That year, the earthquake hit, burying my sister and me under tons of concrete. The rescue captain shouted, "The structure is unstable! If we pull one out, the rest might collapse. We can only guarantee one safe extraction right now." Without a second of hesitation, Mom and Dad screamed, "Save Bella! Save our oldest!" Bella, my sister, screamed from the darkness, "Save me first! Get me out!" During the rescue, the firefighters repeatedly emphasized, "Do not move. Stay perfectly still." But Bella didn't listen. In her panic, she thrashed around, pushing against the debris surrounding her to clear her own path. Her movements triggered a secondary collapse. I was crushed to death by a falling beam while she was pulled to safety. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my bed. It was the day of the earthquake. Chapter 1 I jolted awake, gasping for air. The date on my phone glared back at me. It was today. The earthquake would strike at 2:00 AM. It was currently midnight. I didn't waste a second thinking. I shoved my feet into sneakers and bolted out the door. In my past life, too many people died in our apartment complex. Since I had been given a second chance, I couldn't just let them die. I started from the first floor, pounding on doors like a maniac. "Fire! Gas leak! Everyone out!" I screamed, using whatever excuse would get them moving fast. I waited until I saw lights flicker on before moving to the next unit. By the time I had woken up the residents of all seven floors, I had five minutes left. I sprinted back into our unit. Two minutes. In my previous life, I wasted my escape window trying to wake Bella. She was a heavy sleeper, and that delay cost me my life. This time, I’d leave that "honor" to Mom, who loved Bella more than life itself. I burst into my parents' room. "Mom! Dad! Wake up! The ground is shaking!" They groggily sat up. Forty seconds left. "I tried to wake Bella, but she won't budge! What do we do?" I yelled, feigning panic. Dad frowned, confused. "What earthquake? What are you talking about in the middle of the..." Before he could finish, the floor lurched violently beneath us. "Bella is still asleep!" I screamed over the rumbling. Terror washed over Mom’s face. She scrambled toward Bella’s room, shrieking, "Bella! Bella, baby, get up! Run! It’s an earthquake!" Dad grabbed my arm. "Run! Now!" The quake was violent and immediate. It gave no quarter. Just as Dad and I stumbled out of the building entrance, the world roared. Boom. The building collapsed behind us. Mom and Bella were trapped inside. Screams and sirens filled the air. My ears rang, vision blurring as the dust settled. The memories of my death flooded back. Last time, I had shaken Bella until my arms ached, but she wouldn't wake up. Mom and Dad had escaped, leaving us behind. When the rescuers found us hours later, Mom’s voice had pierced through the rubble. "Bella! Hang in there, baby! Mommy is here! You have to survive!" She never called my name. Not once. When the rescue team explained the unstable structure—that saving one might crush the other—I knew my fate before they even spoke. "Save the one on the right! Save Bella! The one in the white pajamas!" Mom had screamed. And Bella, hearing this, had cried out, "Mommy, save me! My leg hurts! Me first!" I lay there in the cold dark, watching the light shine on Bella. "Don't move," the firefighter had warned her. "If you move, the debris will shift onto your sister." She didn't care. She kicked and pushed, desperate to get out. As she was pulled free, the weight of the building came down on me. "Mom, help me! It hurts!" I had screamed. The rescuers wanted to dig for me, but I heard Mom’s voice from above, cold and final. "Don't bother. Even if you get her out, she’ll be crippled. I don’t have the energy to raise a vegetable." I watched the sliver of light vanish as the rubble sealed my tomb. I waited in the dark for death. Now, I stood in the dust of a new timeline. This time, you get to feel what it’s like to be chosen last. Chapter 2 "Ava! Are you okay?" Dad’s voice snapped me back to reality. I pulled him backward. "Dad, watch out for aftershocks! We need open ground. Rescue is coming. Mom and Bella will be fine." Dad was in shock, staring blankly at the ruin of our home. Anyone experiencing this for the first time would be broken. But I had already died here. Every breath I took now was profit. The first responders arrived quickly. Dad rushed over, begging them to dig. The building was a mess of concrete and rebar. They couldn't locate them. But I knew where they were. I intentionally led a team in the opposite direction first, "saving" an elderly neighbor who was calling for help. By the time I "found" Mom and Bella, six hours had passed. "Dad! I hear Mom!" I shouted. The rescue captain assessed the situation. He looked at Dad with a grim expression. "It’s unstable. The structure is like a house of cards. If we extract one, the shift will likely collapse the pocket holding the other." The words were identical. Through a gap in the concrete, I saw Bella’s pale face and Mom’s terrified eyes. Dad hesitated. Both were his family. Unlike Mom in my past life, he struggled with the choice. Then Bella started screaming. "Daddy, save me! I don't want to die! Daddy, I can work, I can marry rich, I can take care of you when you're old! Mom is just a housewife! You can get another wife! I have more value than her!" I watched Mom’s face contort in shock. I lowered my head to hide my smirk. Surprise, Mom. The daughter you worship sees you as a disposable servant. Dad made his