When the billionaire couple came to adopt us, my sister immediately clung to them, leaving me alone to live with our grandmother. She thought she was securing a future of immense wealth and luxury. What she didn't know was that her new "brother" was a violent psychopath who tormented her every single day. Her adoptive parents were completely biased, only scolding and beating her. In the end, she lost her mind, stabbed her entire adoptive family, and was thrown in prison. I, on the other hand, became the youngest head researcher at the State Agricultural Research Institute. I developed a revolutionary strain of high-yield wheat, was nominated for a prestigious national science award, and had a limitless future. My sister escaped from prison, crashed my award ceremony, and murdered me in a fit of jealous rage. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the billionaires came to adopt us. This time, my sister lunged to grab our grandmother's arm first, shooting me a venomous glare: "Sister, it's your turn to go to hell." But she didn't realize that no matter which path you choose, if you don't use your brain, it always leads to a dead end. As for me, my dream has always been the same— To develop agriculture and change the world. 1 "Have you two decided? Who wants to come with us?" Inside our rundown, drafty house stood a couple dressed in impeccably tailored, expensive clothes. The woman looked at us gently, asking in a soft voice. They were the Vanderbilts, one of the most prominent, old-money families in Seattle. They had come to our small town to adopt a child, choosing between me and my older sister. My sister, Harper, froze for a second, her eyes exploding with wild joy. Then, she forcefully shoved me aside, turned, and threw her arms around our grandmother. Pouting, she cried out, "I want to stay here with Grandma!" The wealthy woman turned her gaze to me, her eyes curving into a warm smile. "So it looks like you'll be coming with us, is that right?" Harper chimed in quickly, "Yes, yes! Let my little sister go home with you." Grandma was rarely treated with such affection by Harper. She looked stunned, awkwardly reaching out to pat the top of Harper's head. Before today, Harper had always despised Grandma for being poor. She bossed her around constantly and called her an "old hag." There were even times when Harper had a midnight craving and, despite a torrential downpour outside, would shake our elderly grandmother awake, demanding she walk to the store to buy snacks. Grandma was understandably confused. She knew Harper hated being poor and despised our cramped house. So why, when a billionaire family came to adopt one of us, was Harper acting so out of character? Why would she refuse to leave with them and choose to stay? Grandma couldn't understand why Harper would break character to stay in our impoverished home. But I knew exactly why. Because both Harper and I had been reborn. I knelt on the floor and bowed my head deeply to my grandmother. "Grandma, thank you for taking care of me all these years. As long as I have the chance, I will definitely repay you." After paying my respects, I stood up. I walked calmly toward Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt. "I will go with you." 2 In our past life, my sister had lunged forward, practically throwing herself into the Vanderbilts' arms, decisively choosing to leave with them. She thought that by entering the opulent Vanderbilt household, she was guaranteed a happy, fairytale life as a pampered princess. She had no idea that the Vanderbilts had ulterior motives for adopting a daughter. The Vanderbilts had a biological son named Cole. He was well-mannered and incredibly handsome. Unfortunately, he was also an absolute psychopath with severe bipolar disorder. When Harper entered the Vanderbilt mansion, what awaited her wasn't the meticulous love of wealthy parents or the doting affection of a billionaire brother. It was the torment of a madman. When Cole's condition seemed somewhat stable, his parents decided to send him to a regular high school. But they were worried he wouldn't adapt well on his own, which was why they decided to adopt a child. On her first day at the Vanderbilt estate, Harper was thrilled, eager to build a good relationship with Cole. But Cole despised strangers suddenly appearing in his home. Instead of welcoming her with a smile, he walked straight up to Harper and slapped her across the face. Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt acted as if this was perfectly normal. Ignoring the angry red welt on Harper's face, they coldly ordered her to keep an eye on her new brother. At school, the other students looked down on Harper for being an adopted "charity case." The local golden boy, Julian Montgomery, even led the charge in bullying her. Her life at school became a living hell. And when she came home, if Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt discovered Cole had an episode at school and gotten hurt, they would beat Harper with a belt or force her to kneel in the hallway all night. Harper lived a miserable life. In contrast, my life had been very peaceful. After Harper left, Grandma gave me all her undivided love and attention. I studied fiercely at school every day. After school, I helped Grandma run her small vegetable stand at the farmer's market. Even though life was hard work, I felt incredibly happy. Later, a leading researcher from the State Agricultural Research Institute visited our high school and recognized my potential immediately. I didn't let him down. I earned a full scholarship to a top agricultural university, joined the Research Institute, worked under him in the labs, and successfully developed a revolutionary high-yield strain of wheat. Because of this breakthrough, I was nominated for the highest national science and technology award, becoming the youngest nominee in history. My future was bright and limitless. Meanwhile, driven insane by years of abuse, Harper snapped. She stabbed her entire adoptive family and was thrown into federal prison. It's a shame I never made it to the podium to accept my award. On the day of the ceremony, Harper escaped from prison. Seeing me standing in the center of the stage, surrounded by applause, she was consumed by a blinding, jealous rage. Like a maniac, she lunged at me and stabbed me over a dozen times. So, reborn into this new life, she didn't hesitate to choose to stay with Grandma, determined to push me into the abyss of the Vanderbilt family. As I walked out the door, I looked back one last time. Grandma was looking at me with deep reluctance and sadness. But Harper, leaning against Grandma's chest, glared at me with eyes full of pure venom. She sneered coldly. "Sister, this time, it's your turn to go to hell." She was absolutely certain that by entering the Vanderbilt home, I would suffer the exact same torment she endured in our past life. But hasn't Harper, who already died once, realized the truth yet? No matter which path you choose, if you navigate life as brainlessly as she did, it will always lead to a dead end. 3 Harper was right about one thing: on my very first day in the Vanderbilt house, I learned that Cole was a complete and utter psychopath. My new parents brought me home and pulled me in front of a handsome young man with dark, intense eyes. They looked at Cole and said softly, "Cole, from now on, she's your little sister. When you go to school, she'll take good care of you." With that, Mrs. Vanderbilt pushed me forward, presenting me to Cole like a brand-new toy. "From now on, your job is to take good care of your brother. You are not to let him get hurt in any way, do you understand?" I looked at the young man standing in front of me. "Understood." Once Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt left the room. Cole lazily strolled over to me, looking me up and down with an air of absolute superiority. After a long moment, he let out a scoff. "What the hell is this? You think you're worthy of being my sister?" The next second, he reached out, grabbed the back of my head, and violently slammed my face into the mahogany table. A loud CRACK echoed through the room. His eyes were filled with violence. He looked at me with pure disdain, like he was looking at an insignificant ant. "Stupid bitch." At that exact moment, Mrs. Vanderbilt, who had forgotten something, turned back into the room. She saw me pinned to the table, looking miserable, with Cole's hand gripping the back of my neck. She didn't look surprised at all. She simply picked up what she needed. As she walked past Cole, she shot me a quick glance and said coldly, "Autumn Vanderbilt, keep a close eye on him. Don't let your brother get hurt." With my neck pinned, I could only shift my eyes to look at Cole and answer softly, "Understood. I'll take good care of him." Seeing how Mr. and Mrs. Vanderbilt pretended to care about Cole but were actually so profoundly indifferent, I realized something. I felt sorry for Cole. Truly sorry for him. The Vanderbilts were busy executives, and they quickly left for a business trip. Once I confirmed they were actually gone. I reached up, grabbed a fistful of Cole's hair, and yanked downward with all my strength. My voice was dead calm. "Let go of me, you brainless psycho." The pain made Cole flinch. He involuntarily let go, glaring at me furiously. "You dare curse at me? I'll tell Mom and Dad and have you thrown out!" I stepped around Cole, my eyes curving into a slight smile. "Mom just saw you pinning me down by the neck. I didn't even dare to fight back." "So how could I possibly dare to curse at you, big brother?" As I walked upstairs, I warned Cole: "Until Mom and Dad get back, you'd better behave. Don't pull any crazy stunts." With that, I completely ignored Cole's expression of utter disbelief and walked away. I let Cole pound furiously on my bedroom door until the walls shook. I didn't even flinch. 