Back from the dead, I decided to write my fake heiress sister Stella’s name on the 3-billion-dollar gift deed. This time, I was all in for Stella inheriting the family fortune. This life, I’d beat my parents to it, giving Stella the 3 billion and even my wealthy fiancé. I personally orchestrated every picture-perfect family moment between Stella and our parents. They moved to Montclair City with her. I didn’t say a word, packing my bags for a leading engineering school out West. In my last life, I took the 3 billion my parents gave me, single-handedly salvaged our family’s fortune, turning a 300 million debt into a 6 billion empire, securing their lavish lifestyle for generations. But I worked myself to death, literally, until I got stomach cancer and was bedridden at a young age . My parents not only showed no sympathy, they even gifted all my assets to Stella, ensuring she had a grand wedding with my fiancé. Reborn, I don’t want the billions, I don’t want to inherit anything. All I want is to be a soaring eagle, free to fly.
“Just fill in your name and give it to me.” My pampered mother, Eleanor, impatiently tapped on the desk. I stared at the asset gift deed, my fingertips lightly tracing the smooth A4 paper, my thoughts adrift. In my last life, this was the happiest day. I’d carefully, stroke by stroke, filled in my own name, then eagerly dragged Dad to buy a car. I wanted the car so I could pick them up from work, because after being apart for twenty years, I felt like I hadn’t had enough of their affection. But Dad had ripped into me, yelling that I was just a typical orphanage brat who’d never seen money before. He was in a hurry to go with Mom to Stella’s art exhibition. I mumbled, “Got it, got it.” I glanced up at Mom’s agitated expression and the hand that kept checking her phone. Mom was wearing a luxurious silk gown today, half-sleeved, showing off her slender, pale forearms. I remembered Stella loved her in that outfit, saying Mom looked so aristocratic, exuding an intimidating elegance, effortlessly outshining everyone else. “Mom, Dad, if you have something important to do, go ahead,” I forced down the bitter ache in my chest, trying to sound casual. “I’ll turn it in myself once I’m done.” Mom visibly relaxed, her tone softening a bit. “Don’t worry, now that we’ve found you, we’ll take responsibility for you.” “But you need to stop being jealous of Stella. Even though she’s not related by blood, we’ve raised her for so long. You know, she’s family, and we’ve raised her. Who could just abandon her without feeling anything? People would call us heartless.” I stayed silent. In my last life, I’d explained countless times, but in their eyes, I was just a jealous, petty older sister who simply couldn’t stand her frail, kind adopted sister. She didn’t say anything more, turning and hurrying off with Dad. I took a deep breath, trying to calm my erratic heartbeat, my mind replaying all the painful memories from my previous life. Buying Stella the prettiest dresses, taking her on world tours to broaden her horizons. For my coming-of-age party, they used Stella’s illness as an excuse, not coming home all night. They only took Stella when going out to business meetings, patiently and gently teaching her the ropes of the business, dead set on having her replace me, but she was always slow on the uptake. And then, right before I died, my parents didn’t shed a single tear. “You, while you still have a breath left, quickly sign the property transfer agreement. You’re not as good as Stella in any way.” “If you didn’t have a bit of business talent, why would I let you occupy the company for five years? Let go, it all belongs to Stella.” From my hospital bed, I watched my cold fiancé, Ryan, who stood silently beside them. His deathly silence was all the confirmation my parents needed. I bit down hard on my lower lip until I tasted a hint of blood before slowly releasing it. No, not this life. I won’t repeat my mistakes. I picked up the pen and, in the beneficiary column, slowly wrote three words: Stella Monroe. Mom, Dad, since you love her so much, let it be as you wish. I handed the filled-out gift deed to the notary and walked away without looking back. I wasn’t sad. Instead, I felt an inexplicable sense of liberation. 