Chapter 2

Not long after Lynette left, rumors began spreading through the social circle. Both the wife and mistress were pregnant, and people were speculating that the mistress might soon replace the wife.

Such blatant provocation could only have been pulled off by Lynette.

But the rumors didn't affect Tiara at all. Her marriage to Maxwell had always been nothing more than a business arrangement. There had never been any real affection between them.

I remembered it clearly. In my previous life, Stephanie had been extremely restless in Tiara's womb, forcing Tiara to hand over the company's authority to her subordinates. And that temporary loss of power during her pregnancy created a disaster for the company.

Maxwell took advantage of the opportunity, placing his own people inside the firm. That was what ultimately led to Tiara going bankrupt.

Compared to Stephanie, who had descended into the world like some demon child, I was practically an angel, ridiculously well-behaved.

Whenever Tiara was working, I never stirred. Instead, I listened quietly. When she took supplements, I never got greedy, careful not to turn myself into some gluttonous baby. When she exercised, I obediently curled myself into a little ball.

She never experienced any of the usual pregnancy symptoms. Even the doctors praised her, saying they had never seen such a well-behaved fetus.

Perhaps Tiara sensed my care for her. Before I was even born, she had already begun paving the road for my future.

Three properties each in the city centers of Belrand, Solzton, Granwich, and Staria. Two entire streets of storefronts in prime locations. Dividends from the shares of her companies were already arranged in my name, waiting to be transferred to me once I came of age.

In this life, as long as I didn't try to start my own business, the annual dividends alone would keep me comfortable for several lifetimes.

My situation couldn't have been more different from Stephanie's, who was already suffering in Lynette's womb.

Lynette was terrified that pregnancy would make her gain weight and ruin her figure, causing her to lose Maxwell's affection. So, she dieted constantly.

Not only did she follow online influencers and take all kinds of nonsense pills to control her weight, but she also wrapped her belly tightly with binding bands every day to keep it from growing.

On top of that, she woke up before dawn each morning to make Maxwell a lovingly prepared breakfast. She believed the way to a man's heart was through his stomach.

Stephanie didn't have enough to eat. She didn't get enough sleep. Even her living space kept shrinking, making her feel suffocated.

Nine months later, Tiara and Lynette went into labor at the same time. This time, I was still the older sister, but it was my choice. I didn't want the mother who had given me such immense wealth to suffer.

Sure enough, seeing how obedient I was, Tiara added another 20 pounds of gold to the already generous fortune she had prepared for me.

Stephanie's situation was very different. As if determined to announce her presence to the entire world, she stubbornly stayed inside Lynette's womb for an extra day before finally coming out. Lynette had to switch from natural labor to a C-section.

Learning that a useless, money-losing child had ruined the perfect body she'd worked so hard to maintain, Lynette was filled with nothing but resentment toward Stephanie.

Still, because of the difficult birth, Maxwell paid Lynette a little extra attention. That was the only reason she didn't lash out at Stephanie right away.

In my previous life, I had been born too quickly, before Maxwell even arrived. Lynette had nearly strangled me, saying that a useless child who couldn't help her keep a man didn't deserve to live. If a nurse hadn't discovered it in time, I would've suffocated and been left brain-damaged.

But this time, everything was different.

While Stephanie grew up as Lynette's prop, used to fake illnesses and win sympathy, I followed the path Tiara had laid out for me. I attended an international school, building relationships with the children of wealthy families and forming a network of connections.

Meanwhile, Stephanie, in order to gain Maxwell's favor, clung to him every day, begging him to teach her basic maths after his return from his fancy overseas education.

Under Tiara's guidance, I enjoyed the best educational resources, taught by the most elite teachers.

When Stephanie showed up in front of me, flaunting the jewelry Maxwell had given her, I had already entered Tiara's company to gain experience during the months after finishing my SATs.

Stephanie sneered at that. "What's the point of doing all that? In the end, the entire Cromwell family empire will belong to my dad anyway. Careers are for men. The only thing women like us need to do is stay beautiful."

When I heard that, I didn't bother responding. I simply continued focusing on my own work.

But just before my 18th birthday, the Cromwell family still collapsed.