Chapter 4

Her shout drew everyone's eyes to my face.

Soon someone recognized me:

"Isn't this the person Miss had conflict with? I remember her last name is Mitchell. She's not here to extort money because of her mom, is she?"

The first maid kept shaking her head:

"No, I mean, her appearance looks very familiar."

"She looks like... Mr. Hayes."

The entire atmosphere froze for a moment.

The butler standing at the front frowned deeply:

"Don't talk nonsense."

But his hand quickly grabbed the intercom:

"Sir, please come to the entrance. This matter may require your personal attention."

My heart lifted uncontrollably.

Even though I'd long stopped expecting any family affection from the Hayes family.

This was the first time I would meet my biological parents.

Who would have thought---I was the real daughter of the Hayes family!

I was the biological daughter of this couple who didn't consider human lives as lives!

I only found out about this the night before Wendy sent me to juvie.

I heard Wendy arguing with Mark through suppressed sobs:

"No, we can't let Zoe go to the Hayes estate!"

"Aren't you afraid your dirty deeds will be discovered by the Hayes family?!"

"If Logan Hayes discovers you switched his daughter with yours, and that his biological daughter has been bullied by your daughter all along, what do you think he'll do?"

"Let me tell you---you and Jacob will both die!"

My brain went blank.

I heard every word clearly. I recognized every word.

But strung together in sentences, I couldn't understand.

Mark paced in place like a caged animal:

"Then what do we do? Serena specifically demanded Zoe come apologize. She's angry and wants to vent. If Zoe doesn't go, we'll die anyway!"

"Besides, it's been so long now. How could Mr. Hayes possibly recognize that's his daughter?"

"Don't be so paranoid..."

After saying this, he viciously shoved Wendy.

"Look at what you gave birth to. Now she's playing the young lady with such a temper. I wanted to claim kinship with her, but now there's no chance of that."

It wasn't until I heard this.

That I finally understood completely.

I really was Logan Hayes's daughter.

Years ago, Mark had switched us.

Letting her assume my identity as the Hayes family's young lady.

Leaving me at the Mitchell house to be a blood bank for his son.

Those moments I'd missed, those confusing scenes, came flooding back from the depths of my memory one by one.

Mark probably never thought.

That I actually looked a lot like Logan Hayes.

That's why when Serena first saw me, she showed uncontrollable panic.

Then, using the excuse that I'd dirtied her shoes, she slapped me over a dozen times.

She didn't want to see my face.

She found trouble with me at school day and night. Sometimes it was because I scored a few more points than her, sometimes because I said one sentence to her deskmate.

Only when my face was black and blue, almost unrecognizable, would she be satisfied.

Everyone knew.

Logan Hayes doted on his only daughter.

Everyone knew.

Logan Hayes always sought revenge.

Actually, I'd thought about it---as long as I solved the problem with Serena, I wouldn't need to acknowledge the Hayes family.

The harm the Hayes family had done to me couldn't be erased by blood relations.

And I remembered how guilty Wendy's eyes looked every time she saw me.

Since childhood, she was the only person who was good to me.

I didn't notice then how Wendy's expression gradually became determined.

Before I could react, she sent me to juvie.

Three days passed.

Wendy died.

Died at Serena's hands.

I looked at Logan Hayes walking out the door: "I have something to say to you."