The day I was diagnosed with cancer, I ran home, ecstatic, clutching the test results. The front door opened. My parents and brother were, as always, surrounding the fake heiress, coddling her. I rushed in, slammed the report on the table, and said: "Mom, Dad, Ethan, I have stomach cancer. It's terminal. I won't live past three months." They froze. My heart swelled with anticipation, expecting to see their faces twist with regret. I thought, even if they cried and begged on their knees, I wouldn't forgive them. But the scene I imagined never happened. They passed the diagnosis report around in silence. Finally, Dad spoke, asking me: "What kind of urn do you want?" Mom chimed in too: "Three months from now is Chloe's debutante ball. So your funeral can't be too big. It would be bad luck!" There was no dramatic regret, no chasing me to the crematorium. I died alone on the day of Chloe's debutante ball. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was first brought home. 1 My stomach still seemed to cramp with phantom pain, but the noise around me suddenly grew loud. I snapped my eyes open, just in time to see Chloe sobbing in Mom's arms. The next instant, before I could recover from the daze of rebirth, I felt a violent shove. I stumbled and fell to the floor. Looking up, I met Ethan's hostile gaze. "I'm telling you, I only recognize Chloe as my sister. So anyone or anything that hurts her, I will deal with personally." My stalled thoughts began to turn. I remembered. This was the day my parents first brought me home. I had been abused for sixteen years. So when my biological parents recognized me and brought me home, I was full of hope, thinking I would finally get family, love, everything I had dreamed of. But I didn't expect that there was already a fake heiress at home, enjoying everything in my place. So, when Ethan pushed me down, sixteen years of accumulated grievance and unwillingness exploded instantly. Covered in snot and tears, I demanded my parents kick Chloe out. I thought they didn't know what I had been through, so I ripped open my past wounds myself, every word dripping with blood. "Chloe's mother did it on purpose! She switched us intentionally! She told me herself!" "My ribs were broken by her mother three times! My right arm dislocated twelve times! My legs and chest have countless burns..." "When I was seven, her mother sold me to a circus! I lived and ate with animals, barking like a dog on stage, mimicking a dog peeing, jumping through rings of fire with zero dignity..." I screamed and cried, tearing at my clothes regardless of propriety. "Mom, Dad, Ethan, look! Look at my scars! It hurt so much back then..." "Please feel sorry for me... send Chloe away, and don't let her call you Mom, Dad, and Brother anymore, okay?" I looked up, expectant, thinking they would hug me in heartache, gently wipe away my tears. But Mom and Dad looked awkward, and a flash of disgust crossed Ethan's eyes. He spoke, mocking: "Even if what you say is true, what does that have to do with Chloe?" "She was just a child back then. She knew nothing. She's innocent." "Finding out suddenly that she isn't related to this family, Chloe must be hurting much more than you." Tears froze on my face. I looked at him in disbelief, realizing he wasn't joking at all. I turned to my parents, who had brought me home personally. Mom, who had just shed tears of pity for me, was now hugging Chloe, looking troubled. "Yes! Willow, your brother is right. Chloe is innocent after all. Can't you be more understanding?" Dad spoke up, making a direct decision: "Enough. Both stay. The Vance family can afford to raise both." "Get up off the floor and change into some decent clothes. Look at yourself, what a mess." So, in my past life, on the very first day, I stood against everyone. Three years of constant fighting followed. And for 1,095 days, I never won against Chloe, not even once. That's why, when I got the cancer diagnosis, my first reaction wasn't fear or sadness, but relief. I hoped my death would punish my biased parents, make my brother who loathed me regret everything. But alas! I bet my life and still lost miserably. On the day of Chloe's eighteenth birthday debutante ball, my ashes were quietly buried. No memorial hall, no funeral service, and... no one came to see me off. Mom, Dad, and Ethan. In this life, I don't want your love anymore. Thinking of this, my thoughts returned. I looked up at my angry brother and said: "Master Vance, I never said I wanted to be your sister." Ethan froze. Even Mom and Dad, who were comforting Chloe, looked over in surprise. 