Chapter 2

That weekend, my father booked a private luxury lounge on the cruise ship he had gifted me, specifically to celebrate my return to the country.

The moment my BMW pulled up to the harbor, an aggressive security guard blocked my path.

"Back it up! Who told you that you could park here? Our young mistress booked the entire venue today for her VIP guests. No unauthorized personnel allowed! Get lost! Move it!"

Grandma leaned halfway out the passenger window, trying to reason with him.

"Excuse me, young man. My son reserved a table for us in advance. We’re just here for lunch."

The guard snarled back, "Do you speak English? I said get the hell out of here!"

My temper flared, and I snapped, "Is this how the security on a five-star luxury cruise behaves? Move aside right now, or I'll have my father fire you on the spot!"

Incensed, the guard lunged through the open window, grabbed a fistful of my hair, and slapped me hard across the face several times.

Grandma screamed in terror inside the car.

Just then, Zoey hurried over to intervene. Behind her, the crowd instantly recognized Grandma.

The guard froze, immediately pulling his hands back, and bowed respectfully toward Zoey. "Miss Sullivan!"

Zoey’s grandmother mocked my grandma with a cackle. "Well, well! Look who showed up—the shameless pair! Didn’t your granddaughter claim she was the Sullivan heiress? How come she can’t even get past the gate of her 'own' cruise ship?"

Zoey looked me up and down, letting out a cold laugh. "Oh, it's you! Showing off in a beat-up, cheap used car? Didn’t I warn you not to crash my party? We don’t welcome con artists here!"

Taking his cue, the guard moved to drag Grandma and me away.

I roared with fury, "Touch me again and see what happens! My father gave me this cruise ship! I have every right to be here!"

The crowd of seniors and their relatives cheered Zoey on.

"She's actually addicted to pretending to be an heiress! If the real owner exposed me like that, I’d crawl into a hole and die of embarrassment. Have some dignity!"

"Miss Sullivan is far too kind. Call the cops and have these lowlifes arrested! Let's see if they dare pull scams after spending a night in jail!"

"Like mother, like daughter. A girl who lies so easily must come from a whole family of crooks!"

Grandma was trembling with rage, dropping into a squat and coughing violently.

I grabbed Zoey by the collar, refusing to let go. "Apologize to my grandmother right now, or I’ll ruin you!"

The guard shoved me off and pulled Zoey behind him.

Struggling to stand up from the pavement, I fixed a chilling glare on the guard. "You’ve got guts. After today, not only are you losing your job, but my family’s legal team will sue you for aggravated assault. Just you wait!"

My ferocious demeanor clearly spooked him. He glanced nervously at Zoey.

Zoey glared at him. "Coward! Haven't you seen how close my dad and I are? You're actually buying the threats of a cheap scammer?"

Calmly, I pointed toward the ship’s vibrant emblem.

"When you shine a black light on this ship’s hull insignia, my initials are clearly visible underneath. It was a special surprise my father prepared for me years ago. Don’t believe me? Go check it yourself."

Zoey raised an eyebrow and shot the guard a look.

The guard scrambled to grab a UV flashlight, sweeping the beam meticulously across the ship's emblem, checking every single square inch.

Nothing showed up.

Zoey said casually, "Check the bow and the stern while you're at it. Let's make sure this scammer has no more excuses to cling to."

As the beam swept across the bow, a set of initials magically illuminated: Zoey's initials.

The crowd gasped in awe, and another wave of ridicule washed over me.

"She's so obsessed with being an heiress, she must have completely lost her mind!"

"Tsk, tsk. I thought she actually had something, but all she did was prove she’s a total fraud again!"

"We can't let her keep harassing Miss Sullivan like this. Just call Chairman Sullivan and have him throw her in prison!"

Amused, I stared straight at Zoey. "Go on, make the call! If you have the guts, have my dad come down here and arrest me!"

Zoey rolled her eyes disdainfully. "You think everyone has as much free time as you? My dad runs countless corporations. He’s swamped every single day. I’m not bothering him over a pathetic loser like you!"

Zoey's grandmother rushed up to my grandma, pointing a finger in her face. "Look at what you raised! A lowborn nobody who spends all her time impersonating my granddaughter. Absolutely shameless, spit!"

Grandma raised her hand and slapped the old woman across the face. "Do you think I don't know who my own son and granddaughter are? You two are the bullies here—you've lied so much you actually believe your own nonsense!"