Chapter 2

Lydia's scream ripped through the night, sending a flock of crows scattering from the treetops.

Lydia doubled over in agony, cold sweat instantly dampening her hair at the temples.

Rachel lunged at me like a madwoman. "Charlotte! Are you out of your mind? Lydia is one of our girls."

I calmly pulled my foot back, wiping it off on the carpet with obvious disgust.

I retorted, "Don't talk nonsense, Rachel. In the Sinclair family, I'm the only legitimate daughter.

"Since when does a mere distant cousin think she has the right to tell me what to do?"

Rachel was shaking with rage, her finger jabbing at my nose, but she was so furious that she couldn't even get a word out.

Lydia clutched her swollen fingers, her eyes brimming with tears as she looked up at me, a flash of venom flickering in her gaze.

Lydia whimpered, "Charlotte, I know you're upset that Edward gave me that jade pendant.

"But he only gave it to me because I'm so frail. He wanted to encourage me stay healthy. You're perfectly fine. Why bother competing with a sickly girl like me?"

At the mention of that jade pendant, I felt a pang in my chest.

It was a keepsake from my mother. Back then, I secretly gave it to Edward when he left to take the exams, despite my father's objections.

It was our token of love.

In my previous life, when I saw Lydia wearing that jade pendant around her neck, I went to Edward to demand an explanation.

But Edward just brushed it off. "It's just a stone. Lydia likes it, so I lent it to her for a few days. What's the big deal? Why are you being so petty?"

After that, Lydia used the jade as her badge of pride, and even in death, I never got it back.

I let out a cold laugh. "Since you're so fond of taking what isn't yours, just keep it.

"It's just a dead person's keepsake. Only you would value it so much."

Lydia's face froze; she clearly hadn't expected me to say that.

Just then, hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

Edward burst in, our butler hot on his heels, unable to stop him.

He immediately saw Lydia sprawled on the floor, her hand swollen and red.

Edward's face clouded over, and he rushed to help Lydia up.

"Charlotte! What are you doing?" Edward shouted.

"Wasn't causing trouble at the palace enough for you? Now, you have to come home and take it out on Lydia?"

He turned to me, disappointment and disgust written all over his face.

"I used to think you were just willful, but I never thought you'd turn out so vicious."

"Lydia's health is already fragile. If you really hurt her with that kick, could you ever make it right?"

I looked at the man I once loved more than anything, and all I could do was laugh at how ridiculous he seemed.

In my last life, I went to bring a healer for his sake on a snowy day and ruined my legs for life.

Every rainy day, pain would shoot through my knees, sharp enough to make me gasp.

But back then, he was too busy peeling grapes for Lydia to even ask how I was.

Now, Lydia just got her hand stepped on, and he acted like it was the end of the world.

I sat down slowly, picked up my cup, and took a leisurely sip.

"Mr. Grant, that's a funny thing to say. Since when do outsiders get to butt into Sinclair family business?" I shot back, my voice icy.

"Look, her hand's just fine. She's still got enough strength to wag her finger at me and whine, doesn't she?"

Edward choked on his words for a second, then his anger flared up even more.

"You're absolutely unreasonable," he snapped.

He pulled a box from his robes and slammed it down on the table.

"I was going to give you this hairpin if you'd just admit you were wrong," Edward said.

"It's an imperial gift, one of a kind in the whole city. It shows how much you mean to me."

"But now, it's clear you don't deserve it."

With that, he turned and shoved the box into Lydia's hands.

His tone suddenly turned gentle, "Lydia, this hairpin is for you. Only someone as gentle and kind as you deserves such a stunning hairpin."

Lydia looked overwhelmed by the attention, clutching the box to her chest and giving me a shy glance.

"Ed, this is too precious. Charlotte might be upset..." Lydia murmured.

"So what if she's upset?" Edward replied coldly, shooting me a frosty look.

"She's the one who doesn't know her place," he sneered.

I looked at that golden hairpin and couldn't help but feel the bitter irony.

Back in my previous life, that hairpin ended up in Lydia's hands, just like everything else.

Edward claimed I was too headstrong to match its vibe—only someone as gentle as Lydia was worthy of it.

While everyone mocked me, I had no choice but to watch Lydia strut around, showing off the token of my love as if it belonged to her.

I set my cup down and rose to my feet.

"Since Mr. Grant is feeling so generous, I suppose I shouldn't hold back either," I said.

I strode right up to Lydia, and as she stared at me in terror, I snatched the box from her hands.

"What do you think you're doing?" Edward cried out, startled.

I hurled the box to the ground with all my strength.

With a resounding crash, the box splintered apart, the delicate hairpin snapped clean in half, and golden beads spilled across the floor.

The hall fell into a deathly silence.

I dusted off my hands, standing tall and looking down at the two of them, their faces pale as ghosts.

"Mr. Grant, your things are filthy to me," I said coldly.

"If I'm not good enough, then no one else will ever have it."

Edward was shaking with rage, his finger trembling as he pointed at me.

"Charlotte! Y-You're out of your mind," he shouted, his voice quivering with fury.

"From this day forward, don't expect me to ever show you a shred of kindness again," he spat.

I looked him dead in the eye and smirked with disdain.

"Couldn't ask for anything better," I shot back.

After that day, Edward didn't set foot in the Sinclair Estate again.

But he wasn't just sitting around doing nothing.

He had people send all kinds of rare delicacies and supplements to the Sinclair Estate, all marked for Lydia.

Every single one was pure luxury.

He even started spreading rumors all over the city, saying the Sinclair family's legitimate daughter was notoriously jealous, couldn't tolerate her cousin, and that her character was questionable.