Heiress Alliance Tearing Down the Green Tea Imposter

I was the adopted heiress of a billionaire family, constantly at each other's throats with the real heiress. Until Mom passed away, and Dad brought home an illegitimate daughter, intending to put her in the company and hand over our shares. The real heiress and I instantly buried the hatchet to present a united front against the outsider. Just a little green tea bitch, wasn't she? When the two of us were tearing each other apart, she was still playing in the dirt. Years ago, the Sue family brought me home by mistake as a substitute daughter. The moment Chloe, the biological heiress, returned, a deep sense of insecurity consumed me. Even though Mom always claimed both of us were her most precious treasures. Deep down, I knew blood ran thicker than water. Besides, Chloe never accepted the idea of co-managing the empire with me. So, our vicious rivalry spanned six whole years, starting from the time we were twelve. We both knew this was a war to the bitter end. Neither of us ever imagined a day would come where we'd stand on the exact same battle line, watching each other's backs. It all started with our pathetic deadbeat dad, Richard. He married into Mom's wealthy family and spent years playing the role of the humble, unpretentious house husband—steady, honest, and utterly devoted to Mom. Yet this supposedly faithful saint brought an illegitimate daughter home on the very evening Mom's funeral ended. "Chloe, Harper, come here. This is Lingling. From now on, she's your little sister. Take good care of her and don't pick on her, understood?" Richard introduced a girl in an innocent, pure white dress. Chloe and I locked eyes, absolute bewilderment written across our faces. Mom died just three days ago. The funeral wrapped up less than three hours ago. What the hell was Richard trying to pull? "Dad, who is this?" Chloe asked, narrowing her eyes. Richard glared at her, an awkward flush creeping onto his face. "I just told you, Lingling is your sister now. Your flesh-and-blood sister." "So," I crossed my arms, sizing Lingling up and down, "she's your bastard daughter from an affair?" Sensing my hostile gaze, Lingling immediately shrank behind Richard, trembling like a bruised flower. "Harper! Don't intimidate your sister!" A sneer twitched on my lips. Playing the protective father already? Chloe moved slowly to my side. Intense fury and disgust burned in her eyes, but she held back her outburst. Richard arranged Lingling's bedroom right next to Chloe's. As she brushed past us, Lingling suddenly dropped her voice and whispered, "My name is Lingling Sue." My fists clenched instantly. The audacity! A bastard dragged into our house, daring to take my mother's family name? Chloe stared at their departing backs and spoke in a bone-chilling tone, "You see it now? Not only did he cheat, he's planning to have his bastard daughter take a bite of the company's shares. He even changed her last name. Pure shameless trash." I nodded. Our quiet, obedient dad didn't even bother keeping up the facade anymore. Mom was dead, and Chloe and I were still young. He must have thought no one had the power to control him now. "So?" I turned my head toward her. "Time for a united front?" "Obviously." Late that night, just as I turned off the lights for bed, a girl's piercing scream shattered the silence. It sounded like Lingling.When I arrived, Richard was already there. He gripped Chloe's arm, barking an order, "Apologize to your sister right now!" Lingling clutched Richard's sleeve with a wronged expression, pleading on Chloe's behalf, "Dad, it's fine, really. I shouldn't have walked into Chloe's room without permission. I just wanted to say goodnight to her." I strolled in gracefully. "Chloe goes to sleep at nine, and right now it's midnight. According to basic common sense, shouldn't a normal person knock on the door, make sure the person is awake, and get permission before barging in?" Lingling pressed her lips tightly together, tears pooling in her wide eyes. "Don't get me wrong, I'm not bullying you. After all, the Sue family is very different from the stray mutts you're used to hanging around. I'll teach you these manners slowly over time." I stepped forward and grabbed Lingling's arm in a seemingly affectionate grip. Only then did Richard release Chloe. "Still, Lingling, you owe Chloe an apology first. She spooks easily, and you must have scared her half to death." I looked at Richard. "Don't you agree, Dad?" Richard glanced at Lingling, then at Chloe, finally nodding. "You really should apologize to your sister." "I... I understand." Lingling cast a tearful look at Richard, then whispered meekly to Chloe, "I'm sorry, sister, I..." "Stop right there." Chloe cut her off with a wave of her hand. "I don't have a sister. If word got out, it'd ruin Dad's reputation. Save the 'sister' act and just address me as Miss Sue." Richard's face darkened, but realizing the scandal it could cause, he turned his back on Lingling. Tears hung on Lingling's chin, her face pale as a ghost. "Hurry up and say it. Miss