Despite the unexpected drama, Ivy felt happy whenever someone wished her well.

Ivy expressed her thanks, adding a 'good night' as well.

That night, she slept soundly, unaware of the storm brewing.

The next morning, Ivy had a light breakfast before getting ready for her big day. The Watson family arrived not long after. Helen Watson had picked out a set of pink diamond jewelry to complement Ivy’s white off-shoulder gown. The look was stunning.

Once Ivy was ready, her grandparents arrived, too.

As the morning faded into afternoon, guests began to arrive. Ivy moved through the crowd alongside her father, Richard, mingling with his business associates. Everyone had something nice to say about her, showering her with praise.

Later, three young women entered the hall, catching Ivy’s attention immediately.

“Mom, Dad, my friends are here,” she said excitedly.

Richard glanced over. One of the girls was the daughter from the Miller Pharmaceuticals, someone he’d met before. He nodded approvingly but reminded Ivy, “Talk to your friends for a bit, but don’t forget the main event later. Tonight, we’ll announce your engagement to William. Be ready!”

“I know, Dad.” Ivy stepped back and hurried over to greet her friends.

“Elena, Kim, Luna, so nice to see you!”

Elena hugged her tightly. “Happy birthday, Ivy!”

“Thank you!”

Ivy hugged them too, graciously accepting their birthday gifts.

Elena and Luna Brown had been Ivy’s best friends since childhood. Kimberly was her college roommate, and the four of them had naturally become inseparable over time.

“After the party's over, I’ll treat you all to dinner.” Ivy said cheerfully.

“You’d better! We’re going to make you pay!” Kimberly teased, and the four of them laughed and chatted away, lost in their conversation.

None of them noticed the woman who had just entered the room.

Dressed in plain slacks and a blouse that starkly contrasted the glamorous eveningwear around her, the woman’s eyes darted over to the group of friends.

Ivy looked radiant, like fresh snow on a mountaintop—pure and breathtaking.

But in the woman’s eyes, there was nothing but burning hatred. Her gaze shifted to Ivy’s parents.

They were the picture of elegance, mingling with other high-profile guests, exuding wealth and authority.

The woman’s hands clenched into fists so tightly that her nails dug into her palms. The pain grounded her as one thought consumed her mind.

‘This should have been mine. Today, I should have been the one in the spotlight.’

And Ivy… Ivy had stolen it all from her.

‘Just wait,’ the woman seethed silently. ‘Everyone here is going to know the truth. Ivy Collins is nothing but a fraud. All the money and prestige she’s enjoying? None of it belongs to her. She’s going to fall from grace, and when she does, I’ll be there to watch.’

The woman hid herself among the crowd, quietly biding her time.

Ivy, oblivious to the woman’s presence, continued enjoying her party.

As evening approached, just before Ivy was set to make an important announcement, a man entered the hall, holding a delicate bouquet of baby’s breath.

He walked up to Ivy with a polite smile. “Ms. Collins, these flowers are from my boss. He wanted to wish you a very happy birthday.”

Ivy blinked, surprised. ‘Who could have sent these?’

She accepted the bouquet, smiling warmly. “Thank you. Please pass on my thanks to your boss.”

“Enjoy your evening, Ms. Collins.” The man bowed slightly before leaving.

Soon after, Richard took the microphone and called for everyone’s attention.

“Thank you all for joining us today. It’s a special day, as it’s my daughter’s 21st birthday. But there’s another reason for this celebration, something joyous that I’d like to share with all of you.”

With a loving glance at Ivy, Richard added, “I believe such a big announcement should come from my daughter herself.”

“Don’t keep us in suspense, Ivy! Tell us!” someone in the crowd called out.

“Yes, come on, Ivy!” others chimed in.

“I bet she’s going to announce her engagement to William. They’ve been engaged for years, and Ivy’s at the perfect age to marry.”

“I think you’re right.”

The guests continued to murmur, speculating about what Ivy was about to say.

Ivy took the microphone from her father, her heart racing as she looked out at the sea of faces. She took a deep breath, a smile forming on her lips. Just as she was about to speak, a voice suddenly cut through the room.

“The real daughter of the Collins family has been living in poverty, while this imposter here enjoys the life that was never hers—dressed in designer gowns, basking in everyone’s praise. How shameless can you be, Ivy?”

“Real daughter? Imposter?” The crowd buzzed with shock. The whispers quickly turned into a low roar.

The woman’s voice, calm yet sharp, had captured everyone’s attention.

Richard’s face darkened, immediately sensing trouble. Someone was here to cause a scene. He glared in the direction of the voice and demanded, “Who’s spreading such nonsense at my daughter’s birthday party?”

All eyes turned toward the speaker. It was the woman in the plain clothes, looking no older than her mid-twenties.

Ivy saw her face and froze.

“It’s her—the woman I saw outside the Collins estate a few nights ago. She looked so angry that night… but I didn’t understand why.”

Now, Ivy was speechless. This woman was claiming to be the real daughter of the Collins family?

With everyone staring at her, the woman, Jessica Taylor, didn’t flinch. She stepped forward and pointed directly at Ivy, her voice filled with resentment.

“I’m the real daughter of the Collins family. Twenty-one years ago, we were switched at the hospital. She took my place as the Collins’ daughter, while I was cast aside and grew up as an orphan! The girl you’ve been cherishing isn’t even your biological daughter!”

“Switched at birth? The Collins family’s child was swapped?” The room erupted in gasps and murmurs.

Twenty-one years ago, Riverburg was plagued by crime, child trafficking, and kidnappings. It wasn’t unheard of for babies to be mixed up in the chaos.

Ivy’s mind was spinning, but she quickly tried to regain her composure.

She studied Jessica’s face, and there was indeed something about her—something that vaguely resembled her father.

But Ivy also remembered seeing Jessica with an expensive crocodile leather bag that day. She hadn’t looked like someone who was suffering. Was she telling the truth, or was this some elaborate hoax?

Before Ivy could process her thoughts, Jessica stormed forward, knocking the bouquet out of Ivy’s hands.

Jessica grabbed Ivy by the throat, her eyes wild with rage. “You fraud! How dare you stand here, pretending to be me? I’ll make you pay for this!”

Ivy hadn’t expected such an extreme reaction. The grip around her throat tightened, cutting off her breath. She winced in pain, and started to feel dizzy as she struggled.

“Let… go of me…”

“Give me back what’s mine! Do you even have the guts to take a DNA test? Huh? Do you?” Jessica screamed, her eyes bloodshot with fury.