"Why would I lie about something that massive? All you have to do is look it up once you get out, and you'll see."
Saying it out loud made Mara's sense of superiority flare up again.
"Sorry we misjudged you yesterday."
One of the inmates mumbled as she chewed on a cookie.
"It's fine. We didn't know each other."
"I'm just curious. How does a filthy-rich heiress end up in a place like this?"
"You don't understand. I have a twin sister named Mira Mercer..."
Next, Mara gave them a rough overview of her life story, including how she went missing as a child and was only brought back to the family a few months ago.
She spun a tale of how she, as the innocent newcomer, was relentlessly bullied and framed by her vicious, jealous sister.
She basically listed every horrific thing she had done to Mira, but flipped the script, making Mira the villain and herself the tragic victim.
She added a generous amount of dramatic flair to make herself look like an absolute saint.
"Isn't this just the plot of one of those fake-heiress soap operas? Except you two are actually blood relatives."
Ultimately, the detention center was mind-numbingly boring. Trapped in a tiny room for most of the day, the inmates treated her story like a live soap opera.
As for whether they actually believed it? The women in here came from all walks of life; they were sharp, street-smart survivors. Not a single one bought her fabricated sob story.
Frankly, they had invented the very manipulative games Mara was trying to play.
Hardly anyone even believed she was a real Mercer heiress.
They were just listening for the entertainment value.
"This sister of yours is pure evil, but you have to admit, she's ruthless.
Usually, the fake heiress drama stays behind closed doors. She actually managed to throw you in the slammer."
"Exactly. She's evil, and she's terrifyingly manipulative."
"So what about your parents and brothers? Do they take her side, or yours?"
Mara desperately wanted to say they took Mira's side to make herself look even more helpless and pitiful.
But all the luxury snacks and supplies she just handed out came directly from her parents. The lie wouldn't hold up.


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