: Rebirth

On the eve of the University Entrance Exams, Mother brought Mia Sterling home.

She lied to me, "You're the Fake Heiress. Mia is Mom and Dad's real child."

Mia Sterling started crying the moment she opened her mouth, calling me a thief who had stolen her life.

After all the hard work I put in to get into Apex University, she ran me over with her car and killed me.

Before I died, she looked at me with a smile.

"Let me tell you a secret... We're half-sisters, same mother, different fathers."

1

Just like in my previous life, Mia Sterling grabbed my arm the moment she walked through the door.

"Older Sister, even though you stole my life, I won't blame you."

So wronged, yet so magnanimous.

In my past life, I actually fell for her act and felt incredibly sorry for her.

That's why no matter how she guilt-tripped or bullied me afterward, I felt it was what I deserved.

"Older Sister, don't go." Mia Sterling shook my arm. "If you leave, it'll look like I drove you out. Wouldn't that be unfair to me?"

Those words sounded all too familiar.

In my past life, when Mia Sterling returned, I had planned to leave this family.

With just that one sentence, I stayed.

And so began my tragic life.

'This life...'

'Heh.'

I brushed Mia Sterling's hand away and looked down at her.

"Which one of your ears heard that I was leaving?"

Mia Sterling froze, her eyes instantly welling up with tears.

I wasn't about to give her a chance to play the victim.

"This is my home too. Grandfather acknowledges me as his granddaughter, so why should I leave?"

"Don't tell me you're the one who can't wait for me to leave."

"And I stole your life?"

"I was just a baby back then. It's not like I was the one who switched us. How could I have stolen your life?"

"Instead of looking for the person who made the mistake, you're here crying to me, trying to make me feel guilty so I'll do whatever you say from now on?"

Large teardrops rolled down Mia Sterling's cheeks. "No, Older Sister, that's not what I meant. You've misunderstood me."

"But that's what it sounded like to me. If you don't want to be misunderstood, you should think twice before you speak."

"And another thing, constant crying is bad. It brings bad luck. Are you trying to bring misfortune upon the whole family?"

Mother couldn't stand it anymore. "Raina Valerius, is that any way to speak to your Younger Sister?"

I said earnestly, "Mother, I'm just sticking up for you."

"The moment Younger Sister walked in, she started talking about being switched at birth and having her life stolen. That sounds like she's holding a grudge."

"And you and Father... Didn't you say I was born in Grandfather's private hospital? How could a switch even happen there?"

After speaking, I turned to look at Father, then back at Mia Sterling.

"Looking at you both, Younger Sister really resembles Mother. She didn't inherit any of Father's genes at all. How is it that even I look more like Father than she does?"

Hearing me say that, everyone's gaze shifted between me, Father, and Mia Sterling, observing us closely.

Mother panicked and blocked Father's view.

"Alright, alright, that's enough. Today is a happy occasion, let's not talk about this."

After saying that, Mother turned and shot me a glare.

I sighed, my tone reluctant. "Well, since no one wants me to leave, I suppose I'll stay."

Then, I beamed a smile at my dear younger sister. "Younger Sister, Mother just scolded me. I've learned my lesson. I'll take good care of you from now on."

"But, Younger Sister," I said, turning my gaze to Mother, "you and Mother will have to be extra nice to me from now on. Especially you, Mother. Otherwise, if word gets out that you started abusing your adoptive daughter the moment you found your biological one, it would be terrible for our family's reputation."

2

My father and mother had an arranged business marriage. Before marrying Father, Mother had a childhood sweetheart she was very much in love with.

Mia Sterling is the child she had with that childhood sweetheart before marrying Father.

Mia is a year older than me. Mother only brought her into our family now because she was worried the age difference would be too obvious. By altering her official age to be a year younger, no one can tell.

She's certainly cunning in her own way.

Otherwise, in my past life, I wouldn't have fallen for Mother's words and believed I wasn't her biological daughter. Her preparations were so meticulous that there were no holes in her story.

Mother must have truly loved Mia. After I was reborn, I kept thinking that perhaps Mother loved that childhood sweetheart so much that it explained why she treated Mia so well.

But her relationship with Father was terrible. A few years into the marriage, they both started seeing other people. I can understand why she doesn't love me. After all, I'm the child she had with a man she doesn't love.

By the same token, Father doesn't love me because he doesn't love Mother.

Ever since I was little, I was the child neither my father nor my mother loved.

Fortunately, my Grandfather and grandmother, as well as my maternal grandparents, were all very good to me.

Before my maternal grandparents passed away, they transferred all of their assets into my name. They didn't have a son, and Mother has no business ambitions.

My Grandfather and grandmother are also grooming me to be the heir, just waiting for me to graduate from college before handing over real control of the company.

I currently own more shares in the company than both of my parents.

I had a realization over the last two days. Mother does feel some maternal love for Mia, but it's not much. If it were, she wouldn't have let Mia languish in an orphanage for eighteen years.

After all, an orphanage is no walk in the park.

Mother is after my money and shares. Mia is easier to control than I am, and she plans to use Mia to seize everything I have and claim it for herself.

Using one of her biological daughters to scheme against the other... Mother truly is one of a kind.

In this life, I'll give them a real fight.

[Step 1: Contextual Analysis]

Literary genre: This appears to be a contemporary Chinese web novel with elements of revenge/rebirth/second chance themes. The protagonist seems to have been reborn or returned to the past after suffering bullying in her "previous life."

Language style: Modern, conversational, first-person narrative with dialogue.

Tone: Tense, somewhat dark, with elements of resentment and revenge. The narrator is recalling traumatic past events while dealing with a present situation.

Plot keywords: School setting, bullying, rich family, impostor, rebirth/second chance, revenge

Characters:

- 林然 (Raina Valerius) - Female protagonist, daughter of a wealthy family, appears to have memories of a "previous life" where she was bullied

- 宋淼淼 (Mia Sterling) - Female antagonist, claiming to be the "real" daughter of the rich family, manipulative

- 于倩 (Chloe Yates) - Female classmate of Raina

- 班主任 (Homeroom Teacher) - Mentioned briefly

- 林望山 (Warren Valerius) - Raina's father, the richest man in the city

- 宋淑华 (Sylvia Sterling) - Raina's mother

[Step 2: Integrated Translation and Polishing]

Now I'll translate the text following all the guidelines:

First, I notice this is