Love Story1-Chapter1

A month before my engagement to Christian Torres, my parents found their biological daughter, Gianna Barnes.

I had to admit, she inherited my mom's beauty—her delicate features stood out even in plain clothes. However, from the first time we met, her attitude toward me was anything but friendly. She immediately adopted the demeanor of the rightful daughter, pointing at me and demanding:

"Mom, Dad, now that your real daughter is back, shouldn’t she leave?"

My parents looked conflicted but tried to mediate.

"Gianna," my mom said gently, "we know you've suffered all these years, but you also know Margaret's biological parents are no longer around. From now on, can't you two treat each other as sisters?"

"No, I won’t," Gianna snapped. "Why should I? She’s stolen my life for so many years. Now that I’m back, she should get out of this house. I’m your real daughter, aren’t I?"

I stayed silent throughout, understanding that her anger was not unreasonable. But my father, Jacob, was furious.

"Enough!" he scolded. "You are our biological daughter, but Margaret has been our daughter for all these years too. All of this is our fault for not protecting you, not hers. From now on, we’ll do everything we can to make it up to you, okay?"

Gianna, seeing that Jacob was upset, dropped the subject and stormed off to her room in silence.

I told Christian about everything because I didn’t want to hide anything from him. He paused for a moment before responding in an incredibly gentle voice,

"Margaret, the person I love has always been you, and it has nothing to do with your status."

I was touched by his words, knowing how much the Torres family valued lineage and identity.

But everything changed when Christian met Gianna.

Gianna quickly adjusted to her new life, hiring a professional stylist to craft her wardrobe and look, fully embracing the image of a wealthy heiress. Compared to her, I seemed merely practical and mature.

When Gianna saw Christian, she immediately latched onto him, calling him "Chris" with an overly familiar tone. Even though Jacob and my mom repeatedly tried to stop her, she ignored them.

"Chris," she said with a sly smile, "technically, the one you should be marrying is me. After all, I’m the biological daughter of this family. But oh well, you’re marrying my sister, the adopted one. Still, I wish you two the best."

Christian looked visibly uncomfortable but didn’t push her away when she clung to his arm. She even insisted on getting his contact information, which he gave without resistance.

From that point on, Gianna constantly played petty tricks whenever Christian was around. She once slapped herself in front of me and claimed I’d hit her. At a party, she jumped into a pool and said I had pushed her. On a rainy day, she stood in the pouring rain and called Christian, sobbing that I had kicked her out of the house.

Each incident was more absurd than the last, but Christian believed every word. He accused me of being jealous and cruel. After a while, I stopped defending myself—what was the point?

Perhaps I had been too confident in our relationship, or maybe just in myself. I thought none of this mattered because our engagement was set in stone. Gianna’s antics seemed like nothing more than a way to vent her years of resentment.

She wanted to switch rooms with me—I agreed. She wanted the designer bags, jewelry, and clothes I liked—I gave them to her. Whatever I liked, she wanted to take, including Christian.

I never imagined that Gianna’s arrival would turn the man who once swore he loved me into someone who, at our engagement ceremony, would publicly shove my hand away and humiliate me with harsh words in front of everyone.

Chapter2

"Margaret Barnes, if it weren’t for you, Gianna wouldn’t have suffered all these years. How dare you think you’re worthy of being with me? You’re nothing but a fraud. The person I’m meant to marry is Gianna."

With that, Christian turned and slipped the engagement ring onto Gianna’s finger. Gianna lightly caressed the ring, casting me a smug, provocative glance.

The crowd of reporters and guests erupted into a frenzy, their murmurs echoing throughout the room. In that moment, every ounce of my dignity shattered, scattered like fragments on the floor.

Christian’s parents were furious, shouting at him, "Christian, have you lost your mind? Do you realize where you are and what you’re doing?"

But Christian remained indifferent, taking Gianna’s hand and announcing to everyone, "Perhaps you’re unaware, but she is the true Barnes daughter, Gianna. Margaret has been living in her place for all these years, stealing her rightful life, while Gianna endured hardships. Now that the real heiress has returned, the one I should be engaged to is Gianna."

The reporters, eager for such explosive news, pounced.

"Miss Margaret, is what he said true? How are you feeling right now?"

I glanced at the two of them. Gianna nestled against Christian’s chest like a delicate bird, flashing me a mocking smile, while Christian stared coldly in my direction.

I felt a flicker of sadness, but it didn’t consume me. I had faced far worse. With a calm smile, I replied to the reporters, "He’s right. There was a mix-up at birth. Although Christian and I have been together for years, I understand that once my sister returned, the two of them became inseparable. Today, we’re simply taking the opportunity to announce her identity. As for me, Margaret, the person I’m truly getting engaged to is Robert Hughes."

The room fell into stunned silence before the chatter erupted anew. All eyes turned to Robert. He looked bewildered at first but quickly understood my signal. He strode toward me, pulled out a diamond ring, and slipped it onto my finger under the gaze of the entire crowd.

Christian, who had been watching with a cold sneer moments earlier, couldn’t sit still any longer.

"Margaret, have you lost your mind? The Hughes family is on the brink of bankruptcy, and Robert is an illegitimate child. Even if I’ve abandoned you, there’s no need to throw yourself into such a pathetic engagement."

I held back a laugh, the corners of my lips curling into a faint smirk.

