My Sister Was a "Child Prodigy," So I Let Her Ruin Her Own Life

My sister was a child prodigy. She started talking at six months and could recite the multiplication tables up to twelve backwards by age four. My whole family treated her like a precious treasure. As the older sister, I advised our parents: "Talent only takes you so far; hard work and education are just as important." But they thought I was just jealous of her. Because of my diligence, my teachers loved me. My sister, on the other hand, slacked off and was frequently called into the principal's office. Over time, she grew to resent me and eventually killed me in a deliberate hit-and-run. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in the summer before eighth grade. This time, I smiled and flattered her: "My sister is way smarter than me. We should listen to her." 1 "Mia, what do you think?" Mom's voice suddenly echoed in my ears. I opened my eyes and realized I was actually wearing my middle school uniform. My younger sister, Chloe, was sitting on the couch scrolling through Amazon, while Mom looked at me with pleading eyes. The exact same scene from the past vividly played out in my mind. I realized I had been reborn. I had returned to the first day of summer vacation before eighth grade. In my past life, Mom wanted to enroll us in a summer prep program to help us test into the state's elite magnet high school next year, but Chloe refused to go. She smugly scrolled on her phone and said, "I just have to glance at the textbooks to understand everything. Testing into an elite high school will be a breeze. I don't want to do summer prep." Back then, I kindly advised her that hard work was just as important as natural talent. The speaker had no ill intent, but the listener took it to heart. I didn't realize the seeds of hatred had been planted right then. Both of us ended up testing into the top high school, but Chloe claimed she got in without needing any prep. In high school, I spent extra time going to teachers' offices to ask questions, while she repeatedly feigned having "important things" to do to get out of studying. Under my constant pushing and supervision, Chloe relied on her talent and a tiny bit of effort to get into a prestigious university. She even studied abroad and returned as a PhD graduate. However, her fiancé dumped her, claiming her education made her too intimidating and difficult to control. Chloe blamed it all on me and ran me over with her car. And my family? To protect their precious "genius" genes, they paid someone to take the fall for her crime. Chloe walked free. The three of them lived happily ever after, completely forgetting I ever existed. But God gave me a second chance. This time, facing Mom's question, I looked at Chloe and offered a sycophantic smile. "Chloe is way smarter than me. Let's listen to her." In this life, I wouldn't spare a single drop of sisterly affection! I would watch with my own eyes as she plummeted from her high pedestal, never to climb back up! 2 Neither of them expected me to actually agree. Mom looked at me in confusion. "Mia, do you really not want your sister to go with you?" Her eyes were practically begging me to give a different answer. But I shook my head. "No, I don't need anyone to keep me company." A look of disappointment washed over Mom's face. It was only after being reborn that I realized the mother I loved so much had always used me as her scapegoat. She obviously wanted both of us to attend the prep classes and get into the elite high school so she could brag to her friends. But she repeatedly asked me, forcing the harsh words out of my mouth, so she could keep her own hands clean. Perhaps from the moment Chloe first showed her "genius" traits, our weights in her heart had fundamentally shifted. Knowing she didn't have to go to summer prep, Chloe bought a few more dresses on Amazon. She even begged Mom to take her on a vacation to Hawaii. Mom always gave in to Chloe. With just a few sweet words, she convinced Mom, who booked the flights overnight. Before leaving, Chloe tossed her summer reading and math packets at me, just like in my past life, telling me to do them for her. In my past life, she always claimed she already knew how to do the problems, saying she was "doing me a favor" by letting me practice the questions twice so I could "learn by repetition." And like an idiot, I believed her. She was just lazy. This time, without missing a beat, I shoved the homework packets back at her. "I have to go to the prep academy this summer, and they give us