I went to the rumored Soul Shop. I pawned my ability to love, trading it for a chance to go back in time. Seeing my adoptive sister brought into our home by my parents again, I finally didn't scream hysterically like in my past life. In that life, my parents' indifference, my brother's disgust, and my fiancé's betrayal. I didn't care about any of it anymore. But why... was he holding me and crying so heartbreakingly? 1 "Aria, why are you spacing out? Our new sister is almost here, let's go down and welcome her!" Hearing that name again, I was stunned for a moment. It had been six or seven years since I was called "Aria." I turned to look at Leo Sterling beside me and found he had indeed returned to his twelve-year-old self. The half-grown boy, dressed in a fitted suit, was looking expectantly at the staircase. One hand was still pulling my arm. I looked at the boy's slender, clean hand. But what flashed in my mind was the slap mark he left on my face when he grew up. I frowned and shook him off immediately. The expression on Leo's face froze, and he looked at me in confusion. "Aria, what's wrong?" The next instant, the villa's double doors slowly pushed open. The voices of the Sterling parents drifted over: "Leo, Aria, come down quickly! We brought your sister home!" Leo's eyes lit up, and he immediately left me behind, running downstairs alone. I stood at the top of the stairs, looking at the happy family of four below. I reached out and pressed my hand over my heart. It was amazing. A tingling sensation. But the knife-like pain was gone. 2 Leo and I were twins. For the first twelve years, the Sterling family only had us two children. Being twins—a boy and a girl—was considered auspicious. Parents and elders treated us like treasures. Although Leo was only two hours older than me. He acted like a real big brother, yielding everything to me. He spoiled me into a veritable little princess. People joked with my dad: "Your eldest daughter has quite a temper. Good thing she's engaged to Ethan Cole early on, otherwise no one would dare marry her when she grows up." My dad's face darkened immediately. "My daughter wasn't born to be married off! If no one marries her, she'll stay home forever! I can afford to support her!" Mom and Leo didn't speak, only continuously sending good things my way. Spoiling me to be even more lawless. A jade bracelet worth over $400,000 was the most ordinary birthday gift I received back then. And it was the last birthday gift I received. When I was twelve, an old comrade of my dad's passed away from illness. On his deathbed, he entrusted his only daughter to him. That girl named Chloe Vance became my nominal sister. From then on, the family's love, trust, and attention drifted away from me bit by bit. I admit, I hated her. I was jealous of her! I was jealous that two drops of her tears could make the whole family anxious like ants on a hot pan. Jealous that she stole everything I had, bit by bit. I became more and more paranoid. My temper became more violent and strange. Finally, at my 18th birthday coming-of-age ceremony. I witnessed her and my fiancé Ethan kissing in the garden. I completely snapped. I questioned my parents, questioned my brother, my lover... "Why do you treat me like this?" But they only looked at me with almost identical disappointed eyes: "Do you know what you look like right now? You look like a lunatic!" I laughed until I cried. The pain in my heart made me tremble all over. I lunged at Chloe with a knife, but Leo kicked me into a bush of thorny roses. Everyone nervously protected Chloe, comforting her not to cry. No one cared that what I held was just a plastic knife for cutting cake... My parents used mental health issues as an excuse to lock me in a psychiatric hospital. I seemed to have been injured by Leo's kick. I coughed up blood day and night. Begging the doctor over and over to call my parents. But they never answered once. Finally, after another electroshock therapy session, I took my last breath. And saw it—the rumored Soul Shop. I used all my emotions, my ability to love, to trade for a chance to go back in time. 3 "Aria, come quick! Weren't you always looking forward to having a sister?" Mom held Chloe's hand, standing at the door, smiling and waving at me. Chloe raised her pale little face, obediently calling me "Sister." But I had no reaction. I turned and went back to my room. Leaving everyone in the living room looking at each other. Dad was helpless, "This child, who upset her again?" Mom sounded awkward: "Maybe she's not used to having a little sister at home yet. It's okay, I'll go comfort her later." Chloe's voice carried a sob: "Mom, Dad, does Sister not like me?" Before my parents could speak, Leo couldn't wait to chime in: "No, no, Aria just has a bit of a temper, but she's not bad at heart. Don't cry, don't be sad, I'll go talk to her later!" My parents laughed ear to ear: "Leo is so sensible. You must take good care of your