In our past life, my sister was adopted by a wealthy family, and I was taken in by a school janitor. As it turned out, the wealthy family was plagued by toxic infighting. The parents were cold, the older brother was a ruthless bully, and she was eventually kicked out without a single penny. My adoptive family, on the other hand, was warm and loving. The billionaire heir even fell in love with me, the resilient, innocent poor girl. It was like a plot straight out of a teen romance movie. Consumed by hatred, my sister murdered me—and we were both sent back in time to the very day we were adopted. This time, she sprinted ahead and threw herself into the janitor’s arms. "Sister, this time, it's my turn to be the main character," she whispered to me. But what she didn't know was that a true main character doesn't rely on her background to win. 01 My sister and I were reborn on the exact day of our adoption at St. Jude’s Children’s Home. Two families stood in the director's office: the Sterlings and the Millers. The three members of the Sterling family were dressed to the nines. The man wore a tailored suit, the woman was dripping in diamonds. Even their teenage son, Ashton, wore an elite prep school uniform paired with globally limited-edition designer sneakers. They were the most prominent family in Chicago. Mr. Sterling was a corporate titan whose empire contributed the most taxes in the city, while Mrs. Sterling was a socialite, constantly clinking glasses with A-list celebrities at charity galas. Their son, Ashton Sterling, was widely known as the untouchable prince of Chicago. In stark contrast, the Miller family standing next to them looked worn and exhausted. Both the husband and wife had the rough, calloused hands of manual laborers. They were likely wearing their Sunday best, but faded sweat stains still clung to the collars. According to the director, they both worked at Oakridge Prep, the most elite high school in the city. The husband was a janitor, and the wife was a cleaning lady. In our previous life, my sister Maya had chosen the Sterlings without a second thought. But right now, acting as if she were terrified of being left behind, she launched herself into the cleaning lady's arms. "Mom! Take me with you! I want to be your daughter!" "From today on, my name is Maya Miller!" Amidst Maya's excited cheers, I calmly walked over to the Sterling family. Just like that, our choices were made, and we were taken to our respective new homes. As we left the orphanage, I overheard the director muttering to herself. "How strange. Maya has always been the most competitive, picky girl here. In the past, if a prospective family even looked a bit middle-class, she wouldn't give them the time of day." "A real billionaire family finally shows up, and she doesn't choose them? Why?" The director didn't understand. But I did. 02 In our past life, Maya plotted and schemed to be adopted by the Sterlings, becoming Maya Sterling. She thought a life of luxury and princess-like pampering awaited her. Not to mention having Ashton, the prince of Chicago, as her older brother. To her, the wealthy heir and the adopted sister was a classic romance trope. Living under the same roof, she figured it would be incredibly easy to spark a forbidden romance. But Maya never expected that Ashton wouldn't show an ounce of brotherly affection. Instead, he found her absolutely repulsive. "I despise social climbers more than anything in this world," he had told her. "Don't think I can't see right through you. You manipulative little gold digger, the only thing you want is our family's money." At home, Ashton tormented her. At school, he led a gang of lackeys to brutally bully her. Even when Mr. and Mrs. Sterling found out, they only offered half-hearted scoldings. They had no real love for Maya. The only reason they adopted her was because a celebrity psychic told Mr. Sterling that adopting a daughter would bring him a decade of explosive financial luck. Between an adopted daughter and their biological son, the Sterlings naturally favored their own blood. While Ashton bullied Maya, he treated me—the girl adopted by the Millers—incredibly well. He watched me accept financial aid, ace every exam to become the top of the class, study all day, and help my mom scrub floors at night. I lived an exhausting life, but I never complained. "Harper Miller. This girl... she's actually pretty interesting." Just like a movie, the rebellious, arrogant rich boy fell in love with the unyielding, resilient poor girl. Later on, the Sterling parents passed away in an accident. When the inheritance was divided, Ashton and his legal team ruthlessly maneuvered Maya out of the estate. She was left with absolutely nothing. A few months later, Ashton married me. At our wedding, he publicly declared, "Harper, from now on, everything I own is yours." Unfortunately, I never got to enjoy a dime of Ashton's wealth. A few days later, driven insane by jealousy and despair, Maya ran me over with her car. Reborn into this life, my sister didn't hesitate to choose the Millers. To her, even though they didn't have billions, they lacked the toxic scheming of the rich. She believed she could enjoy the pure, unconditional love of a warm, happy family. She believed her new background would make the wealthy heir pity and protect her, ultimately leading to a fairy-tale wedding of the century. She smiled at me smugly. "Sister, this time, it's my turn to play the female lead." "It's about time you tasted everything I suffered through." 