homework too. I don't have time." Seeing her refuse to give up, she yelled loudly, "Mom, Chloe wants me to—" Before I could finish, Chloe yanked me into her bedroom and threatened me. "Try snitching on me, I dare you!" I laughed and shoved the packets back into her hands. "You're a genius, Chloe. A mere summer packet should be a piece of cake for you, right?" "If I do it for you, people might think you're bullying me. Since you're so considerate of me, I obviously have to be considerate of you." Hearing this, Chloe's face turned as black as coal. She snatched the packets and slammed the door as she stormed out. Her furious, flustered expression was absolutely hilarious. In this life, I was done being the thankless fool! 3 Mom and Chloe spent the whole summer partying and vacationing, while I spent it reviewing all the knowledge from my previous life. Hard work always pays off. On the back-to-school placement test, I ranked second in the grade. First place was still Chloe. Even though I had lived a whole extra life, I hadn't touched middle school textbooks in years, and I had forgotten a lot. But it didn't matter. I didn't believe that hard work was worthless in the face of talent. When we got home, the whole family cheered for Chloe's test scores, completely ignoring the fact that I had won the "Most Improved" award. Mom bragged to anyone who would listen that Chloe was a prodigy. Even her Facebook cover photo was a wall of Chloe's academic awards. Glowing with pride, Mom kept piling food onto Chloe's plate. "Oh, Chloe, Mommy loves you so much." I kept my head down and ate, automatically filtering out their picture-perfect family moment, silently reciting Shakespearean soliloquies in my head. It was fine. I would love myself. After dinner, Mom took Chloe out to buy a reward. I went back to my room, pulled out the Magnet School Entrance Exam Prep Book, and started doing practice problems. In my past life, I barely scraped past the cutoff score for Oakridge Academy. But while Chloe was placed in the honors program, I was stuck in the regular classes. This time, my goal wasn't just to get in. I was going to proudly march right into the top honors class! 4 Time slipped through my fingers, and my eighth-grade year flew by. In the blink of an eye, there was only one month left until the high school entrance exams. I had buried my head in my books all year. For the entire second semester, I deliberately maintained a rank exactly one spot below Chloe's. I had to admit, having a master-level grasp on the material and easily manipulating my test scores felt incredibly satisfying. Meanwhile, relying on her "talent," Chloe slacked off all year. Her mind wasn't on studying at all. Without my constant nagging in this life, she started hanging out with juvenile delinquents outside of school. Smoking, drinking, getting into fights—she didn't miss a beat. Yet, Mom still claimed Chloe had a "great personality" and was highly sociable, mingling well with both guys and girls. While praising her, Mom never forgot to put me down. "Look at your sister. She gets good grades and has tons of friends. Look at you. All you do all day is read like a dead fish! You're so thick-headed!" "You're twins, but you're as dumb as a pig. How can you be so stupid?!" In my past life, facing these words, I would only cry secretly, blaming myself, thinking everything was my fault and that I was an embarrassment to the family. But I had already died once. This time, I fired right back at her. "No matter how dumb I am, I'm still your biological daughter. If I'm a pig, what does that make you? The mother pig?" "Instead of spending your time insulting me, you should go look at your precious younger daughter's latest mock exam scores. The door is on your left. Don't let it hit you on the way out." Mom was so furious she clutched her chest and rolled her eyes, nearly passing out from rage. Then, she stormed out of my room. A moment later, I heard yelling from outside. "Chloe, how did you do so poorly this time?! Your class rank dropped by a whole hundred spots!" While the argument raged on in the living room, I sat in my bedroom looking at my own report card—ranked number one in the grade—smiling so hard my cheeks hurt. Sorry, but I didn't hold back my scores this time. I wanted to slap her right in the face. 5 However, the fire was quickly put out. When I went downstairs, I saw the mother-daughter duo had already returned to their picture-perfect harmony. Mom warmed up some milk for Chloe and even held it up to her lips. "I'm sorry, sweetie. Mommy