sister!" Their laughter kept drifting into my room. I thought again, the soundproofing in this villa is really terrible. I don't like it. Noisy to death. I simply stood up and started counting my assets. It's been too long; I couldn't remember what I owned at twelve. Looking closely now, I was truly staggeringly rich. No wonder Chloe liked stealing my things so much. Even the adult me... couldn't help but feel a little jealous. I picked up the jewelry on the vanity and stuffed it all into my backpack. If I didn't take it now, Chloe would soon take it with various excuses. I looked at a jade bracelet of excellent quality in my hand, remembering the scene where Chloe broke it in my past life. That was the first time I slapped her. The red-eyed little girl hid timidly behind the door, her tone so aggrieved as if I had broken her possession. "Sister, I'm sorry, I really didn't mean to... I never had these things, just wanted to look... I, I didn't hold it steady..." She started crying loudly as she spoke, attracting Mom, Dad, and Leo. That was the first time I went crazy and hit someone, and the first time Dad grounded me. Chloe hugged Mom's leg, crying until she almost fainted, yet still had time to look up and make a face at me... I pointed at her to accuse her, but the next second, Leo shoved me hard into the room. "Aria! Do you have any compassion? Chloe is so pitiful, how can you still bully her? It's just a bracelet, you have countless ones! What's wrong with letting her have it?" I gritted my teeth, trying hard to swallow the sob rising in my throat. Just a bracelet? No! That was the birthday gift Leo bought me with his first prize money from a creative competition! But he actually forgot... Starting from that year. I never received any birthday gifts again. Even the dolls, clothes, jewelry that used to flow into my room like water... All diverted to Chloe's room. Just because she said: "Classmates laugh at me, say I'm thin and small, have no taste, not as glamorous as Sister, like a mud monkey..." She was lying! It was clearly Leo helping her lead the whole class to isolate me! He knew. He clearly knew everything. But he didn't defend me. Watching Mom and Dad become more and more disappointed in me. More and more partial to their pitiful adopted daughter... 4 By the time I packed all my valuables. There was a gentle knock on the door. "Aria? Sweetheart, come out for dinner." Mom was patient, her voice unbelievably gentle. I didn't respond. I just opened the door and let her lead me to the living room. In my original seat sat a nervous-looking Chloe. Dad and Leo were helping her with food. I turned to Mom. "Where do I sit?" Everyone froze. Mom's hand holding mine tightened unconsciously. "How could this happen? My fault, I forgot to bring a chair for you beforehand. Mrs. Zhang, bring a chair for Aria quickly." Chloe stood up hesitantly, big innocent eyes instantly teary: "Sister, I'm sorry, I didn't know this was your seat. I, I'll give it to you!" Leo quickly got up and pressed her down, looking at me with blame. "Aria, sitting anywhere is the same. Chloe just arrived, don't scare her! How about this, you sit on my left? I'll sit between you two, okay?" My parents didn't speak, instead waiting for my reaction. ... Isn't this tacit approval? I sneered internally. Really, so childish. The family acted like they were singing an opera, but the acting was unusually terrible. Truly appetite-ruining. I took the chair from the nanny, dragged it to the furthest corner of the dining table, away from all of them. Leo's hand serving Chloe paused. He looked at me several times, wanting to speak but stopping, eventually saying nothing. The meal finished in this strange atmosphere. When I got up to go upstairs, Dad called me. He looked a bit troubled, clearing his throat before speaking with a smile: "Aria, Chloe is a year younger than you and Leo. You are the older brother and sister, you should yield to her more. She just lost her biological parents and is emotionally traumatized. We are her family, we should take care of her more." Mom chimed in: "Yes, Mom knows you might not be used to having a sister yet, but look how cute she is. Try to get along, you'll become close eventually." The two exchanged frantic winks across the table. Clearly facing the next topic, both wanted the other to speak first. I was getting impatient. I said coldly: "So?" Mom was stunned by my question. Perhaps she had never heard me speak to her in such an icy tone, and didn't know how to respond for a moment. Dad took a sip of tea and smiled: "Aria, Chloe just transferred here, her health and mental state aren't good. We're really worried. How about... how about you and your brother repeat a grade and accompany Chloe in school, okay?" As if to make it more convincing, he hastily added: "Leo already agreed. It's up to you now." I looked at Leo. He lowered his head, not daring to look at me.
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