Invoice for My Trauma: The Heiress Revenge

Will you only look at me if I die? Evangeline screams from the terrace edge.

...

Two months ago.

I gripped her hand outside our rusted trailer.

I shoved my phone into her chest.

Venmo. Cash App. Zelle. The info is in your inbox.

Tears streamed down my face.

If you miss me, wire cash.

Evangeline nodded. A solemn vow.

She left to become a real-deal heiress.

...

Today.

My banking app opens to a giant, glaring zero.

My stomach growls.

I shoulder my cheap bag and storm the city.

I locate the Patricks' massive villa.

Evangeline teeters on the marble railing five stories up.

Wind whips her expensive new hair around her hysterical face.

She glares down at the couple in the garden.

"I'm the real daughter! Why do you love that fake more than me?"

I drop my luggage on the driveway paving stones.

I sprint up the stairs three at a time.

I tackle my sister away from the ledge.

My hand clamps hard over her mouth.

I force a terrifying, plastic smile at Mr. and Mrs. Patrick below.

"What Evangeline means is..." I gasp for air.

"Her allowance needs to match the fake daughter's! Penny for penny!"

I loosen my grip and shoot my bestie a death glare.

Major red flag.

Two months of luxury living and suddenly you choose drama over the bag?

Chapter 1

I dragged my luggage through the winding roads to the Patrick villa.

Inside, it was chaos.

I paid the taxi fare. My heart bled at the cost.

I stood in front of the massive house.

And saw her.

Evangeline stood on the terrace railing. Half her body leaning out. Teetering.

Two months. Thats all it took. She was thinner. Frail.

Her eyes were red. Swollen. Breath hitching in her throat. She stared down at her blood relatives.

"I've been back for two months. Have you ever actually looked at me? I am your flesh and blood! Why do you choose the fraud?"

Tears rolled down her cheeks. Thick. Heavy.

It burned to watch.

But her family? Nothing.

Mr. Patricks face twisted in disgust. "She doesn't look like a lady. We shouldn't have brought her back."

Susan pursed her lips. "Eighteen years in the wild. She only learned trashy habits. Unpresentable."

Evangelines biological brother, Chase, had his arm around Brittanythe fake heiress. He looked up at the trembling figure on the roof. Bored.

"You've been back two months and you're already threatening us?" Chase sneered. "If you have the guts, jump."

Brittany covered her face. Trembling like a leaf. "Sister I took your place. Hate me. Please, just hate me"

She sobbed.

The family swarmed her. Comforting the imposter.

Ignoring the girl on the ledge whose heart had just shattered.

Evangeline watched them. Her eyes lost focus. Everything went quiet.

"Is my death the only way to get your attention?" She whispered it.

She closed her eyes.

She leaned forward. Gravity took over.

I lunged.

I grabbed her arm and yanked her back. Hard.

Smack.

I smacked her upside the head.

I ripped a crumpled piece of paper from my pocket and shoved it in her face.

"I took an Uber here! Venmo me before you jump!"

Chapter 2

Evangelines swollen eyes snapped to the receipt.

Instantly, she bristled. Like a wet cat.

The suicide attempt was forgotten. The lack of parental love was irrelevant.

She stared at the number on the paper.

"Sloan, are you out of your mind?" She screamed, pointing a trembling finger at me. "You spent three hundred and thirty bucks on an Uber? You could have taken the Greyhound! Then transferred to the subway three times! Then hiked the last five miles on foot!"

"We haven't seen each other in two months and you're burning through cash like there's no tomorrow? That is reckless!"

I lowered my head. I tried to look ashamed.

"It was my first time here," I mumbled. "I didn't know the way. And" I shrugged. "I thought someone here would reimburse me."

Evangeline wiped her face. The sticker shock faded, replaced by the original gloom.

"Sloan," she whispered. "I don't have any money."

"You have been a biological heiress for two months. How are you broke?"

Her face burned red. She looked away, avoiding my gaze.

I craned my neck to look over the edge of the terrace.

The Patrick family had stopped comforting Brittany. Now, they were just staring up at us. Confused.

Chases voice floated up. Lazy. Arrogant. A punchable drawl.

"Hmph. I thought you were jumping," he sneered. "Why did you stop? You made such a scene, don't tell me you can't finish the show."

Evangelines eyes filled with tears again. The pain was back.

She opened her mouth to defend herself. To beg for their affection one last time.

I slammed my hand over her mouth. Hard.

I flashed a bright, customer-service smile at the audience below.

