At the grand finale of the National Young Architects Championship, I was just one step away from winning a hundred-thousand-dollar cash prize and a junior partner offer at Aura Architects, the top firm in the country. But my own sister, Chloe, didn't just stomp on the physical model I spent three months building—she also grabbed the microphone and joked in front of all the judges that my blueprints were entirely AI-generated. I was disqualified on the spot, my reputation completely ruined. Yet my parents defended her: "Chloe was just playing a harmless joke. Why the long face? She’s marrying into the billionaire Vance family next month to become a wealthy socialite. Don't bring your bad luck around her!" Watching my sister stroke her flat stomach, bragging to the billionaire heir about carrying his child, I let out a cold laugh. Oh, so she likes jokes? Fine. I wonder how my soon-to-be brother-in-law will react when he hears about her "ultimate joke"—the one where she secretly gave birth to a bastard in a shady back-alley clinic years ago, and had to have her entire uterus removed? **Chapter 1** "Crash!" A loud shatter, followed by the agonizing sound of acrylic breaking, echoed through the dead-silent finals hall. My mind went completely blank as I stared at the absolute mess on the floor. That was my "Future City" miniature model. I had spent ninety grueling days and nights hand-polishing and assembling it. My hands were covered in dozens of cuts from the utility knife, and I had even fainted twice in the studio from sheer exhaustion. This was the grand finale of the National Young Architects Championship. If I won first place, I wouldn't just get a hundred-thousand-dollar seed fund—I would also get a direct, lifetime partner track offer at Aura Architects. It was my only ticket to changing my destiny. But now, it was nothing but a pile of crushed plastic. "Oh my gosh!" The culprit—my own sister, Chloe—covered her mouth, taking an exaggerated step backward. She was wearing a flashy, haute couture Chanel suit, balancing on four-inch red-bottom heels. The tips of her shoes were still stained with the synthetic turf from my model. "Summer, I am so sorry! The carpet was just too slippery, and I tripped." Chloe blinked her eyes, heavy with thick fake eyelashes. There wasn't a hint of regret on her face. Instead, she let out a giggling snort. "But honestly, your design was all about 'Deconstructivism' anyway, right? Now that it's broken into pieces, doesn't it fit the theme even better? Hahaha!" My body trembled violently. I glared at her, my eyes bloodshot. "Chloe, you did that on purpose!" Before I went on stage, she had insisted on tagging along to the backstage waiting area, claiming she wanted to "cheer me on." I had guarded against everything, but I couldn't guard against her suddenly "tripping" right into the staff as they were moving my model. "Why are you so sensitive? Can't you take a joke?" Chloe rolled her eyes and smirked. "It's just a cheap plastic toy. Worst case, I'll have Ethan buy you ten more!" At the judges' table, the five industry titans were already frowning. The head judge—the legendary architect and founder of Aura Architects, Arthur Sterling—tapped his microphone, his face grim. "Summer Campbell, your model is ruined. How do you plan to proceed with the light and shadow demonstration? This is a critical failure!" I took a deep breath, forcing my tears back, and quickly walked to the front of the stage to bow. "Mr. Sterling, judges, although the model is destroyed, my core data and 3D renderings are still loaded on the big screen. Please give me ten minutes. I can still present the perfect proposal!" Arthur's expression softened slightly, and he nodded. "Very well. You may begin..." "Wait a minute!" Chloe suddenly rushed onto the stage like a gust of wind, snatching the backup microphone right out of the host's hand. The crowd gasped. I looked at her in horror. "Chloe, what are you doing? Put the mic down!" Chloe completely ignored me. She waved cheerfully to the judges and the audience of hundreds. "Hello, esteemed judges! I'm Summer's older sister. You know, you don't actually have to feel bad about that model breaking. Because it doesn't matter at all!" She cleared her throat and spoke in a highly mocking, playful tone. "My sister is just obsessed with her ego. To be honest, she didn't even draw these blueprints herself! She just spent a couple of bucks on some cheap new AI software, typed in a few keywords, and boom—generated the whole thing in ten minutes!" Boom! The entire hall erupted instantly. "AI-generated? That's a massive violation!" "Plagiarism! Fraud! Has the bar for this competition dropped this low?" "I knew it. How could an undergraduate student design something so mature? It's just cheap tech tricks!" The waves of murmurs from the crowd washed over me like a tsunami. I lunged forward like crazy to grab the microphone from Chloe's hand, screaming at the top of my lungs, "You're lying! I built this block by block! I have every single process draft and revision history on my laptop! Why are you doing this to me?!" Chloe dodged me gracefully, giggling into the microphone. "Oh look, she's getting defensive! See how mad she is?" "I was just trying to break the ice with a joke, guys. Don't be so serious!" "But seriously, Summer, wasn't your ex-boyfriend an AI graphic designer? You two just broke up last month. You know exactly where these blueprints came from, don't you? Haha, just kidding, just kidding!" She kept calling it a "joke," yet she managed to plaster the