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The day my college entrance exam results came out, my entire wealthy family was on their knees, not for me, but begging for forgiveness. For years, they had seen me, Ava Stone, as nothing more than a lazy, incompetent disgrace, believing my adopted sister, Chloe, was the true prodigy.
My tech-mogul grandfather decided to host a "Startup Pitch Competition," a high-stakes game between Chloe and me, to see who could secure the most venture capital. The winner would get a ten percent stake in the Stone family's main tech conglomerate. But it turned into a public execution for me.
My parents, disgusted by my "laziness," bet three of their tech incubators on Chloe. My brother wagered ten data centers. Even my fiancé, Liam Miller, put up a brand-new AI patent, declaring to reporters and distinguished guests that I was "truly uninspired" and "guaranteed to lose," deeming me a disgrace to the Stone name.
To their shock, I announced I'd match their bets, wagering my entire family inheritance, an offer they eagerly accepted, scrambling to put up almost everything they owned. My parents called me "crazy." My mother linked arms with Chloe, saying, "If it weren' t for Chloe, you' d drive us all crazy."
My heart turned to ice as I watched them, hoping to rid themselves of me for good. They conveniently forgot Chloe had taken my place years ago, framed me repeatedly for her misdeeds, and was even secretly having an affair with my fiancé, Liam.
Liam, eager to please Chloe, publicly crushed my deceased foster mother's modest necklace-my most precious possession-under his heel, sneering, "I, Liam Miller, would never marry a failure like you. Our engagement is over." My own mother slapped me for my tears, calling the necklace "cheap" and declaring I was "no Stone."
As I was assaulted, restrained by bodyguards, and forced to watch a live stream of my robotic dog, Buddy, being tortured at a recycling plant-a "piece of junk," as my mother called him-my father kicked me, demanding I apologize. Amidst the chaos, a voice cut through: "The college entrance exam results are out!"
Everyone swarmed around Chloe, celebrating her supposed triumph. Chloe smiled mockingly, "Ava, it' s finally time, isn' t it?" But it was my smile that unsettled her. Liam, eager to secure his future, dropped to one knee, proposing to Chloe, "Marry me, Chloe." The crowd roared, taunting me with my supposed failure.
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