My dad swapped me out with his first love’s child. He told her, “Our child will have a better future if my wife raises her.” Years later, the illegitimate daughter became the elegant heiress of the Chambers family. And I became the lowest of the low. The illegitimate daughter mocked me in front of others, hinting that they should bully me. Seeing me beg for mercy, she laughed even harder. “A mistress’s kid, huh? You’re really good at groveling.” On SAT Day, she tore up my exam pass and sent a group of thugs to block me in Oakridge Alley. She smirked, “Teach her a lesson.” And that was how I died, on SAT Day, only to discover she was my dad’s first love’s biological daughter all along. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day of the bullying. Content I was cornered by a group of girls in the restroom. Ivory Chambers stood front and center, gazing down at me with a cold, superior detachment. “Leona, when was the last time you showered? You reek, you know that?” Then, as if flipping a switch, she laughed—sweet and harmless. Her doe-like eyes brimmed with innocence. “Don’t worry. They’ll help you clean up just fine.” At her words, the girls around her grinned wickedly and advanced toward me. In my previous life, I had huddled in the corner, trembling. These girls had dumped a bucket of dirty mop water on me and recorded a video of the entire thing. From that day forward, I became their favorite target—bullied mercilessly. All because I was “the mistress’s child.” Ivory claimed my mother had ruined her parents’ marriage, and my very existence was a sin. Later, on SAT Day, she tore my exam pass to shreds and sent a group of thugs to ambush me in Oakridge Alley. “Teach her a lesson,” she had said with a smug smile. That day, I was violated and killed. It wasn’t until after my death that I learned Ivory was the mistress’s child. My dad, Victor Chambers, had swapped us at birth to give Ivory a legitimate identity and a better future. For years, I suffered under his first love’s abuse and Ivory’s bullying. In what should have been the prime of my life, they uprooted me completely. Rage and hatred exploded within me like a wildfire. This time, they all had to pay. I stood up abruptly and grabbed the mop. Swinging it wildly, I struck at the advancing girls. Screams filled the restroom. No one dared come near me. I charged straight for Ivory. The drenched mop smacked her stunned face, leaving her screaming. But it wasn’t enough. Tossing the mop aside, I grabbed a fistful of her hair, dragged her to the bucket, and shoved her head into the filthy water. “Your mouth stinks more than I do. Let me rinse it for you!”
Ivory’s minions froze, too shocked to move. Ivory thrashed and spluttered, but all she could manage was a pitiful “glug glug glug” sound. Drink up! Even mop water was cleaner than her filthy mouth. Just as Ivory was about to drown, I released her hair. She shot upright, gasping for air and collapsing to the floor. Her chest heaved violently like a fish out of water. Pointing at me, she tried to speak but couldn’t form a single word. Her minions, however, snapped out of their stupor and lunged at me, screaming every curse in the book. Fueled by unrelenting hatred, I fought back. In my past life, I was a meek pushover. This time, I hit hard—taking on all four of them without hesitation. Let loose. Fight like hell. Those who wronged me in my past life wouldn’t get away this time. The result of my outburst? I ended up in front of Ms. Sanders. “Leona Brooks, are you insane? Ivory is still throwing up from drinking mop water! How can someone your age be so cruel? “Aren’t you two sisters? Even if you’re not from the same mom, how could you treat her like this?” “Explain yourself!” I locked eyes with her. “They cornered me in the restroom to attack me.” Ms. Sanders opened her mouth to respond, but I cut her off. “I know I don’t have proof, and it’s their word against mine. But I’m not wrong.” Ms. Sanders wasn’t naive. She knew there was no way I could take on so many if I hadn’t been provoked. Her brows furrowed as she sighed. “Leona, I understand your family situation is complicated.” “Your dad and Ivory’s mom are on their way. Apologize. Say something nice.” “I’m not saying this is your fault, but you… You’re back in that family now. You’ll need to survive there. Until you can support yourself, try to endure it. Just finish high school peacefully.” She, too, thought of me as “the mistress’s child,” born with an original sin. Now that my “mom” was gone and I’d been taken back to that house, it was no surprise I couldn’t hold my head high. Being bullied was something I’d have to endure. If she outright encouraged me to rebel, that would only hurt me more. Who wouldn’t want to fight back if they could? I nodded. “I understand, Ms. Sanders. Don’t worry, I’ll handle it.” Ms. Sanders sighed again. “Stay here for now.”