"Mr. Christian Torres, this is my business. I don’t think it concerns you."

Christian was momentarily speechless, while Gianna let out a disdainful scoff.

"A fraud and an illegitimate child—a perfect match."

Maintaining my smile, I continued, "Regarding the mix-up with Gianna, I deeply regret it. While it wasn’t intentional on my part, I’ll do my best to make amends. So, I’ve decided to leave the Barnes family from this day forward. From now on, my actions and choices will have nothing to do with them."

This was probably what Gianna had wanted all along, using public opinion to force me out of the Barnes family. The spectacle was over, and I imagined it would be plastered all over the headlines by tomorrow.

After the chaos subsided, Jacob slapped Gianna hard across the face.

"Do you even know what you’ve done? Driving your sister away—how does that benefit our family? Out of all the men you could’ve chosen, you had to go after your sister’s fiancé? Have you no shame?"

Gianna clutched her cheek, tears of indignation spilling over.

"Why shouldn’t I? It was supposed to be mine! Christian should’ve been mine all along. She lived my life for years—why shouldn’t I take it back and kick her out?"

Jacob clutched his chest, overcome with anger. I hurriedly took out his medication and handed it to him.

Looking at me with guilt-ridden eyes, Jacob said, "Margaret, I’ve wronged you. Do you really have to leave our family?"

Lowering my gaze, I replied softly, "Yes. Thank you for raising me all these years. Moving forward, please take care of the company."

Gianna scoffed, unconcerned.

"Hmph, our family has me now. The Barnes family business will belong to me in the future. You, an outsider, have no place meddling in it."

At this moment, Christian approached, gently holding Gianna’s hand and patting his chest as if making a vow.

"That’s right, Uncle. You should have faith in Gianna. With her talent and your genes, our two families’ businesses will only grow bigger and stronger. It’s only a matter of time before we surpass the Butler Group."

The Butler Group was a dominant force in the business world, while the Torres family had only recently risen to prominence in the past two years. Many hailed Christian as a business genius, and he clearly thought so too.

Chapter3

I was probably the only one unimpressed by Christian's so-called talent.

Once Jacob realized I was determined, he stopped trying to dissuade me. I moved out of the Barnes family home and into my long-awaited private villa. No one to fight me for a room—it was pure bliss.

The headlines now were all about Gianna and me. The real-and-fake-heiress drama had turned into a media frenzy, something that could easily dominate the news cycle for days.

Robert called me:

"Margaret Butler, aren’t you planning to reveal your true identity yet? The media’s all over the story that you’re a fake heiress who got booted out and can’t even face the public. Even though I don’t have ties with the Hughes family anymore, they still care about appearances. They’re pestering me to distance myself from you. It’s driving me crazy!"

I swirled the wine glass in my hand leisurely.

"What’s the rush? I’m finally enjoying some peace and quiet. By the way, thanks for last time. Didn’t expect you to actually have a ring—it saved me from too much embarrassment."

Robert’s tone suddenly turned shy.

"Oh, come on, no need to thank me. I mean, what can I say? I’ve always had foresight."

I chuckled and then remembered something.

"By the way, now that Christian and I have nothing to do with each other, pull out all the investments I made in their projects."

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, a woman’s heart is truly unfathomable. You pulling out those major investments will hit the Torres Group hard. That saying is true—never mess with a woman. It’s terrifying. Alright, I’ll arrange it immediately."

Though he teased, he acted swiftly.

I’ve always been someone who moves on from feelings as quickly as they arise. Back then, I agreed to be with Christian because the Torres and Barnes families were old friends, and Jacob emphasized the importance of being well-matched. So, I went along with it.

Our relationship wasn’t bad at first. Christian often surprised me with little gestures on holidays, and over time, I developed some feelings for him.

But when Mr. Torres handed over the company to Christian, I quickly realized he couldn’t hold a candle to his father in business management.

The moment he took over, he implemented sweeping reforms, firing veteran employees and hiring new ones, which caused significant business losses. Within a year, the company was on the brink of collapse.

To prevent him from being too crushed, I arranged for substantial multi-billion-dollar investments under the guise of external support and introduced a professional manager to help him run the company.

In less than two years, the Torres Group bounced back, even surpassing its previous performance. But Christian never recognized his limits, believing his success was entirely his doing.

Just as I started enjoying some peace, the Barnes family called, inviting me home for a family dinner. They mentioned Christian would be there and asked me to bring Robert along.

I couldn’t refuse, so I went.

Robert was oddly enthusiastic, acting like a son-in-law meeting the parents.

"Haha, can’t believe I’m meeting the family just days after becoming your fiancé. I’m even a little nervous."

I shot him a glance.

"It’s just for show. Don’t take it seriously."

He pouted in mock offense.

"Let me enjoy this moment, will you? It’s not every day I get to be someone’s fiancé."

I couldn’t help but laugh, giving up on teasing him further.

"Fine, fine, whatever makes you happy."

"Now that’s more like it," he said, grinning as his excitement returned.

Christian and Gianna were already there when we arrived. The moment they saw us walk in, Christian’s face darkened with displeasure.

"Margaret, you actually brought Robert with you? Isn’t he just your shield? The Hughes family is about to go bankrupt. Being with him is worse than grabbing a random guy off the street to marry. At least then you wouldn’t risk ending up in debt and working to pay it off."