My dad gifted me a grand mansion.

I found it too lavish, fearing it would undermine my image as a modest and elegant campus goddess.

After visiting once, I left it unused.

A month later, a new club member joined our school.

She claimed the mansion was hers.

She even said her father was the wealthiest man.

Staring at that dowdy and unattractive junior, I fell into deep thought.

01

I lead the art club at our university.

In art, talent matters, and I didn’t want anyone to think I was a rich gamer.

So I never revealed that my dad was actually the wealthiest man.

I was happily masquerading as a goddess and casually dating my handsome, ambitious boyfriend.

Suddenly, one day, a dowdy and unattractive junior entered the club, surrounded by others.

She declared, “My dad is the wealthiest man!”

My first thought was that the wealthiest man had changed.

It wasn’t until she displayed a picture of my dad, Richard Ford, on her phone, holding it next to her face with a sweet smile, saying, “I resemble my dad,” that I was taken aback. I quickly called my dad to inquire if I had a sister?!

My dad swore by his ancestors that I was his only daughter, and I believed him.

“You heard Richard Ford has a daughter?” I asked her doubtfully.

“Correct, I’m his only daughter. My name is Nova Ford,” she said boldly.

My anger flared.

Does Richard Ford know he has a daughter like you?

I decided not to expose her immediately.

I wanted to see why she was pretending to be me.

“Senior Julia, let Nova join the club. She said we can have a barbecue at her big mansion this weekend,” Club member Wyatt tugged on Nova Ford’s arm excitedly.

“Alright, give me your student ID for registration,” I extended my hand to Nova Ford.

Nova Ford hesitated but eventually handed over her ID.

Flipping through her ID, I saw her place of birth listed as Stonegate.

I was puzzled.

“Isn’t the wealthiest man from Sunwood? Why does your place of birth say Stonegate?”

Nova Ford responded quickly, without a hint of suspicion.

“Our family roots are in Stonegate, but we currently reside in Sunwood.”

What Stonegate?! Our family roots are in Sunwood!

She must have assumed no one would verify and dared to lie.

My dad values privacy and has always kept our family information well-hidden, giving Nova Ford an opportunity to exploit.

“As you said, you’re taking us to your big mansion this weekend?” I asked her while registering her, looking up.

A hint of pride flickered in Nova Ford’s eyes. “Yes, my dad bought a mansion near campus for me, so I can stay there when I have time.”

A bad feeling crossed my mind.

Could the mansion she mentioned be the one my dad bought for me a month ago?

I visited once and found it grand, but it was too big and eerie for me to live alone, with its extravagant decor not matching my taste. So, I left it unused.

How did it suddenly become hers?

Club members gathered around Nova Ford eagerly. “It’s the mansion of the wealthiest family. Can I go too?”

“Nova, count me in! I want to go too!”

…

Nova Ford welcomed everyone without hesitation, smiling generously. “Everyone who wants to come is welcome.”

The club members cheered in unison.

I chuckled inwardly.

The entrance had facial recognition and fingerprint access, and only my information was registered in the system.

I wanted to see how Nova Ford would get inside.

02

My boyfriend Victor invited me to eat in the cafeteria.

Victor, the student council president, came from an average background.

Handsome, capable, ambitious, and always considerate towards me, I was very satisfied with him after two years together and planned to introduce him to my parents after observing him a bit more.

“I heard about Richard Ford’s daughter?” I intended to reveal my identity to him gradually.

He pushed aside some food, looked at me unexpectedly, and asked, “You mean that freshman, Nova Ford?”

I choked on my food, and Victor patted my back, softly chiding, “Still so careless, even choking on food.”

I hadn’t expected Victor to have heard the fake news…

This put me on the defensive.

I pondered for a moment and decided not to reveal my identity as Richard Ford’s daughter before exposing Nova Ford, in case Victor thought I was joking.

“Yes, that Nova Ford.”

“We haven’t met. Not familiar,” he replied.

