The moment my adopted sister pushed me off the roof of that 99-story building, I watched my family rush to protect her, and a sudden, profound realization hit me. All the love and expectations I craved were just chains I used to deceive myself. When those chains shattered, I found myself reborn from a pool of blood, back to when I was fifteen. In this life, watching my parents bring Chloe into our home again, I didn't throw a hysterical fit fighting for their affection. My parents' blatant favoritism, my brother's exclusive indulgence toward her, and the gentle affection of my childhood sweetheart—I didn't care about any of it anymore. But why, this time, were they the ones crying and begging me to just look at them? 1 I stood at the top of the stairs, running my fingers over the cold handrail. In the living room, my parents were leading a timid-looking girl. She wore a faded, washed-out jacket and anxiously surveyed this unfamiliar, luxurious home. "Don't be afraid, Chloe. This is your home from now on." My mother's voice was gentle and cautious as she lightly stroked the girl's hair. In the past, that kind of careful, tender affection would have made me crazy with jealousy. Right now, my heart was empty; I felt absolutely nothing. "This is your brother. He specifically took time off from college to come back and meet you." My father introduced him with a beaming smile. My brother, Liam, who had rushed back from out of town, pulled a beautifully wrapped gift box from his backpack: "Welcome to our family. This is a little something for you." Those usually aloof eyes were now brimming with an indulgent, doting smile. I watched this scene expressionlessly, like watching a play that had nothing to do with me. No anger, no jealousy, not even a ripple of emotion. Chloe timidly accepted the gift. Looking up, her still slightly chubby face was written with gratitude and nervousness. She was such a good actress. If I didn't know that ten years later, she would use these very hands to violently push me off the roof of a 99-story building. But even recalling that moment, my heartbeat remained steady. Hatred? I didn't really feel that either. It was all just an objective fact. "Nora, come down and meet your sister." My mother finally noticed me standing at the top of the stairs, her tone carrying a hint of expectation. I silently walked down the stairs. Four pairs of eyes instantly turned to me. "Hello." I spoke, my voice as calm as a pool of stagnant water. There were no hysterical demands of "Why did you bring her back?" like in my past life, nor sharp, crying screams of "This is my house!" Those emotions that once tore me apart felt as if they had never existed. Or rather—they truly didn't exist anymore. Chloe seemed frightened by my coldness; she shrank back behind my mother. "Nora." My mother sighed. "It's Chloe's first time here. Can't you say a few more words?" "Nothing much to say." I turned to walk back upstairs. Behind me, I heard my mother's awkward explanation: "Don't mind her. Nora has always been afraid of strangers since she was little. That's just how her personality is..." I didn't even have the interest to turn back for a glance. Whatever they said, whatever they explained, it had nothing to do with me anymore. I pushed open my bedroom door, shutting those voices out. The room looked just as I remembered. Everything was paused in the summer I was fifteen, as if the bloody plunge from the high-rise was just an absurd dream. I calmly surveyed the room. There was no warmth of coming home, nor the joy of regaining what was lost. I just felt this was merely a temporary place to stay. In a week, my sophomore year of high school would begin. I planned to board at the school. Knock, knock. Someone knocked on the door. It was Liam. 2 He saw my open suitcase, a look of surprise flashing across his face: "Nora, where are you going?" "Boarding at school." I kept folding my clothes without looking up, my tone flat. My brother frowned, confused. "Just because of Chloe?" I shoved my last T-shirt into the suitcase. "Freshman year is important for building a foundation. I want to focus on my studies." I paused, then added: "You can give this room to Chloe from now on." In my past life, Chloe used all sorts of lame excuses to try and steal my room. First, she said she was afraid of the dark and the guest room was too isolated. Then, she said she wanted to be closer to Mom and Dad to bond with them. Later, she straight-up cried, saying my room had good natural light and she needed the sunlight to regulate