My Daughter Was Named a Lie

After spending six months overseas expanding business, I had just closed a deal worth ten billion.

Casually scrolling through the news, a headline made me stop dead in my tracks.

[Shocking! Illegitimate Daughter Provokes Meyer Family Heiress, Teacher and Classmates Punish Her!]

In the video, my daughter Maeve stood in the freezing snow wearing nothing but a tattered dress, her body covered in bruises. She was being forced to endure the cold, her little frame shivering uncontrollably.

A female teacher poked at Maeve's head, ordering the entire class to call her a shameless illegitimate child.

Maeve sobbed, insisting she wasn't, but all she got in return was crueler, more mocking laughter from everyone around her.

Then a chubby little boy ran up and slapped her across the face.

"Your mom's a mistress, and you're a filthy illegitimate child! You're both just gutter rats!"

The teacher didn't stop himshe clapped her hands in approval.

"That's right! The Meyer family heir isn't something just any nobody gets to pretend to be."

"Besides, Mrs. Meyer picks up Clarisse every single day. Look at herso elegant, clearly classy. And your homewrecker of a mother? Pathetic. She's not even in the same league."

When I heard that last line, I slammed my laptop shut, shaking with rage.

I turned to my assistant.

"Book me the fastest private jet home. I want to see for myself exactly when Aaron, that worthless husband of mine, managed to father an illegitimate child."

Chapter 1

Sitting on the private jet back home, I called Maeve's personal nanny, Dotty. She had worked for our family for years and even raised me when I was littleshe was the one person I trusted completely.

The phone rang and rang. No answer.

I tried the chef, the early education tutor, and the driver I had arranged for Maeve before leaving the country. Not a single one picked up.

As a frown creased my brow, Aaron's video call came through. Without hesitation, I answered.

"Hi, darling! Why haven't you called me all day? I've been missing you like crazy."

Seeing him, his expression was as infuriatingly tender as ever, his gaze so clingy it could stretch like glue. Eight years of marriage, and he had always obeyed my every word. He wouldn't dare go against me, let alone cheat and father an illegitimate child.

I wasn't about to tip my hand before confirming the facts. I went straight to the point.

"Where's Maeve? I want her. Let her come to the phone."

"It's Maeve's birthday today. She invited a bunch of classmates over. They're having fun in the yard."

The camera panned slightly, and I saw the villa decorated with cakes, flowers, and balloons. Children were gathered in the courtyard, watching a magician perform. All eyes were on a little girl in a white lace dress at the center, like the sun around which everyone revolved.

Though her face was unclear from the distance, her height and posture looked like Maeve's.

"I'll have her video call you when we cut the cake," Aaron said, calmly returning the camera. His expression was composed, showing no sign of guilt or deceit.

After hanging up, my heart eased slightly. Maybe the video I had seen earlier was just fabricated news meant to provoke me. After all, even if Aaron was unreliable, the caretakers I left for Maeve were all my trusted aides. If anything went wrong, I would know immediately.

Once the plane landed, I didn't waste a second and drove straight home.

As soon as my car pulled up to the gate, a silver-pink Panameraidentical to minecame barreling toward me, honking aggressively.

I froze. My eyes narrowed in suspicion.

My car wasn't a mass-produced color. It was custom-made for Maeve because she loved it. The designer had mixed the paint to her exact preference; without the formula, no one in the world could reproduce it.

Who on earth was in that car?

I was still frowning when the passenger door opened. A little girl in a white lace dressexactly the same girl I had seen in Aaron's videojumped out.

She looked seven or eight, her hair in princess braids, the hem of her dress embroidered with the Meyer family logo.

It was the custom children's clothing logo I had designed exclusively for Maeve last year. The copyright was registered under her name. No one except the two of us could legally use it.

She ran up to my car, small shoes clattering, and knocked on the window with her cream-covered hands, her face twisted in disdain.

