My best friend, Yara Campbell, got reborn back to the day she was to reunite with the richest family in town, the Waltons.

She didn't want to relive her fate as the Waltons' marionette that was trapped in a gilded cage, so she refused to go home with them. That was why she didn't hesitate to push me out instead.

As I gazed at Grace Robinson, whose fingers were adorned with diamond rings, and Raymond Walton, who looked like he was made of money, I instantly rushed toward them.

There was no way I'd let this golden opportunity slip through my fingers, after all!

Five years later, Yara shows up on the Walters' doorstep with a paternity test report in her hands. She then demands that I be cast out of the family.

But she's too late.

In the past five years, I'm no longer the replacement she had used on a whim back then.

Now, I'm the second-in-command in Walton Group. No one in this family can possibly usurp my position from me now.

"Today is the day the Waltons come to take me home. What should I do? In this life, I absolutely can't go back," Yara Campbell muttered in a daze.

Suddenly, she looked at me and shoved an emerald pendant into my hand. "Lexie, you'll help me, right? Go in my place!"

I looked at the bread that had fallen to the floor, picked it up without hesitation, and kept eating. She stepped back, and a trace of disgust flashed in her eyes.

At that moment, lines of floating comments appeared before me.

"Lexie James still doesn't know that Yara has just been reborn, right? In her last life, Yara obediently returned to her wealthy family, but her parents barely cared about her. Instead, they doted on Sarah Walton, the impostor heiress they had groomed as their successor since childhood."

"Back then, Yara dumped Joseph Sawyer just to reclaim her place in the rich family. Years later, he ruined the entire household and dragged her into a twisted relationship."

"Now that she's been reborn, we get to watch sweet, delicate Yara living in a tiny rental with the rough Joseph. Being broke with nothing but love is apparently romantic."

I stared blankly at the words drifting in front of me, quickly locking onto one phrase—the rich family. It meant that I could have whatever food I wanted.

I grabbed Yara's hands excitedly. "I'll do it."

A flicker of confusion crossed her eyes. However, the Walton family's motorcade had already arrived, and she pushed me forward without hesitation.

Rows of luxury cars stretched out before me, far more extravagant than anything I had ever seen on TV. It felt like fate had finally decided to give me a good life.

Yara pinched my arm and said with disdain, "Look at you. How pathetic and pitiful. The Walton family is all money and no love. They're like lunatics who only know how to force you to spend money."

Tears streamed down my face as pure joy flooded my chest. What a rare problem to have! I would gladly let someone force me to spend money.

Raymond Walton and his wife, Grace Robinson, had just stepped out of the car. When they saw the emerald pendant in my hand, they gently wiped away my tears. As Grace pulled me into her arms, I felt the cool touch of the priceless jewelry around her neck and wrist against my skin.

She took a card from her bag. "You've suffered all these years. There's ten million dollars on this card. Don't come home until you've spent it."

Raymond handed me a stack of transfer agreements. "These villas and cars are all yours. Do whatever you want from now on. I have more than enough money to support you. You don't have to work if you don't want to."

I took it all with delight, unable to stop my tears.

"I'm so jealous. When will my parents ever treat me like that?"

"Didn't you notice they don't even want her to work? They favor Sarah and pour all their resources into her."

"Just wait. When Lexie runs into that cunning Sarah, she'll learn her lesson."

Yara leaned in with a smile. "I'm guessing you're scared out of your mind. Even if you wanted to turn back, it's far too late."

I thanked her sincerely, then followed my parents into the limousine. The car was stacked with premium snacks, and I shoved handful after handful into my mouth.

"Lexie has no class at all. Back then, Yara didn't eat a single bite for appearances, and yet the Waltons still compared her to Sarah."

By the time I had eaten 30 pastries, Grace couldn't hide her distaste any longer. She stared at me. "Lexie, a young lady shouldn't eat so sloppily. You didn't grow up with me, and you're so different from Sarah."