dirt of "ex-boyfriend ghostwriting" and "AI generation" firmly onto my name. In the architectural world, originality is the absolute baseline. Once you are tainted with the suspicion of AI fraud, even if you clear your name later, no prestigious firm will ever hire you. Arthur Sterling's face was now as dark as a thundercloud. He slammed my portfolio onto the table and stood up in anger. "Enough! This is a prestigious national championship, not a stage for you sisters to put on a comedy show!" "Summer Campbell, your actions are not only a disgrace to this competition, but an insult to architecture itself! You are officially disqualified! Security, escort them out!" I fell to my knees on the stage, reaching out desperately toward Arthur. "Mr. Sterling, I didn't do it! I swear I didn't! I can do a live demonstration of my modeling right now. Please, just look at my drafts..." Two burly security guards rushed onto the stage, grabbing me by my arms and dragging me out like a stray dog. I struggled, crying and screaming, my fingernails scraping bloody marks against the wooden stage. Meanwhile, Chloe stood to the side, casually smoothing out her Chanel jacket, and threw a playful smirk at my retreating figure. "Geez, so dramatic. It was just a joke. Is it really worth crying over?" **Chapter 2** I was thrown straight out of the theater's back exit by security. The early winter rain poured down on my face, freezing me to the bone. I sat in the rain like a maniac for half an hour until a black Maybach pulled up in front of me. The window rolled down, revealing my parents' faces, both twisted with impatience. "Haven't you embarrassed us enough? Get in the car, now!" my father, Richard, roared. I stiffly climbed into the backseat. The moment the door slammed shut, my mother, Eleanor, slapped me hard across the face. "Smack!" My vision went blurry, and I immediately tasted blood in my mouth. "You worthless brat! Can you do anything other than humiliate us in public?" Eleanor pointed her finger at my nose, screaming, "Your sister went all the way there just to support you, and you had to scream on stage like a rabid dog! What were you trying to do? Make the Vance family think we have no class?!" I held my burning cheek, staring at them in disbelief. "I humiliated you? Do you even know what Chloe did? She smashed my model and lied to the judges that I cheated! She ruined my entire life!" I screamed hysterically. Chloe, sitting in the passenger seat, was touched up her lipstick in the mirror. Hearing my words, she scoffed. "Summer, stop being so dramatic. It was just a joke. Who knew that old man Sterling would be so uptight? He can't even take a joke." "Besides, even if you won first place in that stupid contest, so what? A hundred thousand dollars? That's not even enough for Ethan to buy me a decent handbag. What's the point of a girl drawing blueprints on construction sites all day? You should be like me—find a rich man to marry. That’s real success." Trembling with rage, I pointed at her and spat, "Cut the crap! You call that a joke? You're just jealous of me! You've hated seeing me succeed since we were kids!" "Smack!" Another slap landed. This time, it was from my father. "Show some respect! How dare you speak to your sister like that!" Richard glared at me. "Your sister is marrying into the Vance family next month. She is carrying the next Vance heir in her womb right now! That’s a multi-billion-dollar empire! Who do you think you are to lecture her?" I froze. The Vance family? The heir? Chloe and Ethan just got engaged last month, and she's already pregnant? Chloe proudly stroked her flat stomach, turning around to give me a smug smirk. "Hear that? I'm the golden child of the Vance family now. Ethan’s mom took me for an ultrasound yesterday. The doctor said it's one hundred percent a boy." "Summer, you're destined to eat dirt on construction sites. Make sure you show up as my bridesmaid for my royal wedding next month. It’ll be a good chance for you to see what high society actually looks like." Looking at the three absurd people in front of me, I felt an overwhelming wave of disgust. It had always been like this since we were kids. Because I was the younger girl, and because I didn't know how to act cute and manipulate them like Chloe did, I was invisible in this house. When Chloe stole my toys, my parents said, "You're the younger sister, you have to share." When Chloe tore up my college acceptance letter, my parents said, "She was just playing a joke on you. Just retake the SATs next year." Now, she had ruined the most important competition of my life and destroyed my career, and my parents still thought it was just a "harmless joke." All because she had hooked Ethan Vance and become the cash cow that would bring endless wealth to the Campbell family. "By the way," Eleanor suddenly remembered, looking at me coldly. "Since your little competition is a bust, stop renting that downtown loft. Terminate the lease and move back to our old apartment." I snapped my head up. "Why? I pay for that rent with my own hard-earned money!" "Your sister is getting married next month, and the Vance family is giving us a five-million-dollar pre-wedding fund. We Campbells can't look too poor," Eleanor said, completely devoid of shame. "Your loft is in a prime location. I want your father to put a down payment on it, put it under Chloe’s name, and present it as her bridal asset. Clear out your junk quickly so we don't waste time." They wanted to crush my dreams, ruin my future, and now take away my last safe haven just