Chapter 2

From then on, everyone in our circle joked that Percy had found his “first love,” someone truly worthy of his admiration.

Next to her constant white dresses, my tank tops and jeans made me look like a complete tomboy.

By our senior year, Bella knew graduation was approaching fast, and if she didn’t win Percy over soon, that would be the end of their story.

Unsettled by how special Percy seemed to treat me, she began provoking me, trying to grab his attention.

She even stole my research results, attempting to publish a paper with Percy.

When our professor caught on, she retaliated by accusing my advisor of harassment.

Then, she spun a story that I had deliberately pushed her to the advisor to gain sympathy from the group, determined to leave her mark before graduation.

I couldn’t stand to see her get away with it, so I testified against her.

The school expelled her, putting an end to her ambitious climb.

Percy witnessed the whole ordeal and only remarked, "Was that really necessary? What a shame."

His comment annoyed me so much that I ignored him for half a year.

…

When I finally finished reminiscing and stepped into the hospital room, Bella was already sitting up.

She looked pale and frail like a gust of wind could knock her over, though her hands under the blanket gave her away, trembling with excitement.

She must have dreamed all her life of getting into our circle, never imagining she was born into it, while I was the one who had taken her place.

My mother stroked her hair, filled with pity, blaming herself for losing her daughter.

Then, seeing the cold look on my face, she seemed a bit embarrassed.

She quickly got up, came to my side, and held my hand to comfort me.

"It’s okay, we'll just consider her an older sister. I could never abandon you," she said.

Bella's look of hurt quickly twisted into one of spite, her eyes glaring at me with intensity. She hadn't expected that I, the impostor, would be so valued—that the return of the real heiress wouldn't mean I'd step aside.

It wasn't that I was desperate to hold onto this place, but the girl with the dark heart and the white dress had made too deep an impression on me. I couldn't bear the thought of her getting what she wanted.

Bella, desperate for sympathy, began to passionately recount the hardships and suffering she had endured all these years.

When Bella reached the most painful parts of her story, she was practically in tears.

My mother, upset, began to curse whoever had failed to take proper care of her daughter.

My father immediately ordered someone to investigate the actions of her adoptive parents.

Bella quickly stopped him. "There's no need for that, Dad. Now that I have you both, all that's left is for me to enjoy life."

After she was discharged from the hospital, Bella headed straight to the Scott family’s home, leaving her old life behind without even packing a bag.

Every day, she accompanied my mom on shopping trips and flower arranging, acting as if they had been together since birth.

My dad, who had initially worried about the bond with the child not raised by his side, felt relieved seeing how Bella worked to make his wife happy.

But Bella wanted more than just their approval.

She wanted to assert herself from a position of power and trample me underfoot.

Now that she was the true heiress, she couldn't stand that I was still enjoying the privileges of being part of the Scott family.

She set a new goal: to push me out of the family.

To prove that my biological parents had deliberately switched her, the real heiress, with me, she spread plenty of malicious gossip about them.

But I remembered that her parents were both university professors. I had once wondered how a child like her could come from such a background.

Even Percy, hearing about the things she had done, had been skeptical because of her parents' reputation.

Now, listening to her slander, I found it all the more repulsive.

…

That evening, after dinner, Bella sneaked into my room. She looked around, her eyes reddening at the sight of the luxurious decor.

She put on a pitiful expression and began her performance.

"Sister, I’ve been back for so long, taking over what used to be yours. Please, don't be upset. From now on, all the good things in this house will still be given to you first."