The floating comments waited eagerly for me to make a fool of myself.

I pinched my thigh and forced out tears. "Mom, I haven't eaten for three days. I was too hungry to hold back. I'll learn properly from Sarah in the future. Please don't send me away."

Tears welled in Raymond's eyes. He pressed a hand to my head, trying to hide his unease. "You've had a hard time. Nobody in the Walton family can kick you out."

Guilt flashed across Grace's face as she removed the emerald bracelet from her wrist and placed it on mine.

"That bracelet is Grace's wedding fit. In the previous life, Yara tried everything but never managed to get it."

"Lexie really has no shame, unlike Yara, who would never accept anything handed to her."

Yara and I had grown up in the same orphanage. She was refined and elegant, while I was lazy and gluttonous.

I could not turn down money over dignity.

The car pulled into Walton Manor, which sprawled over a thousand acres. The moment I stepped out, I knew my future was about to shine like gold.

Sarahe, the fake heiress, was dragging her suitcase, clearly intending to leave.

Grace held her tightly. "Sarah, you can't go. How would I survive if you left?"

Raymond grabbed her arm. "Sarah, you're the one we nurtured from the start. No one will ever replace you."

Sarah frowned and gently pushed him aside. "Who says I'm leaving? I have a project that takes me out of town. It's no big deal to have one extra person at home. I'm not going to kick her out."

The comments popped up in front of me again.

"Nothing could be more humiliating. In her last life, Yara made a scene and was placed under house arrest for a week."

"With Lexie's intelligence, I guarantee she'll be thrown out in five minutes."

Raymond's patience was running thin as I said nothing. "Sarah is the heiress we raised. Nothing or no one will ever change that. If you're unhappy—"

I quickly looped my arm through hers and nodded obediently. "Sarah has always been part of the Walton family. We were twins. I was just sent to the countryside to recover from poor health and was only recently brought back."

At once, Raymond's and Grace's expressions softened with tenderness, and before leaving, they slipped me two black cards. My heart soared.

Sarah led me into a room. The entire room was pink. The bed and tables were covered with teddy bears. The closet was stuffed with cute dresses straight out of a fashion catalog, and the vanity was loaded with jewelry that obviously cost a small fortune.

Sarah crossed her arms and leaned against the door. "My room is twice as big as yours. These pieces of jewelry are the ones I don't want, and these clothes aren't even the latest runway designs."

The comments popped up in front of me again.

"Last life, Yara completely lost it and wrecked the room. Raymond and Grace were so disappointed."

"Sarah wasn't trying to be cruel. She's just cold on the outside but warm on the inside. Everything was arranged perfectly—she just didn't tell Lexie."

"Honestly, if it weren't for Sarah, Yara would have been left outside the family for 20 years."

I covered my mouth and sobbed.

Sarah froze in panic. "It's no use crying. Mom and Dad love me more. If you really don't like it, I can have the room redecorated, but it cannot be bigger than mine."

I hugged her tightly, pressing my face against her neck. "Sarah, you're too kind to me. I've never lived in such a beautiful house. I love everything here."

Sarah shoved me away, clearly annoyed, though her ears turned a little pink. She cleared her throat and proudly said, "Since you like this junk jewelry, my room has plenty more. Think of it as me clearing out the extras. You can have it all if you want."

The butler brought in a whole crate of emeralds and diamonds. My eyes went wide.

That night, I lay on a king-size bed, surrounded by jewelry and beautiful dresses, snacking on cherries flown in from Caraska.

As I savored them, Yara's call came through. "Prepare one million dollars. Meet me at the cafe tomorrow afternoon."

Yara walked into the cafe with her boyfriend, Joseph. Without a word of courtesy, she snatched my card and sneered. "You didn't sleep a wink last night, did you? Your parents favor Sarah, and Sarah's crazy. Life at that house must have been miserable for you."

I glanced in the mirror and realized she was right—my dark circles were terrifying.

Comments scrolled across my vision.