her mood. And every time I refused, my parents would call me "petty," "immature," and "selfish." Since the outcome is already predetermined, why waste the effort? Where I live makes no difference to me. My brother was silent for a few seconds. "Nora, do you dislike Chloe?" I stopped what I was doing and looked up at him. "I don't like or dislike her." "I just think this will be easier." My brother stared at me for a good while, finally patting my head. "Nora, I know having someone new in the house suddenly might take some time to get used to. But you have to believe that even with a new sister here, Mom, Dad, and my love for you will never change." Never change? I zoned out for a second. When I ranked first in my grade, my dad just said, "Not bad, keep it up." When Chloe went from fifth from the bottom to tenth from the bottom, the whole family celebrated like it was a holiday, praising her "rapid progress." When I was injured and hospitalized, my parents sent the nanny to take care of me, saying they were too busy with work to get away. When Chloe got a fever from a cold, my parents took turns taking time off to sit by her bed. My mom even said with red eyes, "Chloe has suffered so much since she was little. We need to double our efforts to treat her well from now on." I pulled myself back from my thoughts, a faint smile curling the corner of my mouth. "Mhm, I know." After Liam left, I pulled an exquisite wooden box from deep inside my closet. It was a music box, hand-made for me by my grandfather before he passed away. Sadly, in my past life, Chloe smashed it to pieces. It was the first time I got so angry I hit her. She ran crying to Mom and Dad to complain about how wronged she felt. "I... I just had never seen such a pretty music box and wanted to pick it up to play with it. But sister yelled at me and wouldn't let me touch it. I got scared and accidentally dropped it." "Mom, I really didn't mean to, wuuu wuuu wuuu." My mom didn't even ask me a single question before tearing into me. "Nora, how could you treat your sister like that! It's just a music box, couldn't you just let her have her way a little?" Right. Just a music box. But they forgot, I treasured it like my own life, because it was the last memento my grandfather left me. I closed the lid and gently placed it at the very bottom of my suitcase. Taking away my last keepsake. 3 At 6 PM, my mom knocked on my door. "Nora, come down for dinner." Her tone carried a forced cheerfulness, as if trying hard to create a warm atmosphere. "It's Chloe's first meal here. Let's have a family dinner together." I closed my book and went downstairs. The dining table was filled to the brim with expensive dishes. But when I reached the table, my footsteps halted. My usual seat—the one between my mom and brother—was currently occupied by Chloe. She was wearing a newly bought floral dress, sitting there obediently, like a carefully tended flower. Almost all the food on the table was piled in front of her. My dad was looking down, peeling crab meat for her. My brother was serving her soup, and my mom was constantly putting food in her bowl. "Eat more, Chloe. Look how skinny you are." "This steamed bass was made especially for you. You said you liked fish." "Eat slowly, don't burn yourself." Under the warm yellow light, they sat around the table, their faces covered in smiles. That picture was so warm it stung my eyes. They looked like the perfect, happy family of four. While my appearance was like an untimely intruder, breaking this harmony. Seeing me standing there, my mom paused for a moment. "Nora, hurry and sit down. What are you doing just standing there?" I didn't speak, just quietly stared at that seat. Sensing my gaze, Chloe looked up, gave me a timid glance, and then lowered her head again. She knew perfectly well that was my seat. But she sat there, motionless, as if she couldn't understand what I meant. I let out a soft chuckle. Then I walked to the table, put a few pieces of food in my bowl, and turned to head back upstairs. "Stop right there!" My dad called out in a deep voice, his face full of displeasure. "What are you doing?" "There's no room for me at this table anyway, so there's no need to add another chair." "You child, how can you speak like that!" My mom frowned. "It's Chloe's first day here. Can't you be a little more sensible?" "I am very sensible, which is why I'm tactfully leaving." Chloe's eyes instantly turned red. She bit her lip, her voice laced with tears: "I'm sorry... Should I not have come? I made Sister unhappy..." "It's not your fault, Chloe!" My mom quickly hugged her, her tone full of heartache. "It's your sister being immature. Don't take it to heart." My brother also put down his chopsticks, looking at me with disappointment in his eyes: "Nora, what is wrong with you today?" I didn't say another word. Holding my bowl, I turned and went upstairs. 