In my previous life, my sister, Clarissa Smith, and I were adopted at the same time. She chose the Newmans, a prestigious family of scientists, leaving me with an impoverished divorcee.

But later on, the Newmans kicked her out, and her reputation was completely ruined. Meanwhile, I'd married rich and had tens of millions of dollars from the government's relocation compensation package.

Clarissa couldn't accept how differently our lives turned out, so she stabbed me to death.

When my eyes open once more, I find myself alive again. I've gone back in time to the day Clarissa and I were adopted.

To my surprise, I can hear her thoughts.

[This time, I'm going to be the one who gets rich overnight!]

As it turns out, she has been reborn as well.

Well, this time around, she can be the one who gets to endure the torment instead.

[I've been reborn? Hahaha! This time, Kayla's stroke of fortune will be mine!]

Gleeful cackles seemed to ring in my ears.

I opened my eyes in a daze and found myself back at the familiar orphanage.

Clarissa Smith, my sister who'd stabbed me to death in my previous life, was eyeing me with a sly grin.

[This time around, you can spend your life in an academic hellhole, Kayla, while I enjoy having more money than I could ever spend without having to lift a finger.]

I stared blankly at Clarissa, only to realize she hadn't spoken at all. It finally hit me that I'd been reborn. I'd gone back in time to the day I was adopted—and somehow, I could hear Clarissa's thoughts.

In my previous life, Clarissa and I had been adopted at the same time. She didn't hesitate to choose the Newmans, a famous couple from a prestigious and well-off family, known for their scientific accomplishments. She shoved me toward Susan Howard, an impoverished divorcee instead.

However, what she didn't know was how much effort came with being part of a family with such a glorious reputation.

After the Newmans adopted Clarissa, they placed high expectations on her, hoping she would carry on the family mantle in the field of scientific research. How could someone like her, who only wanted to enjoy a life of idle luxury, be willing to endure the hardship of academic study?

The intense pressure she endured soon made her crack. She started by paying off the top-performing students to feed her answers during exams.

And once she got to college, she seduced her faculty advisor and became even more brazen. Not only did she bully her classmates and maliciously tamper with other people's assignments, but she also stole her roommate's scholarship money and got involved with many guys.

It didn't take long for her behavior to spark public outrage. Everyone submitted a joint report against her.

The scandal rocked the campus. Succumbing to the pressure, the university administration launched an investigation into her grades and found evidence that they had been falsified, so they immediately expelled her.

The Newmans had never suffered such disgrace before. In their fury, they cut ties with her and kicked her out of the family.

Meanwhile, in just a few short years, I married rich and even became the sole recipient of tens of millions of dollars through a demolition compensation package given by the government.

I'd gone out for some afternoon tea and was busy selecting a new handbag to buy when Clarissa burst in. Eyes wild, she brandished a knife at me and dragged me to the rooftop.

"Why do you get to live such a good life when my life is miserable, Kayla? Go to hell, my beloved sister!"

She plunged the knife straight into my heart.

Unwilling to let her kill me off like that, I used all my strength to push her off the rooftop as well.

Back in the present, Clarissa noticed my distracted state and approached me with a gentle smile. She took my hand and said, "Kayla, I'll live with Ms. Howard. You can go with the Newmans and have a good life instead!"

Her eyes were bright and cunning, while her thoughts made it clear how she really felt.

[You idiot! You can endure that hellish life in my place this time! I'm going to enjoy my life of luxury in your place.]

Pretending to be confused, I said, "But Clarissa, life won't be easy with a divorcee like Ms. Howard."

"It's fine, Kayla. I don't mind suffering a little bit," Clarissa assured me, but I could hear her thoughts.

[Drop the act, idiot. I'm going to get what I want this time. I'm going with Susan Howard!]

I smiled to myself. So be it, then. This time, Clarissa would be the one enduring the torment.

As the sound of voices drew nearer, Clarissa eagerly opened the door and ran out. She went up to the orphanage director, Ms. Abbott, and took her hand, flashing a sweet smile at her.

Ms. Abbott led us both to our prospective adoptive parents.

My eyes landed on Susan. She was wearing the same worn-out clothes she had on in my previous life. Just like before, she was rubbing her hands awkwardly, looking like a simple, honest woman.

Only I knew what kind of monster she really was.

Clarissa rushed forward and grabbed Susan's hand. "Ms. Abbott, I want to go with Ms. Howard."

Ms. Abbott hesitated. Thanks to Clarissa's charming smiles and sweet words, Ms. Abbott was quite fond of her. Personally, she didn't want Clarissa to choose Susan and suffer from living in poverty.

She tried to persuade Clarissa otherwise. "Clarissa, life with Ms. Howard might not be as good as you think it'll be. Why don't you consider Mr. Newman and his wife instead?"

The moment Clarissa saw the Newmans, she recoiled in fear, stumbling back as she shouted, "No! I don't want to go with them!"

Realizing she had lost her composure, she quickly corrected herself by saying, "Ms. Abbott, let my sister, Kayla, go with them instead. She's younger than me and can't endure as much hardship as I can. Let her have a good life with the Newmans."

Those words instantly stirred sympathy from everyone present. They all thought she was such a considerate girl.

