Chapter 2

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day Chloe had excitedly shown me a photo of herself and her older boyfriend.

Looking at her eager face, I felt nothing but rage and disgust.

I had treated her like my sister. She had treated me like a disposable fool.

I had tried to save her, and she had killed me. In my last life, I had actually believed this selfish, ungrateful brat was simply naive. I had worried about someone deceiving her.

Now I knew she deserved everything she got.

This time, I wouldn’t interfere. Chloe was no longer my sister.

When I remained silent, Chloe pouted and gave me an unhappy look.

“Emily, why are you ignoring me? Do you have a problem with my boyfriend? I’ll tell him, you know. He was even going to buy you a present. What’s wrong with you?”

I hid my disgust and forced a smile, keeping my voice casual.

“Sounds great. He’s handsome and rich. You two are a perfect match.”

Chloe broke into a smug grin, practically glowing with pride. “You’ve got good taste, Emily. I think we’re perfect together too!”

Still smiling, she gave me a wary, warning look and added as if she were joking, “Don’t get any ideas about stealing him. Not that you could. I’m the only one he loves.”

Her words made me sick. Who besides her would want a potbellied, balding man in his forties?

Not everyone was as indiscriminate as she was, mistaking trash for treasure because she had never seen anything better.

I sneered inwardly but kept my face pleasant as I set the trap. “Don’t tell Mom and Dad about him yet. They’re old-fashioned. They definitely won’t approve.”

Just as I expected, Chloe panicked. “Then what am I supposed to do? Emily, I really love him. I want to marry him and spend the rest of my life with him!”

I studied my grown-out manicure, wondering whether I should get my nails done, and gave her a distracted reply.

“Don’t worry about it. Just focus on your relationship. I’ll handle Mom and Dad when the time comes.”

Hearing exactly what she wanted, Chloe smiled and thanked me with genuine enthusiasm. “Thanks, Emily! I’ll have my boyfriend give you a big cash gift!”

I murmured an acknowledgment and started ushering her out. Every extra minute she stayed made me feel sick.

Using a nail appointment as an excuse, I finally got rid of her.

Once she left, I started searching apartment listings.

Too many people knew where I lived. I needed to move somewhere no one knew about, somewhere Chloe would never get another chance to hurt me.

Early the next morning, I contacted a moving company and moved into my new place as quickly as possible.

Only after unpacking and lying down could I finally breathe. I would never forget the terror and despair I had felt when that knife pierced my chest.

This time, Chloe wouldn’t have me to die in her place. She could experience that feeling herself. I couldn’t wait to see the pain on her face.

That weekend, our parents called and told me to come home for dinner with Chloe.

“Mom, I’ve already planned a trip with some friends this weekend. I can’t make it. I’ll come next week.”

I made up a random excuse, then casually asked about Chloe.

“What about Chloe? Is she coming?”

Our parents told me she hadn’t been home for several weekends, even though she had promised to visit at least once a week.

I understood immediately. She was probably so wrapped up in that man that she couldn’t even spare time to come home.

But I didn’t tell them she was dating anyone. I still vividly remembered how, in my last life, the three of them had ganged up on me and blocked me after I told them.

I would never put myself through that thankless ordeal again. Everyone had their own life to live. Whatever happened to Chloe would be the result of her own choices.

As for my promise to handle our parents, those had only been words. The bigger the shock, the better their chance of seeing what their precious daughter really was.

After hanging up, I saw that Chloe had posted on Instagram.

The photo showed her and the man in bathrobes, with a hotel bed clearly visible behind them.

I liked it and left a comment.

“You look so happy! I’m jealous. You two are so in love.”

Chloe replied almost immediately with three giggling emojis. Clearly, she was in a wonderful mood.

Go ahead and laugh. The happier you were now, the harder you would cry later.