One of the older family elders cleared his throat loudly, trying to regain control of the room.

"That's enough, all of you!" his deep voice boomed.

The room quieted down, everyone turning their eyes toward him.

He looked at Julian. "Julian, tell them what you called us here for."

Julian took a deep breath, puffing out his chest as if he were doing something heroic.

He wrapped an arm around Jasmine's shoulders, looking at her with teary-eyed devotion.

"Today, I have an important announcement to make." He paused, scanning the room before his eyes locked onto Chloe and me.

I just looked back at him calmly, waiting to see what circus act he was about to pull.

"Chloe... she isn't Natalie's biological daughter."

Julian didn't shout it, but the words hit like a bomb across the living room.

Chloe snapped her head toward me, her eyes wide with shock.

I gave her a gentle squeeze on the hand, signaling her to stay calm.

Whispers broke out instantly among the relatives. They leaned in, buzzing with excitement like sharks smelling fresh blood in the water.

"Years ago, when we went through IVF..." Julian hesitated, putting on a pained expression, "the clinic told us Natalie's eggs weren't viable. She wanted to be a mother so badly... I couldn't break her heart. So I swapped them with Jasmine's."

The sheer audacity of this man. He committed medical fraud behind my back, and now he had the nerve to spin it like he was some selfless savior!

Julian watched me intently, clearly waiting for me to break down, scream, or throw a fit.

Instead, I stood there, totally unfazed. Seeing no reaction, he had to keep pushing his little narrative.

"I gathered everyone here today to witness this," he said, turning back to Jasmine with puppy-dog eyes. "It's time Chloe reunites with her real mother."

The relatives instantly started nodding along in disgustingly rehearsed harmony.

"Natalie couldn't even give our family an heir, and she's been clinging to Julian's name all these years?"

"She should just sign the divorce papers and let their family be whole again."

"It's sick, honestly. Keeping a mother and daughter apart for twenty-five years."

Listening to them, I could only sneer inside.

These greedy parasites used to hold senior management positions at our family firm. But after I caught them embezzling company funds, I fired every single one of them. They had hated my guts ever since.

Naturally, they loved the idea of Julian turning against me. They thought if he kicked me out, they could weasel their way back into the company payroll.

Chloe looked at their undisguised greed and tightened her grip on my hand.

I spoke up, clear and firm. "I gave birth to Chloe. She is my daughter, and no one else's."

My voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the room like iron.

Jasmine put on a tearful, heartbroken expression and sniffled:

"Natalie, how much longer are you going to lie to yourself?"