I figured that was the case. Victor was straightforward; how could he know much about Nova Ford?

Thus, I dropped the subject.

Victor was busy and left hastily after finishing his meal.

I had nothing to do in the afternoon, so I continued eating slowly.

As I ate, someone sat down opposite me.

Assuming it was Victor, I looked up, only to see Nova Ford.

“Senior Julia, turns out Senior Victor is your boyfriend?” Nova Ford sat down, smiled arrogantly, and said, “I’ve set my sights on him. Senior, you should step aside. Name your terms.”

My upbringing taught me to be low-key and never show off.

Hence, as the real heiress to the wealthiest family, I’d never spoken such arrogant words in my life.

I chuckled coldly and said maliciously, “Then tell me, what conditions can you offer?”

Nova Ford replied proudly, “Senior, you’re already in your third year, right? When you graduate, I can recommend you for a job at Sunwood Group.”

She held up seven fingers, indicating, “Your annual salary will be this high.”

“Impressive?” I laughed. “So, you have no conditions now but want something for free?”

Nova Ford didn’t back down. “Senior, I hope you broaden your horizons and don’t focus solely on short-term gains.”

Her high-and-mighty attitude annoyed me.

I scanned her from head to toe and said softly, “I don’t believe you’re the Ford family’s young miss.”

I noticed her pupils constrict, but she regained her composure and said, “Am I not the young miss? Wait till this weekend when I take you to the big mansion, and you’ll know.”

“I doubt a mansion proves you’re Richard Ford’s daughter,” I scoffed. “Maybe you rented it.”

I stood up, walked behind her, and lifted a strand of her hair.

“Your hair looks freshly done, dyed, and shiny, but your hair quality is terrible. You probably didn’t take good care of it before, right?”

I brushed my index finger across the skin on the back of her hand. “You got a manicure and foundation on your hands.

They look nice, but your fingers are thick, like someone who does manual labor often. Does the young miss of the Ford family usually do rough work?”

I touched her clothes. “Your clothes and accessories are branded, carefully selected, but they don’t suit you at all. Your outfit looks awkward. Did you… steal them?”

Nova Ford, who was already guilty, exploded upon hearing ‘steal’. “Crazy!”

I chuckled. Could she really be a thief?

03

That evening, a video of my conversation with Nova Ford in the cafeteria was uploaded to the school network.

“Campus belle vs. heiress. Who will win the heartthrob?”

The post was highlighted and soon gained a lot of attention.

To my surprise, more people voted for Nova Ford.

Reading the comments, someone wrote, “Between a beauty and 30 years of comfort, I choose the latter.”

Another person said, “In front of wealth, beauty is worthless.”

…

Are people really that pragmatic?

Did hiding my identity as a wealthy heiress make me seem foolish?

Moreover, were they all blind?

Nova Ford’s disguise was so obvious. How couldn’t they see through it?

I scrolled further and found a comment that caught my attention.

The username was ‘X’: “Based on Nova Ford’s age, it’s impossible for Mrs. Ford to have been pregnant at that time. Photos surfaced throughout the year, showing no signs of pregnancy.”

Attached was a link titled, “Photos of Mrs. Ford throughout the year.”

The young man was insightful and logical. I liked his comment and gave him a thumbs-up.

I wasn’t too concerned with the opinions of others and went to the student union as usual to find Victor.

As soon as I arrived at the office, I saw him being entangled by Nova Ford. I was furious.

She was using my identity and interfering in my relationship. How shameless could she be?

“Impostor, stealing wasn’t enough for you? Now you want to be the third wheel?” I spat out the nastiest words I’d ever said.

Nova Ford, already feeling guilty, trembled at the mention of “impostor.” “Julia! Who’s the fake?”

I scoffed. “Do I need to repeat myself? Ugly and rustic, where did you get the nerve to pretend to be a wealthy heiress?”

I finally spoke my mind. I thought Victor, being the one entangled, would naturally be on my side.

