Chapter 2

Jessica was still bawling. "Kick this wicked girl out, or I'll kill myself."

She clung to my parents, hiccupping through her sobs as she wiped at her tears.

She acted like she was the most pitiful person in the world.

I was stunned for a moment.

Honestly, it looked like she was the one who'd almost gotten killed just now.

Jessica was crying so hard that she could barely breathe.

Right away, people started feeling sorry for her. "Leah, you've already made Jessica suffer so much. Aren't you done yet?"

Philip glared at me, his face dark with rage. "Quit acting all innocent. You're selfish and cruel. Having a sister like you is such a shame."

He looked down at me, lips tight.

I clenched my hands and forced down the bitterness.

Back when I was bullied at the orphanage and when people called me an unwanted kid, I wished for a brother a thousand times.

I always thought a brother would love his sister.

He would warm my hands, soothe me to sleep, and protect me when others threw mud at me.

However, when I finally had a brother, he was never the one protecting me.

Before I moved into the Monroe residence, I tried to figure out what Philip liked, hoping to make a good impression.

When I found out he was into designer sneakers, I saved up for months from my part-time jobs just to buy him one as a gift.

However, in the end, it was just tossed into some dusty storage room, forgotten and left to rot in the dark.

Philip even grabbed me by the throat when Jessica got hurt and demanded, "Why wasn't it you who got hurt?"

My parents always turned a blind eye to everything Philip did and kept warning me. "Leah, cut out your tricks. If you dare hurt Jessica again, you'll regret it.

"You'd better watch yourself. If you ever do this again, you can pack your bags and get out of the Monroe residence for good. We don't want a daughter like you."

To the Monroe family, Jessica was their precious daughter and the only sister they ever cared about.

They never spared a thought for me, the one they'd just officially recognized as family.

Just like in my previous life, Jessica shed a few tears, and they rushed to forgive her and get some medical notes, all just to help her dodge responsibility.

No one cared about what I had been through.

Even at my grave, they acted all fake, making excuses for themselves. "We've already lost one daughter. We can't let anything happen to Jessica. Leah, we have to move on. Bless us."

Even after living through it all once, those icy words still hit me like a punch to the chest.

Watching this loving family, I gave a bitter smile. "Whatever you say."

It didn't matter to me anymore.

Later that day, I headed straight back to school and buried myself in my studies.

My previous life had taught me that nothing else could be trusted except the knowledge I grasped.

I threw myself into learning, joined contests, and even got admission to Beloris University.

When I got the news, I was so thrilled.

The school had me, one of the top students, go on stage to give a lecture to everyone before the exams.

To my utter surprise, Jessica showed up, too.

She stormed up onto the stage, snatched the microphone right out of my hand, and hurled it at me.

She said, "You bribed the examiners to get that spot at Beloris University. You're so shameless. I'll crush you, you bitch."

In an instant, all eyes in the audience turned toward me.

"Did Leah buy her way to Beloris University?"

"That's disgusting. Is that even true?"

Some folks started whispering when they realized who Jessica was.

"Isn't that the girl from the Monroe family? I heard she totally lost it a few days ago, and now her mind's stuck in kid mode."

"Then what she's saying must be true. Kids don't lie."

"How dare Leah stand there, claiming to represent the top students? Get her down now."

Seeing the crowd's reaction, Jessica switched gears and played the cute card.

She said, "Yeah, my mom says I'm a good seven-year-old now. It's all Leah's fault. I'm here to stand up for justice and wipe out the villain."

There was shock, disgust, and disdain in their eyes, making my skin crawl.

I just stood there, watching Jessica play pretend. I said, "Have you been playing dumb for so long that you think everyone else is an idiot?"

A kid? What kind of kid went around with that innocent face, only to trash me and spread lies whenever she wanted?

As soon as I finished speaking, Jessica's expression changed in a flash. She burst into hysterical tears, putting on a dramatic show.

She cried, "Someone is picking on me. Mom, come save me. I'm just telling the truth. Why are you calling me dumb? I'm a good kid. I didn't lie."

She sounded so innocent. Her reddened eyes glistened with tears, looking pitiful and fragile.

It instantly stirred sympathy in many people present.

Now they were looking at me like I was dirt under their shoes.

Seeing the crowd eating it up, Jessica doubled down, slinging even nastier accusations my way.

However, her little victory didn't last long. Just then, the cops showed up.

"Who called the police?" one of them asked.

I glanced at Jessica, whose face was as pale as a ghost, and stepped forward. "I did.

"Jessica is making up fake stories about me and trying to mess with the college admissions process. What she did counts as defamation."