I got early admission to Stanford, but Mia begged me to give my spot to her. When I refused, she cried, "Your family is rich. Going to Stanford is just the icing on the cake for you. But if I go, it could change my whole life..." She even secretly opened my admissions packet. "You're so smart, even if you take a gap year, you'll still get into Stanford. But I only have this one chance..." Just like that, my parents and my brother, whose hearts ached for her, forced me to step aside. Later, on my way to enroll at Stanford anyway, I was crushed to death by a semi-truck. After I died, I heard her crying in my brother's arms, "She only lost her life, but I lost my identity as a Stanford student..." When I opened my eyes again, I was looking at Mia, who was timidly trying to please my parents. I smiled. In this life, as long as she's miserable, I'll be happy. 1 The gears of fate began to turn the moment Mia pushed open the front door of my house. And thanks to her, after I died, I was reborn. "Chloe! Don't just sit there. Come over and meet Mia. She's going to be part of our family from now on," my dad called out to me. But Buddy, the golden retriever in my arms, barked aggressively at Mia, his hackles raised, just like in my previous life. Mia's eyes welled up with tears, and she hid behind my older brother, Liam. "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I'm scared. Maybe I should just go back to my own house... sob." Playing the victim to get her way again. I couldn't help but sneer. In my past life, the day after Mia arrived, my beloved dog, Buddy, whom I'd raised for three years, was crushed to pieces by a delivery truck. I was too consumed by grief back then to think clearly. But looking back now, who else but Mia could have done it? After all, Buddy had gone through two thousand dollars' worth of professional training. He was incredibly well-behaved and never ran out into the street. Before my parents could scold Buddy, I cut them off: "Mom, Dad, did you forget? You only agreed to let me bring Buddy home because he's a good guard dog. If he didn't bark, that would be a problem!" My parents opened their mouths to speak but stopped themselves. "Ah, right. Don't be scared, Mia. Buddy just barks at strangers. He'll get used to you." Catching the word "strangers," I couldn't help but let the corners of my mouth curl up. Mia bit her lip a little harder. "Stranger"—that was the word Mia hated most in this life. Meanwhile, my idiot brother, Liam, grabbed a water bottle and threw it at Buddy. "Stupid dog, if you bark again, I'll eat you!" Buddy whimpered and lay by my feet, looking full of grievance. I rubbed his little head. Mia's mother was my mom's best friend. Two days ago, she and her husband died in a car accident. Rumor had it they were on their way to pick Mia up from dance class. Unable to bear seeing Mia become an orphan, my parents brought her straight to our house. They constantly whispered in my ear about how pitiful Mia was and how I needed to let her have her way. In my past life, I yielded to her at every turn, but it only made her bolder. She used her manipulative, "pick-me" tactics to steal all the affection from my family, and eventually, she set her sights on my early admission spot to Stanford. Because of that, I died a gruesome death in a car crash on my way to enroll. Only after I died did I learn how despicable and cheap I was in Mia's stories. Being reborn, if I let these idiots hurt me even a little bit, I'd have lived this second life in vain! 2 Just like in my previous life, Mia fully moved into our house. To make her feel more at ease, Liam started coming up with terrible ideas again. "Chloe, let Mia have your room. You can take the guest room. I'll take you to buy new furniture tomorrow, okay?" Here we go again. I didn't see through it before I died. Only after did I realize my own brother and Mia were having an affair. Or rather, Mia had a clear target and was gunning for my brother from the very beginning. "Chloe, what are you thinking about? I'm talking to you!" I swatted away Liam's hand waving in front of my face and bluntly refused this time: "No." Mia opened her mouth, then lowered her eyes submissively and tugged at the hem of Liam's shirt. "It's fine, I'll just sleep in the guest room." I crossed my arms and watched her perform in silence, even nodding in agreement. "Yeah, Liam. I've lived in this bedroom for eighteen years. I can't just give it up." Liam glared at me, scolding me for being unreasonable. I tilted my head, ready to manually open Liam's mind. In my past life, I was always the one yielding to Mia. In this life, Liam can be the one to yield: "You know, Liam makes a good point." I nodded. Just as Liam's expression softened, I pivoted: "Then Mia can just sleep in your bedroom!" The smile that had just appeared on Liam's face instantly froze, and the tips of his ears turned red. "No, I... that wouldn't be appropriate." Heh. I blinked innocently at Mia. "Then you'll just have to make do with the guest room..." After closing my door, I heard Mia mumble a few words. And then Liam's bedroom was no longer his. Either way, I wasn't the one yielding. What did it matter to me? 3 The next day, Mia offered to walk Buddy, claiming it would help them bond. Buddy wore a harness but