"Lexie wasn't scared in the slightest. She spent the entire night trying on every dress and splurged three million dollars online."

"She's far too petty. The Waltons would definitely look down on her. Yara never spent any of it last time."

Fearing I might change my mind, Yara hurried to say, "It's too late to regret now. The Walton family is a place that takes everything and gives nothing. My future husband and I are off to follow our own hearts."

I frowned at Joseph. The stench of sweat clung to him, his skin was tanned, and he was hunched over a mountain of desserts, shoveling them into his mouth.

Back when Yara first got together with him, I had been strongly against it, but everyone assumed I was trying to meddle, so I let it go.

Comments appeared again.

"Perfect! With that one million dollars, Joseph can launch his business sooner. He'll show the Walton family who's really in charge, rise to the top as a tycoon, and finally be with Yara."

I smiled. There was no way I would let some broke man destroy the happiness I had fought so hard to build. For the next five years, I made sure someone was always watching their every move.

Their business got off to a good start, and they made some profits. However, Yara, who had grown up in luxury, demanded the absolute best in everything.

Joseph grumbled endlessly, and the two argued constantly. He had always been a gambler and had kept it in check for Yara, but after a few wins, he fell back into old habits. Within three years, the one million dollars was completely spent.

Over those five years, Yara had tried to reach me, but as long as I refused, her status meant she could never get through. I had learned Raymond's and Grace's likes and dislikes perfectly, and even Sarah was completely at my mercy.

Soon, I entered Walton Group and became the company's second-in-command.

One day, the orphanage called, requesting my presence at the director's funeral. I agreed, only to find that nobody I knew had come.

Then, a familiar voice suddenly cut through my thoughts.

"Lexie, it hasn't been easy to meet you. How long do you plan on keeping my identity?"

I looked at her and barely recognized her. Yara's face was pale, and her once-perfect features were drained of life. She charged at me like a lunatic, clutching my neck and screaming, "Have you been meddling all these years? Is that why I never saw anyone from the Walton family?"

She held on even tighter. "It shouldn't be this way! How can you be safe in the Walton residence? Why didn't they throw you out and humiliate you?"

I battered her hands with all my strength, but it didn't work.

Joseph slapped her. "You crazy bitch, now is not the time to lose it!"

I collapsed to the ground, gasping for air. The comments that had been silent suddenly exploded across the screen.

"She's completely lost her personality. I want the poised, aloof Yara and the devoted, rough Joseph back."

"Poor Lexie. Yara was the one who insisted on swapping identities back then, and now she refuses and is forcing her to switch back."

I calmly slipped my hand into my pocket and touched the dagger I carried at all times.

Yara sneered. "Lexie, you're still so foolish. The director's funeral was fake. If we hadn't deceived you, how could we swap identities?"

I answered calmly, "Why do you think the Waltons would recognize you after all these years?"

"You're fake, Sarah's fake, and I'm the only true blood of the Walton family. No one abandons their own child!"

She turned sharply to Joseph. "Tie her up. After she dies, I'll take my place as the Walton heiress."

Joseph boxed me in, but I took the opening and slashed his palm with my dagger. He jerked back in pain, and I bolted for the exit.

I didn't get far before several burly men blocked the exit. Yara yanked my hair and lashed out at my face. "You think you can escape? I'll end you!"

Comments poured in.

"She's terrifying. She wouldn't actually kill her, would she?"

"She's staging a fire. When the Walton family discovers Lexie's body, she'll cry about a stolen identity and walk back into the family's arms."

Joseph swung a wooden stick at me in desperation. I covered my head, doing what I could to protect myself, yet they still overpowered me and tied me up.

Yara poured a bucket of oil over me and viciously said, "Lexie, die!"

I watched the lighter inch closer and closed my eyes in despair. Suddenly, a crowd appeared at the doorway, and Sarah elegantly stepped down from a car.

"Lexie Walton, you're hopeless. I thought you could handle this."