4 After dinner, my mom brought a bowl of soup to my room. "Nora, you didn't eat well at dinner. I specifically had the chef make this for you." She placed the soup on my desk, her tone carrying a fawning gentleness. It was my favorite lotus root and pork rib soup. But looking at that bowl of soup, I couldn't feel any warmth inside. Because I could see it—the hesitant, conflicted expression on my mom's face clearly meant she had a favor to ask. "Mom, if you have something to say, just say it." I cut to the chase to save her the long preamble. My mom paused, smiling a bit awkwardly: "It's nothing major, really, just..." She hesitated, seemingly weighing her words. "Mom wants to discuss something with you. Could you drop out of the honors class and move to the regular class?" My hand, holding the soup bowl, stopped mid-air. "Chloe came from a small town. She's new here and doesn't know anything." My mom's tone took on a pleading edge. "You're her older sister. It would be great if you could look after her at school. Your grades are already good, so it's the same no matter which class you're in, right?" I looked down at the soup in the bowl. The steam rose, blurring my vision. In that moment, I suddenly felt that swallowing this mouthful of soup would be a burden. I put down the bowl and looked up at my mom: "No." My mom frowned. "Just help Mom this one time, okay? Chloe is introverted. If no one looks after her, she'll be very lonely at school." "So I have to be sacrificed?" My tone remained calm, but every word was clear. "I worked hard to get into the honors class because I'm aiming for an Ivy League school." My mom got anxious. "Chloe is different. Her foundation is weak, and she needs someone to help her adjust..." "That's her problem." I interrupted her. "I will not pay for her future with my own." I stood up, cutting off my mom's desire to continue persuading me. "I'm going to sleep. Please leave." In my past life, I moved to the regular class so I wouldn't disappoint my parents. But what did I get in return? She used her pathetic, weak act to gain the sympathy of the entire class, isolating and bullying me. My grades plummeted, and "vicious, scheming bitch" became my terrible label for those three years. Every time I tried to explain or clarify, she would just say, "I knew it, Sister still hates me," completely dismissing my words. So this time, I will absolutely not let my future be destroyed by her scheming. 5 On the first day of school, I stepped into the honors classroom. The walls were covered with honor rolls of past alumni who had gotten into top universities. Everything here was exactly the same as my past life. Only this time, I wasn't going to leave. "Nora?" A familiar voice rang in my ear. I looked up and saw Ethan standing in front of me, his face full of pleasant surprise. "It really is you! We get to be in the same class again." He casually pulled out the chair next to me and sat down, just as close and inseparable as we had been growing up. In my past life, my face would blush and my heart would race when he got close. But in this life, what surfaced in my mind were the words he said in that hospital corridor. "Nora, Chloe really needs me. Please, just let us be together." "I know this is unfair to you, but I truly love her." Those words were like knives, cutting into my heart one by one. I suppressed the churning emotions inside me and smiled politely. "Yeah, what a coincidence." Ethan sensed my distant attitude and clearly froze for a second. "Nora, what's wrong?" I started organizing my textbooks one by one, not looking up. "Class is about to start. Hurry back to your seat." "I..." The bell rang, cutting him off. High school studies are intense, especially in the honors class. During the lunch break, a roar of laughter came from the hallway. "Hahaha, I'm dying!" "Oh my god, she actually didn't know that was an automatic door!" "She thought you had to push it, and ended up walking right into it." My heart jumped. I walked to the door and looked out. Chloe was standing right in front of the classroom next door, her face flushed bright red, a conspicuous red mark on her forehead. Her backpack was unzipped, and her things were scattered all over