to beef up Chloe's dowry? I looked at Eleanor's greedy face, then at Chloe's smug, self-satisfied grin. The suffocating rage in my chest suddenly, strangely, went quiet. I lowered my gaze, hiding the icy coldness in my eyes. "Sure," I said softly. "I'll pack." Chloe sneered, "At least you know your place." So, you like jokes, Chloe? Since you love them so much. I'm going to prepare one for you. A joke that will make sure you never smile again for the rest of your life. **Chapter 3** For the next two weeks, the Campbell house was filled with joy. Everyone revolved around Chloe’s pregnancy. Ethan Vance was a notoriously wealthy playboy in the city, and the Vance family was incredibly traditional, putting extreme value on family lineage and the bride's "purity." To maintain her "pure, innocent angel" persona, Chloe never even raised her voice in front of Ethan, branding herself as a sweet, untouched girl who had never even been in a serious relationship. And Ethan totally fell for it, spoiling her rotten. This weekend, Ethan and his mother, Victoria Vance, came over to the Campbell house to discuss the wedding details. I was forced by Eleanor to stay in the kitchen, slicing fruit and serving them like a maid. Victoria’s elegant, snobbish voice drifted in from the living room. "Eleanor, I must say, the more I see Chloe, the more I adore her. She’s so pure and clean, unlike those wild girls out there. When the Vance family chooses a bride, we don't care about her family fortune. We care about her upbringing and character." Eleanor's smile was so wide it almost reached her ears. "Oh, Mrs. Vance, you don't have to worry about that. Our Chloe has always been a good girl. She’s never even held another boy’s hand. Getting pregnant with Ethan’s baby is a blessing from heaven!" Ethan held Chloe's hand, his eyes filled with devotion. "Mom, Chloe is not only innocent, she's also incredibly kind. When her sister failed her competition the other day, Chloe went all the way to the venue just to comfort her." Chloe lowered her head shyly, leaning against Ethan's shoulder. "Ethan, don't say that. Summer is my sister. It's only right that I look out for her." Listening from the kitchen, I almost threw up my breakfast. Look out for me? By stomping on my model and lying about me cheating? Is that her version of looking out for me? I walked out with the fruit platter and slammed it onto the coffee table. "Ethan, my sister is indeed very... innocent." I looked at him, a meaningful smile playing on my lips. "So innocent that I doubt she even knows how babies are made." The air in the living room froze instantly. Chloe's face visibly stiffened, but she quickly masked it with a wounded look. "Summer, are you still mad about my joke from the other day? I really didn't mean any harm..." Her eyes welled up, tears spilling right on cue. Ethan immediately pulled her into his arms, glaring at me like a defensive beast. "Summer! If you're mad, take it out on me! Don't bring your petty passive-aggressiveness to your sister! She's pregnant, she can't handle stress!" Victoria Vance also frowned, her eyes flashing with deep disapproval. "Eleanor, it seems your younger daughter's manners leave much to be desired." Eleanor turned pale. She rushed over, pinched my arm hard, and hissed under her breath, "You stupid brat, shut your mouth! Apologize to your sister right now!" I coldly shook off her hand. "Apologize? For what?" I stared directly at Chloe's fake face and said, word for word, "I'm just reminding my sister to take good care of her body. After all... her body is exceptionally precious." Chloe's pupils shrunk instantly. Her fingers dug deep into the couch cushion, her knuckles turning white. Yet she forced a shaky laugh. "S-Summer, what are you talking about? My health is perfectly fine." "Is it?" I smiled, saying nothing more as I turned and walked back to my room. The moment the door closed, I pulled out my phone and dialed a number from a remote southern town. The phone rang for a long time before a rough, heavily accented voice of a middle-aged woman answered. "Hello? Who is this?" I took a deep breath and whispered, "Mildred Hicks. It's me, Summer Campbell." The other end went dead silent, followed by the frantic sound of a chair scraping against the floor. "You—you have the wrong number! I don't know any Summer!" She panicked, trying to hang up. "Don't hang up!" I said coldly. "Five years ago, Chloe Campbell gave birth to a baby boy in your town's underground clinic. Because of severe hemorrhaging, she had to have her entire uterus removed. She sold that baby to you, her distant aunt, for ten thousand dollars, didn't she?" "Clatter." The sound of a phone dropping to the floor echoed from the speaker. I curled my lips into a savage smile. Oh, Chloe. Did you really think you cleaned up your mess so perfectly? Did you really think that lying to our parents about doing a "study abroad program," while actually hiding in a rural town to give birth to some rich sugar daddy's bastard, was foolproof? If I hadn't accidentally found the wire transfer receipts and the bloody medical records hidden under your bed years ago, I might have actually believed you were a "pure, pregnant virgin" today. A woman without a uterus... how exactly are you pregnant? With your web of lies? "Mildred," I spoke into the phone again, my voice dripping with devilish temptation. "Bring the boy to the city. If you show up at Chloe's wedding and do what I say, I'll give you a hundred thousand dollars."
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