03 Maya's prediction wasn't wrong. In fact, Ashton's bullying started even earlier than in our past life. In the school courtyard, my head was forcibly shoved into a freezing fountain. Around me, a group of teenage boys laughed viciously. Just as my lungs were about to burst from lack of oxygen, someone grabbed the back of my collar and yanked me up. Ashton smiled down at me brightly. "You want my family's money? Sure thing." "Drink all the water in that toilet bowl over there. I'll give you ten grand a gulp. How about it?" His lackeys hooted and hollered in excitement. I stared at Ashton. This was the man who had gently told me he loved me in our past life. Right now, he was unleashing his unfiltered malice on me without a second thought. But Ashton wasn't looking at me. His gaze drifted past me, focusing on something behind my back. I knew exactly what it was. Maya Miller was bending over, scrubbing the hallway floors. "Isn't that Maya?" one of the boys asked. "Why is she still mopping the floors?" Another lackey chimed in to explain, "Her mom is the school's cleaning lady. She goes to classes during the day and stays late to help her mom work." A flicker of shock crossed Ashton's eyes, quickly followed by a pang of heartache. He called out loudly to her, "Hey! It's freezing out here. Stop scrubbing. No one's going to check it anyway." Maya straightened her back. Her dark hair cascaded over her shoulders, and her delicate face wore a look of stubborn pride. She shook her head. "I can't." "If someone checks and finds the floor dirty, my mom will get a hundred dollars docked from her paycheck." "I know a hundred dollars is nothing to a rich kid like you, but for my family, that's our grocery budget for the whole week." After finishing her speech, Maya bent back down and continued scrubbing. Honestly, her manipulation was painfully obvious. With an entire building of floors to mop, she deliberately chose to scrub right in front of Ashton. She even specifically let her hair down and angled her face perfectly to look as tragic and beautiful as possible. Unfortunately for me, Ashton fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Sure enough, Ashton walked over, grabbed Maya's arm to pull her up, snatched the dirty rag from her hands, and threw it at one of his lackeys. "You guys. Finish mopping this for her." He looked down at Maya's hands, which were red from the cold water. Without hesitating, he draped his custom blazer over her shoulders. "It's late. How are you getting home?" "I bike." "You're biking in this weather?" Ashton looked appalled. He spoke with undeniable authority. "Go wait in the lobby. I'm having my driver take you home." Maya was escorted away under Ashton's protective wing. Before she turned the corner, she didn't forget to glance back at me, flashing a mocking, triumphant smirk at my soaked, pathetic state. A few moments later, the crowd dispersed, leaving me alone by the fountain. Struggling to stand, I used my sleeve to wipe the freezing water dripping from my hair. "Use this." A cool, quiet voice spoke from behind me. I turned around to see our class president, Riley Brooks. She was a quiet, introverted girl who studied relentlessly and always wore long sleeves, regardless of the season. In my past life, when Maya was the one being bullied, Riley had tried to help her too. She handed Maya a towel and urged her to report Ashton's bullying to the administration. But Maya had violently slapped Riley's hand away. "What do you know?! He's my brother!" Back then, Maya was still dreaming her delusional fantasy that she could make Ashton fall in love with her. After that, Riley stopped trying to help her and returned to being a silent loner. Later, right before graduation, Riley committed suicide. That was when everyone finally learned she grew up in agonizing poverty. Her grandmother was bedridden, and her father was a violent gambling addict who brutally abused her and tried to sell her off to pay his debts. Right now, she stood beside me, holding a clean towel. I stared at her for a second before taking it. She didn't say a word. She just turned