Chapter 2

Michael Shaw came down the stairs after personally tidying up Emily's room. His sharp, handsome features reminded me of the brother who used to spoil me rotten.

He spotted Emily, who was crying. He rushed down the stairs, instinctively pulling her behind him, then shot me a look full of obvious irritation. "Anna, did you bully Emily?"

Every time he walked in, he immediately decided I was the villain.

In my last life, the brother I'd depended on for more than ten years always stood against me, using the softest voice to say the words that hurt me most.

He'd wipe away Emily's tears, bring her all her favorite snacks, and rush to comfort her the moment she felt even a little upset, but he never once saw the tears in my eyes.

I looked up at Michael, my eyes steady and blank, not even a flicker of emotion showed. It felt like I was just looking at some stranger.

Michael was stunned for a moment by the way I looked at him, feeling something odd deep down.

Back then, I would tear up at just a single word from him, but today, my eyes were so cold, it was as if he was just another nobody to me.

I paid no attention to the hostile tension in the living room, nor did I glance at those three faces I knew so well, yet felt so distant.

I rose to my feet and headed for the stairs. My back was straight, there wasn't a hint of reluctance.

"I'm going to my room." My words hung in the air, unanswered.

The living room was still brightly lit. The four of them clustered around Emily, their warmth forming a world I could never be a part of.

Emily, Mr. Shaw, Mrs. Shaw, Michael...

In my previous life, you all owed me a life, and over ten years of love and genuine affection.

This time around, I won't make a scene, I won't fight for anything, I won't resent, and I won't hate.

I'll just stand by, watching coldly as you tear apart everything you once cherished, and as you let me slip away, piece by piece. Until, in the end, regret comes too late.

I stood at the end of the hallway, refusing to glance back at the living room with its false sense of warmth. I stepped into my bedroom, closing the door softly behind me with a backward motion.

The gentle click of the door marked the dividing line between two worlds.

The room was still frozen in time, like the old days.

The pink wallpaper had faded, glass marbles I'd hoarded as a kid lined the windowsill, comics from Michael stacked on the desk, and princess dresses my parents had chosen hung in the closet, all proof that I was once treasured.

But now, when I looked at them, all I saw was biting irony. The moment I threw myself into the sea, my heart and everything in this room were swallowed up by the icy waves.

I walked over to my desk and sat down, flipping open my practice book.

My plan was simple: aim for a university as far away as possible, save up enough to make my escape, and finally break free from this suffocating prison.

Ever since I was reborn, this has been my sole purpose.

The voices from the living room leaked through the door, sharp enough to sting. "Anna was so unreasonable today. Emily is so well-behaved. Why does she have to act like that?" Mrs. Shaw grumbled, not a hint of sympathy in her tone.

"She's been spoiled," Mr. Shaw said coldly. "She can't stand anyone else. She needs to toughen up."

"Please don't be upset, Uncle and Auntie. Anna just isn't used to things yet. I'll try my best to get along with her," Emily replied, her voice so fake and sweet it made my skin crawl.

"You're always the good one," Michael's gentle voice floated over, with a patience I'd never even dreamed of. "I'll get you a strawberry cake tomorrow."