just got a little too emotional. I believe you can definitely get into Oakridge Academy!" Chloe drank the milk reluctantly, pouting. "I told you, I only did bad this time because I forgot to bubble in the Scantron sheet! Even without the multiple-choice section, I still ranked in the top 20 of my class. If I had those points, I'd definitely be number one in the grade. Testing into Oakridge is a piece of cake." Mom believed her nonsense, but I knew the truth. That was Chloe's actual level. I was the one handing out the exams; how could I not see whether she bubbled the Scantron or not? But I didn't expose her. After all, the higher she was placed, the harder she would fall. This time, I wanted to see exactly how long her "talent" could carry her. I grabbed some cold milk from the fridge, warmed it up myself, and headed upstairs. Chloe sneered at me while watching TV. "Mia, don't think you're better than me just because you got first place this time. Don't forget, in the face of absolute talent, all your hard work is useless. You want to get into Oakridge Academy? I suggest you save your breath." Facing her provocation, I felt absolutely nothing. I poked a straw into my milk carton, turned my head, and replied coldly. "Really? Then let's wait and see." With that, I went back to my room and did another set of practice exams. This was the third time I was going through this prep book. I had the answers memorized backwards. Oakridge Academy was already in the bag. Chloe continued watching TV downstairs. The volume was blasted, and the living room echoed with her laughter. This time, I didn't beg her to study and prepare for the exams. Instead, I quietly put on my noise-canceling headphones, set my alarm, and crawled into bed. I dropped my savior complex and respected her fate. Everything would be revealed in two weeks after the entrance exams. After all, slapping someone in the face personally is always much more satisfying. I wanted to see if she would still be able to laugh then. 6 Dappled shadows, the hum of cicadas, the sun baking the pavement. The massive entrance exams concluded in the sweltering heat of June. The AC in my testing room was broken. By the time I walked out, the back of my uniform was completely soaked in sweat. Outside the school gates, Mom was massaging Chloe's shoulders while holding a portable fan to cool her down, completely ignoring me standing right next to them. "Sweetie, did you know how to do all the questions?" Chloe rolled her eyes at her. "Mom, what kind of question is that? What do you mean 'did I know how'? I crushed every single one. Just relax." Mom's face lit up with joy. "I knew my Chloe was the best!" The surrounding parents praised Mom for raising such a wonderful daughter. Chloe always enjoyed being worshipped. While soaking in the spotlight, she didn't forget to drag me down. "Sister, how did you do?" The answer keys for all subjects had been posted online right after the exams finished. During their little chat, I had already checked my answers. Everything was exactly as expected. Facing Chloe's taunt, I said casually, "We'll know when the scores are posted, won't we? What's the rush?" My nonchalant attitude deflated Chloe's ego. Unable to throw a fit in public, she resorted to passive-aggressiveness. "Don't tell me you did so badly you're too scared to say it. Fine, I'll wait until results day to see if you can still act this calm and collected!" Great. I was looking forward to that day, too. 7 There was no homework over the summer before high school. From the moment the exams ended, Chloe had been partying non-stop. Once, at home, I even saw her bring back some punk with bleach-blonde hair and sleeve tattoos, a cigarette dangling from his lips. He took one look at me and strutted straight into my sister's bedroom. At the end of the day, we shared the same blood. To say I didn't feel a sliver of pity watching Chloe stray down the wrong path would be a lie. But then I remembered how, in my past life, she had shown zero sisterly affection and hadn't hesitated for a second to run me over with a car. That tiny shred of pity vanished instantly. It's hard to save someone who's hell-bent on ruining themselves. She had to walk her own path. You only feel the pain when the whip strikes your own skin. In this life, I wouldn't interfere with her at all. 8 The exam results were released. Not only did I rank first in the grade, but I was also the top scorer in the entire state. Oakridge Academy not only begged me to enroll but promised a full-ride scholarship