Chapter 1

On the day I got into an Ivy League university, my biological parents tricked me into drinking a glass of milk laced with weed killer.

They wanted me dead so their adopted daughter could steal my identity, take my spot at the university, and eventually inherit the family estate.

After I died, my soul lingered, drifting through the halls of our home.

I watched as the adopted girl married my own brother, and my parents, smiling wider than they ever had at me, handed over the legal papers to transfer all their wealth.

I was nothing to them.

But now that I've been reborn, I'm choosing a different path.

This time, I'm living only for myself.

1

When I opened my eyes, I was back in my high school uniform. The date on the TV screen flickered, confirming the impossible.

I had been reborn.

I was back in my senior year, on the exact day my parents brought Quinn home to live with us.

It seemed the universe couldn't stand to see me die with such a heavy heart.

Quinn was the daughter of my mother's best friend. She was talented in music and art, and her grades were decent enough.

Unfortunately, her parents had died in a freak accident, leaving her all alone in the world.

My parents, moved by pity, decided to adopt her and treat her as one of their own.

In this life, the gears of fate began to turn once again.

The moment Quinn stepped through the front door, my mother pulled her into a tight embrace, her face etched with maternal sorrow. "Sweetheart, this is your home now. You're my daughter, and I promise to take care of you."

Quinn's eyes were rimmed with red, looking like a kicked puppy.

"Thank you... Thank you for taking me in, Mr. and Mrs. Shaw..."

"We're family now, don't be so formal. I'm your big brother, Silas. If you need anything, just ask!"

My brother, Silas, looked at her with pure adoration.

I knew that look. He had always been a sucker for the 'damsel in distress' type.

In my past life, he fell for Quinn, eventually marrying her and starting a family.

They showered her with warmth and affection, completely ignoring my presence and never once asking how I felt about a stranger moving in.

Back then, I had welcomed Quinn with open arms, too.

I had no idea that from the very first second, Quinn was calculating how to erase me from the family tree.

Standing there now, she was nothing more than a wolf in sheep's clothing.

My father walked out of the kitchen with a tray of steaming food, a massive grin on his face. "Honey, come and eat! Dinner's ready!"

He was calling Quinn 'honey,' not me.

I had just walked in the door, and he hadn't even glanced my way.

"Sienna, what are you standing there for? Go get the silverware!" Silas barked at me.

I looked up and caught Quinn's eye for a split second.

I saw it―a flash of pure malice and triumph.

I ignored it and smiled, heading toward the kitchen to grab the bowls.

If she wanted to play the actress, I could play, too.

In this life, I wasn't going to be the naive girl she could manipulate.

As I carried the bowls back to the table, I noticed Quinn's foot sticking out right in my path.

It was the exact same trick she used in my last life.

Did she really think I was that stupid?

I didn't swerve. I walked forward and stomped as hard as I could directly onto her foot.

"Agh!" Quinn let out a piercing shriek.

In an instant, my parents and Silas rushed to her side as if the world was ending.

I put on my best look of shocked regret. "Oh my god, Quinn! I'm so sorry. I didn't realize you'd have your foot out in the middle of the walkway."

Silas glared at me, his face turning red. "Sienna! You did that on purpose, didn't you?"

My mother joined in the accusation. "Sienna, what has gotten into you? Quinn is your sister now. You should be looking out for her!"

Quinn squeezed out a few pathetic tears.

"Don't blame Sienna. It was my fault. I should have been sitting properly."

I had to hand it to her; her acting was top-tier.

I let out a cold laugh. "If I hadn't stepped on her, I would have tripped and smashed these bowls on the floor. I would have been the one hurt."

"I don't care how much you like Quinn, but let's at least try to be logical here."

I thought common sense might prevail for a second.

I had underestimated how shameless this family really was.

My father's hand swung out and slapped me across the face.

"Apologize to Quinn right now!"

I looked up at the people I shared blood with, my so-called family.

I remembered this day in my previous life so clearly.

I had tripped over her foot, the bowls shattered, and the shards sliced open my leg.

Quinn had barely a scratch, yet my parents and Silas screamed at me for being clumsy and 'scaring' Quinn.

With Quinn's constant whispering in their ears, they grew to hate me more every day.

That night, I wasn't allowed to eat and was forced to stand outside in the cold as punishment.

From then on, I was punished for every little thing that went wrong in the house.

I endured it all, thinking that if I just studied harder and became more successful, they would love me again.

I didn't realize how wrong I was until I received my acceptance letter from that elite university.

The night I got the news, they actually warmed up a glass of milk for me to celebrate.

They asked me if I needed any new clothes or a laptop for school.

It was the only time in years they had shown me an ounce of kindness.

I was so moved that I drank the milk without a second thought.

Minutes later, I was coughing up blood on the floor.

That was when I found out they had poisoned me with lawn chemicals.

Quinn hadn't gotten into a good school.

So, they decided to kill me and use their connections to let Quinn take my identity and my future.