I Am the Heiress of a Rich Family

My boyfriend thought there was no future with me and broke up.

But when I saw the company his new girlfriend worked for, I realized it was my family's business.

1

Looking at the decorated room, my heart swelled with love.

Today marked one year with Walter, and I planned to share something I'd held back for a year.

The doorbell rang on time, and I rushed to open it, beaming.

"Happy anniversary, darling," I said.

Walter's face flickered with surprise before he forced a smile.

"Oh, baby, I'm sorry. I've been so busy," he said.

I said it was fine, but a pang of disappointment hit me.

Still, I reasoned he worked hard for our future, and as his girlfriend, I shouldn't be so unreasonable.

With that thought, I pulled Walter to the table.

I'd put a lot of effort into this dinner.

I kept piling food onto his plate, but his expression grew darker.

"Tatiana, are you serious? I'm out there busting my ass, and you're blowing money like it's nothing."

Sure, the dinner was pricey, but I paid for it with my own money, not his.

I couldn't understand why he acted this way when he used to be so gentle.

By now, I felt irritated. It was our anniversary, and not only did he forget, but he also scolded me over a meal.

Still, I didn't want to ruin the mood and asked him what was wrong.

But men were strange creatures. One moment he was stone-faced, the next he was grinning at his phone.

My gut told me something was off, and I stood to check his phone.

He noticed, quickly shutting it off.

His obvious attempt to hide something only confirmed my suspicions.

"Tatiana, eat before it gets cold," he said.

Then he shoveled food into his mouth and tossed some onto my plate.

After dinner, we lay on the couch, but the sweetness I'd imagined was absent.

"Walter, I actually..." I started.

A phone call cut me off.

I didn't know who it was, but Walter looked panicked.

"Okay, wait for me. I'm coming," he said.

He rushed out like a gust of wind, leaving no explanation.

I felt like a fool, my careful preparations shattered by a single call.

Lately, I'd noticed Walter's indifference, but I chalked it up to his busy job, making excuses for him.

He didn't return until the next morning, sporting dark circles under his eyes.

"Walter, care to explain?" I asked.

He rubbed his temple, looking exhausted. "Explain what? Look at yourself. What can you offer me? I don't want to be broke forever."

So he finally spoke his truth. Fine, I wished him well.

"Walter, we're done," I said.

He paused for a moment, then went to his room to rest.

"Dad, you win." I sent the message and started packing. Goodbye and good riddance.

2

Staring at my dad, I felt exasperated.

So what if he won this round? No need to gloat.

He glanced at the suitcase by my feet, disdain practically written on his face.

"Pathetic, dragging a beat-up suitcase around. I bought that apartment ages ago. If anyone's leaving, it's him."

That was news to me.

Leaving my dad's office, I returned to my old home.

Sinking into the soft bed, I couldn't help but wonder how I'd lived such a bland life before.

"Tatiana, heard you dumped Walter?"

Word spread fast. We'd just split that morning, and the gossip was already flying.

"Yeah, I dumped him."

The reply came instantly, and the other person practically wanted to throw a party.

I couldn't blame her. My taste in men was awful.

Once I settled in, I remembered my dad's words. The apartment was mine now, so why should Walter still live there?

Don't call me petty. Once it was over, I cut ties completely.

On my way, I planned to change the door's passcode, but karma hit me.

The smart lock kept rejecting my code, and I laughed in frustration. That jerk moved fast.

Just as I turned to leave, the door opened. A woman stood there, clearly trouble.

"Hi, delivery?" she asked.

Did I look like a delivery person?

I stayed calm. No need to stoop to her level.

"Hi, this is my apartment," I said.

I flashed a harmless smile.

She looked at me like I was an idiot, as if I'd lost my mind.

Seeing me still smiling, she rolled her eyes and called Walter out.

"It's you? Regretting it now? Too bad, you missed your chance," he said.

Couldn't he speak like a normal person?

"Keep dreaming. I'm here for my apartment," I said.

They exchanged a glance, mirroring the woman's earlier look.

Did I look that broke to them?

"Babe, ignore her. She's just clueless," he said.

Clueless? How could someone as stunning as me be clueless?

"Exactly. This place is clearly yours. How does she have the nerve? I bet she regrets it and wants you back," the woman said.

Who did she think she was disgusting? That's not how you insult someone.

And how did she have the gall to claim the apartment was hers?

"If it's yours, where's the deed?" I asked.

I wanted to see how she'd keep up the act.

The woman couldn't wait to prove me wrong, urging Walter to fetch the deed.

"Oh, uh... I don't remember where I put it," he said.

So young, yet such a bad memory.

He played tough, but his excuses were weak.

I pulled the deed from my bag.

Their eyes widened, especially Walter's, practically popping out.

"So you came here tonight to brag about your apartment?" he asked.

Did he think I was that bored?

Seeing the legit deed in my hand, the woman realized the truth.

She slapped Walter hard across the face and stormed out without looking back.

That was bold, doing what I'd always wanted to do.

Now it was just the two of us, and it felt awkward.

"Time for you to go. Stay too long, and people might think this is a zoo," I said.

He shot me a dirty look and chased after the woman.

Hmph, childish.

3

I planned to come back for a few quiet days, but the next day, my dad sent me to the company.

Starting from the bottom, naturally, because that was his style.

At the company, I ran into that woman from the other night. Wanting to be friendly, I decided to say hi.

Before I could get close, she glanced at me and walked away.

Wow, Walter must have trashed me behind my back.

"You're new, right? She's our team leader," someone said. "Steer clear of her. Rumor is she's the chairman's daughter."

If she was the chairman's daughter, then who was I? A ghost?

This was getting ridiculous.

We chatted a bit before returning to our desks. My dad didn't keep slackers.

"Hey, newbie, handle these and bring them to my office later," she said.

She dumped a pile of documents on me.

Great, newbies were just workhorses.

"Did you piss her off? We already finished those," a coworker said.

I wished I knew what I'd done to offend her.

After hours of slogging, I delivered the work to her office on time.

She flipped through the pages, and it felt like a teacher grading homework in front of the class.

A few pages in, she set the files down and stared at me.

"Is your brain just for show?" she asked. "This is garbage. Redo it."

Then she threw the papers in my face.

My dad's company was full of hotheads.

"Can you tell me what I did wrong?" I asked. "You're throwing a fit, but did I commit a crime?"

If she didn't give me a good reason, I wasn't letting this go.

"Are you the boss, or am I? Do I need to explain myself to you?" she said.

Small title, big ego. Fine, no more playing nice.

I picked up the scattered files and threw every single one back at her.

"Acting high and mighty with no real power. If you're sick, see a doctor. Don't take it out on me," I said.

She hadn't expected that and furiously brushed the papers off herself.

"You lunatic! Do you want to get fired?" she yelled.

Whether I stayed or left was none of her business. Besides, a team leader couldn't fire anyone.

Seeing my indifference, she got angrier.

"Let me tell you, if you hadn't crossed me, you and Walter might've had a chance. But now, I'll keep him for myself. Forget about him," she said.

I couldn't fathom the mental state behind those words. Why would anyone want a jerk like Walter?

"Well, good luck with that. Keep trash like Walter off the market," I said.

I walked out of her office. Staying any longer would've made me as foolish as her.