I was the only one who could hear what she was really thinking.

[The Newmans have so many rules, and Frank Newman constantly threatens to punish me for my actions. Their house isn't fit to be called a home! It's time for Kayla to get a taste of what that kind of life is like.]

I waved my hands, pretending to decline her gesture. "Clarissa, I don't think that's fair to you…"

"It's fine, Kayla. It's settled!" Clarissa cut me off before I could say anything else.

She even grabbed Susan's hand and started pulling her toward the door.

Susan looked overjoyed, clearly never expecting that someone as poor as her would be fought over like this.

At last, Ms. Abbott looked at me before turning to the Newmans, who looked visibly embarrassed. "Both sisters have good personalities. Kayla Smith, the younger sister, is also a very thoughtful and sensible child."

The Newmans had watched everything that had just happened. Seeing how obedient and well-behaved I was, they agreed to adopt me.

As Clarissa was leaving, she shot me a smug look.

[Kayla, this time, I'm definitely the one who'll live the good life.]

I met her gaze and smiled faintly. I said to her, "You'd better not regret this, Clarissa."

She was stunned to see Susan wheeling a beat-up bicycle to the entrance of the orphanage.

[She's that poor? You've got to be kidding me! Oh, whatever. I'll just put up with it for now.]

Meanwhile, I got into the Newmans' luxury car. As the distance grew, I slowly stopped hearing Clarissa's thoughts.

My lips curled up in a smile.

The games had only just begun.

When we arrived at the Newman residence, Mrs. Newman, whose name was Mabel Winchester, showed me to my room. Not only did I have a bedroom all to myself, but I also had a private study and lots of pretty clothes. I didn't have any of these things when I was adopted in my previous life.

Feeling grateful, I promised her, "I'll work hard on my studies and repay your kindness for adopting me."

She gave me an approving look and told me I could call her "Mom". She also suggested letting the family driver take me to and from school, telling me I could come to her if I ever had any problems.

The next day, I gracefully got out of the car while Clarissa glowered resentfully at me. She immediately rushed toward me. "Kayla! What trick did you use to get the Newman family's driver to drive you around?"

That was something she never got to enjoy in our previous life.

Blinking, I replied, "Mom cares about me and kindly instructed the driver to take me to and from school."

Then, I glanced behind her. "Did you walk here? That's over five miles! You must be exhausted, Clarissa."

Clarissa looked humiliated, but she stubbornly retorted, "Hah! What do you know? Don't you dare come begging me for help once I make it big in the future! And don't get too smug either. The Newmans are just putting on a show. I'd like to see how long you get to enjoy such an easy life."

I ignored her. As I stood before the familiar school gates, my heart surged with emotion.

In my previous life, after being adopted by Susan, I only got to attend school for a month before being forced to drop out. I never got to graduate from high school or take the SATs, which remained one of my greatest regrets.

Thank goodness for this do-over. I finally had the chance to make up for it.

Our classmates had already heard about what happened. Most of them were the type to suck up to the rich and look down on the poor, so those who used to surround Clarissa were now crowding around me instead.

Isla Jones, who used to be one of Clarissa's lackeys, came up to me and picked up my fountain pen.

"Your pen is so pretty, Kayla!"

Smiling, I took it back from her and said, "It's a present from my new mom to welcome me into the family. She had it custom-made for me."

Clarissa snapped loudly, "Hah! What's the big deal? It's just a lousy pen. Why are you guys sucking up to her just because of it?"

Isla shot back, "Then, why don't you show us a pen like this, too? Don't tell me you don't have one!"

Clarissa's face turned scarlet. She couldn't possibly show everyone the pen Susan had given her—a shabby ballpoint pen without a cap.

Snorting, she declared, "What do you know, huh? You're all a bunch of shallow fools. Sooner or later, I'll prove to you that I'm better!"

She grabbed the fountain pen and threw it onto the floor. Her eyes were red. Even though she said nothing, I could hear the tantrum she was throwing in her head.

[What the hell? Why does she get to have a gift? I didn't get a single thing in my previous life! Why does she get to have everything? This pisses me off so much! What has gotten into Mabel, that old hag, anyway? Why is she being so nice to Kayla?]

I couldn't help but chuckle after hearing her thoughts.

"You still have the nerve to laugh? What are you laughing at, huh? Do you think the Newmans would've adopted you if it hadn't been for me? Would you get to have a life like this?" Clarissa screeched.

She wasn't satisfied with just lashing out at me. She even reached out to grab me, but I dodged her hand and leisurely bent down to pick up the fountain pen before smiling at her.

"What's the matter? Are you jealous because you saw all the things you never got to have before? You're upset that I'm being treated better than you were?"

Clarissa's expression stiffened. She pointed a trembling finger at me and stammered, "Y-You've been reborn, too?"

Smirking, I remarked, "And maybe I came back with a little something special that you don't have."

However, she swiftly regained her composure and scoffed. "What kind of special thing could you possibly have? Either way, I'll be getting the last laugh this time. I'll be the one who marries rich and gets the huge demolition compensation!"

I shrugged. "You sound pretty confident. In that case, allow me to congratulate you in advance."