choice. "Save my daughter." Mom went feral. "David! If you let me die, I will haunt you forever! And you, Bella! You ungrateful brat! I can't believe you're so selfish!" Bella, trapped and in pain, screamed back, "I'm just being realistic! I have a future! Dad is making the smart choice!" Mom’s eyes were full of venomous hatred. But I couldn't let Mom die just yet. That would be too easy. I leaned into the gap and sobbed, "Mom! Mom, don't be scared! I'll find a way! Hang on, Mom! I won't give up on you!" Compared to Bella, I sounded like an angel. I just wanted to make sure she survived long enough to hate Bella properly. The rescue took hours. When Bella was finally pulled out, her legs were purple and crushed. "Those legs are gone," a medic muttered. Surprisingly, the secondary collapse didn't happen this time. Maybe because I wasn't the one trapped, or maybe Bella was too injured to thrash around. Mom was pulled out alive. They were rushed to the hospital. Dad went with Bella. I went with Mom. I couldn't wait for Mom to wake up. Chapter 3 I sat by Mom’s hospital bed, staring at her sleeping face. It was the first time I’d really looked at her. Mom never wanted me. Grandma told me that Mom paid a hefty fine to try for a second child, hoping for a boy. When I popped out—another girl—she was furious. I was dumped at my grandma’s farm immediately. I survived on scraps and the kindness of neighbors. When I was eight, Dad brought me back to the city for school. Bella was two years older, the princess of the house. I was the Cinderella. Cleaning, cooking, laundry. My grades suffered because I had no time to study, while Bella was tutored and pampered. I never had a birthday party. I wasn't even allowed to eat Bella's birthday cake because Mom said I would "steal her luck." Now, Bella was a double amputee with a face scarred by rebar. Would they still love her? Mom’s eyes fluttered open. She looked at me, confused, then relieved. "Mom? You're awake? Are you okay?" I asked, feigning deep concern. She grabbed my wrist. "Where is your sister?" I put on my best tragic face. "Bella... it's bad. They had to amputate both legs. Her face is ruined. She hasn't woken up yet." Mom went silent. She lay back, staring at the ceiling. She wasn't crying. She was calculating. When Mom was discharged, Bella finally woke up. Dad wasn't there; he was out trying to find us a place to live. Bella lay in bed, groggy. She didn't know about her legs yet. When she saw Mom, she flinched. "Mom... you're alive. That's... good. We're both alive. Don't blame me for what I said, I was just scared." Mom looked at her coldly. I walked up and hugged Mom’s arm. "Mom, you just woke up, sit down. Thank god you survived. If you hadn't..." I trailed off. Mom looked at Bella with disgust. Bella glared at me. "Ava, stop trying to drive a wedge between us. Mom will never love you." That sentence seemed to snap something in Mom. She turned, grabbed my hand, and teared up. "I haven't wasted my time on you, Ava. I was wrong before. I treated you poorly. Don't worry, I'll make it up to you. Double." I smiled and squeezed her hand, shooting a triumphant look at Bella. But internally, I was skeptical. Would she really change? Or was I just the new investment vehicle? Chapter 4 Dad returned with three takeout boxes. Me, Mom, and Dad. None for Bella. "Where's mine?" Bella demanded. "You just had surgery," Dad said, stuffing his face. "Doctor said liquids only. I'll get you some porridge later." "Surgery? What surgery?" Silence fell over the room. She didn't know. "Answer me! What surgery?!" Her voice rose to a shriek. Mom, losing patience, walked over and ripped the blanket off. The bedsheet was flat where her calves should have been. Bella opened her mouth, but no sound came out. Tears streamed down her face. Mom wasn't done. She took out her phone, snapped a picture of Bella's scarred face, and shoved the screen in front of her. Bella screamed. It was a primal, horrific sound. "Shut up!" A nurse yelled from the hallway. "This is a hospital!" Bella shook her head violently. "No! Impossible! I was saved! How is this possible?!" I quietly ate my chicken leg, watching the show. Mom sneered. "You thought you'd be saved and live happily ever after? You told your father to get a new wife? Look at you now. If he gets a new wife, do you think he'll want a burden like you?" "I can't believe I pampered you for eighteen years just for you to wish me dead. I was blind." Dad chimed in, eager to please Mom. "Honey, I never wanted to leave you. Bella begged me. I was heartbroken." Mom glared at him. "I only heard Ava telling me not to give up. I only heard Ava promising to save me. Don't take me for a fool, David." They argued. I finished my meal. We moved into temporary government housing. Bella needed constant care. Mom refused to touch her. Dad said it was inappropriate for him. So, naturally, they looked at me. Bella seemed to enjoy bossing me around again. I wasn't having it. One afternoon, Bella yelled that she needed the bathroom. I was outside washing dishes and pretended not to hear. Dad and Mom were out. I finished the dishes, hung the laundry, and hummed a tune. When Mom came back, she saw me working hard. "Good girl, let me help." Thump. A loud crash from inside. We ran in. Bella had tried to crawl to the commode and fallen. She was covered in her own filth. Mom gagged and walked out. Dad came home right then. He pulled me aside. "Ava, I found a school in New York City that will take you. Pack your things." I packed immediately. That left Mom and Bella alone in the stench. Bella