"So, Nicole really is the Johnson family's nanny's daughter?"

A classmate finally managed to voice the question.

In an instant, the once noisy classroom fell silent.

Everyone clutched their pieces of jewelry, hesitating about whether to return them to me.

"Nicole, if you're broke, don't act like you're rich. You made us all happy for nothing."

The leader spoke up and handed the jewelry back to me.

Gradually, other classmates who could no longer hold out began returning my things as well.

Nicole, enduring the strange looks and hearing the blame and ridicule from her classmates, finally broke down.

Nicole suddenly jumped to her feet, shouting, "No! I'm not the nanny's daughter! I saved Sophia's life! I'm the Johnson family's adopted daughter, Sophia's sister! I was sharing my family's things with you, so why are you all looking at me like this? You ungrateful wretches aren't worth my kindness!"

Hearing her speak like that, Edward, who had been clenching his fists and unsure of what to do, finally let out a sigh of relief.

He stood behind Nicole. "Sophia, is this how you treat someone who saved your life? Do you feel proud seeing her so upset? How can you be so cruel?"

Nicole, seeing she had someone supporting her, began her performance anew.

Nicole wiped away her tears. "Sophia, you're so inconsiderate. Your family is filthy rich, you spend thousands dollars on just one meal, so why can't you help out your classmates? You can't be so petty! I only took your things to share with them because I was worried about your excessive spending. I was trying to accumulate good karma for you, to keep you from going to hell when you die. How can you blame me for that?"

Watching her over-the-top and clumsy performance, I couldn't help but clap my hands. "Bravo! Keep going."

"You!" Nicole pointed a trembling finger at me, her tears spilling over once again. "Sophia, what did I ever do to you? Are you trying to drive me to death?"

Her voice was filled with despair and bitterness as if I had wronged her in the worst possible way. "From childhood until now, haven't I always shared the best things with you? Whenever Dad brings back gifts from abroad, you always have to choose first. You got the biggest, best room, while I squeezed into a shabby guest room with my mom for over ten years. I never complained! Did you forget that you once said I was your savior and that you'd be willing to share everything with me? Is this how you repay me?"

Looking at her agitated state, I couldn't help but find it amusing. "Nicole, don't you think you're overestimating yourself? Your so-called life-saving favor was just you being my childhood playmate. Because of that, my dad adopted you. You've been wearing clothes worth thousands of dollars each, eating seafood flown in daily, and getting a monthly allowance in the tens of thousands. All of this was given to you by me. Without me, you'd have nothing. Do you understand? What right do you have to argue with me?

"And as for the 'shabby guest room' you're talking about, it's over 200 square meters. You didn't like the decor, so it was completely renovated for over five million. Have you forgotten? Who's really living a more extravagant life, you or me? Today, you didn't steal my things to help our classmates, did you? You were just upset that I didn't share the jewelry with you, so you decided to take revenge on me. Nicole, if even a single piece of my mother's belongings is damaged today, I will make sure you end up in jail!"

Hearing my words, the classmates, afraid of getting themselves into trouble, quickly began returning my jewelry.

While I was busy checking my things, I didn't notice Nicole suddenly drop to her knees in front of me with a loud thud.

She grabbed onto my pant leg, tears streaming down her face as she cried pitifully. "Sophia! The classmates are really struggling. They don't have a rich father like yours to provide for them. Just surviving is hard enough for them! I apologize on their behalf. That jewelry could help them live comfortably for a long time. Please, show some mercy and don't take it back, okay? I beg you!"

With her back to her classmates, Nicole covered her face and sobbed, but from my angle, I could clearly see the satisfied smile playing on her lips.

Seeing this, the classmates who had been reluctant to return the jewelry became even more indignant. One of the more outspoken ones pointed at me and angrily shouted, "Sophia, are you even human? We've been classmates, and now you're pushing us to the edge? If I starve to death because of this, it'll be your fault!"

"How can you stand being in the same class as someone like her? Let's kick her out!"

"Yeah! Kick her out!"

...

The outspoken student led the group, rolling up their sleeves as they approached me. Edward rushed over to help Nicole up from the floor, mouthing to me. "You're finished."

As I watched the classmates charging toward me, memories of my tragic death in my past life flashed through my mind.

I grabbed a chair and slammed it onto the desk with all my might, making it clear I was ready to fight if needed.

The students stopped in their tracks, startled.

I held up my phone and yelled, "You all saw the video! If you don't want to ruin your future, you'd better return my things now! Nicole is a thief, and none of you will escape the consequences!"

Nicole, feeling guilty, buried her head in her hands and continued to cry.

The student who had been most reluctant to return the jewelry gave in. "You should've kept a better eye on your things, instead of causing trouble for everyone else!"

I didn't care what she said. I just wanted to secure my mother's belongings.

With the college entrance exams approaching, no one wanted to taint their future with a scandal. Gradually, everyone began returning my jewelry.

The classroom was filled with murmurs of discontent directed at Nicole.

"If you're broke, don't act like you're rich! Stealing things to donate, Nicole, you're disgusting!"

"Exactly, and we thought she was so generous. Turns out her mom's a nanny, and she's a thief. How gross!"

...

Nicole, who had always prided herself on being a wealthy heiress, was suddenly overwhelmed by the insults. She didn't react at first, but then she turned all her anger toward me. She wiped away her tears and glared at me with hatred in her voice. "Sophia, you'll pay for this! Uncle George won't let you get away with it! Just you wait!"

Nicole ran out crying, clutching her phone tightly. It wasn't hard to guess that she was calling my dad to tattle on me.