Part 1The Comatose Billionaire My Sister Rejected

My twin sister, Serena, always claimed to be a modern-day feminist icon.

Ethan Sterling, the sole heir to the Sterling empire in New York, had a horrific car accident and ended up in a vegetative state.

The doctors said he wouldn't survive the year.

To secure his legacy, his mother, Eleanor Sterling, approached my highly educated, gorgeous sister.

She promised $30 million and a luxury penthouse in Manhattan if Serena married him and had his baby.

Serena held her head high, looking down her nose.

"Eleanor, pregnancy is just objectifying women," Serena scoffed. "You're not just humiliating me; you're humiliating yourself!"

Everyone praised Serena for her integrity and pride.

Eleanor's face flushed red with embarrassment.

Right then, floating system comments appeared right in front of my eyes.

[Serena, stop being so proud. Ethan is going to wake up in two months! And his mind is actually conscious right now—he can hear everything you're saying!]

[Once he wakes up, you guys will have a marriage-first, love-later romance. By then, never mind $30 million—half of the Sterling fortune will be yours!]

I immediately stepped forward and stopped Eleanor.

"Mrs. Sterling, if Serena doesn't want to do it, I will."

Marrying into a billionaire family didn't matter to me.

What mattered was that I really, really needed that $30 million!

* * *

Eleanor's eyes lit up. "Are you serious, Chloe?"

I nodded quickly. "Yes. Serena and I are twins. I was born just a minute after her, and I have a college degree too."

"Chloe!" my mother interrupted, her face darkening. "Mrs. Sterling was looking for Serena. Why are you jumping around trying to show off?"

Serena also frowned at me. "Chloe, I don't mean to judge, but just because you haven't found a job a year after graduation doesn't mean you should degrade yourself for some quick cash."

The rest of our relatives pointed fingers and accused me of ruining the family's reputation.

"Chloe is just nothing compared to Serena. Serena has always had high standards, unlike her sister."

"Exactly. Serena got a top corporate job offer before she even graduated. Chloe just freeloads at home. Now she's trying to take a shortcut by having a baby for a rich guy."

Their comments stung, clearly hinting that I was shameless.

Terrified that Eleanor would misunderstand, I quickly explained. "I'm not lazy. I didn't look for a full-time job because my grandmother got sick and needed full-time care. Mrs. Sterling, please consider me. I'm very healthy."

My parents had always favored Serena. When they moved to the city to work, they only took her with them. I was raised entirely by my grandmother, Evelyn.

The year I graduated, I actually landed a job with a $150,000 salary. I thought I could finally bring Grammy over to enjoy life. But then, she was diagnosed with advanced cancer.

My family refused to pay for her treatment or care for her. They even planned to dump her in a cheap nursing home to let her die.

I couldn't watch her die. So, I came home, working odd freelance gigs while taking care of her.

But $30 million...

With that money, Grammy could get the best treatment in the world.

Desperate, I grabbed Eleanor's hand and started listing my academic achievements.

This made Serena unhappy.

She walked over and yanked my hand away.

"Chloe, stop it. Can't you see you're making Mrs. Sterling uncomfortable?"

"Your gold-digging intentions are too obvious. I know you've wanted to marry rich since you were a kid, but look at yourself. How could you possibly be worthy of the Sterling family?"

We share the exact same DNA. If I'm not worthy, how are you?

Before I could snap back, Eleanor actually spoke up for me. "Our family doesn't care about background. But Chloe, did you misunderstand something?"

"We only want an heir for Ethan. Even if you sign a marriage certificate with him, once the baby is born, you won't get a single penny of the Sterling estate. Are you still willing?"

I nodded. "Yes, I am."

Eleanor let out a sigh of relief, but then added, "The only reason I approached Serena was because of her high IQ of 120. We need to ensure the baby has good genes. If you want to take her place, you'll have to take an IQ test."

I agreed immediately.

As soon as Eleanor left, Serena burst into tears.

"Chloe, your greed really disappoints me."

"If it were anything else, I would let you have it. But Ethan is in a vegetative state. I don't want you to suffer for me. Let's reject Mrs. Sterling together when she comes back, okay?"

Everyone rushed to comfort her, glaring at me like I was a selfish monster who stole her sister's spotlight.

"Chloe is so thoughtless. How could she steal her sister's opportunity?"

"Serena, a family of their caliber would never want Chloe anyway."

Classic. With just a few words, she turned everyone against me.

But I knew she was just playing the martyr. She wanted that $30 million more than anyone. In fact, right after Eleanor contacted us yesterday, I saw her searching on her phone for what she could buy with $30 million.

I thought the IQ test results would take a few days, but that very night, Eleanor called me.

"Chloe, your IQ is actually higher than Serena's. You scored a 130. Are you absolutely sure you want to have Ethan's baby?"

I replied, "Absolutely."