Chapter 4

Wendy’s mom stared at me like I’d grown a second head. Then she looked at Daniel.

“What’s wrong with her eyes? Why is she crying?”

Daniel’s tone toward her was surprisingly gentle. “She’s acting out a tragic drama. Says she’s our housekeeper, Wendi Silver. She cried for a while.”

Wendy’s mom gave me a full ‘are-you-stupid’ stare. Her voice went cold.

“Wendi Silver, since you’re sitting in my daughter’s place, drink this soup and get better. Then leave. We don’t house weak little maids in my son-in-law’s home.”

My eyes instantly welled up.

I thought of my real mom in the hospital, waiting for me to pay those medical bills.

If she were still healthy, she’d definitely fuss over me like this too.

Wendy’s mom rushed over and grabbed my hand. “Why do you cry at everything? Are you depressed? Do we need to take you back to the hospital?”

“Mom, it’s fine,” Wendy cut in. “She was dramatic even before she ate the poison mushroom. She’s committed to her soap-opera era.”

I needed to recover.

Then leave as fast as possible.

I gulped down the soup. Three huge gulps.

It tasted like… mom.

I blinked at Wendy’s mom.

Could this story secretly have a ‘switched-at-birth’ twist?

Maybe I was the real heiress?

Or maybe Wendy and I were sisters?

But no—this was a reverse harem smut novel.

I’d read it more than once.

There were multiple hot guys and zero morals, but no long-lost-daughter plotline.

During dinner, Wendy’s mom said, “She’s a mess right now. Don’t let her go to work yet. She was already a little clueless, and after the poisoning she barely has a brain left.”

Daniel said, “I was thinking the same thing. Except she insists she wants to move out.”

“Don’t listen to her.”

---

Later that afternoon, Daniel pulled me toward the door.

“Wendy’s brother is back. Her mother wants us over for dinner.”

I perked up immediately.

Wendy’s brother?

Another handsome man destined to fall for me.

And maybe… he would be my ticket to freedom.

Daniel was still in his forceful villain era, but once I escaped, he’d enter his “begging for forgiveness, crying in the rain” arc.

I would absolutely make him suffer for it.

When we got to the Gold family home, Wendy’s brother took one look at me, eyes lighting up, and pulled me into a hug.

Daniel’s expression froze.

Wendy’s brother, Henry, adored me.

He bought me gifts.

He even patted my head like I was precious.

Wendy stood there watching with a smug “this is going to be fun” smile.

When her parents drifted out of the room, Wendy leaned toward her brother and whispered loudly,

“FYI, she currently thinks she’s living inside an erotica novel where any attractive man under thirty automatically sleeps with her.”

Wendy really didn’t know how to shut up.

I didn’t hear a word she said—her lips were just moving in my peripheral vision—but I absolutely knew it wasn’t anything nice.

But the moment she finished, Henry’s entire body stiffened.

He quietly stepped back from me.

Daniel watched me with narrowed eyes.

I felt betrayed.

I looked at Henry with full tragic-heroine heartbreak.

Was he planning to do a “win her back after pushing her away” arc too?

He was exactly my type—gentle, elegant, soft-spoken.

I could easily see myself favoring him in later chapters.

A moment later, Henry excused himself and went upstairs to take a call.

I told Daniel I was going to the bathroom. As expected, he didn’t follow.

The moment he turned away, I slipped out, took the back staircase, and headed straight for the third floor to find Henry.