Chapter 2

The next moment I opened my eyes, I realized I had been reborn.

I stood frozen in front of the Vance estate's iron gates.

I had returned to the exact day I was first brought back into the family.

"Gia..." I whispered, cold fury surging through my veins.

My knees nearly gave out.

Right now, Gia had probably been in this body for almost a year.

The original fake heiress had been an arrogant, flaunting bully who gave my parents endless headaches.

In the original novel, my parents were overjoyed to learn I was their real child; my existence proved their genes weren't totally ruined.

Everything changed when Gia took over.

She behaved with impeccable grace, intelligence, and poise, carrying herself like the quintessential blue-blooded socialite.

When I was finally brought back to stand beside her, I looked like an ignorant country bumpkin.

Remembering how she had tortured and murdered me in my past life made me tremble uncontrollably.

It took several long minutes before I found the strength to push the front doors open.

Just like before.

Nobody cared that I had arrived. Instead, the whole family was gathered in the living room, laughing and chatting in warm domestic bliss.

They looked like a real family, while I was an unwelcome intruder.

Even my fiancé, Christian, was there.

His gaze was glued to Gia, adoration dripping from his eyes.

He gently fed her a peeled grape with nauseating intimacy.

"Dad. Mom."

My eyes rimmed with red.

Surprise flashed across their faces when they looked up.

"Sweetheart, you're finally home!"

Even if they hadn't been eagerly awaiting my return, tears still welled in my mother's eyes the moment she laid eyes on her flesh and blood.

She pulled me into a hug. "You must have suffered so much out there."

My father sighed. "From now on, you're home. We'll take good care of you."

Words were cheap. Neither of them had bothered to walk to the front door to greet me.

Instead, they had sat comfortably inside like royalty, waiting for me to come groveling in.

"Now that you're a daughter of the Vance family, make sure you never bring shame to our name."

My father's stern warning echoed in the room.

In my past life, I hadn't understood. Now, everything was crystal clear: during the time before my arrival, Gia had already filled their heads with countless toxic lies about me.

In the corner of my vision, I caught Gia smirking mockingly.

My pulse quickened.

I had to hold back. Revenge wasn't something I could rush today.

I refused to believe that in this second life, a petty transmigrator could steal everything from me again.

I still remembered that brilliant white flash right before my rebirth.

Yes—I had read the entire book, too.

Gia wasn't the only one who held the script anymore.

Gia put on a look of delicate sorrow, gazing at me with fake remorse. "Scarlett, I'm so sorry... I stole your life and your place for all these years. If having me here makes you uncomfortable, I'll pack my bags and leave right now."

As if she would ever leave.

In my previous life, she didn't stay because she actually loved my parents. She stayed because her billionaire father's dynasty was a viper's nest—she was merely his thirteenth illegitimate daughter.

Heading back there meant competing against ruthless, cutthroat siblings who would have eaten her alive.

By remaining with the Vances, she could keep collecting massive guilt-money payouts from the billionaire while also swallowing every dime of the Vance estate.

She wanted everything.

Greedy, shallow, and utterly revolting.

In my past life, hearing her play the martyr had made me pity her. I had naively told her that this was our home together and that she would always be my older sister.

This time, I wasn't playing along.

"Alright. Pack your things and go, then."