Chapter 3

Seeing his buddy get beaten into a swollen pulp, Cole’s friend stood frozen in the corner, terrified to move.

Once my hands got tired, I adjusted my hospital gown and turned to walk out. But before I could reach the door, Bianca herself stepped in and grabbed my wrist.

"Amelia Sterling, what kind of sick game are you playing now?"

"Julian will never love you. Even if you change your personality and play hard to get, he won’t give you a second glance! If you know what’s good for you... ah!"

Before Bianca could finish her little speech, I slapped her across the face. Hard.

"Shut up, you fake-ass snake."

I spat the words at her, ignored her shocked, tear-filled eyes, and walked right past her.

I was checking myself out of this joint.

The three of them in the room were still in absolute shock.

A curse word like that would have never come out of the old "Amelia’s" mouth.

Victor finally composed himself, picked up his phone, and dialed Julian’s number.

"Sir... we have a major problem."

After leaving the hospital, I ignored the barrage of furious voice notes Julian sent me on Snapchat. I blocked his number and deleted him across all platforms. A clean slate.

That transmigrator was truly blind.

Of all the handsome, wealthy heirs in New York, she chose the most toxic, arrogant asshole to "攻略."

And she made me share the embarrassment for over a decade.

I drove my sports car back to the Sterling estate. From a distance, I could see my family laughing and enjoying themselves in the garden.

Honestly, it was a weird feeling.

When I was little, my parents adored me. My younger brother, Leo, who is two years younger, used to follow me around like I was his queen.

But after I drowned and the transmigrator took over, their attitude toward "me" grew cold.

Sometimes they would make sarcastic remarks, showing clear disappointment in "me."

Back when I was trapped inside, I was devastated. I thought the transmigrator’s pathetic behavior had broken my family's hearts, which made me hate her even more.

But looking at them now, their coldness seemed to have a deeper reason.

Curious, I walked over to the garden.

Sure enough, the second Leo saw me, his smile vanished. He sneered, "Oh, look. Julian’s loyal little simp is back."

Me: ???

Was this some kind of programmed NPC line?

Why did everyone keep saying that?

"You actually remembered you have a home? You’ve humiliated the Sterling name enough. Honestly, you should have just stayed in the hospital!"

I rolled my eyes, walked up, and tapped his forehead with a wicked smile. "If your mouth is that bored, go lick a toilet. Since when do you get to talk back to me, little boy?"

The second those words left my mouth, all three of them froze.

Then, right before my eyes, my parents' and Leo's eyes welled up with tears.

My mom took a trembling step forward, whispering my name.

"Amelia?"

"Is that really you, baby? You’re back?"

My dad’s eyes overflowed with tears. He rushed forward and pulled me into a tight, crushing hug.

"It is her! It’s my Amelia! What did that wicked woman do to your body this time? Look at the bandage on your head!"

I was stunned.

I looked at them, bewildered. "You... you guys knew my body was taken over?"

My suspicion was right!

Leo, finally realizing it was really me, lunged forward like an octopus and wrapped his arms around me, sobbing.

"Oh my god, sis! You’re finally back! That evil bitch thought we couldn’t tell the difference! She used your face to do all those embarrassing things!"

"Mom and Dad wanted to kick her out, but they were terrified that if they did, your soul would never find its way home..."

Hearing this, my eyes burned.

Your real family knows you. Even if someone else wears your face, they can feel the difference.