I glanced over at their phones, catching sight of the fact that they were recording everything. That meant I already had proof in hand if I needed it.

I'd put up with their nonsense up to now, not because I was afraid, but because I was waiting for the right time to fight back. I never looked for trouble, but I sure wasn't going to run from it.

The very next second, I rammed my head into one girl's stomach and landed a hard kick to her leg.

Another girl tried to jump in, but I was quicker. I grabbed her by the hair and slammed her head onto a desk.

Then, I went for Olivia, who'd hit me the hardest. I tackled her to the ground and slammed my fists into her, targeting the places her clothes would cover.

The last girl just stood there, stunned. By the time she snapped out of it, she kicked me in the back and punched me twice in the face, leaving my nose bloody.

Nobody came out of that fight looking good. I got jumped by the group, but none of those four girls walked away unscathed either.

They liked to think of themselves as pampered rich kids, but they had no idea how to really fight.

In the end, all five of us landed in the hospital. With the video as evidence, it was clear I was just defending myself, so the others were given disciplinary warnings.

Later, Charlotte came to see me.

"You got bullied? Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

"There wasn't any point," I said. "They just want to push me until I leave."

I got out of bed, knelt down in front of her, and looked her straight in the eye.

"Ms. Evans, I know exactly why you adopted me. You hate your family, hate all these relatives who only care about their interests. You wanted someone who could deal with them for you. I can be your sharpest weapon."

Charlotte looked at me for a long time. My knees started to ache before she finally let out a laugh.

"Get up," she said. "From now on, stop calling me Ms. Evans. Just call me Mom. Don't let me down."

I looked down and smiled. I'd guessed right.

There was no way Charlotte didn't know what I'd been through. This had all been a test. She'd seen my patience, and now, she'd seen how I fought back.

I knew I'd passed.

From that day on, I could tell her attitude toward me had really changed. She paid more attention to me, and her smiles felt genuine.

The next time I saw Amelia, it was the very same day we had met in my previous life.

She wore a custom designer dress, looking every bit the picture of elegance. Her skin was flawless, and her big, innocent eyes could have made anyone feel protective.

Meanwhile, I was hunched over at my desk, struggling to finish a client proposal Charlotte had given me just a couple of days before.

If I couldn't come up with a solid plan, I knew Charlotte would double my workload that night. I really didn't want to pull an all-nighter.

On stage, Amelia introduced herself to the class. "Hi, everyone. My name is Amelia Foster. I've just come back from studying abroad. I hope we can all get along these next few years."

I looked up and met her eyes. All I could see was pride and a challenge.

Amelia spent the whole day showing off, strolling around the campus with the principal as if she owned the place.

After school, I stood at the gate waiting for Charlotte to pick me up, when a luxury car pulled up beside me.

As the window lowered, I saw Amelia sitting inside. She got out of the car and came right up to me.

"So, how's life at the Evans residence? Is that woman always yelling at you and hitting you? How does it feel to be bullied?"

Without even looking up, I pulled out my phone and texted Charlotte.

"If things are tough for me, what about you at the Foster residence? I heard they treat you like a real princess over there..."

The moment Amelia heard that, her face went white.

Henry had only one son, Adam Foster, who was a real handful. The only reason he adopted a girl was to give Adam some company.

In my previous life, after I'd been adopted, Adam made my life hell. He wouldn't let me go out or go to school. He controlled every aspect of my life, even what I ate and wore.

With him, I didn't have an inch of private space. It was a life of humiliation I could never escape.

In my previous life, the only reason Henry agreed to let me go to university was to polish my image and make me look good on paper. He planned to use me one day in a marriage alliance to build ties with other powerful families.

Now, Amelia was living the exact same life I had once suffered through.

She glared at me, her nails digging into her palms, and muttered under her breath, "So what? That's still better than getting yelled at and beaten every day."

Her eyes were filled with hatred and malice. "You can stay poor and miserable for the rest of your life. Rot in the dirt for all I care!"

With that, Amelia turned and walked away, leaving me standing there.

Just then, Charlotte pulled up in her car and strolled over to me. "I bought you some new outfits. Try them on at home, and then you can go with me to the next gala."

I smiled and nodded. Who said my days were tough? This felt like real happiness to me.

After spending the weekend at home, I returned to my dorm and was surprised to find Amelia already there.

The moment she saw me, she jumped up and looked me over from head to toe, her eyes landing on my bare neck and wrists. She burst out laughing.

"Emma, didn't you say you were living the good life?" she teased, her voice dripping with sarcasm. "Where's your jewelry? A woman ought to know how to dress up, you know."

She waved her diamond bracelet and ring right in front of my eyes. "See this? That's how you know I'm living well with the Fosters. Even if you sold yourself, you still wouldn't be able to afford this ring."

She was waiting, hoping to see jealousy or regret in my eyes. But I looked back at her with nothing but indifference.

Charlotte had already given me so many things like that, I couldn't even keep count. I let out a sigh and shot her a mocking smile.

"The Fosters must really like you, showering you with all these fancy gifts. But tell me, are they doing it out of love or guilt? Maybe they're trying to make up for something?"

As soon as the words left my mouth, I saw her freeze and stare at me in disbelief.

Every piece of jewelry she wore—the sparkling diamond bracelets and the blue gemstone necklace—was all too familiar. I had received each one myself in my previous life.

Adam had violent mood swings. The ring she was proudly showing off was the same one he gave me after hitting me in my past life.

The bracelet? Just his way of apologizing after getting drunk and taking it out on me.

Those so-called luxury items always came with a price. Every piece she received came with a sacrifice.

As I stared, Amelia's face fell. She must have realized that I could see not just the jewelry, but everything she'd been through to get it.

Suddenly, she grabbed my arm, her eyes red and her voice hoarse. "You came back, too, didn't you? You got to relive your life, didn't you? Why didn't you tell me what the Fosters are really like?"

There it was again. Whenever Amelia faced trouble, she'd always blame someone else, never once stopping to look at her own choices. She'd lived two lives, but she still hadn't learned that every decision she made was her own.

I let out a cold laugh. "You made your own choices, Amelia. You can't blame me for that. If you can't handle it, maybe don't flash those jewels around like they mean something."

With that, I went back to unpacking, ignoring her.

Amelia stood there for a long time, but she didn't take off any of the jewelry that chained her down.

I felt a wave of disappointment as I looked away.

In the Foster family, Amelia would never earn real respect. If she wanted the good life, she'd have to grovel for it.

Judging by the spite in her eyes, though, I knew she wasn't going to let me off easy.