covering all tuition and fees if I did. On results day, the house phone was ringing off the hook with media outlets wanting to do exclusive interviews with me. As soon as Mom hung up the phone, a bizarre silence descended upon the house. Chloe was sitting on the couch, sobbing. She had smashed most of the vases and decorations in the house; the floor was covered in shards. Mom was frantic. "Didn't you say you had it in the bag? How did you not even meet the cutoff score for Oakridge?!" Wiping her tears, Chloe exploded like a firecracker when her sore spot was poked. "I was one point away! How am I supposed to know how the graders scored it?! I knew how to do all those questions! Even though I didn't check the answer key, I guarantee I got them right! I probably just forgot to bubble the Scantron again." Mom always blindly believed Chloe's words. After Chloe spoke, Mom shot me a suspicious look. "Could they have mixed up the scores? You two are twins, you look so much alike. Maybe the scores were swapped." I literally rolled my eyes. The exams are graded based on student ID numbers, not by what you look like. Besides, the graders can't even see whose test they're marking. How could there be a mix-up? Obviously, Mom couldn't accept that her "genius" daughter had bombed the test. She consoled herself with this delusion, refusing to believe I could score so high, completely disregarding the entire year I had spent staying up late studying. Refusing to give up, Mom dragged Chloe to the school district office to demand a recount. After checking the scores again, the personal information matched perfectly. That was Chloe's true score. The mother-daughter duo finally admitted defeat and started stressing over finding a high school. Meanwhile, I was doing TV interviews while prepping for the upcoming high school curriculum. The road ahead was long, but I knew my future was bright. As for Chloe. Her "talent" was about to run its course very soon. 9 Chloe's score wasn't terribly low; it was more than enough for a regular public high school. But her pride wouldn't allow it. She insisted on going to Oakridge Academy just like me. Mom pulled every string she had and finally paid a massive $15,000 "donation" fee to squeeze her into the school. But this time, she was only placed in the regular classes. In her class, everyone knew she was a "bought" student, and rumors swirled around her constantly. Chloe was used to being the center of the universe. Unable to handle the slight, she constantly used her "genius" status to belittle others. Over time, everyone isolated her. With no friends at school, she started hanging out with even more delinquent teens off-campus. Whenever someone dared to bring up her bought-student status, she'd have her thug friends corner them. She acted one way in front of her classmates and completely differently in front of the teachers. She played the bullying game perfectly. Chloe thought no one could touch her. But her little tricks were used in the wrong place. Finally, disaster struck. The father of the girl she bullied happened to be a police officer. Chloe kicked a steel plate. She was detained at the police station for two weeks before being released. The school also issued a final warning. "Chloe was never a legitimately admitted student, and she has repeatedly violated school rules. If this happens again, she will be expelled." Chloe was hit with a major disciplinary mark on her record. Awards, competitions, college recommendations—she was barred from all of it. Not only that, but one more mistake meant expulsion. Mom was worried sick. But Chloe didn't think it was a big deal. "Mom, even without those extra credits, I can get into a good college just on my pure SAT scores alone. Don't forget, I've been a genius since I was a kid." "Besides, this whole thing wasn't my fault. She kept talking trash about me first! Am I not allowed to fight back when I'm being bullied? Even if no one else believes me, you're my own mother. Do you not believe me either?" Chloe's eyes reddened with fake tears. Mom, remembering all of Chloe's early childhood brilliance, quickly changed her tune. "Mommy believes you. Our Chloe started talking at six months and knew the multiplication tables backward at four. The doctors said you had a high IQ. Of course I believe you." Mom went right back to coddling her. I stood off to the side, watching the whole thing coldly. Mom probably didn't even know that Chloe's test scores had tanked again. And I doubt Chloe told Mom anything about her ties with those street thugs. I smirked. Looked like my good little sister was keeping plenty of secrets from our mother. 