2. Stella Monroe was the child of our family’s former housekeeper. The housekeeper, envious of our privileged life, secretly swapped us as infants. Stella was a sweet-talker and a schemer. She managed to charm Mom and Dad into simply firing the housekeeper, giving her a large sum of money, and letting her “sell” Stella to them, without pursuing any further legal action. They treated Stella even better than their own daughter. When I came back, my parents weren’t happy. Instead, they blamed me for disrupting their family harmony. For the family alliance, Mom had long planned for Stella to marry my fiancé. But the other family’s elders insisted on a pure-blooded Monroe daughter for the marriage, so the intended spouse had to be me. Ryan and Stella were childhood sweethearts, and he was already deeply in love with her. He resented me for breaking them apart. In reality, Stella was just leading him on. At the time, Ryan was just a trust fund kid from the city’s old money families, and she was waiting for someone better. When no one else came along, she grudgingly pretended to agree to marry him. I took a trip to the leading engineering school out West, making sure I understood all the requirements for admission and the living expenses. Only then did I feel at ease enough to head back. Arriving back at the luxurious Monroe family villa, I walked in just as I heard Stella’s saccharine, childish whine cooing, “Mom, Dad, you even canceled your meetings to come back and be with me. Aren’t you going to accompany Clara to the West? Will she be mad?” “We can accompany her anytime. She’s always been a wild child.” “But you always get cramps during your period, and we didn’t feel right leaving you alone at home.” Stella smiled happily, then feigned sadness, saying, “Will Clara still be nice to me after she inherits the family business?” “Of course,” Mom’s voice was firm. “If not to you, then to whom?” “If your sister isn’t good to you, I’ll take back the 3 billion. If it weren’t for fearing it would be too much work for our Stella, I would never have let her inherit the family business!” I clenched my fists so tightly I thought my nails would dig into my palms, just to suppress the overwhelming bitterness in my chest. Even after everything, hearing my own mother speak of me with such coldness still hurt. I composed myself and walked into the villa as if nothing were wrong. 3. Mom and Dad emerged from Stella’s room, a hint of awkwardness on their faces. “We… we just came back early to check on Stella because she wasn’t feeling well.” I hummed vaguely and turned to go back to my room. In my last life, I’d argued with them countless times about their favoritism towards Stella. This life, I didn’t want to waste any more time or energy. Dad called out to me, “Clara, how about we buy you a car? You’ve got your driver’s license now, we should get you one.” I looked at him in surprise. Then I figured it was probably their way of compensating me for not arguing or making a fuss. “No need. My most important task right now is studying. It’s not easy for you to earn money, Mom and Dad.” He froze, probably finding it hard to believe I’d actually refuse that offer. “Is Clara mad because Mom and Dad came home to take care of me?” Stella emerged from her room, her babyish voice cooing, accompanied by a look of wronged innocence. She deliberately exposed her wrist, where she wore the jade bracelet I had bought specifically for Mom. I had saved up for six months, working crazy part-time jobs on weekends, without telling my parents, just to buy it. I’d presented it to Mom like a priceless treasure, but she’d scoffed, saying I was just a wild brat who just runs around, bringing home cheap junk to try and impress her. Seeing my gaze, Stella flusteredly explained, “I saw Mom’s jade bracelet today and thought it was pretty, so I wanted to try it on. I forgot to take it off.” She lowered her head, twisting her fingers nervously, looking like a child who had done something wrong. Mom instinctively started to say, “Clara, you shouldn’t…” I cut her off, my voice calm: “It looks quite nice on Stella. Just keep it. Anyway, I bought it from a street vendor.” “No, no, I can’t take Sister’s things. Mom and Dad have already given me so much since I was little.” In my last life, after saying that, Stella, despite her supposed illness, took off the bracelet, “accidentally” dropping it and shattering it on the ground. Seeing the broken bracelet on the floor, I cried and ran back to my room, only to be scolded