Chapter 2

2

Xavier finally went quiet, though he kept glaring at me like he wanted me dead.

That dinner was a lot less suffocating than it had been in my last life.

Once we finished, my mother led me to a small, cramped room off the kitchen.

"Zoe, your arrival was so sudden. We didn't have time to prepare much."

"You'll have to make do with the storage room for now," she said.

In my previous life, I had believed her and stayed in that dusty hole.

This time, I acted like I didn't understand.

"Mrs. Langston, what are you talking about? I'm going back to my adoptive parents."

"If I stay out all night, they'll get worried," I added.

My mother panicked instantly.

"You're my daughter! Where else would you live if not here? Back in that dusty little town?"

Rosalie, who had been lingering nearby, chimed in with her fake-sweet voice.

"Exactly, sister. Mom and Dad worked so hard to find you. Don't leave."

"Don't throw away their kindness like that," she urged.

I tilted my head, looking innocent.

"But Rosalie said I'm the real daughter of this house."

"What kind of real heiress lives in a storage closet?" I asked.

My mother's face turned several shades of red.

Before she could answer, Xavier came charging over again.

"You're a peasant! If you don't sleep in the storage room, where else would you go?"

"Don't think just because you're Mom's kid that you can bully my sister."

"If you touch her stuff, I'll make your life a living hell," he threatened.

Rosalie played the martyr, wiping away a fake tear.

"Xavier, stop. It's okay. She just got back, so she's bound to be bitter."

"If my sister thinks the storage room is beneath her, I'll swap with her."

"Deal," I snapped before she could even finish her sentence.

Rosalie forgot to keep crying.

Her eyes went wide, and she stared at me in total disbelief.

"Since you're so worried about me, I'd hate to be rude and refuse. I'll take your room."

"Wait, sister, I―I didn't mean it literally," Rosalie stammered.

She looked frantic, but I cut her off immediately.

"Oh? Were you just lying to Mom then? Just for show?"

"If that's the case, I really should just go back home. My bedroom there is way bigger than this closet."

I turned to walk out the front door.

Rosalie forced a smile that looked more like a painful grimace.

"Of course I wasn't lying. If you want my room, you can have it."

I don't know what my mother said to Xavier, but he looked like he was about to explode with rage.

Later that evening, I walked past the storage room.

The whole family was huddled inside, comforting Rosalie as if she were a dying orphan.

"Rosie, just hang in there," I heard my mother whisper.

"Once the SATs are over, we'll use our connections to swap your scores with hers."

"Then we'll kick her out for good. You're the only daughter the Langstons will ever have."

I stood in the shadows and smiled.

We'll see who's left standing when the dust clears.

Since I had successfully taken her room, Rosalie didn't dare pull any more stunts for a while.

The next morning, we sat in the back of the car together on the way to school.

It would have been a perfect ride if she could just keep her mouth shut.

"This is probably your first time in a big city school, right?"

"Mom put you in my class so I can help you adjust. Education in the city is much harder than in the country."

I could see the driver smirking in the rearview mirror.

"If the city education is so superior, why are your grades at the bottom of the class?" I asked casually.

Rosalie's face went pale.

Her grades were a disaster, which is why my mother was pushing her toward an arts major.

But even for arts, her scores wouldn't be high enough for a top-tier university.

That's why they were eyeing my potential.

Rosalie shifted the subject quickly to hide her embarrassment.

"Mom also wanted me to introduce you to the right people. You know, networking."

"Like who?" I asked.

She thought she finally had my interest.

"The Sterling family, for starters. They're just as powerful as the Langstons."

"There's actually an arranged marriage between our families. Their son, Milo Sterling, is incredible."

"He's handsome, top of his class, and the student council president. Every girl wants him."

She went on and on about how perfect Milo was.

If I didn't know better, I'd think he was actually a decent human being.

In my last life, Milo Sterling went out of his way to ruin me for Rosalie's sake.

He even pretended to date me just to convince me to give up my university spot.

The moment my scores were hers, he showed his true colors and tossed me aside.

He's heading straight for me again, the snake.

"You're talking him up so much," I said with a smirk. "Do you have a crush on him?"