Chapter 1

1

I was a twin, but my parents only favored my sister, Sarah. They said I wasn't as well-behaved or obedient as her, and that the money I earned should be spent on her. They said I was the older sister, so I should always give way to her. Given a second chance at life, I chose to be obedient and give Sarah everything she wanted. This time, I would live only for myself.

...

I was reborn, back to the day before my senior year internship interview at Golden Horizon.

"Ashley," Dad said, standing before me, his words echoing my past life. "You'll take Sarah's place at the Golden Horizon interview. Get the offer for her. You're the older sister; you should help her out. Understand?"

Mom stood behind him, her gaze cold. "If you don't say anything, we'll assume you agree. You and Sarah are twins; the interview shouldn't be a problem. You have to do this. If you don't, you'll see what happens." Her harsh tone was identical to the past.

How did I react last time? I refused, cried, and yelled, saying if they wanted Sarah to have the internship, she should go herself. The result? Mom locked me in the storage room, starving me for a day. Dad even threw in a few rats, knowing my phobia. I had a complete meltdown, reduced to screams. They only let me out, offering leftover scraps, when I agreed to the interview.

"You have to give in to your sister if you want us to love you," they'd said, using their twisted version of love to control me.

I finally started making progress at a small company, but when things went south for Sarah, they wanted me to hand over my company's bidding documents so Sarah's company could win the project. I refused. They locked me up again, the torture worse than before. I developed severe anxiety, lost my job, and became the office joke. Back then, I couldn't understand why they would push me to the brink of destruction for my twin. Why let her steal what was rightfully mine?

Reborn, I understood. Their hearts were always biased; nothing I did would ever be enough. This time, I would only love myself. Whatever Sarah wanted, she could have.

"Okay, I'll go," I nodded. Mom looked surprised; she expected a fight.

Dad sighed in relief. "That's right. If you're obedient, we'll have much less to worry about." He handed me a large box. It was the laptop I always wanted, the one Sarah had in my past life. Was this supposed to be compensation?

I aced the interview, and Sarah started the internship. I spent my time studying financial management, secretly sending resumes to major corporations overseas. At home, I used the new laptop to play games, letting my parents think I was wasting my life.

Coming home one day, I found the guest room door open. Sarah was on my laptop. She jumped up when she saw me, tripped over the cord, and the screen shattered. Her knee was bleeding.

"I'm sorry, Ashley! I'll buy you a new one," she cried.

I stared at her, emotionless. "Okay."

She struggled to get up, slipped, and fell harder. Mom rushed in, helping Sarah up while yelling at me. "Ashley! Are you dead? Why didn't you help your sister? What good are you?"

"Your sister is frail. Now she'll be in the hospital for weeks. Nothing good ever happens when you're around. You're a jinx."

Sarah being frail and falling was somehow my fault. With their blatant favoritism, I harbored no expectations from Mom.

I told Sarah, "You don't have to replace it. That laptop shouldn't have been mine anyway."

Sarah looked startled. "No, I broke it; I should replace it."

Her fake concern made me scoff. "Didn't you hear Mom? You're frail. You fell, and it's my fault. If you insist on paying, they'll lock me up again. Do you want that, Sarah?"

Sarah's eyes flickered. Mom flinched. They weren't expecting this bluntness.

I continued, calmer now. "Dad said the laptop was a reward for me, but I know it was meant for you. I shouldn't have accepted it."

"It was my fault Sarah came into my room without asking. I should've locked the door. Then she wouldn't have gotten hurt."

"Mom, I won't take what doesn't belong to me anymore."

"Sarah, Mom and Dad will always choose you. Their favoritism is pretty obvious, isn't it?"

Mom and Sarah were pale, speechless. They wanted to argue, but couldn't. I'd never been this articulate or confrontational in my past life.

I politely asked them to leave, locked the door, and started studying for my upcoming interviews. As for the laptop, I could buy a better one later.