10 Chloe laid low for a while and didn't cause any major trouble, but turning 18 didn't make her focus on her studies. More than once, I saw her bringing different guys into the house the moment Mom left. She was visibly spiraling into depravity. Our quiet life was soon shattered. Dad's company ran into severe financial trouble. To secure funding, he needed to arrange a marriage between his daughter and the heir of the Sterling family. When Chloe found out the arranged match was a wealthy heir, she immediately volunteered without hesitation. "I'm smarter than Mia, and I know how to sweet-talk. All my sister knows how to do is study; she's boring and dense. Let me marry him. Once I marry in, I'll definitely know how to keep my husband happy." The Sterling heir? I remembered now. It was Chase Sterling, Chloe's fiancé from my past life. Back then, when Chloe returned from studying abroad, Chase immediately broke off the engagement. I would never forget his smug, mocking face. "Chloe's education is way too high, and she's seen too much of the world. Once she marries in, she'll be too hard to control." "Why don't we switch brides? I think her older sister is pretty good. She's pretty, soft-spoken, and docile. If I keep a few mistresses on the side, she definitely won't complain." Chase's rejection pushed Chloe's hatred for me to the absolute limit. That very night, she ran me over on my way out. In this life, Chloe was still babbling endlessly about the benefits of her marrying into the family. Mom finally remembered I existed. "Mia, what do you think?" Earlier, Mom had told Chloe quite a few unsavory rumors about Chase, worried that her precious sister would suffer in the marriage. But she conveniently forgot that I was also her flesh and blood. Before I could answer, Chloe grabbed Mom's arm. "Mom, why are you asking her?!" "Don't you love me the most? When something this good comes along, why is she the first person you think of?!" After all, this was a lifelong commitment. For the first time ever, Mom didn't listen to Chloe. "Mia, Mom is asking you. Are you willing to marry into the Sterling family?" Chloe glared at me. "You better think carefully." She didn't need to remind me; I had made my decision a long time ago. I was still in school. The higher I climbed, the further I would see. What kind of good man wouldn't I be able to find later? I wouldn't take the Sterling heir even if they gift-wrapped him for free. I shook my head. "I don't want to." "Since Chloe wants to marry him so badly, let her." 11 Chloe happily got engaged to the Sterling family. The two met over the summer, hit it off, and were soon joined at the hip all day long. Every time the Sterling heir visited, he brought luxury caviar and expensive vintage wines, making Mom beam with joy. She completely forgot all his past rumors and genuinely adored her new son-in-law. "Thank goodness Chloe was the one who got engaged. Seeing how well Chase treats her puts my mind at ease." Chase brought thick stacks of expensive gifts for the family every time he visited, including for me. But I flat-out rejected them every single time. I had lived a past life. The way Chase looked at me wasn't the way a brother-in-law looks at his sister. It was the way a predator looks at prey. My repeated rejections constantly ruined his mood. Finally, he couldn't take it anymore, and his true colors slipped out. When I went to the bathroom, he sneaked in behind me and locked the door. Without a word, he grabbed my waist from behind. Before I could react, he pinched my cheeks, trying to force a kiss on me. His disgusting face reflected in the mirror. I threw a harsh elbow back into his stomach, making him groan in pain and loosen his grip. Still undeterred, he tried to rip my clothes. I turned on the sink faucet and sprayed water all over him. "Get out!" Chase wasn't scared at all. Instead, it ignited the filthy desires he had been hiding. "Who would've thought a girl who looks so soft and sweet could be this fiery?" "Good, I like it. I wonder if you're as wild in bed as your sister, or if you've got a totally different flavor." As his disgusting words hit my ears, I grabbed the heavy soap dish and smashed it right into his face. The dish caught him square on the nose. Instantly, blood gushed out, and he reflexively grabbed his face. Remembering how he had just touched me, I delivered a swift kick straight to his groin. "If you want a beating, just ask. Don't