Chapter 1

[I've been reborn? Hahaha! This time, Kayla's stroke of fortune will be mine!]

Gleeful cackles seemed to ring in my ears.

I opened my eyes in a daze and found myself back at the familiar orphanage.

Clarissa Smith, my sister who'd stabbed me to death in my previous life, was eyeing me with a sly grin.

[This time around, you can spend your life in an academic hellhole, Kayla, while I enjoy having more money than I could ever spend without having to lift a finger.]

I stared blankly at Clarissa, only to realize she hadn't spoken at all. It finally hit me that I'd been reborn. I'd gone back in time to the day I was adopted—and somehow, I could hear Clarissa's thoughts.

In my previous life, Clarissa and I had been adopted at the same time. She didn't hesitate to choose the Newmans, a famous couple from a prestigious and well-off family, known for their scientific accomplishments. She shoved me toward Susan Howard, an impoverished divorcee instead.

However, what she didn't know was how much effort came with being part of a family with such a glorious reputation.

After the Newmans adopted Clarissa, they placed high expectations on her, hoping she would carry on the family mantle in the field of scientific research. How could someone like her, who only wanted to enjoy a life of idle luxury, be willing to endure the hardship of academic study?

The intense pressure she endured soon made her crack. She started by paying off the top-performing students to feed her answers during exams.

And once she got to college, she seduced her faculty advisor and became even more brazen. Not only did she bully her classmates and maliciously tamper with other people's assignments, but she also stole her roommate's scholarship money and got involved with many guys.

It didn't take long for her behavior to spark public outrage. Everyone submitted a joint report against her.

The scandal rocked the campus. Succumbing to the pressure, the university administration launched an investigation into her grades and found evidence that they had been falsified, so they immediately expelled her.

The Newmans had never suffered such disgrace before. In their fury, they cut ties with her and kicked her out of the family.

Meanwhile, in just a few short years, I married rich and even became the sole recipient of tens of millions of dollars through a demolition compensation package given by the government.

I'd gone out for some afternoon tea and was busy selecting a new handbag to buy when Clarissa burst in. Eyes wild, she brandished a knife at me and dragged me to the rooftop.

"Why do you get to live such a good life when my life is miserable, Kayla? Go to hell, my beloved sister!"

She plunged the knife straight into my heart.

Unwilling to let her kill me off like that, I used all my strength to push her off the rooftop as well.

Back in the present, Clarissa noticed my distracted state and approached me with a gentle smile. She took my hand and said, "Kayla, I'll live with Ms. Howard. You can go with the Newmans and have a good life instead!"

Her eyes were bright and cunning, while her thoughts made it clear how she really felt.

[You idiot! You can endure that hellish life in my place this time! I'm going to enjoy my life of luxury in your place.]

Pretending to be confused, I said, "But Clarissa, life won't be easy with a divorcee like Ms. Howard."

"It's fine, Kayla. I don't mind suffering a little bit," Clarissa assured me, but I could hear her thoughts.

[Drop the act, idiot. I'm going to get what I want this time. I'm going with Susan Howard!]

I smiled to myself. So be it, then. This time, Clarissa would be the one enduring the torment.