the floor. A few worn-out notebooks, a nearly empty ballpoint pen, and a pencil case that had been patched up several times. A crowd of students surrounded her, some covering their mouths to hide their laughter, others whispering. "She doesn't even know how to use an automatic door..." "I heard she transferred from a mountain region. Her parents are gone." "No wonder she's so country." Chloe crouched down, clumsily gathering her things, tears swirling in her eyes. Right at that moment, Ethan walked over. He crouched down, helping her pick up her scattered books, and said gently: "It's okay. I walked into it too when I first got here." His voice was gentle and considerate, like the warm winter sun. Chloe looked up, her tears falling right on cue. "I'm sorry, I didn't know. I thought you had to push it." Ethan handed her a tissue. "Don't cry. Everyone has a first time." As he spoke, he even glared at the students who were watching the show. "Break it up!" But instead of leaving, those people laughed even harder. Because they saw that when Chloe took the tissue, she accidentally knocked off Ethan's watch. It was a limited-edition mechanical watch, worth six figures. The air instantly went quiet. Chloe froze completely. She looked at the watch on the ground, her face white as a sheet. "I'm s-sorry, I didn't mean to!" Her voice was shaking, and she looked like she was about to cry again. Ethan paused for a moment, but still said gently: "It's fine. It's just a watch." But the people around them had already exploded. "That's a limited edition! There are only three in the whole country!" "Can she even afford to pay for it?" "She's from the country, she's probably never even seen a watch like that before." Whispers rose and fell, every sentence like a needle piercing Chloe. I stood outside the crowd, watching this scene coldly. My mind was completely clear. This was a script she had meticulously designed. 6 I remember it vividly. My mom bought her a whole set of imported stationery. A Staedtler mechanical pencil, a Pilot fountain pen, Muji notebooks, and a limited-edition canvas pencil case. Those things combined cost at least a thousand dollars. Yet she deliberately hid them all. Just so on the first day, everyone could see how "pitiful" she looked. She calculated that Ethan would pass by here and play the hero saving the damsel in distress. Ethan carefully helped Chloe up, comforting her gently. She accurately caught my eye in the crowd, a flash of satisfaction crossing her gaze. I just didn't expect her revenge to come so quickly. Right after evening self-study, I was called into the principal's office. My parents were actually there too, their faces dark. And Chloe, eyes red and swollen, standing with her head down in the corner. My heart sank. I walked in, and before I could speak, my mom said coldly: "Nora, how can you be so insensible?" Her tone was heavy, carrying obvious dissatisfaction. "Chloe had an incident at school. You, as her older sister, saw it but didn't go help her?" I froze for a moment: "I..." My dad also looked awful: "Chloe is new to the school, everything is unfamiliar to her. You are her only family here." "People were mocking her, and you just stood by and watched?" "Do you have any sense of being an older sister at all!" Looking at their accusations, I only felt annoyed. Annoyed that they were wasting my time to do practice exams. In my past life, it was like this too. Every time something happened to Chloe, the first person they blamed wasn't the one bullying her, but me. Because in their eyes, I was the older sister, so I should unconditionally take care of her. Even if she was faking it. Even if she was scheming against others. "Dad, Mom, don't blame Sister..." Chloe spoke up then, her eyes red. "It's my own fault for being too stupid to even know how to use an automatic door." The more understanding she sounded, the uglier my parents' expressions became. My dad, with a dark face, looked at the principal, then at Chloe's red, swollen eyes, and suddenly spoke: "Principal Lee, I'd like to..." My heart jumped. Oh no! In my past life, after I was transferred, not only did my learning environment deteriorate, but I also became a joke to the entire school. And Chloe logically inherited my spot and resources in the honors class. "I'm sorry!" My voice suddenly rang out, interrupting my dad. Everyone froze. The next second, I turned to face Chloe, bowed ninety degrees, and said loudly: "I failed in my duty as an older sister!"
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