The Billionaire Ex-Wife and the Beggar He Became novel Chapter 30

"That's right!"

Neither of the two female staff knew that the woman standing before them—Winona—was the same girl who had been cast out by her own family, the infamous 'impostor heiress.'

The name Winona wasn't even her original one. She'd legally changed it the day she turned eighteen.

At the registry office, the clerk had looked at her and asked, "What's your name? Your surname?"

She couldn't use the surname 'Shepherd' anymore—not after everything that had happened. So her mind went to the only person who'd ever shown her genuine kindness: her grandmother, Helga Perkins.

"My surname is Perkins," she told the clerk.

"And your first name?"

She'd hesitated, thinking of how her adoptive parents had driven her out, and her biological parents had refused to acknowledge her. It seemed that wherever she went, she was always one step too late.

"Winona," she said softly.

From her eighteenth birthday onward, she was Winona Perkins.

But before that, before she turned sixteen, she had been Joy Shepherd.

Back then, she'd been the darling of the Shepherd family—showered with love by her parents, grandparents, and brothers. She was a bright, top student with a future everyone admired.

Then, when she was sixteen, her second brother, Jason, was diagnosed with leukemia.

The entire family went to the hospital for bone marrow compatibility tests, and that was when the truth came out: Joy wasn't a Shepherd by blood.

The news hit the family like a bolt of lightning, shattering everything they thought they knew.

An urgent investigation into the hospital records led to the obvious answer: a mix-up at birth. The most likely candidate was the baby girl born in the next room that very same day.

Sixteen is an age when first love blooms, and for a girl starved of affection, Joy's feelings for Julian grew uncontrollably. She poured her heart into him; to her, he was everything.

But no matter how desperately she tried, Julian wouldn't give her a second glance.

Meanwhile, Felicity's life turned around completely. To make up for sixteen years apart, Mr. Shepherd hired the best tutors in the country to give Felicity one-on-one lessons. She rewarded their faith by gaining admission to a top university and later a prestigious graduate program—becoming the very picture of the diligent, noble, and untainted true heiress.

Even Julian, at their first meeting three years ago, had been captivated by Felicity's resilience, her bright confidence, and the strength that shone through her gentle manner.

After Julian and Felicity fell in love, Julian went for months without saying a single word to Winona. Their marriage, Winona realized, had been over for a long time.

When Winona returned to the lounge carrying a glass of water, she ran right into Julian and Felicity, who were escorting a distinguished-looking man in his fifties or sixties.

Felicity was saying, "Mr. Frank, I'm so glad you're pleased with my design."

Julian looked up, saw Winona, and his brow furrowed in surprise. "What are you doing here?!" he demanded.