Chapter 1: Rebirth

"Lily Roberts, are you gonna admit you were wrong or not?"

Water flooded her nose and mouth. Throat burned. Lungs screamed for air..

She opened her eyes from the brink of death and saw her second-oldest brother, Michael Roberts, standing at the edge of the pool, and her fourth-oldest brother, Peter Roberts, holding Sophie Scott.

A flash of disorientation crossed her face, This scene was carved into her bones.

Wasn't she dead?

Had she been reborn three years ago, the day Sophie was officially adopted into the Roberts family?

At the party, Sophie staged everything perfectly. Everyone believed Lily pushed her into the pool on purpose.

Peter reached them first and saved only Sophie. He left Lily who couldn’t swim to drown.

Michael demanded she confess.

Michael even demanded she admit her mistake.

It was clear that if she didn't admit it, they wouldn’t pull her out.

She had begged, struggled, confessed saved only when death was seconds away.

She was only saved when she was on the verge of death.

After that night she never dared provoke Sophie again. She tried desperately to please her brothers.

What did she earn?

Sophie stole her graduation thesis, and Michael testified against her, branded her a plagiarist, got her expelled.

When Sophie needed a kidney transplant, her third-oldest brother, Nathan personally took Lily to the operating room to donate hers.

When Sophie needed competition achievements to boost her profile, fourth brother Peter, fifth brother James Roberts, and sixth brother Austin kicked Lily off the team without hesitation.

Lily found proof, Sophie plagiarizing her work, faking medical records, and brought it to eldest brother David.

But it only enraged everyone, and no one believed her or even bothered to look at the evidence.

David threw her out to “reflect.”

She ended up on the streets penniless, broken. Eventually locked in a mental institution where Sophie’s hired caretakers tortured her to death

As the memories crashed over her, Lily stopped fighting. She let herself sink.

Eyes wide open, Face blank, as if she were already dead.

She watched her brothers surround Sophie at the edge. Even seeing it again, the pain in her chest was unbearable.

How pathetic.

As their blood sister, she had always ranked below an outsider.

Michael had been focused on Sophie the whole time, only turning back to the pool when he no longer heard Lily struggling. He saw her at the bottom of the pool.

His face instantly turned pale. "Lily!"

With a splash, Michael jumped in without hesitation.

Seeing Lily sink, a glint of satisfaction flashed in Sophie's eyes. It would be best if Lily just died.

Feigning weakness, she tugged on Peter's sleeve and said softly, "Peter, I need to help save Lily. It's because of me that she fell into the water."

Peter was worried but quickly comforted Sophie. "Don't be silly. Michael is enough. Lily is getting what she deserves. She won't die!"

Peter glanced at the pool, his expression complicated.

In the water, Lily watched Michael swim towards her, his concern seemingly genuine.

Just now, he had been the one forcing her to admit her mistake and apologize, coldly watching her struggle.

This time, she didn't need his help.

A look of disdain crossed Lily's eyes as she turned and swam to the surface.

In her past life, after nearly drowning, Michael had forced her to learn to swim with Sophie.

She had developed a fear of water, but to please Michael, she had learned to swim despite her terror. In the end, Michael only praised Sophie for her courage in overcoming her fear.

Little did he know that being left in the water for that extra minute had left Lily with severe aftereffects.

But no one cared about her well-being. Michael only had eyes for Sophie.

"Lily, what kind of stunt are you pulling now? Do you think pretending to drown will erase the mistake you just made?"

Michael blocked her way, noticing that Lily seemed different. When had she learned to swim?

Lily looked up at Michael, whom she used to adore.

David was strict, but Michael had always been a bit kinder to her.

Now, all she saw in Michael's eyes was disgust and impatience.

Sophie's weak voice chimed in. "Michael, it's not Lily's fault. I know she never liked me becoming part of the Roberts family. I was too greedy, wanting a family. Please don't fight because of me. You all mean so much to me."

Peter glared down. “Are you satisfied now? If Dad, Paul Scott, hadn’t died saving you, you wouldn’t even be an orphan. You should have died instead of him!

Michael frowned. "Lily, you need to have a conscience. We should treat Sophie like family. This is what the Roberts family owes her, and what you owe her, Understand?"

"Michael, someone as ungrateful as her wouldn't understand. If she did, she wouldn't have pushed Sophie into the water. Mr. Scott shouldn't have saved her!"

Lily felt like she stood in an endless frozen wasteland.

If she could go back, she wished she had never been saved.

She forced air through burning lungs and rasped. "It was my fault. It won't happen again."

Because she wouldn't make the same mistake again.

If they wanted Sophie as their sister, she would step aside.

"Lily, you did it on purpose? Don't you know Sophie can't swim? You could've killed her!"

Michael’s expression darkened. He had wanted to believe it was an accident. But Lily had tried to harm Sophie on purpose.

When had she become so vicious?

At that moment, the family doctor arrived, and Peter turned to scold Lily. "You'd better pray Sophie is okay, or you'll answer to David when he gets back.”

Michael stepped aside with him, then glanced back at Lily, soaked, pale, motionless.

A flicker of pity crossed his face, gone instantly.

He said, "Go change your clothes. The party's about to start."

Lily didn't respond, and soon she was left alone.

She waited until they were gone, then bent double in a violent coughing fit , lungs threatening to turn inside out.

She swallowed the metallic taste of blood and dragged herself back to her room.

Lying in the bathtub, she closed her eyes, remembering how, in her past life, she had turned to the dark side after ending up on the streets and had tried to kill Sophie.

But she had failed.

David locked her away. Sophie’s caretakers finished the job.

But this time… When she opened her eyes again, they burned with cold, absolute resolve.

She covered her face and laughed, her voice eerie. When Lily opened her eyes again, they were filled with cold determination.

After changing her clothes, she looked around her bedroom, feeling a sense of unfamiliarity.

In her past life, this room had eventually been given to Sophie. Lily had been moved to Sophie’s smaller one.

She saw the family photo on the table, young couple holding a baby, six little boys standing proudly beside them.

A few years after her birth, her parents died in a car accident.

The driver saved her first, and when he went back to save her parents, the gas tank exploded, killing him too.

Sophie was the driver's only daughter, frail and sickly from from the start.

After the tragedy, David brought Sophie into the Roberts family and raised her alongside Lily.

From the moment Sophie arrived, everything changed.

Her beloved brothers all chose Sophie.

"Sophie isn't well. I hired a chef to make meals suitable for her. Lily, make sure Sophie eats properly."

"Lily, Sophie wants to learn painting too. You’ve had enough lessons let her have your teacher.”

"Lily, withdraw from the competition so Sophie, who came in second, can represent the school. She's been preparing for months.”

"Lily, Sophie's grades are a bit lower than yours. Apply to the same university as her, so you can look after her."

Lily clasped her head, her heart aching deeply.

She took small, shallow breaths, swallowing the pain.

She never wanted anything to do with the Roberts family again.

She put the photo face-down and began packing.

Before long, a servant knocked on the door. "Ms. Roberts, the party has started. Mr. Michael Roberts asked you to change and come down."

"I know."

Lily opened the door and walked straight to the bustling party outside.

The servant's eyes widened in shock.“What is Ms. Roberts wearing? Has she lost her mind?”

In the center of the crowd, Sophie stood in a flowing white evening gown, hair cascading over her shoulders the very picture of purity and grace.

Michael and Peter stood close beside her, gazing at her with unmistakable warmth and affection.

The scene was heartwarming.

Michael couldn't help but think of Lily. If only she could be as well-behaved and sensible.

Over the years, Lily's temperament had become increasingly unruly and arrogant.

"Lily's here!"