around to walk away. She probably figured someone like me—the spoiled Sterling heiress—had nothing to say to her. Just as she was about to disappear down the hall, I suddenly spoke up. "Hey, class prez!" Her footsteps faltered. I scratched my head awkwardly. "So... I just transferred here, and I don't really know my way around." "Where's the cafeteria? Mind showing me?" 04 The cafeteria table was loaded with food: BBQ ribs, steamed eggs, garlic butter wings, roasted vegetables, and clam chowder. Oakridge Prep truly lived up to its reputation as the best private school in the state; the food was incredible. I scratched my head again. "Ah, I accidentally ordered way too much." "Wasting food is a sin, and you probably haven't had dinner yet, right? Want to help me finish this?" Riley remained silent for a moment before finally picking up a fork and taking small, hesitant bites. I looked at the wrists peeking out from her uniform sleeves. They were painfully thin, practically just bone. Honestly, girls like the class president were the ones who truly needed saving. But because they weren't conventionally glamorous, and because they suffered in silence without crying for help, they were treated like invisible weeds in the background. They didn't even qualify to be the female lead in a teen romance. In this life, I wasn't just going to save myself. I was going to save her, too. Having made up my mind, I spoke up. "Ugh, AP Calculus is literally killing me. I don't understand a single thing the teacher says." "Riley, you're a genius. How about you tutor me?" Riley sat there with a piece of rib halfway to her mouth, looking at me with an expression that screamed, Are we even friends? I didn't give her a chance to refuse. I threw an arm around her shoulders and smiled brightly. "Awesome, it's settled then! I'll pay you top hourly rates!" 05 I handed Riley an envelope of cash, calling it an "advance payment for tutoring." When she saw the stack of crisp hundred-dollar bills inside, she was too stunned to speak. Truthfully, whether in my past life or this one, the Sterlings never shortchanged their adopted daughter when it came to basic living expenses. To a rich kid like Ashton, this was pocket change. But for Riley, it was enough to buy her grandmother's medicine and pay the hospital bills. It was even enough for her to rent a tiny apartment off-campus and finally escape her abusive father. After setting a time for our tutoring session the next day, I headed home. The massive luxury mansion was empty. Mr. Sterling was out schmoozing clients, and Mrs. Sterling was at a high-end spa. As for Ashton, he was likely having dinner at the Millers' house. In our past life, Ashton had his driver take me home, and my adoptive parents enthusiastically invited him to stay for dinner. Then, just like a standard romance trope, that single dinner allowed the cold, lonely heir to experience the deep, fiery warmth of a working-class family. The Miller parents always had simple, rustic smiles plastered on their faces. Their cramped, run-down apartment was filled with the cozy smell of home-cooked food. It made Ashton yearn for that life, and it made him fall even harder for the innocent poor girl who grew up in that environment. Right now, even though he and Maya were probably eating a cheap, meatless dinner, they were likely incredibly happy. I slowly changed into a Hermes silk robe, washed my face with Chanel cleanser, and ate a bowl of premium bird's nest soup prepared by the housekeeper, a cold smirk playing on my lips. No one knew that the Miller couple might be poor, but they were certainly not pure-hearted. They were deeply sexist and originally wanted to adopt a boy. But the orphanage didn't have any healthy boys available at the time. So, they settled for the next best thing: adopting the prettiest girl they could find, strictly so they could marry her off to a rich man and secure their retirement. Seeing Ashton Sterling personally drop their daughter off, their blood must have boiled with greed. They instantly dragged their potential golden goose inside to butter him up. The "warmth" and "cozy family vibes"? It was all an act. After all, if they wanted to impress a billionaire's son, that was the only currency they had. In my past life, when I told them I didn't want to marry Ashton, my adoptive mother locked me in my room, and my adoptive father beat me half to death with a table leg and a leather belt. Maya thought she had chosen heaven in this life. She didn't realize that a true heaven doesn't exist. The Sterlings were a glamorous hell, and the Millers were an impoverished one. Who crawled out of hell alive all depended on their own strength. 