My sister, Aria Sawyer, stumbled drunk into a billionaire's room one night. Now, she was pregnant and wanted the whole family's advice.

Something about it felt off. Forget about how mismatched they were. How could a billionaire's suite possibly have no security, letting anyone just wander in?

When I pointed that out, Aria actually agreed. She decided to end the pregnancy and start fresh.

But the very day she left the hospital, headlines exploded. The billionaire was marrying another woman carrying his child.

Aria went mad with jealousy. Right in front of our parents, she grabbed a knife and stabbed me to death.

"This is all your fault! That spot in high society should have been mine!"

And then, my eyes opened again.

Aria sat there, blushing sweetly, calling a family meeting. "I think I might be pregnant with Mr. Moore's child. What should I do now?"

A Child of Fortune

"Stella, I'm talking to you. Why are you zoning out?"

Aria's voice snapped me back to reality. I blinked, stunned at the scene before me.

Our parents sat stiffly on the couch, trying and failing to hide the gleam of excitement in their eyes.

Aria lounged in the center of the couch like a queen, a triumphant smile playing on her lips as she stroked her perfectly flat stomach.

When my father saw me still dazed, his tone sharpened. "Aria's carrying Mr. Moore's child. We're all thrilled, and you're sitting there like someone died. Who's that for?"

I pinched my thigh under the table, forcing a shaky smile. "Aria, I truly am happy for you."

She gave a satisfied laugh, finally looking away from me. "That's better. But tell me, what am I supposed to do now? That night was a total accident.

"And now, trying to even get close to Mr. Moore so he knows there's a child? It's almost impossible. Stella, should I take the risk, or just get rid of it?"

My throat tightened. In a rush, memories of my past life flooded back.

Back then, I'd been baffled. How could she have just wandered, drunk, into the room of one of the most powerful men alive?

And why would a man like that even notice, let alone sleep with, my very ordinary-looking sister?

I'd voiced my doubts, urging Aria to picture the man's face. But she'd only frowned and shaken her head, unable to say for sure who he'd been.

Our parents, annoyed, had drifted off to another room, leaving her stewing over it all night.

…

By morning, she'd decided to get rid of the child.

"I heard the billionaire's supposed to be six-foot-one, but the guy that night felt about my height. I must've gone into the wrong room. Whatever. Even if I keep it, he might not claim the kid. Better just to end it."

That was the last thing she'd said to me before heading to the hospital.

And then, hours later, the news exploded. The billionaire was marrying another woman carrying his child.

My own sister blamed me for it. She came at me with a knife, stabbing me again and again.

I still remembered the pain of dying at her hands, my own blood on her fingers. Even now, sitting here, my whole body trembled. However, I forced a bright, almost giddy smile.

"Aria, you're not just pregnant. You're sitting on a gold mine. Word is Mr. Moore's got no women around him, and his family's desperate to see him married."

Aria's eyes lit up at that. Her lips curled into a delighted grin. "Then, what I'm carrying isn't just a baby; it's the Moore family's only hope."

A House Built on Lies

Our parents were all smiles, instantly crowning Aria as the family's savior.

"Aria, you must take care of yourself now. Quit your job right away."

"From now on, you're not allowed to go out. Let your foolish sister handle everything. You don't need to lift a finger. Just stay home and focus on keeping the baby safe."

At their words, Aria's lips curved into another smug smile as she cast a triumphant glance my way.

I clenched my fists, my nails digging painfully into my palms.

In my last life, Aria had stabbed me eighteen times in front of our parents. Each strike was meant to kill.

I thought they would stand up for me. I thought they'd call the police. Instead, they helped her cover it up.

I watched, my spirit hovering above, as they dismembered my body and discarded the pieces. To the world, they announced that I had run away with some deadbeat boyfriend.

Only then did I finally understand that though they liked to preach about fairness, my parents had never once been fair. Their hearts had always belonged to Aria.

The memory clawed at my chest, but I forced the tears back. Instead, I laughed along with them. "Our family's future rests entirely on your shoulders, Aria. When you marry Mr. Moore, don't forget about us."

Aria, who had never matched me in school or in work, finally found her one chance to trample me. The glow of victory lit up her face.

She tilted her chin at me with pride. "I'm thirsty."

I rose without a word, opened the fridge, and pulled out the yogurt she liked.

