"I'm not really into plush toys, thanks," I replied through the door, pulling out the books I'd brought from the countryside.

Life had given me a second chance, and I was determined to make the most of it. My top priority was to get stronger and stop depending on anyone else's love. I wanted to be able to love myself.

There were countless ways to practice self-love. At this moment, the best way to do that was by becoming accomplished and self-sufficient.

"Do you hate me, Cora?" Rosa's voice came through the door. "I know I shouldn't have taken your place. I'm just an outsider…"

I could tell she was saying this as Mom and Dad walked by.

As expected, Mom rushed to comfort her. "Don't think that way. Cora just needs time to get used to everything."

"Exactly. There's no such thing as being an outsider. You're both my daughters," Dad said.

I scoffed. Lies. I was the outsider here.

After everything quieted down, I checked the money my relatives had given me to mark my return to the family. To my surprise, it was over 100 thousand dollars.

That amount meant a lot to me. I needed to keep it for a rainy day. So, I headed to the nearest bank to take care of it.

As soon as I stepped into the lobby, I spotted a man in a perfectly tailored suit talking to the bank manager. It was Magnus. It was the first time I'd seen him since coming back to life.

He recognized me instantly and eyed me coldly. "Cora Jagger?"

I nodded.

The bank manager scurried over, eager to please. "Oh, Mr. Gilmore, so this is your—"

"Mind your own business," Magnus interrupted sharply.

The manager retreated awkwardly.

"What are you doing here?" Magnus asked.

"Making a deposit," I replied, walking straight to the teller.

"For that tiny amount?" He scoffed. "Whenever Rosa needs to save, she just gives it to Mr. and Mrs. Jagger. You're really something else."

I stayed quiet.

Magnus sneered. "I never thought someone your age could be so calculating. Here's some advice—save your money however you want, but don't even think about touching anything in your house."

He was exactly the same as he had been in my previous life. Back then, I had barely been home for a week when someone's diamond bracelet went missing.

Magnus accused me of stealing it. He believed I had no morals, was driven only by money, and was a walking disaster.

I never expected that even though the bracelet hadn't gone missing yet in this life, he'd already judged me guilty. But I couldn't care less to argue. All I wanted was to save my money.

Magnus snorted and walked away.

That night, the whole family gathered in the living room. They were trying to help me decide on a school, scrolling through brochures from different private academies on the tablet.

"I want to go to Lucentdale High School," I said bluntly.

It was a regular, unremarkable public school.

My plan was simple—graduate high school, get into university, and leave this house for good. I had no desire to live the life of a high-society heiress.

Mom and Dad both looked surprised.

Rosa's eyes glinted with a trace of smugness. "Cora, we don't have to settle for a regular high school. We can apply directly to top foreign schools."

"That's right, Cora," Mom said, gently patting my hand. "You should go with Rosa to Greenlake International School. We've taken care of everything."

Dad opened his mouth as if to speak, but then hesitated, his expression torn.

I knew exactly what was on his mind. In my previous life, I went to Greenlake International School and quickly became the butt of everyone's jokes.

It wasn't because I was exceptional, but because I—someone from the countryside—stood out like a sore thumb among the privileged crowd. And once they found out I was a Jagger, the buzz only grew.

Students crowded around, eager to catch a glimpse of the Jagger heiress, only to be disappointed when they saw a scrawny, sunburned girl from the countryside.

Unsurprisingly, their mockery came fast and cruel.

Rosa made everything worse by stirring the pot from the shadows. She encouraged others to torment me and even had a guy to pursue me.

When I was swept up in the fantasy of love, she leaked our private messages and videos on the school forum.

Before I knew it, I became the laughingstock of the whole school, and the Jaggers' name was dragged through the dirt because of me.

Dad trembled with rage and struck me, sending me crashing to the ground. "I was a fool for letting you attend such a prestigious school. You've only brought disgrace to the Jaggers!"

His pride was everything, and I'd torn it apart. Even now, he was only concerned with how this would affect his image.

Rosa could make him look good, but me?

"I only want to go to Lucentdale High School," I said resolutely. "Please, let me make my own decision."

Mom tried to talk me out of it, but Dad stepped in. "Enough. Cora's made her choice, and we shouldn't push her."

I almost burst into laughter, but I swallowed it back, and it slowly gave way to a miserable feeling.

With that, my time at Lucentdale High School began. It was the farthest school from home, and after half a month of classes, I suggested the idea of staying at school.

The entire family froze at the dinner table.

Magnus frowned at me. "Living at school? Cora, are you trying to distance yourself from us? You've been home for a month and still can't get used to it?"

How could I possibly get used to it? In my previous life, I suffered until the very end but never got used to it.

"Living at school would make studying easier," I replied calmly.