Chloe is giving you a chance," our housekeeper, Martha, interjected, shoving Lingling forward from behind. Richard glanced back, surprisingly saying nothing. "Miss Sue, I'm sorry. I won't come into your room without asking ever again." A smirk played on Chloe's lips. "That's more like it. You've got plenty of Sue family etiquette left to learn." Seeing the matter settled, Richard turned around, flashing an ingratiating smile at us. "Harper, isn't the Chow family hosting a gala in a few days? Take your sister along so she can see the world." The Chow gala... A text message I received earlier flashed through my mind. Chloe immediately protested, "No way, she—" "Sure," I chimed in smoothly. Chloe stared at me as if I'd lost my mind. I smiled and nodded. "Don't worry, Dad. I'll take good care of Lingling."The Chow family's high-society gala was packed with elites. Naturally, Chloe and I were on the guest list. "Harper, you're here! Didn't you say you weren't coming? Why didn't you let me pick you up?" Brandon Chow looked slightly surprised to see me. The woman chatting flirtatiously with him rolled her eyes at me and slinked away. Brandon reached out to stroke my hair, but I dodged smoothly, pulling Lingling forward. "This is my... cousin, Lingling." Then, I introduced Brandon to her. "This is my fiancé, Brandon. He's the sole heir to the Chow Group." The moment Lingling heard he was my fiancé, her eyes lit up like fireworks. When she heard he was the sole heir, pure, predatory ambition flashed across her gaze. I touched my stomach lightly. "My stomach hurts a bit. Sweetheart, why don't you show Lingling around?" Brandon was an aristocratic gentleman on the surface; he couldn't refuse an escort duty for a young lady. Once they walked off, Chloe frowned deeply at me. "Are you out of your mind? Why are you pushing Brandon toward her?" I'd always known Chloe harbored feelings for Brandon. Since Brandon and I were already engaged, I chose to play dumb. Chloe had maintained her distance, making excuses to leave whenever he was around. "Let me warn you," Chloe snapped, "don't play smart only to lose your fiancé in the end." I arched an eyebrow. "Do you really think Brandon could be seduced by someone like Lingling?" She choked on her words, puffing up in frustration before sitting down on a nearby lounge chair. Brandon returned soon enough, frustration etched across his features. On the drive back, Brandon insisted on driving me home. Lingling hovered by his car, waiting to hop in, but Chloe yanked her back. "The happy couple wants their privacy. What are you doing, third-wheeling?" Lingling glanced back at Brandon, biting her trembling lip, playing the fragile victim as Chloe dragged her away. Brandon, however, wasn't buying any of it. Throughout the drive, he kept stealing glances at me, hesitating. "Say whatever's on your mind," I said. "Harper, could you please not make me babysit your cousin again?" I feigned surprise. "Why? Don't you love chatting with pretty girls?" He leaned his head against my shoulder. "That's strictly business networking! My heart belongs only to you. Besides, you should watch your back around that cousin of yours." Well, well. How fascinating. He actually had the nerve to say that. He added, "That girl is far more scheming than you think." I nodded. "Got it. Thanks." Lingling stayed quiet for a few days, though she constantly clashed with Chloe. The two erupted into arguments every time they crossed paths. "You really think being the daughter of a home-wrecking mistress makes you respectable? Daring to call yourself a Sue family daughter? Do you know why this is the Sue residence and not the Chen residence?" Richard wasn't home today. The moment I walked downstairs, I caught the two glaring at each other like fighting roosters in the living room. "So what? Everything here will belong to me soon anyway..." "Ahhh!!!" My footsteps froze. Chloe's eyes went wide. Out of nowhere, Martha had marched in carrying a bucket of cold water, dousing Lingling from head to toe, leaving her utterly soaked. "What is going on here?!" Right on cue, Richard walked through the front door. He rushed over, staring at Lingling with pure heartbreak. "Is this how you bully your sister the moment I step out of the house?!" Chloe didn't flinch before his rage. "I don't have a sister like this—" SLAP! Before Chloe could finish her sentence, Richard struck her hard across the face. I darted over instantly, pulling Chloe behind me. "Dad, don't you think hitting her without even asking what happened is crossing the line?" He pointed a shaking finger at Lingling. "Look at what you two did to your sister!" Chloe stood her ground, stubborn as ever. "I don't have a sister." "You little—!" Richard raised his hand to strike again. I stood right in front of Chloe, staring him dead in the eye. He hesitated, slowly dropping his hand. Martha finally chimed in, "Miss Chloe didn't do anything. It was me. I threw the water." Richard paused for a second, then let out a chilling sneer. "Don't you think I know whose orders you take around here?"