"Mr. Patrick! Mrs. Patrick! You heard her wrong! Evangeline isn't saying she wants to die!"

"She's saying she wants fair treatment! She wants her allowance to match the fake daughter's! Penny for penny!"

I finished shouting and shot my wifey a warning glare.

Get a grip.

She had lived the good life for a few days and her brain had rotted.

She started demanding love instead of cash.

Love is a luxury. Girls like us can't afford it.

Chapter 3

I dragged Evangeline down the stairs.

Susan eyed her daughter suspiciously. "You've been back this long and you have no money on you?"

Evangeline nodded.

Susan turned to her husband. Her voice sharp. "The children can withdraw allowance from the trust fund every month. I told you to add Evangeline's name. Did you not do it?"

Mr. Patrick looked awkward. He shifted his weight. "She's only been back two months. I forgot."

Susan turned to her son. "You're her brother. Did you not slip her any cash privately?"

Chase's face flushed red. "I I forgot. Besides, she eats our food and lives in our house. What does she need money for?"

I put my hands on my hips. I cut him off.

"Prince Chase, you eat the Patrick family's food and live in the Patrick house. Why do you need an allowance?"

Chase shut his mouth. Silence.

He didn't have a comeback.

Susan turned her gaze to the fake daughter.

"Brittany. Two months ago, you said you would give your room and jewelry to Evangeline. It's been two months. Have you not given her a dime?"

Brittany's heart skipped a beat.

She stammered. "I I"

She stuttered for a long time. She couldn't form a complete sentence.

Susan understood.

She hadn't asked Evangeline a single question in two months either.

Guilt washed over Susan's face. She stepped forward and grabbed Evangeline's hand.

"My sweet daughter. Mom was negligent. I will make up the money I didn't give you. You have been wronged."

The sudden concern stunned Evangeline.

She wasn't used to it. She pulled her hand away.

She wrapped her arm around mine. A lifeline. "Sloan, since you're here, stay for a few days."

I nodded vigorously.

My eyes landed on the utility room on the first floor.

"Mr. Patrick, Mrs. Patrick, I'm an outsider. I'll just sleep in this storage room. I promise I won't disturb you."

I reached out.

I swung the door open. Excited.

And froze.

Evangeline's luggage was right there. Stacked neatly against the wall.

The room was a shoebox. Cramped. Suffocating.

There was barely enough space to put a foot down.

Oh.

The storage room wasn't for storage.

It was the biological daughter's bedroom.

Chapter 4

A look of embarrassment flashed across the faces of the Patrick family.

Susan tried to smooth things over. "Well there aren't any spare rooms in the house right now. So Evangeline will have to make do here for a bit. Just until we clear out a room"

Her voice trailed off.

She couldn't even convince herself.

Evangeline had been back for two months.

The Patrick estate was crawling with maids. And they couldn't clear out a single guest room in sixty days?

Please.

Luckily, I was used to being poor. I wasn't afraid of a tight squeeze.

I dragged my luggage inside and wedged myself into the room.

Bam.

I shut the door.

I locked out the varying expressions of the rich people outside.

Evangeline pounced. She came at me with claws out, scratching at me.

"You saw me today and the first thing you talked about was the taxi fare! You didn't say you missed me at all! Speak! Do you not love me anymore? Do you have another woman on the side?"

I curled into a ball on the tiny bed.

"Evangeline, that was three hundred and thirty bucks! My heart is still physically aching! Back in the day, that money would have fed us for two weeks!"

We really were poor.

She was switched by a nanny, dumped in the remote countryside, picked up by a couple who beat her as she grew up.

I was born into poverty. My parents wanted to marry me off for a bride price just to save money for my brother's future wife.

So when Evangeline was identified as a heiress, I thought we had made it.

I thought we were done suffering. Just the crumbs falling from her table would be enough for me to live on.

Who knew she would start wanting love instead of money?

I glanced at Evangeline.

Her energy crashed. She wilted.

"Am I useless? Even though I'm back in the Patrick house, no one here likes me."

I held up my phone. "Did you know Chanel just dropped their new collection?"

Evangeline continued her pity party. "I've always known. I'm unlovable."

I swiped the screen. "Look at this Burberry scarf. Is it cute or what?"

Evangelines voice was hollow. Lonely. "I just want a family. I just want parents who care."

Ding!

Her "family" sent her a transfer.

Maybe it was guilt. They sent a lot.

I grabbed her phone. I didn't hesitate. I transferred half of it to myself immediately.

One million dollars landed safely in my account.

Evangeline was still drowning in sadness. "Sloan, tell me. What do I have to do to compete with the fake daughter?"