absolutely refused to budge. Watching this scene, my eyes slowly filled with tears. In my previous life, I had personally pushed Buddy out the door and made him go with Mia. This life... I smiled and took the leash back from Mia: "Mia, you just got here. How could I let you walk the dog? Look, Mom and Dad aren't home, and Liam is right over there. Why don't you go bond with him instead?" After saying that, I took Buddy and left the house. I walked him around the block and then went to the backyard. Buddy and I pressed our faces against the glass door. I wanted to see exactly when Mia and Liam hooked up. The two of them were sitting in the living room. Everything seemed normal at first. About three minutes later, Mia suddenly stood up but grabbed her head, swaying unsteadily. Seeing this, Liam hurried to support her. Mia conveniently collapsed, her soft curves pressing directly against Liam's arm. In that moment, Liam froze. No wonder. No wonder the brother who used to dote on me completely changed after Mia arrived. In my past life, Liam even hit me twice for Mia's sake. Makes sense. With a beautiful girl throwing herself at him, what does a younger sister matter? 4 That very evening, Liam suggested Mia transfer to my private prep school. I raised both hands and feet in support. My parents looked at me, a hint of relief on their faces: "Chloe, you're finally acting mature." I chuckled dryly. In my past life, with Mia acting all sweet and innocent at home, my own parents didn't give me an ounce of trust. Even after I got the early admission spot to Stanford, they unanimously told me to give it to Mia. Mia nervously fiddled with her chopsticks. "But that's an elite prep school. I'm afraid I won't fit in." As soon as she said that, my mom immediately offered to take her shopping for clothes. I put down my chopsticks. "No need! I have so many clothes in my closet. Once Mia transfers to our school, I need to take good care of her. I'll definitely give her some of my clothes then." My parents exchanged a hesitant look, while Liam's eyes lit up and he nodded. He nudged Mia's arm: "Chloe's clothes are all designer pieces. Even the limited editions aren't always available in stores." "Okay." Mia agreed readily, but I saw her toes curling tightly against the floor under the table. A flash of resentment crossed those seemingly innocent eyes. I was in a great mood. Only after I died in my past life did I realize Mia completely took my good intentions for granted. I used to feel sorry for her, so I cut the tags off many new clothes and gave them to her. But in her mouth, it turned into me treating her like a garbage can. Since she was so willing to degrade herself, I'd grant her wish in this life! When we picked out clothes that night, I deliberately left all the closet doors wide open. Shock flashed across Mia's face, followed by an undeniable eagerness. She especially couldn't tear her eyes away from the clothes with huge designer logos. Seeing this, I smiled. Just like in her past life, she was short-sighted, only seeing the logos and not the quality. "Chloe, thank you so much. Can I have these few pieces...?" I smiled and agreed, pulling out all the logo-heavy clothes she was eyeing and handing them to her: "Sure! We're family now. These are all yours." I said "family" with a thick layer of sarcasm. Unfortunately, not only did she miss it, but the corners of her mouth twitched upwards uncontrollably. Her gaze landed on my jewelry, and she deliberately touched her bare neck: "I hope so. It's just that I..." I understood instantly. I shoved a bunch of chunky, gaudy, sparkling jewelry into her arms. "Now your outfit is complete!" 5 When I saw Mia the next day, I had to bite my lip to keep from laughing. Even Liam frowned imperceptibly. We were both wearing understated designer pieces, while Mia was dressed like a flamboyant peacock. "These are the clothes you gave Mia?" I shook my head innocently. "She picked these out herself." In my past life, Mia had wanted to dress like this too, but I stopped her. In the end, she didn't embarrass herself, but she held a grudge against me instead. This life, of course, I was going to let her fly her freak flag! "Liam, do I look okay like this?" Mia intentionally flipped her hair. The gaudy rings on her hands were blinding. Liam glared at me. "It's fine. You look beautiful!" I smiled coldly. My parents went to handle Mia's enrollment, and she ended up in the same homeroom as me. I confidently walked into the bustling crowd of students, while Mia followed awkwardly behind. To "take care" of her... "Chloe, where should I sit?" Her soft, sweet voice immediately caught the attention of several classmates who turned to look. But the moment they clearly saw Mia, everyone's mouths twitched, and they looked at me. I understood instantly, frowning and shaking my head slightly: "You can sit anywhere. The teacher will be here soon." Mia looked around and finally found an empty seat right in the middle of the classroom and sat down. Some people smirked, others rolled their eyes. I just raised an eyebrow. In my past life, Mia sat there too, but only because I forced her to. This time, without my help, she sat there purely on the strength of her own thick skin. 6 To let Mia fully unleash her "pick-me" attributes. I