The Real Heiress Brings Nothing but Regret

"Elara, from now on Lilith will be your little sister. You have to treat her well and not bully her, okay?"

Hearing those familiar words, I realized I had been reborn. I forced out a smile and nodded obediently.

The living room fell silent.

"Ella, you..." My mother hesitated, her eyes full of disbelief, before she continued asking, "You don't mind?"

In my previous life, I had lashed out right then and there and screamed at them at this exact moment, warning them that there was something wrong about this woman.

After all, I had always been the undisputed darling of the family. My successful parents and brother doted on me endlessly, and my remarkable childhood friends had always kept me in the palm of their hands, cherishing and protecting me with tender care.

That was, until Lilith Ashbourne appeared.

This time, I blinked innocently and asked, "What is there for me to mind? Lily has been out there all these years, and now that she's finally home, I'm thrilled! I couldn't be happier."

With that, I stepped forward and took Lilith's hand.

But the moment I got close, that familiar stench of decay hit me in the face so hard I nearly threw up. However, I held it in and smiled even brighter.

Lilith clearly hadn't expected this reaction from me. A flash of malice crossed her eyes, which she quickly replaced with a pitiful expression. "Ella, you're so kind. When I was at the orphanage, I used to dream of having a sister like you."

As she spoke, she leaned toward me, and the stench of rotting flesh grew even stronger. My stomach churned violently, and I quickly took a step back.

Tristan Crowe, one of my childhood friends, immediately stepped forward to shield Lilith. "Elara Ashbourne! Lily is just trying to get close to you. Why are you pulling away?"

My other childhood friends also shot me disapproving looks.

I sneered inwardly. This was exactly how it had been in my previous life. Whenever Lilith played the victim, everyone would take her side.

I pouted, looking wronged. "I'm not pulling away. I just suddenly remembered that I'm not done packing my luggage yet."

With that, I headed upstairs to my bedroom.

Lilith's tearful voice came from behind me. "Is it me? Do I smell bad? The orphanage didn't have great conditions, but I still showered with soap three times every day."

"Nonsense!" My father immediately comforted her with a pained tone, "You smell lovely. It's Ella who's being unreasonable!"

My childhood friends swarmed around her eagerly. "Lily, you're the sweetest-smelling person I've ever met."

I rolled my eyes and walked into my room without looking back. After taking out the protective amulet from my drawer and tucking it into the front of my shirt, I listened to the cheerful laughter and chatter downstairs with a snide smile on my lips.

Sweet-smelling? Just wait until you crawl into her coffin with her and get a whiff of that rotting and reeking stench. You'll know just how sweet-smelling she truly is then.

Back in my room, I immediately started packing my luggage. I had no desire to deal with these people any longer.

Just before leaving, something suddenly occurred to me. In my previous life, I had secretly stuck a warding charm on the beam in my room. It was one I had drawn by exhausting my own blood and life essence, all to protect my family from Lilith's harm.

Now that I had decided to let them reap what they sowed, I certainly wasn't going to waste that charm on them.

I dragged a chair over and stood on tiptoe to reach the beam.