But I was proven wrong. Victor stepped in front of Nova Ford, frowning at me. “Julia, please don’t say anything. Nova isn’t what you think.”

Excuse me? He told me he didn’t know her well earlier, but now he was calling her “Nova”?

“I don’t understand. If she’s not what I think, then what is she?” I stared into his eyes, demanding an answer.

I was easygoing in general, but in relationships, I wanted to be loved unapologetically.

I wanted my boyfriend to stand by my side, regardless of whether he was right or wrong. If he couldn’t, I’d let him go.

I was willing to hear him out, but he kept urging me to leave: “I’ll walk you back to the dorm first, I’ll explain on the way there.”

I shrugged off Victor and pointed at Nova Ford. “No need to go back. Explain it right in front of her. There’s plenty of time, you can explain now.”

Victor stumbled over his words, unable to speak.

Nova Ford, seeing the situation, smiled triumphantly and took Victor’s hand. “The thing is, I confessed to Senior Victor, and he agreed to give me a chance to pursue him.”

Victor looked awful but didn’t release Nova Ford’s hand.

On his hand, which held hers, was the birthday gift I had given him—a watch worth tens of thousands, brought back by my cousin from abroad.

04

At that moment, my mood was like a bolt from the blue.

It wasn’t that I was deeply in love with Victor; I just couldn’t accept two things:

First, I had misjudged him, falling for a fickle person.

Second, this fickle person had abandoned me for a clumsy fraudster who was both plain and unrefined.

He had turned against me without even tasting the carrot Nova Ford had dangled in front of him!

Had he just checked the prices of the gifts I had sent him over the past two years, he wouldn’t have been so complacent, would he?

I turned and walked away, knowing that my relationship with Victor was over.

I had a zero-tolerance policy when it came to infidelity; I couldn’t stand a two-timer who was eyeing another dish while eating from one.

Victor chased after me, desperately trying to explain.

“Listen to me, Julia. Nova Ford asked if she could pursue me, how was I supposed to respond? All I could say was that it was her freedom. I really didn’t say anything else. Please don’t be angry, okay?

I won’t accept her; I only love you.” Victor tugged on my arm, dragging me from the administration building to the teaching building.

“Let go! Let go!”

Furious, I struggled to free my arm from his grip, but it wouldn’t budge.

Just then, someone emerged from the teaching building and walked straight towards us.

This person swiftly grabbed Victor’s wrist, pinning him down.

“Pain! Who are you?!” Victor cried out in pain, wriggling.

The guy didn’t release him but turned to me and asked, “Are you alright?”

Only then did I look at the young man. He had neat short hair, and he wore a white lab coat over his sweater, indicating he was a medical student.

His face seemed familiar.

Wasn’t he the one who spoke up for me on the school’s online forum?

“Daniel!” I blurted out.

The guy froze, surprised that I knew his name.

He nodded at me and glanced at Victor in his grasp before asking, “What should we do about him?”

I looked at Victor.

He quickly said to me, “Julia, believe me, I’ll explain everything clearly, okay? This is all a misunderstanding. Please let him go first!”

A sense of sorrow overwhelmed me.

Did this two-faced guy think I was an easy target all along?

I wasn’t going to let him off so easily.

If he dared to play me, I’d make him regret it.

I took out my phone and snapped a picture of Victor’s pitiful appearance.

Recording a video, I said, “Victor, we’ve been together for two years, and I still have feelings for you. As long as you repeat what you just said in this video—that Nova Ford is the one pursuing you, that you have no interest in her, and that you would never accept her—I’ll forgive you.”

“I dare you to say it,” I pressed the phone close to his face, making sure he saw his ridiculous expression in the video.

His expression shifted from red to green, then back to red.

I knew exactly what he was thinking.

With his dignity lost and demeanor shattered, if he actually said those words, not only the daughter of Richard Ford but any girl with self-respect would stay far away from him.

But he didn’t want to miss out on “the daughter of Richard Ford.”

“Nothing more to say, Julia.” Victor turned away. “Let’s break up.”

