The Impostor Heiress

In September, the wind carried the chill of autumn, and when it blew into the classroom, it still bore the scent of osmanthus. I stared at the phone screen, my finger hovering over the group chat without moving. The message in the group was from Willa Scott, a red exclamation mark flashing at the top of the screen. "I'm taking everyone to my family's Bright Stream Villa for National Day, and each person will get a box of golden mooncakes." That message was followed by a stream of envious emojis, and my classmates' messages poured in rapidly. I frowned. Bright Stream Villa, my family's property—how did it become Willa Scott's? I opened the chat with my boyfriend, Simon Cobb, wanting to ask what he thought. Before I could finish typing in the input box, Simon Cobb's message popped up first. "Yvette, let's break up." My heart suddenly sank, and my fingertips turned icy cold. Before I could reply, another new post appeared in my Moments feed. It was posted by Simon Cobb, with a photo of him and Willa Scott together, leaning against a cherry blossom tree, their smiles blinding. The caption read: "Official announcement: my girlfriend is Willa Scott." My hand holding the phone started trembling, and the sound of the class dismissal bell struck my heart like a blunt instrument, pounding again and again. Why? I opened the group chat and replied under Willa Scott's message, "Bright Stream Villa is my family's property; how come I never heard of any such arrangement?" Seconds after I sent the message, the group chat went completely silent. Willa's reply came quickly, laced with sarcasm: "Yvette, are you crazy for money? Since when did Bright Stream Villa become your family's?" Messages started flooding the chat again—some defended Willa, while others privately asked if I had made a mistake. I took a deep breath and dialed Susan's number. Susan is the family's longtime housekeeper; she's worked at Bright Stream Villa for more than ten years. The phone was answered after three rings. Susan's voice was familiar and gentle: "Yvette, why are you calling all of a sudden?"