Chapter 2

"Hey! Can you move your fake car out of the way? My mom's Panamera is a one-of-a-kind custom color in the world. Who are you to drive a look-alike?" the girl said.

I rolled down the window and looked at her coldly. "Is your father Aaron Meyer?"

The girl immediately puffed out her chest and answered proudly, "Of course! My name is Clarisse Meyer. I'm the Meyer family's one and only daughter! You're just a fraud trying to ride on our fame. Get lost now, or I'll have my dad seize your car!"

"The only daughter?" I let out a short laugh and pushed open the door, but two bodyguards stepped forward and blocked me.

They were men I had personally hired to protect Maeve. Now they stood against me, faces hard and hostile.

"Miss, this is private property of the Meyer residence. Unauthorized people are not allowed inside," one of them said coldly.

"Unauthorized people?" I glanced at him. "I am Aaron's lawful wife and Maeve's mother. You dare stop me?"

A calm voice came from behind me.

"Jasper, no need to be so fierce. This lady probably just likes my car too much and dreams of being my husband's ideal woman."

Jess Carter walked over and took Clarisse's hand, her eyes sweeping over my suit with faint disdain.

"Imitation will always be imitation. The position of Mrs. Meyer isn't something you can pretend to be just by wearing haute couture."

The guests attending the birthday party gathered around, pointing at me and whispering.

"She looks respectable enough. Why is she trying to pretend to be a Meyer?"

"She must be trying to latch onto Aaron. Look, the real Mrs. Meyer and the young miss are right here."

"I heard Aaron fathered a child with a nanny, and the girl kept claiming she was the Meyer family's heiress. The teacher even led the class to punish her. Looks like they're all the same kind."

"The nanny's daughter?" I turned to Clarisse. "At school, you were the ones who made Maeve cry and forced her to stand in the snow, weren't you?"

Clarisse shrank back under my gaze for a moment, then quickly became arrogant again.

"So what if we did? She's just an unwanted illegitimate child! Mom said Maeve's mother is a mistress and doesn't deserve my dad. And she doesn't deserve to be the Meyer family's heiress either!"

Jess stood there like a noble lady, her voice soft and gentle, yet every word dripping with superiority.

"Clarisse, don't waste time talking to people like this. Our family has always been kind-hearted. We only kept Maeve back then out of pity. A little pet raised in the house doesn't know manners. Teaching her a lesson is only right, so she won't embarrass us in public later."

I clenched my teeth and forced out each word with what little reason I had left.

"Where is Maeve? Bring her out to me. Now."

Jess covered her mouth and laughed lightly. "Why so anxious? Maeve is upstairs reflecting on her mistakes. And really, since you left the child at home, you should have taught her proper rules. Don't let her go around pretending to be a young lady and causing trouble."

As if deliberately trying to provoke me, she called upstairs.

"Dotty, bring Maeve down. Let her kneel and apologize to Clarisse in front of everyone!"

"Yes, madam!"

When I heard Dotty's familiar voice from upstairs, my heart jolted. I looked up in disbelief.

She stood at the top of the stairs.

She glanced down at me from above. The warmth she once had was gone, replaced by pure coldness and cruelty.

"Wretched girl, hurry up and come out!"

Dotty shouted behind her as if scolding an animal.

A small figure stepped forward.

It was Maeve.

Her hair was messy, her face pale, and a faint slap mark was still visible on her right cheek.

When she saw the crowd below, she immediately lowered her head like a frightened mouse, afraid to draw anyone's attention.

"Maeve!"

I couldn't stop myself from calling her. My voice trembled.

But Maeve only shuddered. She didn't look up at me. Instead, she buried her head even lower, as if trying to hide.

I turned to Dotty, unable to believe what I was seeing.

"Dotty, you raised me from childhood. I treated you like family. Before I left, I entrusted both my home and Maeve to you. Is this how you repay me?!"

"I don't understand what you're talking about, miss."