2 Dad frowned, speaking coldly: "Willow Lee, stop making a scene!" "The Vance family is wealthy. Whatever Chloe has, you'll have too. We won't mistreat our biological daughter." Mom looked at my thin frame, a flicker of heartache finally appearing in her eyes. She let go of Chloe, squatted down to help me up, and persuaded: "Willow, stop saying angry words. Besides, you're not an adult and you have no money." "If you don't acknowledge us, do you want to go back to the circus and be a monkey, teased like an animal by the audience?" Even though I had died once and lived again, hearing this still brought a sour sting to my eyes. Look at my biological mother. She actually knew I suffered, knew my dignity was trampled on for sixteen years. Yet, even knowing that, she could still use such casual words to stab me in the heart. But in my past life, I was too desperate for love. So desperate I didn't see the coldness hidden under her concern. But now... After standing firm, I raised my arm and pushed her hand away. Then, I spoke coldly: "I'm serious." "Since the public doesn't know about me yet, you can simply announce you're sponsoring a poor student from the mountains." Before they could object, I continued quickly: "Besides, I don't know any etiquette, can't taste wine, mix perfume, or arrange flowers..." "I'm afraid if people know who I am, I'll embarrass the Vance family." Mom and Dad, who were about to speak, exchanged a look and shut their mouths. Seeing this, I lowered my head, a smile of relieved mockery flashing in my eyes. This was how it was in my last life. Chloe deliberately took me to high-society banquets just to watch me make a fool of myself. And whatever guilt or pity my parents had for me vanished with every embarrassment. Terrified, thinking I wasn't good enough, I spent sleepless nights learning etiquette and knowledge. Later, at a banquet, I handled myself perfectly, even better than Chloe. I thought Mom and Dad would praise me, that Ethan would change his opinion. But Chloe just shed a single tear, and all my efforts turned to ash. Ethan cut up all my gowns. Mom and Dad fired the teachers they hired for me. Chloe got an extravagantly luxurious solo piano concert. I heard my parents spent nearly ten million on it. Ten million! If I remember correctly, my urn cost just over a thousand dollars. Indeed, I wasn't sensible enough in my past life. Always feeling wronged, unable to stop fighting and grabbing. Ending up bruised and battered, without a shred of their sympathy. Thinking about it now, what was the point? Willow Lee, what was the point? Fighting until the end, you didn't even get a decent funeral... "Alright," Dad said, breaking the silence. "We'll do as Willow says for now. We'll find you professional tutors." "Once you've learned everything, we'll hold a banquet to announce your identity as the Vance family daughter." I nodded and said politely: "Thank you, Mr. Vance." Arthur Vance frowned, correcting me: "We're at home. No need to be so distant. You can call me Dad." I shook my head, smiling distantly: "No, I'll stick with Mr. Vance. In case I get used to it and slip up in public." I turned to Grace Vance and changed my address for her too: "Thank you too, Mrs. Vance. I only need you to support me until I'm eighteen. I won't bother you for too long." Mom's face turned a bit pale. She forced a smile and tried to take my hand again: "Willow, you don't have to be like this. You are my daughter after all, we..." I dodged Grace's hand. I felt tired and didn't want to hear their hypocritical words anymore. So I shouldered my tattered bag and walked toward the guest room on the first floor. Behind me came Chloe's timid voice: "Sister Willow, I've already given up my room. You... you go up. I'll stay in the guest room!" I paused, replying only once: "No need. After all, right now, you are the legitimate daughter of the Vance family." Walking a few more steps, I heard Ethan's angry voice: "Chloe, ignore her." "Won't even call us Mom and Dad. Who is she acting pitiful for?" "Since she wants to suffer, let her suffer thoroughly. Don't even give her the guest room." "Martha, get the key to the storage room. Let Willow Lee sleep there." I felt everyone's eyes land on me instantly. I didn't turn back or argue. I just followed Martha silently to get the key. 3 I didn't go out for dinner. I just took some food back to the storage room. Passing the dining room, Chloe was laughing with Mom, Dad, and Ethan. Maybe intentionally, their voices grew louder as I walked by. Ethan practically fed Chloe her food. In my past life, I would have been hurt by this exclusion, made a scene, and upset everyone. But now, I just nodded politely at them and turned away. I have a lot to think about. Checkups, exercise, studying, and... the college entrance exam... So many things. I really don't have the energy to waste on irrelevant people. It's August now. One month until school starts. First, I got a full checkup. Seeing that my stomach hadn't developed cancer yet, I breathed a sigh of relief. Then, I made a strict schedule and asked for a full set of high school textbooks. Every day, before the Vance family woke up, I washed up and went for a run. Then, timing it perfectly, I finished breakfast and went back to my room to study before they came downstairs. Mrs. Vance tried to bring me milk and chat many times, but was blocked by my lukewarm attitude. Gradually, she probably got annoyed too. Her attitude cooled, and Martha started bringing the milk. When my brain was fuzzy from studying, I looked up and saw the milk under the warm lamp. The once warm milk was now cold. The corner of my mouth couldn't help but curve into an ironic smile. My mother! Say she has no heart, yet she gives me hope in tiny ways. A glass of milk, combing my hair