My sister and I were both gifted a "Family Selection System." She chose the billionaire parents, the star quarterback boyfriend, and the Prom Queen best friend. I chose the teacher parents, the quiet genius boyfriend, and the outcast bookworm best friend. My sister laughed at me. She called my choices boring and useless. What she didn't understand was simple: Money and looks can never measure a person's true worth. 1 My sister, Chloe, and I stared at the glowing blue screen floating in front of us. Our palms were sweating. We had died saving someone. Now, we were reborn in an orphanage, gifted with a "System." The System told us we had three chances to choose our family members. Parents. Best Friend. And Boyfriend. Right now, we were choosing our parents. Profiles flashed before our eyes: Politicians, Janitors, Oscar Winners, Olympians, Teachers, Billionaires... When the "Billionaire Parents" profile appeared, Chloe's breathing hitched. She pointed a shaking finger at the screen, her voice shrill with desperation. "I pick them! The billionaires!" The System turned its interface toward me. Chloe glared at me, her eyes full of warning. Parents could be shared. I could pick the billionaires too. But that would mean splitting the inheritance. And the attention. I scanned the screen. My gaze drifted past the glitz and glamour until it landed on a quiet couple. "Award-Winning Educators." Their profile described them as gentle, intellectual, and deeply committed to education. They weren't rich. But they were rich in knowledge. Growing up in that house meant receiving the best education money couldn't buy. I made my choice. "I choose the Teacher Parents." Chloe let out a breath she’d been holding. Then, she laughed. "Lily, are you stupid? Why pick those poor teachers? At least pick someone with money." I looked down, staying silent. In our past life, I learned the hard way that money can be lost. But skills? Knowledge? Those stay with you forever. Wealthy parents are nice. But capability is better. The selection ended. Soon, the orphanage director ran over, breathless. "Girls! Two families are here to adopt you both! At the same time!" Chloe's eyes lit up. She rushed out to meet her billionaire parents. But she found only a sleek Rolls Royce waiting. An assistant stepped out, adjusting his tie. "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling are busy. This car is your welcome gift." Chloe stared at the car greedily, her excitement undimmed. My new parents stood nearby. Mom held a bag of new clothes. Dad carefully balanced a homemade cake. I walked over and smiled. "Hi Mom, Hi Dad. I'm Lily." They hugged me tightly. They smelled of chalk dust and old books. Chloe watched us from the leather seat of the Rolls Royce, sneering. "Poor people's happiness is so cheap." I recalled the fine print in the System's profiles. The "points" for each set of parents were equal. If they excelled in one area, they lacked in another. My parents had love and education, but no money. Chloe's parents had infinite money. But they were also sadists. Violent, cruel, and fond of taking their stress out on their children. Chloe's life wasn't going to be the fairy tale she imagined. As the car drove away, Chloe flashed me a victorious smile. I smiled back. I wondered if she'd still be smiling after her first "lesson" from the Sterlings. 2 At home, my parents immediately drafted a study plan for me. They worried I might hate the rigorous schedule. But I devoured knowledge like a starving man at a banquet. "Our daughter is a treasure," they’d whisper proudly. They didn't know how desperate I was. In my last life, our parents favored Chloe. They sent her to college while I worked menial jobs to support the family. I suffered because I was ignorant. This time, I just wanted to learn. I graduated middle school as valedictorian. I could have gone to any local high school. But I set my sights higher. Apex Academy. It was a boarding school that recruited the nation's elite. Getting into Apex was like having one foot in the Ivy League. The entrance exam was brutal. Thousands applied. Only hundreds remained for the final round. And there, I saw Chloe. She looked haggard. Her eyes were bloodshot. When her sleeves rode up, I saw bruises—new ones layered over old ones. She looked miserable. When she saw me, her face darkened. "Lily? You're applying to Apex? Keep dreaming. You won't even pass the first round." Just then, an admissions officer walked over to me, beaming. "Lily, I've reviewed your scores. You're in. Honors Class 1." Chloe's fake smile vanished. The officer turned to her, frowning. "Chloe Sterling? You failed the first round. Please leave the premises." Chloe snapped. She started screaming at her assistant. "I want in! I want Class 1!" The Sterlings donated ten new buildings to the school. Chloe got her spot in Class 1. Waving her acceptance letter, she gloated. "See, Lily? Ten years of studying isn't worth ten minutes of my dad's money." "Hard work can't beat heritage. Too bad you picked the poor parents." Her initial misery vanished, replaced by the arrogance of a rich girl. She thought she'd won. But I looked at the fresh bruises on her arm. The Sterlings spent a fortune to get her in. They would extract the "cost" of that donation from her skin later. 3 As I predicted, Chloe didn't show up for the first month. Rumors swirled that screams were often heard coming from the Sterling mansion. I ignored them and focused on my studies. Apex was filled with geniuses. I was top of my city, but here, I was average. I worked twice as hard to keep up. One day, while heading to the bathroom, I heard noises. "Think you're smart because you're number one?" "Drink the toilet water!" "Look at her hands, all cracked. Can't even afford lotion. You deserve this." I peeked inside. The bully was Jessica, the "Class Queen." The victim was the class genius, Nova. Nova had a burn scar on her face. She was a loner. But her brain was incredible. She didn't study; she just knew. Seeing blood on Nova's lip, I felt a surge of anger. My parents taught me to cherish talent. I stormed in, pushing Jessica away. "Stop! Bullying is prohibited." Jessica sneered. "My dad is a Senator. Interfere, and I'll ruin you too." Nova pushed me away. "Leave. I don't need help." I grabbed her hand. "Don't worry. I got this." I turned to Jessica. "I know your dad is a Senator. But if you touch me, his career is over." Jessica frowned. "Why?" "My parents are National Merit Educators. They've taught half the people in the Department of Education." I stepped closer. "You touch me, it becomes a national scandal." Politicians fear bad press more than anything. Jessica weighed the risks. She dropped the mop and left. I helped Nova up. "You can tell the teachers next time." Nova shook her head silently and walked away. On the floor where she had been sitting, I found a bottle. It was full of sleeping pills. 4 I started watching Nova. The pills weren't for sleep. They were for suicide. Her backstory was a tragedy. Her parents were cops who died in the line of duty. They left her a massive trust fund. Her aunt and uncle took her in. They spent the money on their gambling addict son, then moved to a new city to hide. Now, they abused her. They stole her wages from part-time jobs. And worse? They were planning to marry her off to her cousin to keep her "in the family." "We'll break your hands so you can't take the SATs," her aunt had threatened. I was thinking about this when a notebook landed on my desk. "I summarized the key points for the next exam," Nova said, her voice cool. Sunlight hit the scar on her face. I grabbed her thin wrist. "Come to my house this weekend." She refused. I didn't give up. I pestered her to study with me. I brought her lunch. I partnered with her in gym. She didn't say much, but she tutored me relentlessly. My grades skyrocketed. Two months later, Chloe returned to school. She immediately became Jessica's new target. Without Nova to bully, Jessica turned on the "buy-in" student. Chloe tried to tell her parents, but they ignored her. They enjoyed her suffering. Teachers wouldn't touch a feud between a Senator's daughter and a Billionaire's daughter. Chloe tried to redirect Jessica to me. "Bully Lily! She's poor!" I laughed. "My parents will protect me. Your parents just want to see you bleed." Chloe's face twisted. She realized she had chosen wrong. "System!" she screamed internally. "I want to choose my Best Friend! I choose Jessica!" She glared at me, triumphant. "Lily, you're dead. Jessica is my bestie now."
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