Dotty looked at me with contempt, as if I were a stray dog or an ant on the roadside.

Chapter 3

"I have worked for Madam for decades. I recognize only her and no one else. I will never take orders from anyone but her."

As Dotty spoke, she yanked Maeve down the stairs as if lifting a chick by the scruff of its neck, shoved her in front of Jess and Clarisse, and shouted sharply, "Didn't you hear Madam calling you? Hurry up and kneel to Miss Clarisse and apologize!"

Clarisse lifted her chin, stuck out her dirty shoe, and planted her hands on her hips as she glared at Maeve.

"Not only do you have to kneel and apologizeyou have to kneel down and lick my shoes clean! My mom said raising you is like raising a puppy. Puppies lick their owner's shoes. That's only natural!"

Before my eyes, my daughterwho had always been proud and obsessed with cleanlinessactually bent her knees and assumed the posture of kneeling down to lick the shoe.

"Maeve, don't!" I grabbed her at once and pressed my hands firmly on her shoulders. "Don't be afraid. Mommy is here. You're Mommy's precious girl. Don't believe them. You're not a bastard."

"B-but" Maeve shook her head in fear, and tears finally fell. "But the teacher said I'm an illegitimate child. Clarisse and Dotty said I'm an illegitimate child too Daddy doesn't love me anymore"

I wiped the tears from her face and looked up at Jess, murderous fury burning in my eyes.

"Jess, you've destroyed my daughter. I will never let you off."

Jess didn't care in the slightest. Instead, she laughed.

"Let me off? You should think about how you're going to save yourself first. Today is Clarisse's birthday party. You came here to make trouble and even tried to hit me and Clarisse. If I don't teach you a lesson, you won't know your place!"

She shot a look at the bodyguards by the door.

"Seize them! Make the mother and daughter kneel and apologize to Clarisse. If they don't apologize, don't let them leave!"

The two bodyguards rushed forward to restrain me.

Maeve clung tightly to me in terror and cried out, "Mommy, just kneel down. I don't want you to get beaten. I'm an illegitimate child. I'll apologize to Clarisse"

"Don't say that!" I cut her off, heart aching with fury. "Maeve, you've done nothing wrong. They're the ones who are wrong! Why should we apologize?"

But Maeve only cried harder, her whole body trembling.

Seeing her in this state felt like countless needles stabbing into my heart.

This was all forced on her by Jess and Clarisse! They hadn't just abused my daughterthey had shattered her spirit!

"I'll count to three. If you still don't kneel, don't blame me for being ruthless!"

Jess crossed her arms, her voice icy.

"One!"

"Two!"

I held Maeve tightly. "I won't kneel! Even if I die, I will not let my daughter suffer this humiliation!"

"Three!"

Jess shouted at the bodyguards, "Hit them! Beat them until they kneel!"

Clarisse seized the moment and rushed over, reaching out to grab Maeve's hair.

"You illegitimate childget out of my family!"

"Don't touch her!" I roared and shoved Clarisse away with one hand.

She fell to the ground and burst into loud sobs.

Seeing this, Jess screamed and lunged at me.

"How dare you push Clarisse! I'll kill you!"

She raised her hand to slap my face. I turned aside, grabbed her wrist, and flung it hard to the side.

Jess lost her balance and crashed into the cake table nearby. Cream and cake crumbs splattered all over her.

"Mommy!" Clarisse ran crying into Jess's arms. "She bullied us! Call Daddy! Hurry and call Daddy!"

At that moment, the villa doors were pushed open, and a figure stormed in, seething with rage.

"Who dares cause trouble at my daughter's birthday party?!"

Jess looked as if she had seen a savior and immediately rushed toward him, crying.

"Aaron! You're finally back! This bitch hit us! Save us!"

Clarisse cried out as well, "Daddy! This bad woman bullied Mommy and me! Punish her and that illegitimate child!"

Under everyone's gaze, Aaron slowly turned his head, and his eyes locked onto me.