06 In the following days, Ashton's malice escalated. When I opened the lunchbox the housekeeper packed for me, it was filled to the brim with thumbtacks. Dead spiders were squeezed into my toothpaste and face wash. The designer dresses in my closet were ruined with cigarette burns. And every time I looked up in shock, I was met with Ashton's cruel, mocking smile. He mouthed the words to me: Harper, you deserve it. Ashton expected me to cry. Instead, I calmly threw the thumbtacks in the trash, flushed the spiders down the toilet, and neatly folded the ruined dresses away. Seeing this, the smile vanished from Ashton's face. He glared at me, his voice practically dripping with venom. "Let's see how long you can keep up this act." ... Fortunately, even though I had to endure Ashton's bullying this time around, I also had full access to the Sterlings' resources. I no longer had to go to school during the day and be forced to scrub toilets for my adoptive mother at night. Instead, I had a housekeeper to cater to my needs, a private driver, and all the time in the world to focus on my studies. In my past life, if I wanted to buy SAT prep books, I had to hoard pennies for months, constantly terrified my adoptive father would find my stash and steal it to buy booze and lottery tickets. Now, my closet was overflowing with designer clothes, and my jewelry box was stuffed with Cartier and Van Cleef—all casually gifted to me by Mrs. Sterling without me spending a dime. On top of that, I received a $50,000 cash allowance every month and a credit card with a $100,000 limit. If I maxed it out, all I had to do was text the butler, and it would be reloaded within thirty minutes. The grinding, suffocating poverty of my past life had fallen entirely onto Maya's shoulders. I watched her sleep through all her classes. Because she had to help her adoptive mom clean at night, she was severely sleep-deprived. Her grades began to plummet, and eventually, she started handing in blank tests. In my past life, I practically survived on black coffee. When I was too tired to keep my eyes open, I would stab my own thigh with a compass needle just to force myself to study. But Maya had lived her previous life as a pampered socialite. She didn't have that kind of grit or willpower. Not to mention, she didn't care about studying anyway. To her, becoming the fiancée of the Sterling heir was infinitely more valuable than getting accepted into an Ivy League. So, she poured all her energy into making Ashton love her more. She ignored lectures to secretly write a diary specifically meant for Ashton to "accidentally" find. She skipped dance rehearsals, sneaking out of school to go on joyrides and stargaze with him. And then, right before the school's annual dance showcase... She sat outside the rehearsal studio, crying. I figured she had meticulously studied how heroines cry in movies—tilting her head up at a 45-degree angle, tears welling perfectly in her eyes, looking too stubbornly proud to let them fall. Naturally, Ashton just happened to walk by and see her. The moment he asked her what was wrong, the tears Maya had been holding back finally spilled over. She threw herself into his arms and wailed. "Ashton, I lost my spot in the showcase!" "Every other girl in class gets to go on stage. Harper is the only one who won't let me perform..." Ashton already hated me to my core. Hearing this, he exploded. "Why?!" Maya bit her lip, trying desperately to stop crying but failing to suppress her sobs. "She said my mom is just a cleaning lady, and my dad is a security guard." "She said I can't even afford the costume, so I don't deserve to be on stage." Ashton's face darkened with rage. He looked at the hyperventilating girl in his arms and said softly, "It's just a costume, right? I'll buy it for you." Maya shook her head, radiating the pure, uncorrupted righteousness of an innocent poor girl. "No. They cost eight hundred dollars each. I can't accept such an expensive gift from you." Ashton was furious, yet his heart broke for her. "Who the hell does Harper think she is?!" he spat. Tears streamed down Maya's face as she shook her head sadly. "She's your sister. She's the Sterling heiress." "Your family donated half the buildings on this campus, and your dad is an honorary board member. Even if the teachers know she's bullying me, what can they possibly do?" Maya failed to notice that at that exact moment, a local journalist visiting the school happened to be walking past them. Poking his head around the corner like a shark smelling blood, the reporter asked sharply, "Bullying? Who is being bullied?" 