Chapter 1

I was the biological daughter the Fosters had spent years searching for, and my brother, Charles Foster, kicked me down the stairs.

He clutched Emily Foster against his chest and screamed at me with bloodshot eyes. "If anything happens to Emily, Olivia, I swear to God I'll kill you!"

But I was the one bleeding out on the floor, curled up and dying.

Later, my parents cornered me. My fiancé joined them. Every single person in my life demanded the same thing—I had to give Emily one of my kidneys.

They told me I owed her.

I laughed.

I walked to the penthouse balcony in front of all the wedding guests and reporters, and I jumped.

"Here's my life back," I said. "Is that enough for you?"

After I died, a mechanical voice echoed in my head.

"Congratulations, Host. You have successfully escaped the storyline. Matching you with a new life now."

*****

Emily's twentieth birthday party also marked exactly one year since the Fosters had brought me back into the family.

The ballroom glowed with crystal chandeliers, and guests crowded every corner.

Emily stood between my parents, Julian and Lyla Foster, wearing a custom-designed gown that made her look like royalty. She smiled and laughed with everyone who approached.

I stood in the corner wearing an old dress that had faded from too many washes. I felt like the ugly duckling who'd wandered into the wrong party.

Lyla finally remembered I existed and waved me over. "Olivia, come here. I want you to meet Mr. William Reynolds," she said, but impatience edged her voice.

I walked over nervously, clutching the gift I had prepared tightly in my hands.

I had spent three months designing and hand-tailoring a custom scarf with an intricate pattern. Every stitch was perfect.

"Will— William," I stammered, my tongue twisting from nerves.

William looked at me with contempt that he didn't bother to hide.

Lyla's expression turned cold in an instant.

She grabbed my arm and pulled me aside, lowering her voice to a harsh whisper.

"Can you stop embarrassing me?" she hissed. "Did the country make you stupid? You can't even talk right."

That wasn't true. I was just nervous.

Pain shot through my chest, and my throat felt tight.

"I'm sorry, Mom," I managed to say. Those were the only words I could get out.

"Don't call me that!" she snapped, cutting me off. "I don't have a daughter as pathetic as you."

Emily walked over with a champagne glass, looped her arm through Lyla's, and smiled sweetly.

"Mom, don't blame Olivia," she said gently. "She just got back. She isn't used to these events yet."

She glanced at the box in my hands and asked with feigned curiosity, "Olivia, is this for me? Can I open it now?"

I nodded and handed her the box.

This was the only thing I had worth giving. My foster mother in the countryside was a talented seamstress, and I had learned from her since I was little. This was my best work.

If they saw the effort I'd put in, they would treat me better.

Emily opened the box with excitement. When she pulled out the delicate scarf, the people around us gasped softly.

"Oh my God, this is incredible!" someone exclaimed.

"Look at the detail!" another guest added. "This must have taken forever!"

I caught a flash of surprise in Julian's eyes, and a fragile hope stirred in my chest. But the moment was shattered in the next heartbeat.

Emily suddenly cried out in pain.

Her finger got caught on the edge of the scarf box. A bright drop of blood welled up from her fingertip.

Time seemed to freeze.

Then chaos erupted.

"Emily!" Lyla screamed and rushed over, grabbing Emily's hand. Her face went white.

Julian rushed forward and snatched the scarf from my hands. He hurled it to the ground with force.

The box hit the floor with a loud bang, and the scarf I had spent countless hours designing and tailoring landed on the dirty ground. He stepped on it and ground his heel into the fabric I had poured my heart into.

He jabbed his finger at my face, his eyes blazing red with fury. "You vindictive bitch! Were you trying to kill Emily?" His expression made me feel like prey he wanted to tear apart.

I froze. My entire body went cold.

"I didn't mean to," I said. "It was an accident."

"Don't you dare lie to me!" A tall figure charged toward me. My own brother, Charles.

He didn't even glance my way before shoving me hard.

I stumbled backward and crashed into the champagne cart beside me.

Glasses shattered on impact. Wine splashed everywhere. Guests screamed. The sounds crashed together in chaos.

I collapsed into the broken glass. A shard sliced deep into my palm, and blood poured from the wound.

But no one looked at me.

Everyone crowded around Emily, who'd barely been pricked by a needle. She didn't even have a scratch.

Charles cradled her in his arms with such tenderness. He turned on me with rage. "Olivia, I warned you to leave Emily alone! Did you think I was joking?"

I lay sprawled on the cold floor and looked up at them.

My mother was gently blowing on Emily's finger.

My father was furiously calling the family doctor.

My brother was glaring at me like I was garbage he needed to keep away from Emily.

And Emily, nestled in Charles' embrace with tears in her eyes, turned her face just enough so only I could see. She smiled at me with pure triumph and malice.

In that moment, the pain in my hand vanished.

Something else took its place. A cold numbness spread through my chest as my heart slowly died.

I finally understood the truth. I was the outsider in my own family.

A cold, emotionless voice cut through my thoughts without warning. The mechanical tone felt alien in my head.

"Strong emotional detachment detected. World Escape System activated. Olivia, are you willing to abandon everything in your current world in exchange for a fresh start?"