When I was three years old, my mother passed away due to illness.

My dad said I was inconsolable, refusing to eat or drink and crying every day.

He thought that bringing Daisy's daughter, who was about my age, into our home might cheer me up.

According to him, from the moment Nicole arrived, I stopped crying, started playing with her, and even began eating again.

Grateful for what he believed was Nicole saving my life, Dad decided to adopt her, along with her mother, Daisy, who then enjoyed a comfortable life in our household.

I was even more grateful, thinking she had saved my life and treated her like a sister, granting her every request.

So, when Nicole saw my mother's jewelry, she felt entitled to ask for it.

When I refused, she couldn't handle it and broke down.

In her rage, Nicole stole everything to make a point.

She said that if she couldn't have something, then neither could I.

That was when I realized what kind of ungrateful wretch the Johnson family had raised all these years.

I reported her theft to the police, but she claimed that I had initially intended to donate the jewelry and only accused her out of regret.

Nicole had always pretended to be a wealthy heiress in class, while I was much more reserved.

The classmates who had taken the jewelry became her witnesses.

The incident was captured on video and spread widely, with various media outlets rushing to report the story. Before long, everyone knew me as an untrustworthy, vain, and materialistic person.

My classmates labeled me a disgrace, pushing and shoving me until I was hit by an out-of-control truck and killed on the spot...

Nicole clearly hadn't expected that I, who had always treated her like a sister, would expose her true identity in front of everyone.

She froze for a moment, then clenched her teeth and stubbornly denied it. "Doesn't everyone already know whether I'm the daughter of a nanny? But you, acting like a mad dog over a few pieces of jewelry. What good is all your education if you've turned out like this? I'm warning you, hand over everything you took. Those are meant for my classmates, and you can't keep even one piece!"

Nicole glanced at the indignant classmates before leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Don't forget, you owe your life to me. Today, I'm just teaching you a lesson!"

After she finished, Nicole crossed her arms smugly and called her classmates over to take the jewelry back from me.

I was alone, and there was no way I could protect my mother's belongings.

"Call the police."

The moment I said that Nicole's face changed, and she raised her voice. "What did you just say?"

Looking at her greedy and selfish face, I barely held back the urge to hit her again. "Didn't you say this jewelry belongs to you? Then let's call the police and let them figure it out!"

"Pah!" An unpleasant voice echoed through the classroom. "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you, Sophia. Have you gone crazy from being poor? Now you're just outright stealing!"

The classmates began chattering amongst themselves.

"Exactly! Nicole brought these jewels from home to share with us, and now you're trying to claim they're yours? How can you be so disgusting, Sophia!"

"Sophia is so gross!"

...

Finally, Edward, the most popular boy at school, stepped up beside Nicole. "Nicole, don't worry, I'll call the police for you. I won't let anyone steal what's rightfully yours!"

Edward pulled out his phone, looking down at me with disgust as if I were a fly too repulsive even to swat.

He said, "Sophia, if you hand over the jewelry now and apologize to Nicole on your knees, I might consider letting this slide for the sake of our classmateship."

Initially, I had liked Edward.

But I never understood why he hated me so much.

Until the day in my previous life when I was hit by a truck, he was the first to rush to my side, pretending to care as he pressed down on my wound as if he wanted my blood to flow faster.

He whispered, "Do you know, Sophia? In our first year, I was secretly eating dry bread alone until Nicole noticed my situation and added my name to the school's financial aid list. That's how I got to live comfortably. She's my princess, the person I want to protect most. She's been so good to you, and yet you kept hurting her. You deserve to die!"

...

Seeing me stay silent, Edward became even more smug. "Scared, are you? Sophia, this is just the beginning. You'll pay dearly for your arrogance and stupidity!"

What he didn't know was that I had already paid the price.

Noticing the bulge in his pocket, I reached out and pulled out a diamond necklace, one of my mother's keepsakes.

Edward hated me, yet he joined the others in grabbing my jewelry, which was beyond ridiculous.

When Edward saw the necklace in my hand and then looked down at his pocket, his face turned red. He tried to snatch it back. "Give me my stuff! We're in a classroom with cameras! Are you crazy, stealing like this in broad daylight?"

I quickly stepped back and secured the necklace, looking up at Edward without a trace of the affection I once had.

Maybe sensing the shift in my demeanor, Edward pulled his hand back and gritted his teeth. "Are you sure you won't give the necklace back?"

I shook my head. "Edward, you'd better stay loyal to Nicole for the rest of your life because you're not getting anything from me ever again."

"When have I ever gotten anything from you? Are you out of your mind?" Edward was trembling with anger, but he didn't dare grab the necklace from me. He clenched his fists. "Sophia, just wait. The police will be here soon, and you'll have to face the consequences!"

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to call the police, but Nicole suddenly panicked and slapped the phone out of his hand. "Edward, what are you doing? We're all classmates. Are you really going to ruin Sophia's future over something so small?"

Nicole turned to me, her tone now tinged with a plea. "Sophia, haven't I been good enough to you? If it weren't for me, you'd be dead already. Please stop this. Just give the jewelry back, okay?"