1 In my past life, when I got into Yale, my grandfather gave me a priceless locket engraved with our family crest, a piece worth millions. I never once dared to wear it. But the scholarship student my family sponsored stole it from me. When I confronted her, she stared at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Was it really that expensive? It looked like a cheap trinket from the dollar store. You never even wore it, so I just gave it to a homeless man on the street.” I was furious and threatened to call the police, but I was stopped. Dorien, my childhood best friend who had sworn to protect me forever, called me a spoiled brat for bullying someone less fortunate. My own brother, who had always doted on me, said my arrogance and selfishness made me unworthy of being his sister. To appease the scholarship girl, they forced me into a car and sent me deep into the rural backwoods to “experience poverty.” There, her grandmother tried to break me, to marry me off to her slovenly, cruel grandson. When I fought back with everything I had, she fed me a bowl of soup laced with rat poison. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she stole my locket. “I’m so sorry, Avery. I had no idea your locket was so valuable. I really thought it was just a costume piece from the dollar store, so I gave it to a homeless man I saw on the street.” The sound of that voice, so familiar it made me sick to my stomach, hit me like a physical blow. I stared at her, my eyes wide with the horrifying realization. I had been reborn. The girl in front of me, looking so fragile and small, was Sarah, the student my mother had sponsored for years. Right now, she was nestled pitifully in Dorien’s arms, her voice trembling with manufactured distress. “What do I do, Dorien? Avery is so upset with me. It’s all my fault, I’m so sorry…” she sobbed. Dorien’s face softened with adoration. He hugged her tighter. “It’s okay, Sarah. It’s not a big deal. It was just a locket. What’s given is given.” A cold laugh escaped my lips. A family heirloom worth millions. Was it really theirs to just give away? Hearing me, Dorien’s face hardened, and he pointed an accusatory finger at me. “Avery, what’s so funny? Why can’t you be more like Sarah, so kind and generous? You just kept that locket locked away in your room like a decoration. It’s better off being given to someone who needs a little joy!” I remembered my last life. I had argued, pleaded, explained that it was a birthday gift from my grandfather. But Dorien hadn't helped me. He had sided with Sarah, berating me for my selfishness. “Dorien, what right do you have to take my things? And taking without asking is stealing! I could have you both arrested!” I shot back, the words tasting like ash. Hearing the word “arrested,” Sarah panicked, clinging to Dorien and bursting into a fresh storm of tears. “I’m so, so sorry! I really didn’t know it was worth so much! I just saw that poor man, and he looked so miserable. I thought… I thought giving him a gift might cheer him up, you know? I was just trying to help someone. Why is Avery so angry with me for trying to do a good deed, Dorien?” Her words ignited Dorien’s righteous indignation. He turned on me, his voice sharp with condemnation. “Avery, don’t you dare go too far! Sarah was being charitable, and you’re attacking her for it! Besides, if it was so precious, why didn’t you keep it locked up in a safe? When you think about it, this is really your fault!” I was speechless. Even if I hadn't kept it in a bank vault, was that an excuse for her to steal it? I remembered how, in my last life, I had run to my brother, Miles, hoping for support. But he hadn’t helped me either. He had defended Sarah. “Avery, I’ve spoiled you rotten. How did you become so petty and materialistic? Why can’t you be more like Sarah and give me some peace of mind?” Later, when I refused to apologize, my brother had personally driven me to Sarah’s family home. “You need to have your attitude adjusted,” he’d said coldly. “Go see what Sarah’s life was like. Maybe then you’ll develop some empathy.” And just like that, I was abandoned in the middle of nowhere. Sarah’s family included a grandmother who was clearly unhinged. Surrounded by dense forest and mountains, there was no escape. I was forced to do back-breaking farm work from dawn till dusk and endure the grandmother’s constant abuse. Finally, she put rat poison in my food and killed me. After my death, my murderer was never caught. Instead, my brother officially adopted Sarah as his god-sister. He moved her entire family into the city. They took my place, living a life of luxury that should have been mine. 2. Knowing my brother would be no help, I called my mother. But when she heard the story, she just sighed and chided me for being immature. “Avery, what have I taught you? Don’t use your status to bully people. I know Sarah. She’s a kind, considerate girl. She would never do something like that.” She paused, her disappointment palpable even over the phone. “I wish you were as sensible as your brother.” I stood there, phone in hand, stunned by her response. She was siding with a stranger over her own daughter. I hung up, my hands shaking with rage, and immediately dialed my grandfather. When he heard what had happened, his voice boomed with fury. “And I thought he was a decent young man! I was even considering him for you! How dare he treat you this way!” His tone softened. “Avery, I’m