Within forty minutes, Victor Chambers arrived with Serena Caldwell. His expression was thunderous as his eyes swept the room and landed on me. “Leona, I didn’t bring you back here so you could make trouble,” he hissed, his voice low and cutting. “If you think being part of the Chambers family gives you the right to do whatever you want, I’ll send you away immediately.” Ms. Sanders stood up, trying to intervene. “Mr. Chambers, maybe you should hear Leona out—” Victor cut her off with a cold laugh. “I don’t have time to hear excuses. She’s clearly out of control.” Ms. Sanders glanced at me with sympathy but said nothing further. She was an outsider in this family drama and had no authority to intervene. “Daddy! Mom!” Ivory Chambers entered, supported by her classmates. Her pristine new outfit and freshly washed face radiated elegance. She was every bit the poised heiress. “Ivory!” Serena rushed to her, pulling her into a tight embrace, her concern palpable. Even in moments of distress, Serena exuded calm. Her soft-spoken demeanor made her seem almost incapable of anger. “Mom!” Ivory nestled into Serena’s arms, her teary gaze shifting to me. Though her tears blurred her eyes, I could still see the disdain deep within them. She looked at me like I was dirt beneath her shoes. She had stolen my identity and my rightful place, yet she dared to look down on me, provoke me, humiliate me. The rage burning inside me felt almost unbearable. Serena gently comforted Ivory before finally turning to me. Her expression was icy, her gaze laced with resentment, as though she wanted to say, Your mother destroyed my family, and now you’re bullying my daughter? My patience is at its limit. But with Ms. Sanders present, she held back her words. Victor glanced at Serena, his concern obvious. He quickly stepped forward to calm her. “Don’t worry, I’ll take care of it. I’ll make sure you’re satisfied,” he assured her. “Dad, you really need to give Mom an explanation,” Ivory said, her voice trembling. “Mom’s too kind to say it, but I know she doesn’t want to see Leona anymore. You should send her away.” Ivory would never reveal her true nature under Serena’s watchful eye. She wanted Victor to send me away, knowing that outside this house, I’d be at her mercy. Victor nodded. “Alright, alright. I’ll send her away tomorrow.” Serena’s gaze lingered on me for a moment before she turned back to Ivory. Stroking her hair, she whispered softly, her every move filled with warmth. She truly was a good mother. The kind of mother I should’ve had. Instead, I grew up with a monster who tormented me relentlessly. It wasn’t until she died that I found even a sliver of peace. Back then, I cursed my cruel fate, never realizing my suffering was orchestrated by human hands. Every tragedy in my life was Victor Chambers’ doing. And now, here he was, playing the roles of devoted husband and loving father. This picture-perfect family sickened me to my core. Serena glanced at me once more, her expression unreadable. She gently patted Ivory’s shoulder before walking over to Ms. Sanders. “Ms. Sanders, I’d like to speak with Leona alone.” Ms. Sanders hesitated, then nodded and left the room, her gaze lingering on me briefly.
With Ms. Sanders gone, the room held only four of us. Serena approached me, her cold eyes boring into mine. *”Leona, I won’t hold the sins of the previous generation against you. But if you hurt my daughter, I can’t forgive you. “After the SATs, you’ll leave. I don’t want to see you again.” Her voice was calm, but her words were piercing. I knew she was furious. I had crossed the line by lashing out at Ivory. She had every right to slap me, but she didn’t. For a moment, I wanted to hug her. I wanted to cry out, Mom, I’m your real daughter. But I couldn’t. Ivory was the one she had raised, and no matter what, her feelings for Ivory would outweigh anything she felt for me. I couldn’t risk telling her the truth—not yet. No matter how much I wanted her as my mother, I knew I had to rely on myself. There was still time before the SATs. Enough time. I nodded. “Alright.” Serena turned away, walking over to Ivory and taking her hand. “Let’s go, Ivory.” She led Ivory out of the office without another glance at me—or Victor. Victor watched them leave, then turned his gaze back to me. His expression hardened. “You’ll pay for this,” he spat. I couldn’t help but laugh. “Fine. I’ll be waiting.” Victor’s face froze for a moment as though something dark crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed it. With a shake of his head, he walked out. Victor, if I were you, I’d kill me right now. You’re the one giving me the chance to destroy you. And I promise, I won’t disappoint. Ms. Sanders didn’t say much else after that, simply telling me to return to class. As I entered the classroom, Ivory’s minions glared at me, their eyes full of resentment. I stared back, unflinching. “What are you looking at? Do you want to drink mop water too? Or should I livestream all the things you’ve done?” They hadn’t expected me to confront them so boldly in front of everyone. One by one, they shrank back, their hostility crumbling. Bullies like them only preyed on the weak. I pointed at them and spoke loudly. “Everyone, be careful around these girls. They’re bullies. Stay far away from them.” Satisfied, I sat down. A few moments later, Ivory returned. I didn’t even spare her a glance, unclenching my tightly balled fist under the desk. The hair was still there. It was from when I’d shoved her head into the bucket earlier. Carefully, I tucked the strand of hair away and pulled out my math workbook.
