No Longer My Burden

On the day of the party, my parents arrived at the venue early.

The moment Mom saw Elliot in his tailored suit, her face lit up with a wide smile as she rushed over, reaching out to pull him into a hug.

Elliot smoothly stepped aside, dodging her embrace. A trace of distance flickered through his eyes.

Mom froze in place, instantly embarrassed.

Smiling, I wrapped an arm around Elliot’s shoulder. "Sorry. He’s never liked physical contact with people he isn’t familiar with."

Dad’s face darkened immediately. He pointed at me angrily. "What kind of nonsense is that? We’re his grandparents by blood. How are we strangers?"

"You didn’t raise him, and you never fulfilled any responsibility as elders. To him, you’re no different from strangers."

"You—!" Mom snapped, "How can you talk like that? We’re your parents. We’re your son’s grandparents!"

"I already cut ties with you a long time ago. I didn’t invite you here. If you’re unhappy, feel free to leave."

I couldn’t be bothered to argue with them any further, so I told Elliot to get ready to go onstage later.

Among today’s guests were many heavyweights from the business world, connections I had built over years of hard work. I had also specifically invited the media. It was both a celebration for Elliot and a way to pave the road for Northvale Holding’s future successor.

My parents watched as I moved calmly through the crowd in a bespoke gown, champagne in hand, chatting and laughing with powerful figures. Their expressions grew complicated.

Mom lowered her voice and said to Dad, "Don’t you feel like Natalie looks more and more impressive these days? She seems to be doing even better than Sophia."

Dad let out a cold snort. "So what if she looks impressive? Sebastian is the CEO of the giant Langford Corporation. Natalie just runs a small company. Besides…" His voice dropped even further. "She’s still in the dark. She has no idea that the heir she worked so hard to raise is actually Sophia’s son. In the end, she’s just doing all this for someone else."

After finishing my rounds among the guests, I stepped onto the stage as planned to celebrate Elliot’s admission into Sterling University and announce that he would inherit Northvale Holdings in the future.

Thunderous applause erupted.

Elliot walked steadily onto the stage, took the microphone, and looked at me. "If I’ve achieved anything today, the person I need to thank the most is my mom!"

The words had barely left his mouth when the doors to the hall were kicked open.

Sophia stormed in, wearing an eye-catching bright red dress and towering high heels, her presence aggressive and unrestrained. She raised her hand and pointed straight at me. "She’s not your mother at all. I am your biological mother!"

The man linked arm-in-arm with her was her CEO husband, Sebastian Langford.

The entire room exploded into chaos. Media cameras instantly swung toward them.

With reddened eyes, Sophia pointed at Elliot and shouted, "Kid, I’m your real mother. Back then, it was Natalie who stole you from my side and forced me to search for you for over ten years!"

The hall erupted with murmurs. Cameras clicked nonstop as reporters captured every second.

Standing beside her, Sebastian looked at Elliot with deep emotion. "Son, your parents have finally found you. From now on, you’ll be the sole heir of our company!"

Their expressions were so moving that it was almost convincing, as if they were truly parents who had spent years desperately searching for their lost child.

Sophia briskly pulled out the child’s birth certificate from back then.

"Look. I have all the evidence! I’ve been looking for you for so many years, my sweet child. I never imagined my own sister could do something like this!"

Some guests and reporters were genuinely fooled by their performance. A few even began wiping away tears.

Sophia stepped onto the stage, reaching out to take Elliot’s hand.

Cameras zoomed in, ready to capture this so-called touching reunion.

However, Elliot frowned deeply and shoved her hand away.

"Ma'am," he said coldly, "I don’t know you at all."