Chapter 1

Previously, after Emily York returned to her real family, she went out of her way to exclude me.

She hated studying and loved dressing up, and she spent her days chasing after the boy, James Foster, who'd grown up with me.

But when the mudslide hit, she threw herself over me without a second thought. Even when her back was torn open and bleeding, she still wouldn't let go.

Living this life all over again, she pointed at the bracelet on my wrist, her tone loud and proud. "Nice taste, but a real bracelet doesn't belong on a fake, don't you think, Grace?"

I slipped it off and handed it to her without batting an eye.

Emily blinked, totally thrown off.

*****

She took a cautious step back, eyeing me warily. "Grace, did you take the wrong meds or something? Shouldn't you be cursing me out right now? You're really giving me the birthday present James gave you?"

I looked at her, alive and smug as ever, and my eyes stung. "It's yours."

Emily lit up, snatching the bracelet from my hand as if she were afraid I would change my mind. She held it like a treasure and still had the nerve to play coy. "I mean, it's not like I wanted it that much, but since you're giving it to me, I guess I'll just take it."

Jewelry and little things like that never meant much to me. If she liked them, I didn't mind giving her more, as long as she didn't end up like she did previously, collapsed in the mud with her face drained of color, dying.

When Emily was first brought back to the family, we actually got along quite well.

She didn't know anyone or anything here, so she stuck to me, her sister, who was only one day older. And because I had lived more than ten years in her place, guilt pushed me to spoil her however I could.

But everything changed the moment James appeared. Wherever he was around, Emily would dress to the nines and try to outshine me. She also made a habit of throwing little jabs at me in front of him.

If I wore a dress, she would "gently remind" me, "Grace, you look amazing in this dress, but isn't it a bit short? It would be so awkward if you had a wardrobe malfunction."

If I carried a different bag, she would drawl, "That bag looks a little worn. Should I give you one of mine?"

"Even when I simply brushed my hair, she would come over and say, ""Your hair looks a little frizzy today. Oh, I didn't mean anything by it. Don't take it the wrong way, Grace.""

"

Emily drove me crazy. Anyone with eyes could see what she was doing, yet James not only agreed with Emily's nitpicking, but he even praised her for being kind and thoughtful.

And whenever he wasn't looking, Emily grinned at me, smug from ear to ear.

After seven or eight years of this, I eventually learned to live with it.

Which was why, when we got caught in a mudslide on our road trip, and I was trapped in the front passenger seat by a jammed seatbelt, my mind went completely blank when Emily—after running ahead for a while—turned around and came back for me. "Emily, why did you come back? If you stay here, you're going to die here too."

James had already bolted, but Emily took out the tiny nail clipper she always carried and struggled desperately to cut through the seatbelt. But with one hard twist, the clipper flew right out the broken window.

The rocks were coming down faster. I shoved her with everything I had. "Go! I have zero interest in dying together with someone I can't stand."

Emily steeled herself. She dove over my waist and started gnawing at the seatbelt. She barely got a few bites in when she suddenly froze, as if she had seen something, then threw herself over me and shielded me with her whole body.

"Boom!" The crash rattled my head, making my ears ring. The car was swallowed by mud and rocks. Suddenly, everything went pitch black.

I groped around for Emily, but my hands came away slick with warm blood. Terror shot through me. "Emily! Emily, are you still with me?"

Her breathing was already faint. "Do you have to shout? You're so damn loud. You've always been better than me, smarter than me, better at running the company... Promise me you'll take care of Mom and Dad from now on, okay?"

*****

By the time I was rescued, Emily was already gone.

I did my best to honor Emily's last wish and live my life well, but one day, I accidentally uncovered that the mudslide that killed her had been a carefully staged accident planned by James.

James had racked up gambling debts overseas and desperately needed a large sum of money. His plan was to fake my death in an accident, get engaged to Emily, and then take over her family's assets. He never imagined Emily would risk her life to get me out alive.

The moment I learned the truth, I was shaking with anger. I was about to dig deeper when someone hit me from behind and everything went black.

When I came to, I realized I was back to a month ago.

Emily was happily studying the bracelet at this moment. Then I suddenly remembered how wearing it always made my chest tighten for no reason, so I snatched it back from her.

She looked confused at first, then her expression shifted as if she had figured it all out. Arms crossed, she sneered, "What? Remembered it was from James, and now you can't bear to part with it?"

I was about to take the bracelet to get it checked, so I shot back without thinking, "As if he deserved that.

"If you like bracelets, just go to my collection room. Take anything you want. If nothing speaks to you, take my card and buy whatever catches your eye."

I had plenty of bracelets in that room. Even if she took a dozen, it wouldn't bother me in the slightest.

When she didn't answer, I turned and found Emily staring at me with a strange mix of emotions. There was excitement, joy, disbelief—and something that almost looked like relief.

"You finally stopped liking James?" Emily asked. She suddenly threw herself into my arms and hugged me tight, rubbing her cheek against my neck like a clingy kitten.

I was caught off guard and felt strange. I had no idea why she was so thrilled just because I said I disliked James.

Then, it hit me. She was still fooled by his gentlemanly act and had fallen for him completely. In her eyes, I was the "love rival" bowing out, so she couldn't help feeling over the moon.

But I couldn't let her be played for a fool again. I had to expose that scumbag's true colors.