The Wrong Address Chapter 1

Lying in a hospital bed, covered in blood after the car accident, I listened to my father grumble.

"Useless... just a money pit... we don't have the cash for this..."

Then, his tone shifted instantly as he picked up his phone. "Attaboy, champ! Top of your class in that video game? Dad’s coming home right now to celebrate!"

When he left me alone in the hospital, I wasn't even surprised.

I almost laughed at myself for the flicker of hope I'd felt when I first saw him, thinking that maybe, just maybe, he was actually worried about me.

The doctors and nurses looked at me with a mix of anger on my behalf and pity. But I didn't feel helpless or sad.

I was just trying to figure out how to convince them to give me more pain meds and start the surgery, because everything hurt.

That’s when a couple who looked like they stepped out of a magazine walked in, led by the hospital director.

They said I was their daughter, switched at birth.

Compared to their emotional tears and excitement, I was calm.

I only asked two questions.

"Will you pay for my surgery?"

"Will you pay for my college tuition?"

When they said yes, I looked them in the eye and said, "Mom. Dad."

It didn't matter if they truly loved me.

I didn't ask what would happen to the girl who took my place.

My Grandpa Zhou, before he passed, told me that in this life, the only person you can rely on is yourself. That’s the only way to be unbeatable.

So, my plan was simple: live well.

And use them as a stepping stone to get where I needed to go.

* * *

The surgery went smoothly. I was transferred to a VIP suite for recovery.

Those few days were the most comfortable and peaceful I could remember.

It was in that luxury room that I learned my biological father was Elias Thorne, CEO of the multi-billion dollar Thorne Enterprises. My mother was Evelyn Reed, the heiress to the Reed Electronics empire.

Turns out, two months ago, when I was working a temp job as a greeter at a Thorne Enterprises gala, I was actually working for my own family.

What was the theme of that party again? Oh right. It was the extravagant 18th birthday celebration for Thorne Enterprises' only daughter.

It was so grand that every business and entertainment news outlet in the city was covering it.

As an outdoor greeter, I wasn't even allowed inside. I stood shivering in the early spring wind.

Since Grandpa Zhou died, no one remembered my birthday, let alone celebrated it. Through a crack in the door, I caught glimpses of the ballroom—the expensive clothes, the champagne toasts, a room full of love and celebration.

At the time, I remember thinking about the difference between her life and mine. She was a princess, bathed in love and attention. I was like a sewer rat, stealing glances at a happiness that wasn't mine.

It was worlds apart.

That day was also my 18th birthday. No one noticed.

When I got home that night, I was greeted with:

"Where the hell have you been messing around? Don't you know you need to come home and cook?"

"Your brother has high school entrance exams coming up. What if he goes hungry?"

"Useless thing. We should have given you away when you were born. Would have saved us money."

Listening to them, I sneered internally. They wouldn't have given me away.

When I was born, our old neighborhood was being redeveloped. They needed an extra headcount to get a bigger compensation apartment, so they registered my birth.

If Grandpa hadn't insisted, my name wouldn't be Chloe Zhou. It would have been something like "Chasing-A-Son."

But I didn't argue. If I did, they’d just get angrier, and my adoptive father would hit me. I learned long ago that silence was survival.

Keep your head down, do the work, and it will pass.

My only hope back then was college. To get as far away from them as possible.

Knock, knock.

A gentle tap on the door.

My biological parents walked in, followed by a tall, handsome young man in a sharp suit.

"Chloe, this is your brother. We all came to take you home."

Just as I guessed, this was the Thorne Enterprises' crown prince, Liam Thorne.

I’d heard rumors that he absolutely spoiled his only sister. If she wanted the moon, he’d try to lasso it for her.

Of course, that sister wasn't me.

He walked over with large strides, looking a bit stiff and awkward. His voice was gentle but forced.

"Chloe, I’m your brother."

I looked up, gave a small smile, and softly said, "Liam."

When I used to get bullied at school, I’d see other kids' big brothers protecting them. I used to wish I had a brother like that.

Liam seemed to relax a bit when I said his name.

"Mom, Dad, and I talked about it. We think it’s best if we go visit your adoptive parents."

"We investigated what happened back then. It was an accident."

"They did raise you for eighteen years, after all. And about Sarah... she’s still abroad..."

I watched them. Their faces were full of guilt, but their eyes dodged mine. There was love there, too.

Testing the waters of that love, I tentatively said, "They didn't treat me well..."

"Chloe," Liam interrupted before I could finish.

"We checked. Your adoptive family isn't exactly living in poverty. They raised you for eighteen years. You should be grateful."

I saw my new parents in the background, looking slightly uncomfortable with his words, but they didn't stop him. I stayed silent.

So, the love in their eyes wasn't just for me. It was also for the daughter they had loved for eighteen years.

He assumed I was being ungrateful and money-hungry based on half a sentence.

Fine.

"Okay. Let’s go then."