deliberately took a week off school. During that time, my friends texted me to complain. [Why haven't you come back yet? [If you don't come back soon, the Sterling family's eldest daughter is going to be that Mia. [She has zero taste and dresses like a trashy peacock, but insists you told her to dress like that. Now everyone misunderstands and thinks you have malicious intentions!] I laughed. I didn't explain, nor did I go back. After all, if I went back, how could the knock-off throw her weight around? I wanted Mia to stand on a pedestal so she could fall hard. When Mia came home for the weekend, she was exuding confidence. Right before my parents got home, she dove into the kitchen to cook: "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, you're home? "I'm making pork rib soup for you tonight." I didn't say a word, but two sharp glares shot my way. "Chloe Sterling! "What did Mom and Dad tell you? You come home from school and watch TV, while Mia is in the kitchen cooking! "You said you'd be mature. Mature, my foot. You're really disappointing us." Liam gripped the remote control, fanning the flames. "Exactly. I just told her that, but she wouldn't listen." Here we go again. Just like in my past life! I was scolded into obediently going into the kitchen, only to get splattered in the face with hot oil, leaving several large blisters. This life... I leisurely held up my phone and opened my photo gallery: "What are you talking about? Mia was sitting on the couch playing on her phone a minute ago. She only went into the kitchen when you guys walked in." Mia, in the kitchen, panicked. "Wh... what?" I smiled and showed her a video I had just recorded: "Sorry, I was just taking a selfie video and happened to catch you in the background." 7 Mia's cheeks instantly flushed red. I don't know if she was burning with shame. Even the expressions of the parents who had been defending her turned subtle. "Mr. and Mrs. Sterling, I... "Actually, you guys..." Liam clicked his tongue and interrupted, "What nonsense are you talking about? "Mia is just thoughtful and wanted to show off her cooking skills. She didn't say anything. You're the one making a fuss over nothing, Chloe, causing everyone to misunderstand." Mhm... My brother is an expert at shifting the blame: "Chloe, are you jealous that Mia is in our house?" Jealous? I was more than jealous; I wanted to tear her apart. But on the surface, I scratched my head looking apologetic, even saying "sorry" to Mia: "Sorry about that. Maybe I really did misunderstand you. "So, keep going with the pork rib soup? I want to taste your cooking too." My parents looked pleased with my good attitude, but Mia was stunned. I laughed. Because I knew she had no idea how to make pork rib soup. She was just pretending! But since the fire was already lit, she had no choice but to bite the bullet and go back into the kitchen. The four of us sat in a row on the sofa watching TV. Ten minutes later, we heard Mia scream. Everyone jogged over. In the kitchen, Mia was squatting on the floor, covering her face. 8 There were three blisters on her pale cheek. Glancing at the ribs she had just pulled out of the water, I covered my mouth. "Oh my, you silly girl. Of course hot oil will splatter if you put water in it." Mia was crying from the pain, and my idiot brother was stamping his feet in distress. I deliberately covered my mouth and gasped, "Oh no! Hurry, go to the hospital! What if her face is ruined!" As soon as I said that, Mia was terrified. On the way back from getting ointment at the hospital, the atmosphere in the car was oppressively tense. As soon as we got home, Liam slapped me across the face. I deliberately didn't dodge. My cheek felt numb and hot. "Liam, why did you hit me?" I cried. I faked it. Liam had one arm around Mia and pointed at my nose with the other: "You still have the nerve to ask! If you hadn't pressured her, why would Mia have cooked? How else would she have gotten three blisters on her face!" Looking at the three red spots on Mia's cheek, I felt happy despite the slap! But on the surface, I looked at my parents: "Mom, I had nothing to do with this. Why aren't you saying anything to Liam!" The couple shared a rare moment of unspoken agreement, looking away from my face: "Chloe, you only got slapped once. But the burns on Mia's face might leave scars. "Mia is an orphan now. We can't let her suffer in our house. Go to your room and reflect on your actions." I smiled brightly: "Right. One minute before you got home, she went into the kitchen. I forced her to. "She said herself she wanted to make pork rib soup for you. I forced her to. "She messed around when she didn't know what she was doing. I forced her to. "Are you two sure you're fit to be parents?" When I finished, I saw the embarrassment flash across the faces of the people opposite me. My mom hesitated, about to say something, but I ignored her, turned around, and went to my room. Having lived through my past life, I had absolutely no hope for this family. So, I wasn't going to take that slap for nothing. 