by my parents who followed me in. Thinking about it now, it still makes my skin crawl. Under their surprised gazes, I returned to my room and locked the door. 4. I pulled out a package, inside was my acceptance letter—to the leading engineering school out West. In my previous life, I’d always loved the rich history of the West, especially its defense industry, which was my favorite field. Last life, for Mom and Dad, I gave up my passions and my university dreams, willingly starting from the bottom in Montclair City. With the 3 billion they gave me, I single-handedly salvaged our family’s fortune, which was 300 million in debt, literally working myself to death from stomach cancer. This life, thankfully, it’s not too late. I just want to live for myself. I checked my phone. Ten days left until I could leave this place. Time was tight, but I had to prepare every minute. A sudden knock on the door. I opened it impatiently. Mom stood there holding a bowl of noodles, her voice gentle, “Hungry? Mom made you a bowl of noodles. I haven’t cooked in years, come and try Mom’s cooking.” I felt a moment of unreality. In my last life, Mom was either cold as ice or spoke to me with venom, let alone cooking for me. It was as if I was the one who tore the family apart. It had been a long time since I’d seen Mom so amiable. “No thanks, I already ate out.” “How could you?!” “You’ve always been so frugal, haven’t you?” Her words stung. I used to be frugal, saving every penny, spending most of the money I earned from part-time jobs trying to please them, buying them things. But they always complained they were too cheap. Now I was going to university, and I had many expenses. Every penny had to be carefully budgeted. I looked up at her, my voice calm: “I remember a few days ago, I developed a paid app optimization for Mom’s company.” “You seem to be using it quite smoothly. Can I have the development fee now?” She froze, then awkwardly explained: “That app… I put it under Stella’s name. You know, your sister isn’t as capable as you, but she needs to establish herself in the high society circles.” I couldn’t help but curl my lip. How boring. Always the same. “If there’s nothing else, I’m closing the door to sleep.” “I’ll give you the money tomorrow,” she said, a hint of annoyance in her voice. “We’re family, do you have to be so calculative?” I couldn’t help but scoff, “So I pulled all-nighters to make that app, and the credit goes to someone else, the money goes to someone else, and I can’t even complain?” She knew she was in the wrong, but still stubbornly mumbled, “Unreasonable.” I didn’t want to argue with Mom any longer. I slammed the door shut. 5. For the next few days, I locked myself in my room, furiously coding and listing everything, valuable or not, on eBay. In my previous life, I had treasured the gifts my parents gave me. Now, compared to what Stella received, they were just cheap junk. I didn’t want to take a single piece with me. I packed them all up, turning them into cash for university. That afternoon, as I continued sorting my luggage, Mom stood before me, holding a card, saying stiffly, “Here’s your hundred thousand dollars.” I took the money and nodded. “Thanks.” She looked at me, her eyes complex, then her gaze fell on my light luggage. “We’re planning to have Stella move to Montclair City with us first. You don’t need to pack.” I didn’t stop packing, just nodded. She seemed unaccustomed to my attitude, looking somewhat uneasy. “What’s wrong with you lately? You’re like a different person.” I turned away impatiently. I didn’t want to stir up more trouble. Even though Mom and Dad didn’t love me, if they found out that Stella’s name was on the gift deed… It was highly likely they would make me sign a new gift deed for Stella’s sake. I didn’t want any more involvement with the Monroe family. “Nothing, just trying to pack.” “Once you’re in Montclair City, I can move back to the orphanage.” She breathed a sigh of relief, then explained, “It’s not that we don’t want you.” “It’s just that Stella loves Montclair City so much and wants to settle there. We’ll come pick you up in a few months, once we’re settled.” I nodded absentmindedly. In my previous life, for five whole years, they never came to pick me up. Not until I was utterly exhausted and on my deathbed did they rush back to break off my engagement and devour my assets to host a lavish