Chapter 4 The Wounds Music Couldn't Heal

After that, Wendy and I attended the same arts high school. I was now walking a path completely different from the one in my previous life.

Back then, I had always gone to ordinary academic schools. At first, Wendy pretended it was for my own good. Claiming I might struggle to adapt to the atmosphere of an arts school, she persuaded Julian and Penelope to enroll me in a prestigious academic high school instead.

Before long, Wendy realized I was an easy target who never fought back. She then convinced Julian and Penelope to transfer me to her school so she could bully me more conveniently.

In a strange way, I should have thanked her. If Wendy had not insisted on sending me to an arts high school, I might have gone to my grave without ever discovering my talent for music.

I never would have received professional training either.

In my previous life, I loved music because it was the only thing that healed my pain. I wrote and composed many songs that became widely popular. In the end, every single one of those works was stolen by Wendy and passed off as her own original creation.

During a hugely popular talent competition, I unknowingly performed a song I had personally written and composed. Proudly, I told everyone it was my original work.

The result was disastrous. Because Wendy had released the song first, I was branded a plagiarist and a fraud.

Countless strangers flooded my social media accounts with insults, attacking me with the cruelest words imaginable.

"No wonder she's jealous. With such an outstanding younger sister, of course she'd steal Wendy's work. She's ugly inside and out."

"I heard Anya is Julian and Penelope's biological daughter. Do they know their real daughter is such a disgusting person? She's nowhere near as gentle, talented, and graceful as Wendy. Maybe the hospital never mixed them up after all. Wendy should've been the real daughter."

"Felix must have the worst luck. A respected musical family produced someone like her. What a disgrace."

"If Anya had even a shred of dignity left, she would get on her knees and apologize to Wendy. She's nothing but a parasite living off her sister."

Meanwhile, the real thief, Wendy, stood before reporters with a warm and elegant smile. Every word she spoke pushed me deeper into the abyss.

"I hope everyone can be a little more forgiving toward my sister. After all, she never received professional music training. When she was reunited with our family, her educational background wasn't very strong, and she didn't really understand copyright issues. That's probably why she performed my song on the show.

"I'm fine, and I appreciate everyone's concern. But I believe Anya didn't do it intentionally. If she needs songs in the future, I can always write a few more for her. We're family, after all."

Fueled by Wendy's seemingly kind remarks, the attacks against me only intensified.

I became someone everyone despised. No one believed me.

After all, Wendy had been raised with an elite education since childhood, while I was just the country girl who had been brought back into the family halfway through life. In everyone's eyes, the gap between us was as wide as heaven and earth.

The truth was, I really did not understand copyright law back then. Because of my ignorance, I could not produce a single useful piece of evidence to defend myself or reveal the truth.

Even Julian, Penelope, and Felix looked at me with undisguised disgust. I felt like a rat crawling through the sewers.

Overwhelmed by grief and resentment, I moved out of the Sutton family.

That incident became the root of the depression that haunted me in my previous life.

Perhaps Julian and Penelope still felt a trace of pity for their biological daughter. They left me a portion of their inheritance, enough to ensure I would never have to worry about money for the rest of my life.

When Wendy found out, she hired people to torture and murder me.

For an entire day and night, I endured relentless beatings and humiliation. Every tendon in my body was severed one by one before my throat was finally slit.

I hated Wendy for her cruelty. But I hated myself even more for my weakness and ignorance. Because of Wendy's greed and jealousy, my life ended at twenty-two.

After being reborn, this was the first time I had stepped onto the campus of the arts high school. As I stared at the familiar grounds, a chill spread through my entire body.