The Fake Heiress

As the evening went on, Eileen spotted her father making his way towards the stage. He picked up a microphone, and a smile broke across Eileen's lips.

She was looking up to a special announcement or birthday wish, so sure that her father had planned something significant to honor her. She moved towards her seat in front of the stage, anticipation building.

Just as Eileen bent down to take her seat, she heard her father start to speak. "Today, I would love to announce and apologize to everyone, especially to my daughter Millie, for making a mistake."

Eileen froze, half-seated, her heart pounding. What was her father doing?

She stood up quickly, her eyes fixed on him, confusion and dread swirling within her.

Her father continued, his voice steady but somber. "Actually, the heiress of the Sterling family, the rightful heir, is not Eileen. It is Emily, the one you all believed was adopted."

"Father, do you know what you're saying?" Eileen's voice was shaky, barely more than a whisper. "How could you do this? And on my birthday? If this is a joke, it's not funny."

But her father ignored her, his focus entirely on his announcement. "My wife, Rochelle, had a sick baby, and that baby was swapped at birth with a healthy one by Rochelle herself. Emily is our true daughter, not Eileen."

Eileen's vision blurred, her heart breaking with every word.

A collective gasp swept through the crowd, followed by murmurs and whispers.

"I knew there was something off about her," a woman's voice whispered, barely audible but enough for Eileen's to hear.

"She always seemed too ambitious for her own good," a man muttered to his companion, his tone dripping with disdain.

Eileen felt the sting of their words, their judgment cutting through her like a knife. She couldn't bring herself to look at the crowd or her father. The room seemed to close in around her, the weight of shame and betrayal almost unbearable.

Eileen felt as if the ground beneath her was crumbling, leaving her in a free fall of disbelief and despair. She managed to gather her composure just enough to speak again, her voice trembling.

"Father, please... this can't be real. How could you do this to me on this day?"

Her father finally turned to her, his expression one of deep regret. "Leen, my dear, I'm sorry. The truth needed to come out."

But Eileen could no longer bear it. She turned with the intention of leaving the hall but her vision blurred with tears.

The opulence of the grand hall, the elegance of the setting, all seemed like a cruel joke now. She had been the shining star of the evening, and now she felt like she had lost everything.

"What is really going on here?" someone whispered.

"This is shocking. In fact, I can barely believe all these," another voice murmured.

Eileen's father called back to every attention, gesturing towards the projector, which flickered to life with the image of two DNA test results.

"As you can see," he said, "the DNA test with Eileen's name shows no match to us, Richard and Rochelle Sterling. However, the test for Emily confirms she is our biological daughter."

Eileen's breath caught in her throat as she watched the projector. She was dumbfounded, unable to process the betrayal.

The whispers grew louder, and she could hear fragments of the crowd's harsh judgment.

"I knew there was something off about that woman Rochelle. She had switched her real child with a fake one. Hmph!," a woman's voice carried.

"No wonder. Emily has always been hidden while the imposter placed herself under the light," a man added.

Her father's voice broke through the cacophony. "Therefore, I must put the business in the rightful hands of my true daughter, Emily. I owe her that. Eileen, if you choose to stay, you are welcome to do so, but I need to set things right. I must atone for my sins. This is the best way for Eileen to understand that she is not the true heiress. Emily is."

She glanced around, seeing faces that were once friendly now filled with pity or disdain.

Martina, who had earlier complimented her, whispered to Lydia, "I always suspected something. She never quite fit the part of a heiress, did she?"

Lydia nodded, adding, "Such a shame. But Emily, she's the real heiress. It all makes sense now."

The crowd's attention shifted towards Emily, who was surrounded by well-wishers and supporters, including Howard.

Clive rushed to Eileen's side, but most others stayed away, conflicted by their loyalty and the shocking revelation.

"I can't believe this," Eileen heard someone say. "She's been leading us for eight years in the company, and now this?"

"But she's proven herself worthy," another voice interjected. "She's been a strong leader and heiress."

At this, Eileen felt a surge of defiance. She stepped forward, her voice trembling but determined. "First of all, that company is mine and I don't care about this DNA charade. I've worked for it for eight years. You can't just take it away from me and stop speaking ill of mother li…."

Before she could continue, Howard's voice cut through the air. "Emily just fainted!"

Chaos erupted as people rushed to Emily's side. The crowd became rowdy, and the once orderly hall turned into a scene of confusion.

"Someone call an ambulance!" a man shouted.

"Get her some water!" another voice cried.

Clive held Eileen's arm, guiding her through the chaos. "Miss Sterling, we should go."

Eileen looked around, seeing her father still on the stage, overwhelmed by the situation as his eyes focused on the unconscious Emily instead of her.

She looked around at the ladies and gents she had invited for her silver jubilee. Families and businessmen she had worked with stood in stunned silence, unable to oppose the announcement of the heiress position being handed over to a sickler.

"This can't be happening," Eileen muttered, feeling tears welling up. "They can't just erase everything I've ever worked for and done."

Clive's grip tightened, offering silent support. "We'll figure this out, Miss Sterling. We should go first."