Magnus narrowed his eyes but didn't say anything.

Mom took my hand in hers. "Is something bothering you, Cora? You've seemed so distant with us."

Yeah, that was exactly what I was hoping for—out of sight, out of mind.

"It's just to focus better on my studies," I explained again.

Tears welled up in Rosa's eyes. "You hate me, don't you, Cora? You don't have to stay at school. I'll move out and leave you in peace."

She got up, ready to leave. I couldn't help but smile at how eager she was to set her plan in motion.

Over the past month, she'd been doing everything possible to rile me up or smear my name. But I had remained completely unshaken. Finally, she'd found the perfect opportunity to play the victim.

Anyone with half a brain could see right through it. Mom and Dad, naturally, saw right through her act, but they still couldn't help coddling Rosa.

Magnus intervened. "Cut it out, Rosa. Sit down."

Sniffling, she quietly returned to her seat.

Dad quickly agreed to my request. "It's no big deal if Cora wants to live at school."

It really wasn't a big deal. After all, in my previous life, I'd ended up living in a rental unit near the school anyway.

Back then, Rosa was relentless with her taunts and traps. One day, I finally snapped. We fought in the stairwell, and she tumbled down, hitting her head and bleeding.

I thought I'd won until Mom and Dad arrived, and I realized I'd lost it all.

Mom cradled Rosa in her arms, crying as if her world had fallen apart.

Dad's temper flared, and he yanked me by the collar. "Have you lost your mind, Cora? What were you trying to do?"

Magnus was right there, too, and he struck me without a second thought. "Do you still think you're in the countryside? Who do you think you are, fighting like a shrew? Apologize to Rosa, now!"

Their rage crashed down on me all at once.

Terrified, I apologized, while Rosa began gathering her things, tears streaming down her face. She accused me of hating her and said she was leaving the house to me.

Mom and Dad were heartbroken and begged her to stay.

I stood there in a daze as everything unfolded before me.

"You ungrateful brat! Why are you still hanging around? Get lost! There's only space for Rosa in this house!" Magnus' voice thundered, snapping me from my daze.

It was then that I finally understood what Mom's and Dad's uneasy glances meant. They'd been silently pushing me to leave. It all made sense now.

I packed up my belongings and left without a word. After that, a small studio on the west side of town became my refuge.

My thoughts returned to the present. I quietly made my way upstairs to pack my things. If the Jaggers were desperate to get rid of me, I'd make it easy for them.

Instead of living at the school, I rented a small apartment nearby. A cleaning lady came once a week to keep things in order.

One day, she gave me a curious look and asked, "Miss, do your parents know you're living here alone? They never seem to come around."

How could they possibly come around? Rosa had been throwing tantrums, and they were too busy tending to her to worry about me.

My silence seemed to make the cleaning lady uncomfortable. She fumbled for something to say, "They must be swamped with work. I'm sure they'll come by soon enough."

But sadly, she was wrong. Mom, Dad, and Magnus never paid me a visit. All I got was a cursory phone call from Mom.

"How's everything, Cora? I'm really worried about you being on your own," she said.

I told her I was fine.

She sighed several times, then bit back whatever else she had to say. So this was what they meant by familial love. Mom couldn't even pretend to care.

I looked around at my cozy little space and smiled. Finally, I was no longer the odd one out. My days became pretty predictable—reading, doing homework, and attending tutoring.

I stopped worrying about my family's opinions. I spent months living alone, with no word from them, as if I had never existed.

One day, I ran into Rosa after school. I saw her cruising down the street in a limited-edition sports car on my way home with a bunch of trust-fund kids. They were all loud and obnoxious.

The sight left me momentarily stunned. She was meant to take over the Jaggers business, so Mom and Dad would flip if they knew she was being so ostentatious in public.

Rosa spotted me and pulled to a stop right before me.

Before I could get a word in, she removed her sunglasses, gave me a condescending look, and said, "It's been a while, Cora."

I simply hummed in reply.

She flipped her curly hair over her shoulder and leaned casually against the car door. "I guess Mom and Dad haven't even called you once, huh?"

I nodded.

She asked if I was interested in knowing why, but I shook my head.

"They want to get in touch with you, but I break down every time they mention your name," she said, her tone dripping with satisfaction. "They don't want to make things worse for me, so they give up. But the real issue is, they're extremely disappointed in you!"

I listened quietly.

Rosa scoffed. "You've been home for a while now, but you've hardly bothered with Mom, Dad, or Magnus. I bet they're pretty frustrated with you by now. Honestly, I thought you'd come back and take over my place, but it looks like you're just handing everything to me. Maybe I should be thanking you."

She studied my reaction as she spoke, trying to gauge whether I was truly that foolish or if I had intentionally stepped back.

Inside, I couldn't help but sneer.