once, making brown sugar ginger tea herself when I had my period... But say she has a heart! She doesn't know I'm lactose intolerant, doesn't know I'm allergic to ginger, and always leaves me alone to recover when I break down. In my past life, I was driven crazy by her ambiguous motherly love. Sometimes, I wonder if she didn't want me back. Did she feel my existence embarrassed her in her social circle? Otherwise, why be so cruel to me? ... Time slipped away silently like milk down a drain. When Arthur asked which high school I wanted to attend, I unhesitatingly chose Chloe's school. Seeing this, Ethan sneered: "Being so quiet for a month, I almost thought you weren't the competitive type." "What, can't hold it in anymore? Going to school to trouble Chloe?" I looked up, unflinching, straight into Ethan's eyes, and said calmly: "I chose this school because it's the best in City A, with the best teachers." "Also, Master Vance, the college entrance exam is very important to me." "Don't worry. I won't ruin my future for the childish reasons you mentioned." Ethan's face darkened, but Arthur looked up suddenly, eyeing me thoughtfully. "Sister, don't say that about Brother. He's just worried about me." "Also, Mom, Dad, don't worry. I know the school well. I'll take good care of Sister." The awkward atmosphere was pulled back on track by Chloe. Grace smiled and hugged Chloe: "Truly Mom's darling, so sensible!" Scenes that stung me repeatedly in my past life now felt like drops of water in the ocean—no ripples at all. My phone dinged. I checked it and smiled. The school approved my dorm application. 4 Getting in the car, Chloe volunteered: "Sister, you and Brother sit in the back! I'll take the passenger seat." Before she could take a step, Ethan grabbed her. "What passenger seat? You sit in the back with me. The passenger seat is for outsiders." Ethan glanced at me while speaking. Unfortunately, I didn't show the hurt or disappointment he expected. Instead, I breathed a sigh of relief and nodded politely at him. What I desperately wanted in my past life, I now avoided like the plague. The car drove smoothly to school. Unsurprisingly, Chloe and I were in the same class again. During PE, she dragged a group of friends over to introduce me. Of course, it wasn't out of kindness. In my past life, I suffered a lot because of these friends. I looked up at the familiar faces. In my past life, I desperately wanted to compete with Chloe, so naturally, I wanted to steal her friends too. I poured my heart out, sucking up to each of them like a dog. Later I learned they had a group chat called "Training the Bitch Dog." They shared photos of my humiliation in the circus and discussed what fun demands to make next. Then, the day before the college entrance exam, they took photos of my degradation and my dignity-less sucking up. They printed them out and used drones to scatter them all over the school. So, despite maintaining the top rank in school for two years... Despite teachers agreeing I was a lock for top universities... I didn't even take the exam. I ran to question them under everyone's strange looks. Crying, asking why. Why treat me like this? Was I not good enough to them? Back then, they laughed, grabbing a few flying papers and throwing them in my face, mocking: "Look at your embarrassing state. How do you have the nerve to make friends?" "Just breathing the same air as you makes us sick!" "This is your punishment for making Chloe sad..." My thoughts returned. In front of me, Chloe put on a wronged expression again: "Sister, do you... not like my friends? I didn't mean anything else, just saw you were lonely..." I stood up, interrupting her. "Play with your friends. Don't worry about me." But this time, my cold attitude seemed to pique their interest. All day, they tried to talk to me. Giving me snacks, asking me to lunch, even ignoring Chloe for it. I looked down, smiling mockingly. What a performance! I didn't want to deal with them in this life, but since they insist on rushing to me... I'll give them a big gift! Just like in my past life, Chloe didn't wait for me after school and had the driver take her home. I knew her plan. In my past life, she deliberately got soaked in the rain. When she got home, she just cried without speaking. Later, under questioning from Mom, Dad, and Ethan, she hesitantly told the "truth." She said she knew I held a grudge. So even though she knew I hired someone to lock her in the bathroom and drench her, she didn't blame me. Hearing this, my face turned red instantly, and I shouted in anger: "She's lying! I didn't..." Unfortunately, what greeted me wasn't trust, but a hard slap. They didn't even want to hear my defense before making a final judgment. That night, I was locked out of the house in a torrential downpour. But sadly, this time, no one would be in the mood to care about Chloe's suffering act. I didn't take the bus home like last time. After dinner, I studied while waiting for something. Sure enough, near 7 PM, my phone vibrated like crazy. I paused, then answered. On the other end, Mrs. Vance cried incoherently: "Willow, something happened, come quick..."
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