4 Harper wasn't satisfied with merely pushing me into the abyss. She started a live stream. Putting on a fragile facade, she filmed herself with tear-filled eyes. Harper had a naturally innocent face. With her dark hair cascading down her shoulders, she looked even more helpless. She spoke pitifully: "My little sister and I were raised by our grandmother since we were babies. I have a very deep bond with her." "When forced to choose between the luxurious life of a wealthy family and the quiet companionship of my only real family..." "Because my grandmother's health is failing, I decided to stay by her side. I just want to spend as much time with her as I can." Harper paused, letting out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh: "But my sister didn't even look back. She chose the billionaires. She didn't care at all about how Grandma would survive after she left. I honestly feel like she's a cold, heartless person." More and more viewers poured into her live stream. Hearing Harper's words, the internet mob quickly turned on me, ruthlessly bashing me as an ungrateful, gold-digging traitor. Harper quickly added, "I'm not saying what my sister did was completely wrong. I know that when given the choice, picking wealth is just human nature." "I can understand why she did it." "Of course," Harper tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice soft and gentle, "I will always stay by Grandma's side." Harper stared at her phone screen, flashing a pure, innocent smile, like a solitary white flower blooming in a barren desert. She clenched her fist, as if cheering herself on: "I'll take good care of Grandma! We'll live a good life together!" Seeing Harper's pure, harmless act, many viewers felt their hearts break for her. Her live stream was clipped and spread like wildfire across social media platforms like TikTok and Twitter. Overnight, everyone was praising her as an untainted angel blooming in the mud. And I was branded the greedy, social-climbing villain. 5 Unsurprisingly, almost everyone at my new high school had seen that viral video. Julian Montgomery was the "Prince" of the school, born with a silver spoon in his mouth. He had never seen a girl as stubborn and principled as the one in the video—someone who, when faced with the choice between unimaginable wealth and family, chose family without hesitation. Not only that, she was strong and pure. In contrast, as the gold-digging, materialistic sister, I appeared even more toxic and deceitful. Julian always despised social climbers like me. So, he led his crew of lackeys to corner me aggressively outside the girls' restroom. Julian was smoking a cigarette. He leaned against the wall, looking down at me with absolute arrogance. He blew a puff of smoke directly into my face. "Look at you... A filthy little cockroach like you doesn't even deserve to breathe the air at this school!" Julian flicked his cigarette ash. The next second, he pressed the burning cherry of the cigarette directly into my forearm. I was being held back by his lackeys and couldn't move an inch. I could only watch as Julian's cigarette burned into my skin. With a sickening sizzle, an angry, red blister instantly formed. Seeing this, the boys around him erupted into a chorus of mocking, sinister laughter. Harper had been tipped off and brought over, arriving just in time to witness the scene. Immediately, she widened her eyes, covered her mouth, and gasped in shock, "How could you guys do this?!" Julian looked up, lazily pushed himself off the wall, walked over to Harper, and chuckled softly. "Hey there, little thing." "I'm getting revenge for you. Don't you like that?" Harper stole a quick glance at me, hiding the triumph in her eyes. Then, she stomped her foot, looking angrily at Julian. "I don't like this! This is going way too far!" Seeing Harper scrunch her nose in anger, Julian scoffed. He grabbed her arm, threw his arm around her shoulder, and steered her away. "Don't like it? Fine, I'll use a different method next time." Harper's voice was sweet and coquettish: "Julian, how can you treat a classmate like that? You shouldn't!" As they rounded the corner, Harper subtly looked back, sweeping a contemptuous glare over me. She was naturally triumphant. In her past life, the person who bullied her the most at school was Julian. In this life, with our positions swapped, Julian had actually taken a liking to her and was helping her bully me. But, dear sister, we've been reborn. Relying on a man—is that really your only strategy? 6 During his first few days at school, Cole was actually quite calm. He kept to himself and didn't cause any trouble. But when I returned to the classroom after handing in a test, I found the room in absolute chaos. Cole's desk had been flipped over, his books scattered all over the floor. Cole was nowhere to be seen. The other students still had fear in their eyes. They told me what happened. Cole had been sitting perfectly still when he suddenly snapped. Out of nowhere, he went into a frenzy, violently smashing everything within his reach. I found Cole in an empty classroom down the hall. Teachers were standing hesitantly at the door, but no one dared to go inside. He was sitting silently on a single chair in the middle of the room, a bottomless, violent rage hiding beneath his eyes. Seeing this scene, a look of venomous glee flashed across Harper's face. The memories of being abused by Cole when he lost his mind in our past life were still fresh. She screamed in mock terror: "Cole is a psycho! He's sick in the head!" Having taken care of Cole for so long in the past life, didn't she know that people