The Billionaire's True Heiress: From Fake Jewel to Real Crown novel Chapter 188

She always knew she wasn’t as pretty as Claire. She’d heard the whispers in the bathroom, people thinking they were being quiet. She wasn’t as tall, her skin wasn’t as fair, and her grades never quite matched up. The only thing she had over Claire was that she was the real daughter of the James family.

But now, with Mom and Dad hearing about Claire getting into that winter camp, were they thinking about bringing her back? Cindy, the actual daughter, kept falling short, always making her parents lose face. Meanwhile, Claire, the adopted one, seemed to shine in everything, making the family look good.

The thought left Cindy feeling hollow. She could tell her parents, and even Lance, liked Claire more. All those times they promised that she was the only daughter they wanted? Lies. The moment she couldn’t keep up with Claire, it was like they wanted to swap her out.

“She’s not here. How would I know where she is?” Cindy’s voice trembled as she glared at Lance. “If you want to find her, go ahead. I don’t matter anyway.”

Lance blinked, looking confused. “What are you talking about? Of course you matter. You’re Mom and Dad’s real daughter.”

“No matter how perfect Claire is, she’ll never be you.”

“But the James family did raise Claire for eighteen years. They care about her. Inviting her back for dinner sometimes, it doesn’t mean anything more. Don’t let it get to you.”

“Cindy, don’t you see how amazing you are too?”

Lance was rarely this patient with her.

Cindy shook her head, not buying it. “How am I amazing?”

Didn’t everyone think she was second best? Even Molly, her friend, believed it—she’d suggested Cindy repeat a year, for crying out loud. With half a year to go, Molly had already decided she’d never catch up to Claire. Why? What made Claire so unbeatable?

“You’re sweet and kind. You made it all the way from a tiny mountain village to Apex. You fought for your place here, no one handed it to you.”

“If you weren’t smart, you wouldn’t even have made it to Apex. I would never have found you.”

“Seriously, think about it. Haven’t you always been impressive?”

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