The Heiress They Destroyed

"Just a reminder, Mr. Delgado. You're young, but carrying on like this... be careful. You might catch something nasty." Noah's smile didn't reach his eyes. "You're right. I really don't take care of myself, do I?" His gaze drifted past the decorative ficus and landed squarely on me. My father sensed the tension. He knew Noah and my mother were like oil and water, so he quickly stepped in. "It's normal for young men to have their fun. Just don't ruin your health over it," Edward said with a chuckle. "If you like the girl that much, just keep her as a mistress. A caged bird is clean, safe, and available whenever you want." Noah's smile deepened. He nodded slowly. "Mrs. Sanchez is right. I really should keep her locked by my side." My heart slammed against my ribs. The old wounds began to throb. Seeing the worry on Mom's face, my brother Hudson stepped in with his own twisted assurances. "Mom, relax. My plan is foolproof. I've even got my buddies looking after Harper." He swirled his wine, looking self-satisfied. "She wouldn't sell her body for profit." Hudson pulled out his phone and dialed. Speaker on. "Lucas? It's Hudson. I told you to take good care of my sister. You haven't messed up, have you?" Lucas Simmons's voice came through, strained. "Taking care of Harper? Oh, I've been taking very good care of her. Every time she receives my... assistance, she's extremely grateful." He chuckled darkly. "Your sister is incredibly obedient. She's willing to do anything for you." Hudson looked smug. "Of course she is. A kid who grew up without love—throw her a few crumbs of attention, and she'll give you everything." He leaned back. "Let her suffer a bit more, then we'll stop. After all, she is my biological sister." "You... you still treat her as a sister?" Lucas slipped up, incredulous. He quickly recovered. "Right, right. Whatever Mr. Sanchez says." Hudson made two more calls. Same assurances. He hung up, satisfied, believing his cruel game was under control. I stood in the shadows and laughed. Silent. Broken. Is Hudson a complete moron? When Noah first started tormenting me, I'd gone to Hudson's friends for protection. Instead, they cornered me. Used a recording to blackmail me. Forced me to become their plaything. They'd never had the chance to break someone of their own standing. I was a novelty. A fallen heiress. Every time they finished, they threw money at me like I was a common whore. I was living worse than death, surviving only for my "sick" brother. The punchline? All of this because Hudson wanted to punish me for "stealing" the identity of his beloved Eliana. Nausea roiled in my stomach. I turned to leave. Crash. A force slammed into me from behind. My forehead cracked against the marble, sparking stars in my vision. "Ow! My arm!" Eliana clutched her elbow, screaming. While the others rushed over, she lifted her foot. Her stiletto heel came down hard on my hand. She ground it in, twisting. Pain exploded up my arm. Blood pooled on the white tiles. Before I could move, a heavy boot slammed into my chest. Hudson. He kicked me backward, face twisted in disgust. He didn't recognize me—only saw a clumsy servant who'd hurt his precious Eliana. "How does a Michelin-starred restaurant let trash like this inside?" he roared. "This filthy lowlife got my sister's shoes dirty!" The manager came running, bowing and scraping, apologizing profusely for my existence.

"My deepest apologies, Sir, Miss. I'll have this trash removed immediately," the manager stammered, bowing low. "Your meal is on the house. Please, let me know if there's anything else I can do." Eliana didn't look at him. Her gaze locked onto mine, malicious excitement lighting her eyes. "We don't need your charity," she sneered. "But since this filth ruined my shoes, she can clean them. On her knees. With her tongue." The manager stiffened but didn't dare object. Noah stepped forward—to onlookers, a concerned gentleman intervening in a dispute. I knew the monster beneath the mask. "Miss Sanchez is right," he said, smooth as velvet. "A mess requires proper cleanup." He grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked, forcing my head down to Eliana's heels. Pain radiated across my scalp as he bent close, breath hot against my ear. "Refuse," he whispered, "and I'll drag you to the basement and train you right here in front of everyone." Trembling, I leaned forward and opened my mouth. Metallic tang of blood and dirt coated my tongue. Eliana watched with sadistic glee. When the heel was clean enough, she pulled away as if granting mercy, then threw herself into her parents' arms. "Daddy, Mommy, I missed you so much!" Her voice transformed into a sweet, spoiled whine. "Studying abroad was exhausting. Promise you'll stay home and pamper me." Tears blurred my vision. Hudson told me she was suffering, I thought. Working herself to the bone to pay off the family's debts. My adoptive parents called me a curse. A jinx who destroyed everything. The Sanchez family's ruin was my fault. I had to work harder. Make more money. Bring Eliana back so my brother could see our home whole again—even if I had to sell every part of myself. Security dragged me out. Passersby stared—some with disgust, others with pity. A few whispered for the guards to be gentle, but no one stepped in. Noah followed at a leisurely pace. The moment we cleared the crowd, the gentleman act dropped. He shoved me into his car. Back in that suffocating basement, he forced my head under the faucet, scrubbing blood from my mouth with rough strokes. "I love breaking things that try so hard to survive," he sneered, water dripping from his chin. "Your brother, your parents—they play you for a fool, and you thank them. You bleed yourself dry for a lie." He met my eyes in the mirror. "Is the game fun, Harper?" He didn't wait for an answer. After a night of torment, he dressed me like a doll and dumped me at the psychiatric hospital. The guard frowned as I approached. "Harper, you look terrible. You can't keep working yourself to death." I nodded and walked to Hudson's ward. My brother was pacing in striped pajamas. Calm—until he saw my reflection in the window. The "madness" took over instantly. He lunged, fingers digging into my arms, pinching and biting. "Jinx! Curse! Get out!" he screamed. I stood there and took it. Minutes later, the storm passed. He collapsed, weeping, clutching my hands. "Harper... I'm so sorry," he sobbed. "Don't bother with me anymore. I'm just a burden. Leave me to die." I watched him, heart aching. I didn't see the performance. The manipulation. Only my broken brother. "Don't apologize, Hudson," I said softly. "I've saved enough. You can get treatment now. Soon Eliana will come back. We'll be a family again." He reached for the bank card I offered. His fingers brushed the raw wound on the back of my hand—a souvenir from last night—and froze. "Harper," he whispered. "Your hand..."

