Liam stood at the entrance of the foster home, wearing a faded, wash-worn shirt. My sister Bella, who had loved money more than life itself since childhood, ran toward him cheerfully. She threw herself into his arms and sweetly called out his name. "Liam!" In that moment, I knew. Bella had been reborn, just like me. In our past life, we faced a choice between the Sterlings, a top-tier New York dynasty, and the Lombardos, who were dirt poor. Back then, Bella had shoved me to the ground. She was the first to rush toward the extended black Lincoln. "I don't want to live a hard life, Chloe," she had sneered. "You can suffer for me this time." She got her wish and lived the life of an Upper East Side socialite. But her smile faded day by day. Five years later, she was kicked out of the family and died miserably on the streets of Brooklyn. I, on the other hand, relied on my grades to get a full scholarship. I got into an Ivy League school and went abroad with Liam for further studies. With the blessings of our foster parents, I married Liam, had children, and lived a happy, smooth life. Now, given a second chance, Bella made the opposite choice. I looked at Liam, the man who had spent a lifetime with me in my previous life. I waited for him to say something. Instead, he shielded Bella tightly behind him. His blue eyes looked at me with ice-cold hostility. "Don't come near Bella." Under Bella’s triumphant gaze, I turned and walked toward the extended Lincoln. That’s fine. I wanted to experience a different life this time anyway. ... "Get in, Miss Chloe." The Sterling family hadn't sent anyone important. Just a chauffeur in a uniform. As he drove, he watched me through the rearview mirror, lecturing me on the rules I had to follow at Sterling Manor. The car soon arrived in the wealthy Hamptons area of Long Island. I followed the driver into the mansion, which was as luxurious as a palace. "Mrs. Sterling, I’ve brought her." A beautiful woman sitting on a genuine leather sofa looked up from her Earl Grey tea. Her gaze swept over me, assessing my worth. She beckoned to me. "Come here, dear." "What is your name?" "Chloe." The woman nodded. "Very good. From now on, you are Chloe Sterling." "Alfred, take her upstairs." "Yes, Madam." I followed Alfred, the butler, step by step. The staircase railing was made of precious mahogany. The floor was imported Italian marble. Everything screamed of the luxury and heritage of an Old Money family. In my past life, I had obtained all these things through my own hard work. So, I wasn't particularly impressed or curious. The butler glanced back at me, a flash of surprise in his eyes at my calmness. He pushed open a door. A massive, princess-style suite appeared before me. "Miss, this will be your room from now on." "Rest for a while. I will come back later." After the butler left, I walked in and looked around. The environment was perfect. The Sterling family had adopted a daughter for tax breaks and charity points, but they certainly weren't stingy. The room revealed the exquisite luxury of high society in every detail. Deep inside, a wave of excitement surged. In my past life, without a powerful family background, I had to fight my way up Wall Street with my own two hands. That was the only way I could afford a life like this. In this life, I was inside the Sterling house. With the resources of a billionaire family, I would achieve even greater success.
Just as I was thinking, shouting came from behind me. My bedroom door was suddenly thrown open. A basketball flew in without warning and smashed right onto my head. Thud. "Hey, you new hillbilly. Bring me my basketball." The voice was arrogant, dripping with that specific type of wealthy American entitlement. I turned around slowly. A blond boy, about my age but much taller, stood there. He had his chin up, chewing gum, looking completely overbearing. If I remembered correctly, this was the sole heir of the Sterling family, Asher Sterling. He loved underground racing, skydiving, and extreme sports. A typical rich playboy. He had zero interest in the family's multi-billion dollar business empire. In my previous life, he ended up paralyzed from the waist down after an accident during an underground drag race. His temperament became incredibly violent after that. "Hey, why are you spacing out? Did you hear me?" His impatient voice rang in my ear. I snapped back to reality, picked up the basketball, and handed it to him. Remembering the driver's advice, I said softly, "Asher, here." He paused for a second. "You really know how to suck up, don't you? You don't actually think this will get you a piece of the Sterling trust fund, do you?" He scoffed, turned around, and walked away. Over the next few days, I rarely saw Mrs. Sterling. Asher was even more elusive, probably out partying. Alfred took me around to get familiar with the estate. The manor was exceptionally large. When we finished the tour, he handed me a schedule. It was packed with elite education courses. "This is your schedule starting tomorrow. You will receive one-on-one training in business management, equestrianism, and etiquette. Madam has arranged everything. You just need to study hard. There will be benefits for you in the future." "Can you handle it?" These were things I only encountered when Liam and I started our business in Silicon Valley in my last life. In this life, I was getting access to them at fifteen. Of course I was happy. I nodded. "Absolutely, Sir." A trace of surprise flashed across his face, but he didn't say anything more. To ensure I didn't fall behind in my regular schoolwork, Mrs. Sterling hired expensive private tutors. But I had already learned all of this in my previous life. It was a piece of cake. In just one year, I absorbed and applied all the AP course material. "This child is a genius. She's not only mastered the high school curriculum but also understands obscure MBA case studies," the Ivy League tutor praised me in front of Mrs. Sterling. I sat on the side, listening quietly. He looked excited. "At this rate, she doesn't even need prep school. She can apply directly to Harvard or Yale." But Mrs. Sterling had a different plan. She wanted me to accompany Asher through an elite private high school, then go to the Ivy League together. She claimed it was so we could take care of each other. In reality, she wanted me to rein in that wild horse, Asher. Mrs. Sterling gave the teacher a check with a generous bonus. Her gaze toward me held a newfound approval. "Come here." She pulled me to sit beside her and handed me an acceptance letter to St. Jude Preparatory Academy. "Good job. Asher's GPA is terrible. Help him out. I don't expect much, just get him to pass." "Once high school is over, I'll send you both to study in the UK. How does that sound?" Without any preamble, Mrs. Sterling laid her transaction on the table. I didn't hesitate. "Thank you, Mom." Her eyebrows raised, and she clearly became happier, holding my hand a little tighter. "Good child."
