Chapter 2

When I woke up again, my mother, Eleanor, was sitting by my bedside, her eyes red and swollen from crying.

In my past life, I had never seen her shed a single tear for me, not even when I was dying.

"Mom, I'm okay. I know my sudden return made Chloe upset..."

"I get it. I’m just a girl from the backwoods. You, Dad, and Julian only love Chloe. I’ll leave. As long as I go, Chloe won't be angry anymore."

Eleanor sobbed, wiping the tears from my face, her voice trembling with guilt and confusion.

"Nora, you are my daughter, but Chloe is too... Both of you are my flesh and blood. I... I can't bear to lose either of you."

So she was crying because she was terrified Chloe would be blamed.

When we pulled up to the house earlier, Chloe was nowhere to be seen.

As expected, my parents only ever cared about Chloe.

When Chloe got hurt in the past life, I was forced to kneel for half a month.

But now that I was the one injured, Chloe didn't receive a single reprimand...

Suddenly, a heavy, choking smell of gas filled the hallway.

Julian rushed past us, screaming Chloe’s name at the top of his lungs.

My parents immediately abandoned me, leaving me limping by the door as they dashed inside.

Julian carried an unconscious Chloe out in his arms. The look he gave me was so full of rage, it felt like he wanted to tear me apart.

The second Chloe woke up, she began sobbing to my parents and Julian, claiming I had thrown myself down the stairs just to frame her.

"Mom, Dad, please believe me! I didn't push her. She jumped on her own!"

I let my tears build up, then slowly, painfully, limped over to Chloe's bed.

I dropped my crutches. With a loud *thud*, I fell to my knees right in front of her.

Everyone in the room stared at me in shock.

"Chloe, I'm sorry. But I have nowhere else to go."

"My adoptive parents locked me in a pigpen. I had to eat and sleep with the pigs. They were going to sell me to a disgusting old man..."

The pity in Eleanor’s eyes deepened.

But before she could speak, Julian cut her off.

"Nora, what is wrong with you? You threw yourself down the stairs just to frame Chloe? Chloe is sweet and kind, so she’s not pressing charges, but I’m not some soft target. If you ever try to hurt Chloe again, I will make you pay."

"Don't think squeezing out a few tears will make me feel sorry for you."

"Let me make this clear. In this house, I only have one sister, and that’s Chloe. Even if you cry yourself to death here, it won't change a thing."

Chloe sobbed softly, but her inner thoughts were vicious: *“You dirty peasant, you belong in a pigpen. Even that old hillbilly is out of your league.”*

Was my submissive act really not enough to change my tragic fate?

Chloe sat on the bed, whimpering. "Nora, even if you had a hard time, you shouldn't have lied and blamed me!"

Hearing this, the pity in Eleanor’s eyes vanished completely.

The night before my official welcome-home gala, Chloe, accompanied by Julian, brought a dress to my room.

She sat on the edge of my bed, her face bright and smiling like a flower.

"I was wrong in the past, Nora. Can you forgive me?"

"After tomorrow’s gala, we will be real sisters!"

But beneath that beautiful smile was nothing but pure hatred.

*“I don’t know what Mom and Dad were thinking, keeping a stray dog like you around. It's bad luck.”*

*“But thank god Julian still protects me. Nora, don't even dream of stealing what's mine.”*

***