Chapter 1

After being reborn, the first thing Laura Garcia did was catch her boyfriend cheating.

"Joseph… am I wetter, or is my sister?"

Through the half-open bedroom door came the unmistakable sounds of a man and woman together.

This was Laura's bedroom.

Standing outside, Laura pulled out her phone and hit record. She was calmer than she'd been in her past life.

She shoved the door open and pointed the camera straight at the two tangled bodies on the bed. Three seconds later, both of them screamed.

"Laura? Weren't you at the studio?"

The man grabbed the bedsheet to cover himself and stumbled toward her. "Let me explain — it's not what it looks like..."

This was Joseph Miller. Laura had been with him for three years.

"Get out of my way." Laura gave him a cold look and aimed her phone at the woman on the bed, who had pulled the covers over her head.

"Ella, you knew Joseph was my boyfriend. And you slept with him anyway?"

"Laura, I'm sorry..." Ella curled under the blanket and started crying.

It didn't matter. Laura already had a clear shot of her face.

"Laura, stop filming!" When he realized she was ignoring him, Joseph lunged for the phone.

Laura was ready. She dodged sideways and cracked him across the face with a hard slap.

Joseph stood there stunned, hand pressed to his cheek, and blurted out:

"Laura, I know you're angry, but Ella is your sister. I only met her because of you. I couldn't help myself... Now that you know, why don't the three of us just be together?"

She had heard these same shameless words once before, in her past life.

Back then, she'd held on out of love. She'd swallowed her pain and stayed silent — and that choice had cost her everything. The two of them had drugged her together, leaving her paralyzed. Then Joseph had pushed her down a flight of stairs and broken her neck.

But God had given her a second chance.

"Joseph, do you seriously think a piece of trash like you deserves me?"

Laura tapped quickly on her phone and smiled coldly. "I'm officially breaking up with you. You two deserve each other — just do the world a favor and don't ruin anyone else's life."

"Laura." Ella climbed out of bed wrapped in the blanket, eyes red and swollen, looking pitiful. "I just made a stupid mistake. You can yell at me, hit me, whatever you want — just please don't break up with Joseph."

"Drop the act, Ella. It makes me sick." Laura looked down at her.

"Did you really think I was that stupid? You've taken my clothes, my bags, my boyfriend — were you planning to take my life too?"

When Laura was two years old, she was kidnapped. The Garcia family searched for years and, by a twist of fate, ended up adopting Ella instead. Laura wasn't found and brought home until she was eighteen.

Having grown up fighting for survival in an orphanage, Laura had been desperate for family. She'd loved Ella like a real sister. Whatever Ella wanted, Laura gave her. She'd even spent nights painting in the basement so Ella could take the credit — turning a girl with no talent into one of Emerald City's most celebrated young artists.

And what did she get in return? Betrayal. And murder.

"Laura, what are you talking about..." Ella kept up the innocent act, though a flicker of guilt crossed her eyes.

"That's fine. Keep pretending." Laura's smile turned sharp and dangerous. "The full video of you and Joseph is already online. I added a few trending tags. Your ten million followers are probably having a great time right now."

Ella's eyes went wide. "Laura, I didn't — you're bluffing. What did you post?"

At that moment, Ella's phone started blowing up.

Her manager's voice came through the line, frantic and furious: "What the hell is that video online?! What have you done?!"

Ella completely lost it. She screamed and threw herself at Laura, not even stopping to put on clothes.

"Delete it! Are you trying to destroy me? All I did was sleep with Joseph!"

"Oh, so you're done pretending?" Laura shoved her away with disgust. "That's right. I am going to destroy you."

Hurried footsteps came from the hallway.

Laura's mother, Emily Johnson, burst into the room. "What's going on? What are you all screaming about?"

"Mom..." Ella threw on a jacket and buried herself in Emily's arms, sobbing loudly. "Laura posted naked pictures of me online..."

"Laura, how could you be so cruel?" Without asking a single question, Emily dropped to her knees. "If you're angry at me, take it out on me. Please don't hurt your sister." She crawled forward and grabbed Laura's legs. "Whatever you posted, please delete it. Some things should stay in the family!"

In her past life, the moment Emily cried, Laura would cave — handing over her career, her man, and eventually her life.

Not this time.

"Don't touch me." Laura yanked her leg free and looked down at the woman on the floor without a trace of warmth. "Didn't your daughter complain just the other day that she needed more attention? Well, a cheating sex tape ought to keep her at the top of the trending charts for a while."

"You've got it all wrong!" Emily looked up. "Ella's room was leaking, so she slept in yours. When Joseph came in, he must have thought she was you..."

Laura almost laughed.

She was done listening to this garbage. She looked straight at Emily and said:

"Emily, when did you actually find out I was your biological daughter? It wasn't three years ago when you brought me home. It was thirteen years ago, wasn't it?"