The Forgotten Daughter Strikes Back

My best friend—another struggling background actor like me—turned out to be the long-lost heiress of one of New York's most powerful families.

The day she left, she looked me in the eye and swore on everything sacred that she'd bring me out there to live the high life with her.

But just two months later? She blocked me. No warning. No explanation.

Furious and betrayed, I chased her all the way to New York—only to walk right into her wedding to the son of the city's wealthiest man.

That backstabbing Eliana. Climbed her way to the top and kicked the ladder down on her way up.

Swallowing my rage for the sake of appearances, I tossed my cash gift onto the table—my final goodbye to whatever was left of our friendship.

But when I looked up at the altar, my blood ran cold.

The bride wasn't Eliana.

It was the family's adopted daughter, Victoria Lowell.

The same couple who'd once spent millions on prime-time TV ads begging for their biological daughter's return now spoke about Eliana like she was trash.

"That shameful girl has been disowned," Mrs. Lowell announced, chin held high. "From now on, Victoria is our only daughter."

"A nobody extra who learned every cheap trick from the soap operas she lurked around," Mr. Lowell added coldly. "Since she loves acting so much, we'll make sure her next performance leaves her with nothing to hide."

I stood frozen, my mind reeling.

By the end of that wedding day, I made sure the mighty Lowell family was completely bankrupt.

Who did they call a "nobody background actor"?

I'm the heir to Starlight Entertainment Group—the largest entertainment empire in Asia.

And my best friend? She's going to be an Oscar-winning actress. Whether they like it or not.

The plane landed at New York International Airport with a jolt.

The woman sitting next to me hadn't stopped talking the whole flight.

"That Lowell heiress is one lucky girl. Missing for twenty-three years, and the moment she comes back, she lands the biggest wedding of the year."

"I heard they flew in thirty tons of fresh flowers. And the diamonds on her dress? All real."

I gripped the blanket in my lap, my knuckles turning white.

Eliana.

We were supposed to be in this together. Two background actors dreaming of a break.

You promised we'd share the spotlight.

You promised you'd bring me with you.

Then you blocked me.

Two months.

That's all it took for you to forget your best friend.

The second I could, I bolted out of the airport and headed straight for the wedding venue.

The Plaza Hotel was glowing. Lights, flowers, luxury cars crowding the entrance. Everything screamed money.

I pulled out every dollar I had on me and stuffed it into a flimsy envelope—my last act of a dead friendship.

Then I looked up.

And froze.

The woman in the wedding portrait wasn't Eliana.

It was Victoria Lowell. The adopted daughter.

I pushed my way into the bride's dressing room.

The Lowell parents were all smiles, fawning over Victoria.

But the moment I said Eliana's name, their faces twisted.

"That immoral wretch was thrown out weeks ago!" Mrs. Lowell—Isabella—snapped, giving me a once-over that could freeze hell.

"If you're here to congratulate my daughter Victoria, you're welcome," she said icily. "If you're here to make trouble, I suggest you leave before this gets ugly."

My stomach dropped.

"Where is Eliana? Why is her phone disconnected?"

Victoria suddenly hid behind her mother, eyes wide with fake fear.

"Mom… Dad… she must be one of my sister's friends. She's here to ruin my wedding!"

"My sister never got over Caleb choosing me…"