9 By the time I went back to school, Mia had already become quite popular in my class. As soon as class ended, people crowded around her, showing concern. "Mia, what happened to your face?" "How did you end up like this just by going home for a couple of days?" Mia didn't answer directly. Instead, she looked at me hesitantly a couple of times: "Ah, it's nothing. I wasn't careful." My classmates' looks toward me shifted. Two of the blunter ones even started making passive-aggressive remarks. "I heard that Mia is the Sterling family's foster daughter now. She goes home for two days and ends up like this. She must be getting bullied." Mia tugged at their sleeves and shook them gently. "It's not like that, stop talking..." That explanation was worse than no explanation at all. But, I opened my mouth, and I was going to speak my piece. I took two steps forward and, in front of everyone, brushed aside the hair covering my cheek: "Mia, are you intentionally trying to make everyone misunderstand me? "You said yourself you wanted to make pork rib soup to thank my family. You accidentally burned your face, and my brother came home and slapped me without asking any questions. "Between the two of us, who is the innocent one?" I spoke louder and louder, wishing the whole world could hear. My classmates fell silent. Seeing that no one was taking her side anymore, she blinked and was about to cry. I preempted her: "Cry! Cry! Cry! "Because you cried, the brother I grew up with hit me for the first time! Now you're crying again. Do you want everyone to misunderstand me and isolate me!" Mia's spellcasting was violently interrupted by me. After I finished, I started wailing at the top of my lungs. Mia stared at me blankly, for a moment forgetting to even react. My classmates exchanged glances, and my friends started adding fuel to the fire. "This Mia looks weak and fragile, but she's full of lies." "She's so manipulative. Is she intentionally trying to cause drama among classmates? Did she know we all come from prominent families and is doing this on purpose?" After a few sentences, the classmates who were just siding with Mia switched sides. No matter how she explained, it was useless. Taking advantage of the situation, I swapped out Mia's burn ointment. Without that pitiful, pathetic face. I wanted to see how she could play the innocent victim anymore! 10 With college entrance exams approaching, I battled wits with Mia while studying hard. My grades steadily improved, while she became increasingly anxious: "Chloe, could you tutor me a bit?" Looking up at her face, which looked as if she had been wronged, I wanted to laugh. She continued as usual: "I know you're still mad about what happened before. "I'm sorry, I misunderstood you. Please, if you're really that angry, I'll kneel down and apologize in front of everyone." Everyone looked over again. I couldn't hold back a laugh, sitting straight in my seat, looking at her with a beaming smile. Seeing that I didn't stop her, Mia was stunned: "Chloe, I... I'll kneel down and admit my mistake." I blinked and nodded in agreement. "Sure, go ahead and kneel." Mia choked on her words. She looked around helplessly, but not a single person in the whole class spoke up for her. She stood in front of my desk, caught between kneeling and not kneeling. "Tsk." I shook my head. "You say you want me to forgive you, forgive you for what? For last time? But didn't that happen a long time ago? If you want me to tutor you, just ask nicely. Why pull this stunt? "If people didn't know better, they'd think I was bullying you." Mia shook her head frantically. "It's not like that. Chloe, you misunderstood. I just wanted to ask you a few questions. "You have good grades and a good family background. I became an orphan at a young age and have to rely on others. Maybe I'm too insecure and sensitive. Since you want me to kneel, then I'll kneel." Mia bent her knees to kneel down, but before I could speak, a loud shout came from the doorway. Liam took a few large strides, rushed in front of me, and pulled Mia behind him. Typical. If she was willing to put on this act, it meant Liam was definitely here. I wasn't surprised, watching Liam spew nonsense: "Chloe Sterling, don't go too far! Is this what you meant by not bullying people? "Is this what you promised Mom and Dad at home? And you kept saying you'd take care of Mia!" This time, I didn't speak. I just silently signaled my friends. Two or three people gathered in front of me, shielding me behind them. "I think you're the one who can't tell who your own sister is, right?" "Yelling at your own sister for an outsider. Look for yourself, the swelling on Chloe's face from when you hit her still hasn't completely gone down!" Liam was rendered speechless by the questioning. His face flushed red before he managed to squeeze out that both were his sisters. Quite a few people in the class laughed. Everyone could see it clearly. Someone in the crowd even asked, "Biological sister, or 'romantic' sister?" Everyone erupted in laughter. Mia cried from anger, and Liam's gaze toward me darkened. That look was familiar. It was the exact same expression Liam had on the day of my car accident in my previous life. For some reason, a cloud of suspicion gathered in my mind. In my previous life, my whole family wanted me to give the Stanford spot to Mia. After I refused, I set off on the road to Stanford alone. But was that car crash really an accident?
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