I pulled my hand back, feigning indifference. "You can't make money without getting a few scrapes." Hudson frowned. A flicker of unease crossed his face, but he didn't press the issue. He merely offered a dry, perfunctory warning. "Take care of yourself." Then, without a second glance, he got into his car and drove away. My phone buzzed. A text from Eliana flashed on the screen. Following the coordinates she provided, I arrived at the Riverside Mansion. The entrance was swarming with luxury cars. It wasn't just family; the guest list included the city's most prominent heiresses and Eliana's close circle of friends. They were all here to celebrate the return of the "real" daughter. Before I could announce myself, a staff member grabbed my arm, mistaking me for a temp worker. I was shoved into a changing room, forced into a server's uniform, and pushed into the main hall. I watched from the shadows as my parents presented Eliana with jewelry worth tens of millions. They beamed at her with a warmth I had never known. Then came Hudson. He handed over the deed to a branch company, giving Eliana immense prestige in front of the guests. Then, the final blow. He placed my bank card into her palm. "Harper saved this for three years," Hudson said casually. "Take it. Have some fun." A bitter, silent laugh shook my chest. Three years. Three years of selling my body, my dignity, my soul to pay for his "treatment." And now, he'd handed my blood money to the person I hated most in this world. Almost funny. I turned to flee, but a wall of bodies blocked my path. Them—the men who had spent years using me. Lucas stood at the front, a cruel smirk playing on his lips. "Eliana was right," he sneered. "You really came here to snitch." "You slut," another hissed. "Did you actually think you could ruin our relationship with Hudson?" My phone vibrated again. Eliana: Service Big Brother's buddies nicely. Don't thank me too much. "Harper," Lucas drawled, stepping closer. "It's been a while since you entertained us. Today is a celebration. Come have some fun." Adrenaline spiked. I grabbed a heavy porcelain vase and hurled it at them. The crash created a momentary gap, and I bolted toward the crowd. If I make a scene, someone will see. If it gets big enough, I can escape. I was inches from safety when Lucas tackled me. My face slammed into the marble floor, the impact jarring my teeth. Hudson noticed the commotion and strode over, frowning at his flustered friends. "What are you doing? Bullying a waiter?" I opened my mouth to scream, but Lucas's hand clamped over my lips. "This waiter tried to seduce me," Lucas lied smoothly, pinning me down. "Honeytrap extortion. I'm just about to teach him a lesson." Muffled cries trapped in my throat, I used the last of my strength to claw at Hudson's trouser leg. He raised his foot to kick me away, but paused. His eyes landed on my hand. The hideous, jagged scars were fully exposed. "Her hand..." Hudson murmured, frowning. Lucas laughed. "Laborers like this always have injuries. Normal, isn't it?" "True." Hudson's suspicion vanished. He looked at Lucas with a sigh. "Stop messing around with lowlifes. I was going to introduce you to Harper, but... she's too dirty. I won't let her near you." Lucas smiled, saying nothing. Hearing Eliana's voice calling, Hudson turned and walked away. My heart shattered. Lucas shoved a rag into my mouth, dragging me toward the stairs. Then, a familiar voice. "What is going on here?" Edward. My father. A tiny spark of hope ignited. Dad. Save me. But the next second, he pushed me into hell. He glanced at the scene with cold indifference. "Just don't kill anyone." I was thrown into the guest room. The men circled me, demanding obedience just like before. I lay there, still and silent. A wooden puppet with a severed soul. Blows landed. Insults rained down. I endured it all without a sound. "Boring," one spat. "She's like a corpse." "Just take the photos and be done with it. She's ruined anyway." I let them arrange my limbs like a doll. As the camera flashes blinded me, my mind drifted away. I saw a little girl in tattered clothes, shrinking into the corner of a cold room. That was the day I learned I wasn't their real daughter. The day I first learned to hide in the dark and lie to myself that it would get better. Just hold on a little longer, I used to tell myself. When you find your real mom and dad, everything will be fine. Mom and Dad will love you. They'll make up for everything. I shook my head, trying to banish those childish echoes. They don't love you. Right now, even I was disgusted by my own existence. The men had finished with me. They locked the door from outside, leaving me in silence. My trembling fingers found my phone. I opened the messaging app, found Hudson's contact, and typed one final message. [Hudson, if there's a next life, don't come looking for me.] If you don't look for me, you can't give me hope. And without that cruel, false hope, maybe I won't have to live such a miserable existence again. I drifted to the balcony. The setting sun painted the sky in blood and fire. I reached out, yearning to touch that dying light—one last bit of warmth before the end. I leaned forward. Gravity accepted. The world tilted, spinning. The city's noise faded into rushing wind.