wedding for Stella. She looked at me uncomfortably. Usually, whenever we were alone, I would chatter non-stop. Now that I was using so few words, she grew uneasy. “Weren’t you always wanting to attend the debutante ball? How about we go try on gowns tomorrow?” I knew attendees had to be 16 or older, of good character, from reputable families, with parents of good standing and no criminal record or bad conduct. No way. Tomorrow, I planned to go to a tech company to discuss a collaboration project, to earn money for university tuition and living expenses. I was about to find an excuse when Stella walked in. She intimately linked arms with Mom. “Mommy, when are we going to the debutante ball? Stella wants to go too, Stella wants a gown!” Mom lovingly stroked Stella’s head. “Alright, we’ll go together tomorrow.” “You go ahead. I have plans tomorrow.” Mom frowned. “What could be more important than attending the debutante ball?” “Go pick a gown first. Whatever you like, I’ll buy it for you.” Her voice was forceful, brooking no refusal. Stella whined, “Exactly, is Sister not going because of me?” I didn’t want to argue anymore and nodded, agreeing to go. 6. First thing in the morning, I heard Mom and Dad speaking in hushed, coaxing tones, trying to get Stella out of bed in her room. The stark numbers on my phone reminded me: four days left. In four days, I could completely escape this life. Just as I was about to lose my patience, they finally dragged themselves out of the room. Dad solicitously brought warm water, and Mom personally washed Stella’s face. The old me must have been blind, to naively believe that if I gave them my all, they would reciprocate. I was lost in thought when Dad awkwardly walked over to me, jingling a Maserati car key. “Stella doesn’t have her driver’s license yet, but we already got her a car. I can’t play favorites, so I bought one for you too.” I didn’t take it. In my last life, it was a 300,000 dollar BMW, not this expensive, luxury car. And Stella already had a Bentley before she was even old enough to drive. Stella saw it and immediately pouted. “Oh, it’s so beautiful! I want it too!” I generously offered, “Then you can have it.” Dad’s face instantly darkened. “Don’t be ridiculous, your sister passed her driving test but never had a car!” Stella snatched the car key, holding it up and jingling it at Mom and Dad. “Mom, Dad, will this be my motivation to get my driver’s license, huh?” Mom and Dad looked at Stella, their eyes full of doting affection, and reluctantly nodded. Then Dad guiltily turned to me, whispering, “I’ll… I’ll buy you one next time.” I nodded indifferently. I’d heard their promises too many times; none of them had ever been kept. At the evening gown boutique, Stella chose first, trying on numerous dresses. When it was my turn, the store manager brought out the most magnificent gown. When I put it on, gasps of admiration filled the room. “Oh, I’m so sorry.” Stella “accidentally” spilled a cup of coffee on the gown. I secretly cheered inside, but kept a poker face. “Oh, never mind then.” I picked a simple, understated black gown. Walking out of the boutique, Dad pulled a job offer from his pocket—for a position on the assembly line at the family company in Montclair City, starting in four days. “We didn’t mean to abandon you,” he said. “We want to train you to take over the family business, starting from the ground up. In Montclair City, we’ve rented a small studio apartment for you. It wouldn’t be convenient for you to live at home while working undercover from the bottom.” The assembly line job was six days on, one day off. When business was good, they often worked overtime until midnight. I didn’t know how they thought I could endure it. Besides, I had done some digging. The small studio apartment Stella had rented for me was in the worst part of town, and it was a shared living space with a bizarre couple who had their days and nights flipped. At night, they were either screaming passionately or throwing all-night parties. The previous tenant couldn’t sleep at all, lost handfuls of hair, and was drowsy all day, even getting her hand caught in machinery. 