Receiving the expected response, I chuckled and calmly turned off the video.

“Calmly, let him go,” I said coldly.

Victor, too embarrassed to meet my gaze, lowered his head and ran away.

In truth, my heart wasn’t as composed as my outward appearance.

In that instant, I wanted to rush over and kick him.

I wanted to yell at him, “Idiot! I’m the golden phoenix you were trying to climb! You were so close to your chance, but now you’ve missed it forever!”

But I didn’t.

I couldn’t let my campus goddess persona falter.

I told myself to think positively: At least I got to see through his character before I fell too deeply in love with him.

Turning to thank Daniel, a gust of wind blew sand into my eyes, causing me to rub them.

Daniel mistook my actions for crying.

“Don’t cry, he isn’t worth it,” he suddenly said. His voice was awkward yet strangely comforting. “He’ll regret losing you.”

Huh, I thought. He seemed cold, but he was quite considerate.

“I see,” I replied.

05

The next day

Victor and Nova Ford were openly dating.

When I encountered them in front of the art building, Nova Ford was ignoring the gossiping students and tightly holding onto Victor’s arm.

Eyes raised high with a proud smile, Nova Ford declared, “Senior Julia, we meet again.”

I scoffed sarcastically. “A fake heiress and a two-timer, a match made in heaven.”

Each time I called her a “fake heiress,” Nova Ford’s expression would shift.

I relished in her ashen face and asked, “Fake heiress, did you research your target’s background? Be careful not to end up with nothing after throwing yourself at him so eagerly.”

Nova Ford discreetly glanced at the watch on Victor’s wrist and curled her lip disdainfully. “You don’t know what’s valuable, but I do. Senior Victor’s worth is clearer to me than to you.”

“I see!” I was eager to witness her downfall. “Then I’ll be watching closely during our weekend villa trip.”

Nova Ford was about to engage in another argument when someone suddenly wrapped their arm around my shoulder, turning me toward the building.

Following the arm, I saw that it belonged to Daniel, who had helped me yesterday.

I whispered, “What brings you here?”

Daniel blinked. “I happened to pass by. I couldn’t bear to see you lose, so I came to lend a hand.”

I understood his underlying message.

After a breakup, the one without a new partner appeared pitiable. He was helping me regain my composure.

I nodded and softly said, “Thank you.”

Letting him hold me, I walked past the crowd, my heart steady.

Today was the art club’s meeting day.

In the vast lecture theatre, a throng of people had assembled.

I’d called all the members together for a meeting, actually to announce something crucial—

The Sunwood Group’s “Wood Town” had invited fifty art club members to visit and study there for a month.

The origins of “Wood Town” traced back two years.

In my first year, I’d been elected art club president. Overjoyed, I’d impulsively called my dad to share the news.

Unexpectedly, that afternoon, the school received a massive donation from my father, specifically for the art club.

Had I not firmly opposed it, he would have even flown here to personally award me a medal.

To secure my position as club president, my father had invested in a cultural and arts hub in the city’s south, naming it “Wood Town.”

It had attracted over two thousand fashion companies and dozens of top international designers.

Not wanting to reveal my identity, my father had signed a talent induction agreement with the school under the company’s name, publicly claiming it was a collaboration to promote employment in the fashion industry.

Each year, the school would send art club members to Wood Town for training. Over time, others assumed this was stipulated in the contract, not knowing that I personally designated all the spots, unrelated to the agreement.

Seeing everyone present, I began calling out names:

“Amy, Leah, Jacob from the Fine Arts Department… Ivy, Kayla from the Product Design Department… These 50 students, gather at the school gate by 10 AM tomorrow for the bus to Wood Town.”

The named students cheered excitedly.

For students, the chance to go to Wood Town was excellent practice, even a significant advantage when seeking employment later.

Closing the attendance book, I was about to give some instructions when Wyatt, Nova Ford’s sidekick, abruptly interrupted.

“Senior, you’re being too biased! Why are you picking only your friends?”