sending the car for you right now. You’ll come and stay with me for a while. And don’t you worry, this business with the locket is far from over.” Hearing his voice, a sense of calm finally settled over me. The butler arrived quickly. But no sooner had I stepped into my grandfather’s house than my brother, Miles, showed up. “Avery, is this how I raised you? What kind of person picks on those weaker than them? I’ve spoiled you, that’s the problem. It just so happens that Sarah’s family is in the middle of their harvest season. I’m sending you to her home in a couple of days. It’s time you learned how hard life can be!” Hearing the exact same words from my past life, I blinked slowly. “It’s not that I don’t want to go, Miles,” I said sweetly. “It’s just that Grandpa missed me. My hands are tied.” My brother’s face contorted with anger. “Avery, how can you be so selfish! Sarah has so little, yet she works so hard. Why are you so lazy?” “She looks up to you as a sister! What’s wrong with helping her out a little?” I snorted internally. Sister? I didn't have a sister. Sarah’s parents had four daughters before finally having a son. Her family was pathologically obsessed with having a male heir. Her three older sisters had been married off for a bride price the moment they graduated high school to support their younger brother. Sarah was latching onto my family to avoid the same fate. Her plan was to get my brother to send me to her home, where she hoped I would be forced to marry her brother. In my past life, my refusal to do so was what led to my murder. I looked at my brother with cold eyes and stepped behind my grandfather, who had just come downstairs. “Miles, if you have something to say, you can say it to Grandpa.” My brother feared my grandfather more than anyone. At my words, he shot me a glare but fell silent. I went upstairs and watched from the balcony as Dorien and Sarah waited below. Dorien was comforting her, and in a moment of passion, he pulled her into a hug, promising he would always have her back. Sarah, crying prettily in his arms, whimpered, “Dorien, what if Avery is so angry she stops sponsoring my education? I just want to go to school… maybe I should get on my knees and beg for her forgiveness?” Dorien’s face darkened. “Kneel for what? Don’t worry. Not only am I going to teach her a lesson, I’m going to make her give you her spot on the university’s new research project.” The research project Dorien mentioned was a prestigious fellowship I had just been accepted into. It was a huge opportunity, something that would be a cornerstone of my resume. Sarah wanted in on it, too. Hearing Dorien’s promise, her face lit up. “Really, Dorien? Oh, I love you so much.” She stood on her toes and kissed him. I raised my phone and took a picture. Flushed from the kiss, Dorien immediately called me. “Avery, I’m willing to overlook how you’ve been bullying Sarah. Give her your spot on the research team, and I’ll forgive you. Otherwise, I never want to see you again. Got it?” I don’t know if I got it. I just knew he sounded like a complete and utter idiot. So, I followed my heart and told him so. “Fine!” he sputtered, so angry I thought he’d smash his phone. “You just wait!” 3. The next day was the university’s annual autumn gala. It was a major event, and all the school’s top administrators and donors were in attendance. Halfway through the program, Dorien pulled Sarah onto the stage. He held the teary-eyed, trembling Sarah protectively in his arms and spoke into the microphone. “I’m sorry to interrupt, but I’m here tonight because I have to expose a disgusting truth.” “Avery Thorne, a senior in the pre-med program, is not who she seems. She has a history of academic dishonesty, forcing my friend, Sarah, to help her cheat on multiple major exams. The spot she secured on the new research fellowship was also obtained through fraudulent means. I hope she will do the right thing and return this opportunity to the person who truly deserves it.” After his speech, Sarah began to sob. “I’m so sorry, everyone. I didn’t want to cover for a cheater, but Avery threatened me. She said if I didn’t help her, her family would cut off my scholarship. I just want to finish my education.” “It took all my courage to stand up here tonight… I’m so, so sorry.” Her words sent a shockwave through the audience. Murmurs erupted from the crowd. “No way. I’m in her class. I always thought she was so hardworking. I can’t believe she’s that kind of person.” “That’s disgusting. Cheating your way into a research fellowship?” “Someone like that has no right to be on the team.” “Hold on, let’s not jump to conclusions. What if it’s not true?” “How could it not be true? Look at how heartbroken Sarah is!” “Wait, wasn’t Dorien best friends with Avery? For him to turn on her like this… wow, rich people drama.” Opinions were flying, but a significant portion of the crowd remained skeptical. But then, my brother, Miles, suddenly appeared on stage. “I’m Avery’s older brother,” he announced, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Our father passed away when we were young, and I’m afraid I’ve failed in raising her properly. I want to apologize to all of you for the mistakes my sister has made. Rest assured, she will be returning the spot on the research team to its rightful owner.” The moment my brother finished speaking, the auditorium exploded.
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