7. Seeing me accept the offer, Dad visibly relaxed. “Don’t worry, even if you don’t live in the Montclair City villa, Mom and Dad won’t abandon you.” “We’ll be good to you, and we’ll hand the company over to you eventually. You just need to treat Stella like your own sister.” My expression softened for a moment. When had Dad ever spoken such soft words? Suddenly, a mugger wielding a kitchen knife burst into the store, charging straight at us. Mom and Dad pulled Stella into their embrace, ducking away. In the chaos, someone shoved me. The mugger held the knife to my throat. My body was stiff with fear, unable to move. “Hand over the money, or I’ll kill her.” A streak of blood appeared on my neck. It stung, making me wince, but I dared not make a sound, fearing I would enrage the mugger. Others in the store slowly gathered around, pointing and whispering. My gaze pierced through the onlookers, settling firmly on Mom and Dad. They were comforting Stella, completely oblivious to my situation. Perhaps they noticed, or perhaps they simply didn’t care. It was Stella, however, who bravely rushed out, yelling at the mugger. “How dare you touch my sister?! We’re the Monroe family from the Capital City! You want money? You won’t get any. Mess with the Monroes, and you’ll rot in prison for the rest of your life.” The mugger became agitated and was about to slice my throat. *Bang, bang, bang!* A sniper took him down. Only then did Mom and Dad dare to approach, embracing and comforting me. I gave a bitter smile. The last shred of hesitation in my heart vanished completely. So, this was their idea of “being good to me.” The 3 billion they gave me was just to pay off the 300 million family debt and ensure their own future comfort. 8. The driver took me to the hospital. After a thorough check-up, thankfully, it was just a scare, and a minor superficial cut on my neck. I lay in the hospital bed, my neck aching from the bandage, but my heart was strangely calm. It was late when Mom and Dad finally walked into the hospital, their faces tired. They saw me sitting on the bed, and a flicker of panic crossed their faces. “Clara, how are you feeling? Are you better?” I looked at them coldly, saying nothing. Dad nervously rubbed his hands, awkwardly explaining, “Stella was too scared, she’s been blaming herself for not protecting her sister. We’ve been with her, comforting her, so…” Under my gaze, Dad sheepishly fell silent. “Clara, listen to me. The situation was too urgent. Stella was closer to us, and I instinctively just…” He paused, seeming to choose his words carefully. “I didn’t know you’d be taken hostage by the mugger.” I cut him off. “Dad, when are you planning to go to Montclair City?” Dad cautiously replied, “We leave tomorrow.” “Got it. I want to rest. The doctor wants me to stay for a few days for observation, so I won’t see you off.” I closed my eyes, dismissing them. Dad wanted to say more, but he eventually left, realizing it was futile. 9. The next day, Ryan’s mother, Mrs. Margot, came. She carried an insulated food container, her face wreathed in smiles. “Clara, Ryan’s so busy. He heard you were hurt and asked me to come take care of you.” “Are you feeling better?” “Much better, thank you, Mrs. Margot.” As she served me soup, she chattered on, “That boy, Ryan, he’s so stubborn. He keeps making a fuss in front of us…” Mid-sentence, she seemed to realize something and awkwardly shut her mouth. “Mrs. Margot, I won’t be marrying Ryan. His intended spouse is Stella Monroe.” Mrs. Margot froze, then after a long moment, she reacted. “You… what did you say?” “I have no feelings for Ryan. Stella is his perfect match.” Mrs. Margot’s face first showed shock, then morphed into unbridled joy. “Clara, you truly are a good girl! I knew you were the most sensible one!” She excitedly gripped my hand. “Clara, thank you! Thank you for making them happy!” I smiled faintly, saying nothing. Making them happy? No, I was just making *myself* happy. Mrs. Margot had always favored Stella. In my previous life, even if I tried my best to please her, all I got was endless ridicule. After I died, she gave most of her assets to her son as a dowry to lavishly marry Stella. The two families spent 100 million dollars on their wedding. “Mrs. Margot, please don’t tell Ryan or Stella about this yet.” Mrs. Margot beamed, unable to contain her joy. “Good, good, Mrs. Margot understands!” “So… what are your plans for the future?” “I’m leaving in a few days too.” I didn’t reveal my exact destination. Eleanor still wanted to ask more, her mind consumed by their wedding plans.
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