07 The situation blew up instantly. The school's massive conference room was packed with people. The Principal, Vice Principal, Dean of Students, and our homeroom teacher were all there. There were also several reporters from different news outlets. Both sets of parents had arrived. The Millers stood protectively over a tear-streaked Maya in the corner, radiating grievance and righteous anger. Mr. and Mrs. Sterling initially hadn't wanted to come when they got the call about me being in trouble. It wasn't until they heard that the newly appointed State Superintendent of Education was present that they rushed over. Oakridge Prep was the most prestigious school in the state, and the Superintendent used it as a benchmark for educational standards. Mr. Sterling clearly had a prior relationship with the Superintendent. As soon as he walked in, he smoothly approached the man with a diplomatic smile. "All this fuss over a little disagreement, and it even dragged you down here, Superintendent." "Honestly, it's just kids having a petty argument..." But the Superintendent was notoriously strict and didn't buy it for a second. "Mr. Sterling, bullying is never a 'little disagreement.'" "I know Harper is your daughter, but every child in this room is a student, a sapling. I will not stand by and watch them grow crooked." Hearing this, Mr. Sterling couldn't push the issue further. He forced a polite smile. "Yes, of course. We aren't entirely sure what happened either. Please, conduct a thorough investigation." Returning to his wife's side, the two exchanged a silent, cold look. I knew exactly what that look meant. If the bullying allegations were proven true, the Sterlings would instantly abandon their emotionally distant adopted daughter and cut all ties with me to save their reputation. If that was the parents' attitude, Ashton's was even worse. Standing next to a sobbing Maya, he murmured soft comforts to her before looking up to shoot me a gaze colder than ice. Seeing that everyone was present, the Principal turned to Maya. "Maya, why don't you tell us what happened?" Maya looked up with red, swollen eyes, quietly repeating the same sob story she had fed Ashton. The reporters were already practically foaming at the mouth with righteous indignation. One reporter immediately spoke up. "We did some preliminary digging. Harper and Maya grew up in the same foster home and were once as close as sisters." "Later, Harper was adopted by the billionaire Sterling family, while Maya's adoptive parents are humble school employees." "Does marrying into wealth give Harper the right to bully her former friend and strip her of her rightful opportunities?" Dead silence fell over the room. The reporters stared at me like hawks, the red recording lights on their cameras blinking relentlessly. No one wanted to miss the scoop of the year. After all, this was a massive social issue. In an era of extreme wealth inequality, a rich kid stealing educational opportunities from a poor, hardworking student was enough to spark statewide outrage. Not to mention the incredible dramatic irony of Maya and I being the two main characters in this story. In the suffocatingly quiet office, I suddenly burst out laughing. It was a sharp, jarring sound. The reporters looked at each other in confusion. "Mr. Reporter," I said smoothly. "I read in a book once that journalists are supposed to cross-reference their sources and fact-check their information." "What? Are you in such a rush to publish a viral headline that you're just skipping basic journalistic integrity?" The reporter's face instantly flushed bright red. I stood up and pointed coldly at Maya. "Right now, your only source of information is her. Everything you've heard is a completely one-sided story." I looked at Maya's pale, tearful face. I really did treat you like a sister once. But in our past life, you murdered me out of jealousy. In this life, you're trying to frame me to climb the social ladder. If I completely destroy you right now, you brought it upon yourself. "Since the reporters are asking, I'll tell you what I know." "Maya is jealous of me. She thinks that since we started from the exact same place—and she believes she's prettier and smarter than me—it's completely unfair that I get to live a better life than her." "Her jealousy turned into hatred. That's why she fabricated this entire story to frame me." As soon as the words left my mouth, Ashton aggressively stepped forward to defend her. "That's a lie! She—" He wanted to say that Maya chose the poor Miller family on purpose. Therefore, she couldn't possibly be a gold digger, and I was just twisting the truth. But before he could finish his sentence, the conference room doors were shoved open. A thin, quiet figure with short hair stood in the doorway. She looked like an unnoticeable weed. Our homeroom teacher recognized her instantly. "Riley? What are you doing here?" At this exact time in our past life, Riley Brooks had already taken her own life. But in this life, she survived. Step by step, she walked into the room and stood right beside me. She spoke quietly. "I'm here to testify."
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