I shoved the phone screen directly into her face.

"Look at the latest Van Cleef jewelry set. Do you want it?"

"I just want my parents' love Whoa. That necklace is gorgeous. Buy it. Buy it now! We're going tomorrow!"

She finally shut up.

She stopped talking about that worthless thing called affection.

Chapter 5

The bed was tiny.

We squeezed together for the night.

It felt like we were back in the bunk beds at the foster home.

Early the next morning, we dragged ourselves up and headed straight for the mall.

We dove headfirst into the luxury boutiques.

I grabbed outfit after outfit and held them up against her.

"This one. And this one Why choose? I'm an adult. I'm taking it all. Wrap everything up! Evangeline is swiping the card!"

We shopped all day. We were draped in bags.

For once, Evangeline didn't mention needing a family.

Dusk fell. We returned to the villa.

It was cold. Empty. Only a few maids were bustling around, cleaning.

Evangeline looked around, confused. "Where are Mom and Dad? Why isn't anyone home?"

No one answered.

Blanche, the head housekeeper, rolled her eyes. "Tch. She really thinks she's a real Patrick."

Evangelines face went white.

I didn't change my expression. I reached into my pocket and fished out a bracelet.

"Whoever answers the question gets the bracelet."

The room went silent.

A second later, Vicky, a young maid, eyes lighting up, rushed forward. She snatched the box. Her voice was dripping with enthusiasm.

"Miss Brittany was in a bad mood today. Mr. Patrick and Mrs. Susan took her on a trip to clear her mind. They won't be back for a few days."

I looked back at Evangeline.

Sure enough.

She was visibly deflating.

She mumbled. "They really don't have a shred of affection for me. They wouldn't even tell me they were leaving."

The joy of the shopping spree was washed away instantly.

Evangelines rims turned red.

She had known she wasn't their biological child since she was small.

She had always longed to find her real parents. To feel that long-lost connection.

Now, the dream was real.

But the affection was still out of reach.

She sat blankly on the sofa. Stunned. "Sloan, am I just unlikable? Is that why Mom and Dad don't like me?"

I pulled a dress out of a bag, beaming. "Does this Chanel dress look a little big? Did we buy the wrong size?"

Evangeline turned a deaf ear. "They would rather take the non-biological daughter out to play. They never mentioned taking me."

I held up a box. "This Van Cleef jewelry set is seriously pretty."

Evangeline was drowning in her own sorrow. "I've been back for two months. My biological parents have never accepted me."

I let out a ear-piercing scream.

"Ah! Evangeline! Your lipstick snapped!"

Chapter 6

Evangeline continued, her voice trembling. "I get it. I'm from the boonies. I'm an embarrassment to them. So"

She froze. Her eyes bulged.

"What? You bitch! I told you to go easy! Give it back!"

My Wifey didn't have time to wallow in self-pity anymore.

Because I had accidentally snapped all three of the lipsticks she bought today.

She cradled the broken tubes like a fallen soldier.

She cried harder than she had over her parents.

She looked me dead in the eye. "If we hadn't been sisters for eighteen years, I would wring your neck to pay for this."

She changed into the new clothes. She applied the salvaged lipstick.

Evangeline transformed.

The frumpy, hillbilly vibe vanished instantly.

Standing in the mirror was a bona fide heiress.

She touched her face. Disbelieving. "Is this really me?"

I nodded violently.

I grabbed her phone. Snap. Snap. Snap.

I opened Instagram.

The feed was still stuck on Susan's latest post.

[Taking my daughter out to clear her mind.]

The photo showed Susan and Brittany beaming.

In the background, Patrick and Chase played the perfect supporting cast.

Evangelines face started to crumble again.

I moved fast. I posted a new update on her account.

[Shopping with the bestie over. Check out the haul.]

The photo was the glam shot I just took.

Ten minutes later.

Susan liked the post.

She left a comment.

[Evangeline, is that really you? Look closely, you look just like I did when I was young.]

[Mom didn't mean to leave you behind. It's peak travel season. Tickets were hard to buy.]

Lame excuse.

I closed the phone silently.

I didn't reply.

Just like Evangeline didn't need to comment on their family vacation photos.

I looked at Evangeline, draped in high fashion.

She didn't actually look like Susan.

She just had that same smile. That faint, indifferent air of someone who has never worried about a bill.

The old Evangeline always frowned. She shrank into herself. She took up as little space as possible.

One makeover later.

She was two completely different people.

Chapter 7

Mr. Patrick and Susan returned earlier than expected.