The moment it touched her hand, she shrieked and dropped it. "Are you out of your mind? It's freezing cold! I'm pregnant with Alexander Moore's baby! How could you serve me yogurt this cold? What if I drink this, get an upset stomach, and something happens to the child?"

My parents' expressions darkened as they snapped at me.

"Stella, are you trying to kill your sister?"

"You ungrateful girl! Get back to your room and study prenatal care. Now!"

I kept my smile fixed in place, nodded quickly, and slipped into my room under Aria's mocking laughter.

Outside, their cheerful chatter continued, but I shut it out.

Instead, I grabbed my phone and searched for a name that had burned into my memory from the headlines of my past life.

Luna Summers.

And there it was, photo after photo of her with Alexander Moore, the famous billionaire. They had been caught together countless times.

At one press conference, when reporters asked Alexander about Luna, he hadn't even bothered to deny it.

The girl in the pictures dressed plainly and came from a modest background, yet her face was unforgettable; a beauty that could stop the world in its tracks.

Of course she could marry Alexander. They had been lovers all along.

My breathing grew heavy as I gritted my teeth and searched for Alexander's whereabouts.

Celebrities like him were always being tracked, so his schedule was no secret. After scanning through his plans for the day, I set my phone down in silence.

Aria thought carrying his child meant she had a foot in the door of high society.

Then, so be it. I would study prenatal care, keep her pregnancy safe, and make sure that the child came into the world.

And when she held that baby in her arms, I'd see if it could truly secure her laughable dream of marrying into the Moore family.

Left Out in the Cold

Aria now carried herself as if she were above everyone else, demanding the best of everything.

She insisted I buy her the most expensive loungewear, the finest non-slip slippers, and the rarest health supplements.

Before leaving for work, I had to simmer chicken soup for her; after work, I was expected to present imported fruit the moment I stepped through the door. Even her drinking water had to be spring water.

As for my parents, they watched it all with indulgent smiles.

"Hurry up! If Aria or the baby in her belly suffers because of you, we'll hold you accountable!"

"Pathetic! You're not even a fraction of what Aria is!"

I didn't resist. For two days straight, I kept running myself ragged until finally, news broke of Alexander and Luna's grand wedding.

"Aria, look at this!" I called out.

Aria's brows furrowed sharply before she snapped at me. "Why are you screeching like that? Are you trying to kill me? What if you startled Mr. Moore's child?

"Move that phone away! It gives off radiation. Wealthy families take prenatal education seriously. If your phone harms my baby, my future in-laws may smile in my face, but deep down they won't forgive me!"

I listened to her tirade, fighting hard to keep a straight face. "Aria, Alexander's getting married. You might not get to meet those in-laws you keep talking about."

Her exaggerated expression froze in an instant. She collapsed onto the floor, stunned. "What did you say? He's getting married? That's impossible. I don't believe it. How could he do this to me?"

I dug my nails into my thigh to stop myself from laughing.

"See for yourself. The Moore family's heir is marrying Luna Summers. The funny thing is she came from a modest background, just like you. And she's also pregnant with Mr. Moore's baby."

Aria's face twisted with anger.

Radiation forgotten, she snatched my phone and held it inches from her eyes, reading and rereading the article.

Then, her fingers went slack. The phone slipped from her hand and hit the floor with a loud crack.

A moment later came the hysterical wail.

"How could Alexander do this to me? I'm pregnant with his child, just like she is! Why would he marry her instead of me?"

Our parents rushed in, but instead of comforting Aria, they immediately lunged for the fallen phone.

Once they saw the headline themselves, they, too, sank helplessly to the floor.

"All those rare delicacies, all for nothing! How could Alexander marry someone else?"

My stomach hurt from holding in my laughter.

They thought Alexander needed their permission to marry when he came from a family with a fortune beyond measure?

When their chorus of complaints finally died down, I pinched my thigh again and squeezed out a few tears.

"Aria, I just don't understand. Is he betraying you just because we were late to acknowledge our ties? This isn't fair. We can't let it end like this."

Aria's eyes were bloodshot, but at my words, a flicker of desperate hope lit up her vacant stare.

"You're right. We can't let it end like this. I've been carrying Alexander's baby, I've gained five pounds for him, and yet he…" She choked on her words and began to sob again.

Fearing she'd spiral deeper, I cut in quickly. "Mom, Dad, stop just standing there! Think of something! Are we really going to sit back and watch them throw the grand wedding while Aria gets left out in the cold?"