screamed in shame as Mom dragged her into a plastic tub to hose her down. Mom was cursing the whole time, but she did it. A mother never truly abandons her favorite, I guess. But me? Why was I so easy to discard? Chapter 5 We moved to New York City. Dad rented a small two-bedroom apartment in Queens. Mom and Dad took the master. I got the small room. Bella slept on a cot in the living room. Bella threw tantrums daily. At first, they reasoned with her. Then, they started hitting her. I watched Bella become quiet and fearful. It felt familiar. That was my childhood. Why did she look so pained? It was just normal life for me. The new school was great. Teachers were kind, knowing I was a survivor. Without chores weighing me down, I studied voraciously. My grades skyrocketed. Every time I brought home an 'A', Mom praised me. So this is what being the Golden Child feels like. Bella grew silent, staring at us with dead eyes. Dad bought Bella cheap prosthetics. She cried that they hurt. "It hurts to walk," Dad said coldly. "Deal with it or crawl." Surprisingly, the harshness worked. Bella learned to walk again, albeit with a heavy limp. The day Bella walked across the living room, my parents' attitude shifted. They looked at her with that old, familiar warmth. "She was always the smart one," Dad whispered to Mom. "If she can walk, she can go to school." I felt a chill. They were already planning to reinstate the Queen. I ignored them and focused on my books. I needed a scholarship. I needed out. Dad pulled strings and got Bella into my high school. She was a senior, I was a sophomore. But because she missed so much time, they put her in my grade. "Take care of your sister," Mom told me. "She has special needs. Carry her bag. Get her water." I smiled and agreed. Mom patted my head. I looked at Bella’s cot in the living room. Did she really think she could take her crown back? 6 Bella played the victim card perfectly on her first day. The tragic survivor. The brave girl. By lunch, she had a circle of friends. She told them how terrible her life was at home. How I was the spoiled favorite who ignored her suffering. People started glaring at me. Trash appeared in my desk. My textbooks were vandalized. My homework was stolen. The teacher called me in. "Ava, you've missed three assignments. What's going on?" I lowered my head, saying nothing. I walked back to class. Bella was standing at the door, smirking. I walked past her to the podium. The class went silent. I picked up a piece of chalk and wrote five names on the board. "The teacher just asked why my homework is missing. Guess if I told her?" "The cameras in here work. If I report this, they'll check the tapes." "You think you're justice warriors? Bullying me because of her sob stories?" "If you want to be heroes, go catch real criminals. This isn't justice. It's assault." The bell rang. I erased the names slowly, making eye contact with each bully. I went to my desk. My neighbor whispered, "There's glue on your chair." I looked. Superglue. Bella hadn't come back to her seat yet. I swapped our chairs. The teacher walked in with Bella. "Tests are back," the teacher announced. "Ava Zhang. 100%. Highest in the grade." I walked up and took my paper. "Bella Zhang." Bella stood up, acting weak and fragile. The paper was passed back. Everyone gasped. 12%. The former small-town genius had scored a 12 in a New York City math exam. The bell rang. Everyone packed up. Except Bella. She tried to stand, but her pants were fused to the chair. I packed my bag. "Ava!" she hissed. "Help me up! Fix this!" I walked out the door. I waited in the hall to watch the show. She struggled, realized what happened, and burst into humiliated tears. The teacher had to call Mom. 7 "I entrusted my daughter to this school!" Mom screamed at the principal. "She's disabled! She's being bullied! Where were the teachers?!" "If my younger daughter hadn't noticed, she would have sat there all night!" Bella tried to speak. I grabbed her arm. "Sis, let's go to the bathroom and change." She shoved me away. "Get off me! You did this!" The teacher had had enough. "Mrs. Zhang, let's be real. Bella requires constant care. Ava was a straight-A student before Bella arrived. Now she's missing assignments because she's playing nursemaid." "If this continues, you ruin both of them." Mom glared at me. "Ava was always stupid. Bella is the smart one. She just needs time." The teacher slammed the test scores on the table. "Look at the data. Ava is top 10. Bella is bottom 5." "We suggest transferring Bella to a special education program where her needs can be met." Mom hesitated. Bella screamed, tearing up the test paper. "No! I'm not retarded! I can do it! Give me time!" That night, I heard them arguing. Dad wanted to send her away. Mom was wavering. Bella was in the bathroom, disinfecting the bloody stumps of her legs. Mom saw her and started crying. "My poor baby. Why did this happen to you?" I sat in my room, solving calculus problems. I had to climb. Higher. Away from this sinkhole. They kept Bella in school. Mom gave her one semester to catch up. "I'll beat her in a month," Bella promised. She didn't. At the end of the semester, I was ranked 5th in the grade. Bella was ranked 92nd. Mom and Dad made the call. Bella was sent to a boarding school for students with disabilities. She screamed and fought, but they dragged her away. I stood there watching as she was led through the gates. She looked back, saw me, and went feral, trying to attack me. But the orderlies held her back.
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