Chapter 1

Realizing I had been reborn, I sat in silence for a long time.

In front of me, my parents spoke through reddened eyes, pouring out their guilt and how much they missed me over the years. They even said they had been thinking about me for ten years!

In my previous life, I was so touched that I broke down in tears, throwing myself into their arms, naïvely believing I finally had a family. That I was finally loved.

But three years later, I was tearing at my hair, screaming and crying as I jumped off a building in front of them, hoping my death would earn just a sliver of their affection.

No one had ever loved me.

So, this time, I felt nothing. I was as calm and unfeeling.

“Sweetheart, are you still settling in? It’s alright, I’ll help you pick a room first. Take your time,” my mother said gently, noticing my silence.

She took my hand and led me upstairs to the third floor.

My father followed us with a smile, pulling out his phone to call Shane Lowe. “Come home as soon as you can.”

Shane replied with two words, “I’m busy.”

My father frowned, and my mother looked a little embarrassed as she explained to me, “Your brother’s always busy. He’s taken on most of the company’s responsibilities. He’ll only be back on the weekends.”

I believed them in my last life.

In this life, I didn’t care.

My belief made no difference.

On the third floor, every room was brightly decorated, warm, and brimming with a girlish charm.

“Carol, take your pick. You can have whichever room you like,” my father said with a smile.

My gaze settled on the room closest to the stairs.

On the bed sat a plush panda, its fur soft and inviting.

In my past life, I’d been captivated by it at first glance, mistaking it for a sign that my parents truly loved me. I chose that room without hesitation because I fell in love with that panda.

However, my parents' expressions shifted slightly. They exchanged a glance before quickly smiling.

"Carol, we forgot to tell you that this room belongs to your sister, Leila," my father said with a chuckle.

"Leila is such a considerate girl. She cleared out her room especially for you, saying you should have the most spacious one. It’s only right for you to live here."

Back then, I blinked in surprise, feeling touched. "My sister gave me her room? That’s so kind of her."

I still loved that panda and that room.

My parents exchanged another look, hesitant to speak further.

But I was already too excited.

I dashed inside without a second thought, wrapping my arms around the plush panda.

Just then, Leila Lowe came home, her backpack slung over one shoulder.

Leila and I were both fifteen, but she was far more mature and not as naïve as I was.

Seeing me in her room, she pressed her lips together, forcing a dimpled smile. "I heard my sister came home, so I took the day off to come back. Do you like this room? Then it’s yours."

She bit her lip after speaking, turning her face away.

My parents silently observed her every reaction.

My mother quickly came over and pulled me aside. "Carol, why don’t you pick another room? This one’s too big. I don’t think it’s suitable for you."

"Why not?" I asked, confused.

I also sensed a subtle change in the atmosphere, though I couldn’t quite place it.

At the time, how could I have known what was wrong?

After all, my parents had cried for me, and they loved me so much.

Moreover, Leila had willingly emptied out her room for me to choose.