act like a creep in front of me." The house didn't have great soundproofing. The bathroom door was quickly thrown open from the outside. When Chloe opened the door, she saw the two of us with soaked clothes, and Chase clutching his face, wiping away a bloody nose. Chloe quickly pulled Chase away and screamed at me, furious. "Mia, are you out of your mind?!" "He's your future brother-in-law! What the hell are you doing in here with him?!" I threw the faucet hose on the floor, calmly grabbed a towel to dry my hair, and sneered. "Oh, so you do know he's your fiancé." "If you can't keep your own man on a leash, what right do you have to yell at me?" "Instead of screaming at me for no reason, why don't you ask your fiancé exactly what he was trying to do!" Even if Chloe was stupid, seeing my messy clothes and furious expression should have given her a pretty clear picture. But she was so madly in love with Chase that she firmly believed it was entirely my fault. "You shameless tramp! Trying to seduce your own sister's fiancé! Mia, you're a natural-born slut! A bitch!" As Chloe cursed me out, Chase smirked triumphantly at me from the shadows. My younger sister wasn't just stupid now; she was completely, hopelessly brainwashed by love. There was no saving her. Idiot. Wait until Chase brings a whole harem of mistresses home. Then we'll see who's crying. 12 Chase was a master manipulator. Seeing how wild and empty-headed Chloe was, it only took a few sweet words to coax her into bed. By the time my sister found out she was pregnant, I had maintained my rank as number one in the grade for two and a half years straight. But no one in the family knew. They didn't care, and I deliberately never brought it up. I wasn't about to trade my success for their fake affection. Outside in the living room, while Mom and Dad were screaming at each other over Chloe's pregnancy, an academic competition prize of $3,000 hit my bank account. At the exact same time, I received another piece of great news. My homeroom teacher texted me to say I had been accepted early into an Ivy League university with a full-ride scholarship. While they were wailing in despair outside, I was grinning ear to ear behind my closed door. Dad smashed an ashtray. "Cry, cry, cry! What's the use of crying now?! You're a teenager, and you let yourself get knocked up?! Where am I supposed to put my face now?!" Mom shielded my sister in her arms. "Stop hitting her! It's already happened, what's the point of beating her?" Furious, Dad slapped Chloe across the face. "You disgrace! So young and completely devoid of self-respect! Let's go! While you're not showing yet, come with me to the clinic and get an abortion!" Holding her cheek, Chloe shot back rebelliously. "Why should I?! It's my baby! What right do you have to decide if it lives or dies?!" "You want me to get rid of it, but I'm having it! With this baby, my position as the Sterling family's daughter-in-law is secured! Why should I throw away a perfectly good future?!" Chloe's words had some logic to them. If this child secured her marriage into the Sterling family, it would massively benefit Dad's company. If she gave birth to a son, as the father-in-law of the Sterling heir, his status and power would skyrocket. Seeing Dad's expression soften slightly, Mom chimed in. "Don't forget, the doctors said Chloe is a genius! Her genes are incredible. Her baby is bound to be a prodigy, too." "When your grandson grows up to be someone important, you'll be glowing with pride as his grandfather." "We can't get rid of this child. We need to take careful care of her to make sure he's born safely." "Honey, you have to think this through!" Dad's eyes darted around calculatingly. Finally, he sighed, his expression softening. "Does Chase know about this?" Chloe shook her head. "I haven't had the chance to tell him yet." Hearing this, Mom quickly pulled Chloe onto the couch, pacing anxiously. "You silly girl, go call Chase right now and tell him you're pregnant." "Oh, wait, no. Don't call him. Call his mother directly!" It turned out Mom knew Chase was unreliable, too. If Chase found out and forced her to get an abortion, that would be bad enough. But if he started messing around while Chloe was pregnant and grew tired of her, it would be a total disaster. But Mrs. Sterling was different. Chase was the only heir to the Sterling family, and she wanted a grandson more than anything. As long as they won over Mrs. Sterling, Chase wouldn't dare disobey his mother.

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