having a bipolar manic episode shouldn't be provoked? I marched forward, raised my hand, and slapped Harper hard across the face. I commanded her: "Shut up! Don't say another word!" She stumbled back, hitting the wall. Harper's eyes widened, and she opened her mouth to scream. But in the next second, she caught sight of Julian and his crew walking down the hallway. Harper's eyes darted quickly, and she immediately started sobbing, fat tears rolling down her cheeks. She cried out, "Why are you bullying me?!" Seeing this, Julian's jaw tightened. He marched over furiously. "Hey! Autumn Vanderbilt, do you have a death wish?!" I completely ignored Julian. I turned, stepped into the classroom no one else dared to enter, and slammed the door shut behind me. I faced Cole's terrifying, sudden glare. My gaze was steady as I held out a bottle of pills. "Take your medication." Cole's voice was icy. He said bluntly, "Get out!" Seeing me step closer, Cole's fingers curled into fists. The next second, he stood up, grabbed me by the throat, and shoved me toward the floor. Cole's eyes were bloodshot. A low growl tore from his throat. "I said, GET OUT!" I wasn't surprised by this at all. But this was a school, not the Vanderbilt mansion. This wasn't a place where Cole could throw a tantrum without consequences. Growing up with Grandma, I had done years of manual farm labor. If there was one thing I had, it was physical strength. Without making a sound, I pried Cole's hands off my neck, grabbed him by the collar, and flipped him, pinning him to the floor. Pressing him down, I enunciated every word: "I said, take your meds!" Cole was in the middle of a manic episode and couldn't process a word I was saying. He struggled, trying to get up: "You dare treat me like this?! I'll tell Mom and Dad and have you thrown out!" My voice was freezing cold: "Be my guest." If it weren't for the fact that the Vanderbilts had helped my Grandma financially in the past, and I felt I owed them a debt of gratitude... I never would have obediently agreed to leave with them. Unable to overpower me, a vicious light gleamed in Cole's eyes. He opened his mouth and bit down hard on my forearm. He didn't hold back. In an instant, blood was pouring down my arm. But I wasn't going to coddle him. I punched him hard in the face, my arm bleeding, as we wrestled on the floor. Cole had already exhausted most of his energy during his earlier outburst. By the end of it, I had his arms pinned behind his back, forcing him to swallow his pills. Cole glared at me with pure hatred. "Autumn Vanderbilt! You're insane!" I slapped him without hesitation. "You're the one who's insane." "Brainless idiot." 7 Because of this incident, Cole had his episode right in the middle of the school. Almost everyone now knew that Cole Vanderbilt had severe bipolar disorder. Harper went out of her way to spread rumors around the school, telling everyone Cole was a violent psychopath and warning people to stay away from him. When Julian asked her about it. Tears immediately welled up in Harper's eyes. She looked up at him pitifully: "Cole is a very scary person. I've... I've seen him hurt people before. I just want the other students to stay away from him so they'll be safe." Hearing this... The slight discomfort Julian had felt vanished instantly, and he found Harper even more pure-hearted and kind. He pulled Harper into a protective embrace, waved his hand, and declared grandly: "Don't be scared. Stick with me, and I'll never let anyone bully you." Hearing this, Harper put on a shy expression. She blushed, lightly swatting Julian's arm, and whined softly: "What are you talking about..." Precisely because of the rumors Harper was spreading... Cole, who was already isolated, now had no one who dared to come near him. Except for me. At school, I kept an eye on Cole, making sure he took his medication on time. Cole was incredibly impatient with me. More than once, he yelled at me to get lost. I would just watch him swallow his pills, cap the bottle, and walk away: "I don't actually want to be near you either." Because during Cole's last episode, I had impatiently slapped Harper. Julian had seen it. He believed I was bullying Harper, which made him despise me even more. At school, I often found my desk and chair covered in permanent marker, spelling out "Bitch" and "Slut." When I went to the cafeteria to eat, people would intentionally bump into me, spilling food all over my clothes. Sometimes, I'd go to the bathroom and come back to find snakes, dead rats, or cockroaches stuffed in my backpack. Sometimes they were dead, sometimes they were alive. Seeing me freeze. Julian would lean against the windowsill with his lackeys, laughing so hard they were doubled over. I didn't even change my expression. I simply walked over, reached into his uniform collar, and stuffed the creatures right back in. Julian shrieked in terror, jumping around trying to shake the dead rat out of his shirt. He screamed at me: "Are you insane?!" I didn't say a word, just turned and walked back to my seat. Julian's gaze turned dark and sinister. He glared at me: "I'm going to kill you."
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