Chapter 1

It was one week before the SATs.

My biological parents finally tracked me down.

They took me back while my adoptive parents were away.

It wasn't because they missed me.

They just wanted to hand my hard-earned Ivy League spot to their useless fake daughter.

In my past life, I might have agreed just to feel loved.

But this time, I've been reborn.

1

"Rosie, this is your sister. Try to get along, okay?"

My mother introduced me to the girl who looked exactly my age the moment we stepped inside.

The fake heiress, Rosalie Langston, reached out a hand toward me.

"You must be the daughter Mom and Dad lost all those years ago. Hi, I'm Rosalie."

I stared at her hand and didn't move an inch.

Rosalie's face tightened with embarrassment.

Within seconds, the tears started rolling down her cheeks.

"Does my sister hate me already? I know I've taken her place for ten years. It's natural for her to resent me."

She turned away, sobbing softly.

"If she can't stand the sight of me, I'll just leave this house."

She started walking toward her room to pack, but her steps were painfully slow.

It was obvious she was waiting for someone to stop her.

My mother opened her mouth to snap at me, then hesitated.

She tried to smooth things over for Rosalie instead.

"Your sister is just joking, honey. Don't take it to heart."

"Really?" Rosalie looked at me with watery, pathetic eyes.

I let a cold smirk play on my lips.

"Of course. I absolutely love playing jokes on people."

In my last life, I exhausted myself trying to please these people.

I even handed over my Yale admission spot to her.

By the time she graduated from that Ivy League school, I was stuck flipping burgers at a greasy food truck outside the campus gates.

My biological parents eventually cut me off, claiming I was an embarrassment.

I thought I would at least live a quiet, simple life.

But then Rosalie lured me to a rooftop.

She told me the truth―that I had actually earned that spot myself.

My parents had used their connections to swap my test scores with hers.

Before I could even process the betrayal, she pushed me off the building.

Now, I've woken up on the very first day I returned to the Langstons.

This time, I'm living for myself.

As for being someone's stepping stone? They can find someone else to trample on.

Rosalie didn't expect that answer.

A flash of irritation crossed her eyes before it turned into pure malice.

If she kept acting up now, she'd look like the dramatic one.

She grabbed my mother's arm, acting all sweet and clingy.

"Mom, when are Dad and Xavier coming home?"

"Your father and brother should be back any minute now."

Rosalie turned to me with a fake, helpful smile.

"Don't worry, sister. Xavier and Dad are very easy to get along with."

"Oh, I'm sure we'll get along great," I thought. Not.

If Rosalie wasn't stirring up drama, she wouldn't be Rosalie.

When dinner time rolled around, my father and my younger brother, Xavier, arrived.

They acted like my presence was a threat to Rosalie's mood.

They hovered over her, asking about her day and ignoring me completely.

The trouble started the moment we headed to the dining room.

As I moved toward a chair, Xavier barked at me.

"What do you think you're doing? There's no seat for you here!"

Before I could even defend myself, Rosalie jumped in.

"Xavier, don't talk like that. She's your real sister."

"I don't have a sister who's a backwater hillbilly," Xavier sneered.

"If you dare sit at this table today, watch out. I'll make you regret it."

My father and mother kept their heads down, pretending to be very busy with their napkins.

They didn't say a single word to stop him.

"Sister, Xavier is just young. He doesn't mean any harm. You won't hold it against a kid, right?"

It was the exact same script from my previous life.

The same words, the same condescending attitude.

I let a wide, bright smile spread across my face.

"Of course I won't hold it against him. I love kids, and I love jokes."

I didn't wait for Rosalie to respond.

"I'll just eat by the front door. It's more lively with people passing by anyway."

"When I was growing up in the sticks, I loved crouching by the door to eat."

I grabbed a small stool and headed for the exit.

They wanted to humiliate me? Fine, let's see how they like the neighbors seeing this.

My father finally spoke up, looking at me like I was a throwing a tantrum.

"Enough! You just got back. Why are you causing a scene?"

I was used to his blatant favoritism.

He didn't care about Xavier or Rosalie; he only cared about himself.

In my last life, he allowed my scores to be stolen just to save face.

He spent a fortune training his fake daughter, and he couldn't let the world know she was a failure.

If the neighbors saw his biological daughter eating on the porch like a stray, it would be a scandal.

My father would scream at his own mother if she threatened his reputation.

"Dad, I was just joking with Xavier," I said, keeping my face perfectly cheerful.

"You―" Xavier started to yell, but my mother pulled his arm to shut him up.