Two days. Thats all they lasted before rushing home.

The moment they walked in, Chases voice boomed. Furious.

"We agreed to stay longer with Brittany! Why are we back so soon? Brittany is my sister. My sister for life. I don't want that hillbilly."

Susans face darkened. A flash of anger. "Evangeline is your biological sister. Watch your mouth."

Brittany stood to the side. She swayed slightly. Looking fragile. Like a flower in a storm.

Susan forced a smile and grabbed Evangelines hand.

"My sweet daughter. Why didn't you text Mom these past few days? I was worried sick without hearing from you. That's why we came back early."

Evangeline didn't have time to text. Obviously.

I had dragged her through every mall in the city. We shopped from sunrise to sunset.

We crashed into bed every night. Too tired to speak.

But her shift wasn't over.

At night, she slept with one eye open.

She was terrified I would wake up and snap another lipstick.

After all that torture?

She was exhausted.

We had just walked in the door.

My Wifey looked like she was about to pass out.

She looked at Susans performance of motherly love.

"Mom, I'm tired," she said, her voice weak. "I'm going to rest."

Susans face stiffened. Embarrassed.

She opened her mouth to speak.

Chase cut her off. His voice dripping with scorn.

"Hah. Stop acting. You're just trying to hide. The SAT results come out this afternoon."

"Mom, Brittany has always been a straight-A student. Shes getting into a good university. But this thing from the country"

He looked Evangeline up and down.

"I'm curious. Did you even break a thousand?"

Brittany straightened her back.

She smiled. A perfect, practiced, toxic smile.

"Chase, don't be mean. She only transferred to the prep academy a month before the SATs. She wasn't used to the teaching style."

"If she didn't do well, it's normal. Mom, Dad, Chase please don't blame her when the scores drop."

When Evangeline was brought back, the big exams were only a month away.

Transferring schools then? It was academic suicide.

But the Patricks did it anyway.

Their reasoning?

They found the real daughter. They couldn't have her studying in a dump. Their social circle would laugh at them.

So Evangeline went from our public school to a private academy.

She became the target for every bored rich kid bully.

And me?

I spent every waking moment cheering her up. And studying for my own life.

Until the exams were over.

Chapter 8

That was why I packed my bags. I only hit the road to find her after the final exams were done.

Speaking of exams.

Patrick and Susans eyes glazed over when they looked at Evangeline. Disappointment.

But when they turned to Brittany? They lit up. Recharged.

Susan looked at her with hope. "Brittany has always had solid grades. She might not be Ivy League material, but a decent safety school is definitely in the bag."

Mr. Patrick nodded. "Brittany is our pride and joy."

The room was filled with compliments.

I slid over to Evangeline. She looked like her soul had left her body.

I whispered in her ear. "Wifey. You've been back for two months. Did you seriously not tell them you got a full ride to Harvard?"

Evangelines grades were insane.

Originally, her foster parents didn't want her to study. They wanted her working at the plant.

But with grades like hers? The county high school wasn't letting her go.

Mr. Steele, the Principal, waved his hand.

He waived all her school fees.

He threw scholarship money at her every semester.

He planted this seed in his classroom and waited for it to bloom.

That money?

It didn't just support Evangeline's dream.

It kept the roof over my head, too. It kept my dark future at bay.

We finished school. Smooth sailing.

In the living room, Chase held the laptop like a trophy. Arrogant. He was the first to check Brittany's score.

The clock ticked.

The score flashed on the screen.

It was good. Good enough for a solid university.

The Patrick family erupted.

Mr. Patrick clapped his hands together. Beaming. "That is a great score! We have to throw a bash. A massive graduation party."

Susan chimed in immediately. "Yes. We must invite all the ladies in our circle. Let them see that my daughter is always the best."

Chase raised an eyebrow. He looked at Evangeline. "Your turn. Don't score an 800 and embarrass the family."

Evangeline looked at her family. Envy dripped from her eyes.

She asked. Her voice small. "Will will you throw a party for me too?"

The response?

Parents rolling their eyes.

Chase sneering.

Silence.

The silence was a physical blow.

Evangelines face went pale. All the blood drained out.

She stumbled back a step. Like shed been punched in the gut.

Tears pooled in her eyes. Burning.

She had been back for two months.

She was still a ghost in this house.

Brittany, always the "empathetic" sister, smoothed things over.

"Sis, even if you flunked it, no one will blame you. It's just if the score is too low, throwing a party might make Mom and Dad a laughingstock."

Everyone was certain.

Evangeline was going to fail