My defiance had made Ivory Chambers back off. Though she still glared at me whenever she could, she wasn’t reckless anymore. Each time she thought about coming after me, she hesitated, weighing whether she could handle the fallout. She couldn’t afford the consequences if people found out she was a bully. So, for now, she was quiet. But I knew this peace wouldn’t last. Ivory was undoubtedly plotting something, just like in my past life. On SAT Day, she’d try to destroy me completely. This time, I’d be ready—with a gift just for her. During the break, I paid for a DNA test and got Ivory’s results. Now, all I needed was Serena Caldwell’s. No rush. For now, my focus was on studying. When I was little, Diana Monroe—my supposed mother—used to hit me constantly. I thought if I studied hard and did well in school, maybe she’d like me. But every time I brought home a perfect score, she tore up my test papers in a blind rage and slapped me across the face. Eventually, I realized the better my grades, the worse her fury. So I stopped letting her see my real results. From third grade onward, I purposely came in last in every class. By the time I took the entrance exam for this high school, I intentionally scored just high enough to scrape in. I couldn’t understand why she hated my good grades so much. It wasn’t until after I died that I learned Diana wasn’t my real mother. She couldn’t stand that I was better than her biological daughter. Of course, my success made her furious. If she were still alive, I’d throw my perfect scores in her face and tell her just how much of a failure her precious daughter was. With three days left before the final mock exams, I went to the Chambers Manor to ask Victor Chambers for money. Even if he hated me, it was his obligation. He had to provide for me. While no one was paying attention, I slipped into the master suite shared by Victor and Serena. Finally, I found a strand of Serena’s hair in a corner. Just as I pocketed it, Serena walked in. “What are you doing?” Her voice was sharp and cold. I turned to face her, trying to steady my emotions. I knew she was a victim, too. I shouldn’t blame her. But every time she looked at me with those frosty eyes, it felt like a dagger piercing my chest. The pain was overwhelming, mixed with anger. I couldn’t help but wonder how she would react when she learned the truth—that the girl she had ignored and resented was her biological daughter. Would she regret it? Would she be heartbroken? Would she feel even a little guilt for how she treated me? I wanted her to. But I forced myself not to pin my hopes on her, even if she was my real mother. In my past life, no one had loved me, not until the moment I died. In this life, I would love myself. I could only rely on myself. Taking a deep breath, I swallowed the lump in my throat and said quietly, “I was looking for my dad.” Her gaze shifted to my hand. I opened it and said calmly, “I didn’t take anything. You can search me if you don’t believe me.” Her expression hardened further. “Don’t come into my room without permission.” “If you need money, call your dad. He can transfer it to you.” “I don’t want to see you in this house. Neither does my daughter.” I nodded. “Alright.” As I walked past her toward the door, her voice stopped me again. “Leona, everything in this house belongs to Ivory. None of it has anything to do with you. Don’t get any ideas.” “I’ve given you one chance already. If I find out you’ve hurt my daughter again, I won’t care that you’re just a child—I won’t let it slide.” Her words were laced with venom as she added, “You should know your dad only stayed in this house because Ivory needs a father. He’s a guest here, nothing more.” “Got it,” I replied, then walked out. I went straight to the DNA lab and paid for a test. Three hours later, I had the results: Serena Caldwell’s DNA and mine. Perfect.
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