As a reward, Mrs. Sterling gave me a Black Card and let me have a free day out. This was the most relaxing day I’d had since arriving at the Sterling home. The driver took me to the most bustling part of Manhattan, Fifth Avenue. I got out of the car alone. I hadn't walked far when a familiar figure appeared. It was Bella. Or rather, Bella Lombardo now. She was standing on the roadside under the scorching sun, handing out flyers for a fast-food joint. The Lombardo family lived in a low-income area and had almost no spare money. It wasn't surprising she was forced to work. I had lived that life previously. During summer breaks, I worked three jobs a day while studying for the SATs. I also had to do all the household chores for my foster parents. They claimed to treat everyone equally, but they never let Liam lift a finger. I only found out later that they didn't adopt me because they wanted a daughter. They just wanted the government foster checks and free labor. "Hello, would you like to see this—" A flyer was shoved in front of me. Bella looked up, saw me, and stopped mid-sentence. "Chloe?" Noticing my new season Chanel outfit and my well-maintained skin, jealousy flashed across her face. She forced a laugh. "You look comfortable. But don't say I didn't warn you. Rich families aren't easy to survive in. Mrs. Sterling is scarier than you think. You'll find out soon enough." "Oh," I replied flatly. My indifference annoyed her. She started showing off her new family. "Uncle and Auntie Lombardo treat me so well. My days are so full. Liam helps me with my homework. Oh, and we both got full scholarships to St. Jude Academy this year." St. Jude... That was the same school on the acceptance letter Mrs. Sterling gave me. Most students there were offspring of Old Money. Except for a few charity cases with exceptional grades. In the last life, Liam and I were the ones who got those spots. "Our life is only going to get better," Bella said with certainty. "And you? You're going to die miserably on the street." The corner of my mouth twitched. I was about to speak when a voice called out. "Bella!" "Liam, you're here!" Bella’s face lit up, and she threw herself into Liam’s arms. Liam was holding a cheap lunch box. "Mom asked me to bring you food. It's hot out. You must be tired. Let me take over for a while." "No need, Liam. I can do it." The Lombardo family would rather starve than let Liam miss an expensive tutoring session or do manual labor. In my last life, I was the one being exploited like this. "You're working so hard," Liam said tenderly. Then, he noticed me standing there. "Liam, this is my sister Chloe. You saw her at the foster center," Bella introduced. Liam looked me up and down. His cold expression held a trace of disgust. He didn't greet me. Instead, he turned to Bella. "Don't associate with trashy people. Let's go." Without giving me a chance to speak, Liam pulled Bella away. "Liam, why are you being so mean? What if you scared her?" Bella’s voice drifted back. "Silly girl. She doesn't look like a decent person. Stay away from her, or she might hurt you behind your back one day." His harsh words faded into the distance. I didn't understand where Liam's hostility came from. My heart rippled slightly, but not much. I took the Black Card Mrs. Sterling gave me and walked into a luxury store, buying a mountain of things.
When I walked out carrying bags stamped with luxury logos, Bella’s face turned green. "Tch. What are you showing off for? You're going to die anyway. Unlike me and Liam—we're going to run a huge company one day." I smiled, laughing at her naivety. I turned and returned to Sterling Manor. Actually, none of the items were for me. They were gifts for Mrs. Sterling, Asher, and the household staff. When I got back, Asher was unexpectedly at home. Seeing me, he sneered. "Yo. You haven't been here long, but you already learned how to drag bags of shopping home? Do you think our family's money grows on trees?" "Asher!" Mrs. Sterling warned him. "She is your sister." Asher curled his lip. "What kind of sister is she? I don't have a hillbilly sister. It's embarrassing to be seen with her." Asher had always been against me, but I didn't take the bait. I took the gifts out of the bags one by one. "Mom, this is for you." I handed over a box containing an Hermès scarf. Then I gave gifts to Alfred the butler and the other maids, one by one. I saw a look of relief and pride on Mrs. Sterling's face, different from her usual coldness. The butler and the staff looked flattered and touched. Asher’s face fell immediately. "Che. Do you think these cheap bribes will win people over? You really think—" "Asher, this is for you." I ignored his tantrum and took out the final gift. It was a limited-edition Ferrari model car. "Mom told me you like racing. I saw this at the mall and bought it." He froze. "Who cares about toys like this," he muttered. But he still took it.
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