: Rebirth

From the moment my stepsister set foot in our house, she was determined to make my life hell.

When I won a certificate in a piano competition, she would mock me to anyone who would listen. "It's just that award, what's there to be happy about?" But then she'd turn around and beg Father to send her to piano lessons, too.

When exam results were posted, she was more concerned about my scores than I was. If I did well, she would spread rumors that I had cheated.

After we came of age, I began dating The Capital's Heir, and the resentment in her eyes grew increasingly obvious. Seizing a moment when I wasn't looking, she drugged us both. She had me sent to The Assailants to be tortured, while she put on my clothes to seduce the disoriented Heir.

I was tortured to death. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she first came to our house.

She beat me to the punch, asking Father to send her to piano lessons. I knew then that she had been reborn, too, and that she was trying to steal my life's path.

But she didn't know that a piece of trash will always be a piece of trash.

1

I was reborn in the year I turned sixteen.

The very first day my stepsister, Rochelle Sterling, arrived at our home.

I had just come downstairs this morning when she eagerly shouted to Father, who was already down there, "Father, I want to learn the piano!"

I froze for a moment, then turned to look at her with an icy gaze.

She shot me a glance, her eyes filled with disdain and contempt.

Not understanding this sudden whim, Father instinctively asked why.

She had already walked to the dining table, casually taking the seat at the head of the table.

"When I was living with my Mother, we couldn't afford it, so I never dared to ask," she said. "But... I've loved the piano since I was little. I want to be like other girls, performing on stage. I want to show what I can do, too."

My family is quite well-off.

She was playing the sympathy card with Father now. He would definitely agree.

Sure enough.

My normally strict father's expression softened, his eyes filling with pride.

"Rochelle, you're a good child for understanding your Mother's hardships."

"Now that we can afford it, if you want to learn, we'll support you unconditionally."

Getting the answer she wanted, Rochelle nodded obediently.

But where Father couldn't see, she sneered at me.

Unimpressed, I simply looked away.

Father was completely in the dark, but I could see it clearly: this was a provocation directed at me.

Earlier this morning, just as I was waking up, Rochelle Sterling had walked right into my bedroom.

She'd made the audacious declaration that she would have a better life than me this time around.

I was completely stunned.

'She was reborn too?'

Before I could even process this revelation, she had already spoken with arrogance, "Anya Sterling, you couldn't beat me in our last life. Now that I'm back, don't even think you'll have an easy time in this one!"

I thought she would have some clever new way to surpass me.

I never expected her to just copy my playbook from the last life.

She clearly remembered everything I did in our previous life, and in this one, she was just replicating it all ahead of schedule.

My thoughts drifted back to the present. I glanced at Rochelle Sterling, who was putting on a perfectly docile act at the head of the table.

I couldn't help but find it amusing.

If she wanted to learn, then let her. I would just watch.

I was dying to see what she could make of herself.

Then I would just have to wait and see.

2

That very day, Father presented her with a list of several highly respected, well-known pianists to choose from.

She looked them over one by one, but frowned, dissatisfied.

Feigning modesty, she said, "Father, I want to study with Professor Vaughn."

Professor Vaughn was my piano teacher in my past life.

Father's expression grew strained. "That professor is incredibly difficult to hire. I've already made some inquiries. She teaches entirely as she pleases."

The professor was in a league of her own.

It wasn't a matter of the student choosing the teacher. With her, it was entirely the teacher who chose the student.

In my past life, the only reason she'd chosen me as her student was because I had displayed exceptional talent during a performance at the school gala.

Hearing what Father said, Rochelle Sterling pouted and remained silent for a long while.

After a moment, Father finally caved. "Don't you worry," he said. "If you're truly serious about learning the piano, I'll pull some strings and do everything I can to get you into Professor Vaughn's class."

That afternoon, I had no idea how Father managed it.

But he really did get her registered.

After getting the professor's contact information, she came to gloat to me.

"Anya Sterling, I'm not just going to make your life miserable. I'm going to steal the love of everyone around you. I want you to waste away in utter despair."

Oh.

I yawned, letting my gaze drift from my chat window with Professor Vaughn to her face. "Well then," I said, "I guess we'll see what you're made of."

3

Rochelle's mother and my father formed a blended family.

Her family wasn't well-off, so now that she was living in my house, it was only natural she would transfer to my school.

I attend Briercrest, and I got in on my own merit.

To be fair, her grades weren't bad before.

But at a top school like Briercrest, she was nowhere near the top of the class.

In my last life, she could never catch up to me no matter how hard she studied. I wondered how she planned to surpass me this time around.

My curiosity was piqued.

I started paying close attention to her.

Not long after she transferred, the school held a major Monthly Exam.

We were assigned to the same exam room.

During the test, I could clearly feel Rochelle Sterling repeatedly turning her head to look at me.

She would quickly glance at my progress before going back to her own paper.

But... a top school like Briercrest is extremely strict about that sort of thing.

The third time she turned her head, the proctor was already standing in front of her.

"Young lady, if you turn your head again, I'll fail you for cheating."

Rochelle Sterling was indignant but didn't dare to talk back.

She had always been meticulous about her appearance and was a sweet-talker.

As a result, she was quite popular in our class.

However, the people she hung out with were all at the bottom of the class rankings.

I had no idea what she was telling them about me, but in any case, they started giving me increasingly strange looks.

But I didn't care.

'I've always been clear on one thing: I should surround myself with people who are on a higher level than I am.'

The results for The Monthly Exam were released quickly.

On the day the scores were announced, Rochelle Sterling was a nervous wreck. The moment the bell rang, she bolted outside to check The Honor Roll posted on the wall.

She didn't return until just before class was about to start.

Her eyes were full of resentment as she stared at me.

"Anya Sterling, what gives you the right?"

I was confused at first. But seeing her over-the-top reaction, I immediately understood.

'It must be because I did well on the exam.'

'And she just can't stand to see me succeed.'

In her own words: "What gives you the right to be better than me at everything? I've tried so hard, but my looks, my family, and even my grades are no match for yours."

In my last life, my grades were always higher than hers. When she ran out of options, she started spreading rumors that I cheated on my exams.

It got so bad a few times that it reached the school administration. Out of pressure and exasperation, they'd have to sit in the security office and review the surveillance footage from the exam day.

In the end, not only did they find no evidence of me cheating, they actually discovered her own eyes darting all over the place.

When they asked her about it, she'd just put on a nonchalant act. "I guess I was mistaken. It wasn't her who was cheating."

Time and time again.

My gaze settled on her defiant face, and I gave her a small smile.

"Because I'm better than you."

'I just wanted to piss her off.'

She froze for a moment. Just as she was about to start screaming, she saw something and immediately fell silent.

Her entire demeanor changed.

I followed her gaze and saw Leo Vaughn walking past the classroom door.