My breakfasts started getting more elaborate.

In fact, they became overly indulgent.

"Here, Susan, today's breakfast is braised pork rice, sweet and sour pork, and fried ice cream. It's important to have a good breakfast."

He then placed a plate of boiled vegetables in front of his daughter. "Make do with this."

Emma looked longingly at my plate, her mouth watering. "Dad, I want the braised pork rice too."

My stepfather scowled at her. "Don't be foolish. You and Susan are not the same."

Indeed, we weren't the same.

The breakfast he made for his daughter was carefully balanced and nutritious.

Although my dish looked delicious, it was all about excessive oil content.

I immediately saw through his little scheme.

He was hoping I'd fail the initial medical exam by feeding me into high blood pressure and cholesterol.

"Let's switch. I'm getting tired of eating this every day."

Emma happily took my plate, ignoring her father's glare, and dug in with relish.

As she stuffed her mouth, barely pausing to wipe the grease from her lips, she asked, "Did you say you eat this every day?"

I raised my voice deliberately. "Yeah, Uncle Jeremy's cooking is amazing. He makes me a four-course meal with soup every day. Hasn't he ever cooked for you?"

Emma's hand paused mid-air, and she lowered her gaze without a word.

Of course, he hadn't.

Ever since my mom remarried, my stepfather had been busy currying favor with her, only visiting Emma back in the village once a year.

He was heartless enough to play the long game to catch the big fish.

But Emma didn't have the same cunning and began to feel wronged.

Seizing the opportunity, I twisted the knife further. "This is nothing. You should see the computer, phone, and makeup Uncle Jeremy bought me—they're all the latest models."

My stepfather cleared his throat and quickly urged us to get ready for school.

A few days ago, Emma would have said an enthusiastic goodbye to him, but today she left the house with her head down, not looking back.

One month later.

Just like in my previous life, I passed the initial pilot selection with flying colors.

Emma, however, failed the blood pressure test and was eliminated.

On my way home from school, eager to share the good news with my mom, I was suddenly stopped by someone.

"Hey, you're pretty cute. What's your name?"

I knew this person all too well.

Tobias.

He was the biggest scum in my previous life, the scum among scums.

Before selling me off to a scam syndicate, he didn't forget to assault me one last time, smirking as he zipped up his pants.

"Your stepfather paid me to elope with you, and now he's paid me again. Susan, you really are my lucky charm."

The same face was now right in front of me again.

"I've opened an internet café. Why don't you drop by? No charge for you," Tobias said.

I accepted the internet cafe flyer with a meaningful smile.

In my previous life, it was Emma who introduced me to Tobias.

She told me that since the internet café was far from home, she could help cover for me.

Throughout our relationship, she constantly encouraged me, brainwashing me into thinking it was true love.

In the end, when I ran away with that yellow-haired boy, she and my stepfather shared half the credit.

After returning home, I left the flyer on my desk where it would be easily seen.

Emma came into my room to borrow a book, and her eyes immediately fell on it.

"Susan, why are you going to an internet café? Aren't you preparing for the pilot exams?"

"I just said that to appease my mom. Did you really believe me?"

Emma said nothing, but she seemed relieved.

I began organizing the makeup on my desk.

In truth, I had stopped using it long ago. I had deliberately taken it out today.

Sure enough, Emma couldn't take her eyes off it.

"These are all from high-end brands at the department store. Do you have that much pocket money?"

"I've thrown out quite a bit. Do you like them? You can have them."

When I offered her the expensive makeup, Emma's eyes lit up.

She even forgot about borrowing the book and took another glance at the internet café flyer before leaving.

I deliberately doodled a heart on the flyer with a lipstick.

"This is the internet café run by Tobias. He's so handsome and kind—he's my dream guy, and I'm going to win his heart."

Emma didn't say much, just gave a perfunctory smile.

But I could see the change in her eyes.

Once she started realizing that everything I had was better, it would awaken her twisted greed.

Whether it was an object or a person.

A few days later.

My stepfather found the internet café flyer in my room, with the heart I had drawn on it.

Coupled with my deliberate avoidance of his calls, he immediately ran to my mom to complain.

"Susan might have gone to the internet café! Didn't she say she was going to buckle down and prepare for the final interview?"

Remembering my past misbehavior, my mom easily believed him.

"At a time like this, she's still slacking off? Is she trying to give me a heart attack?"

My stepfather pretended to stop my mom from going to the café to catch me, but he didn't try too hard. He even grabbed a clothes hanger on the way out.

They did catch someone.

But it wasn't me.

It was Emma, fully made up, being taught how to play video games by none other than Tobias.

My stepfather's veins bulged in anger as he dragged her home by her hair.

Just as they arrived, I showed up at the front door with my backpack on.

My mom looked at me suspiciously, "Where were you? Why didn't you answer your phone?"

"Oh, I was in the school's study room. Here, look, my student ID has a record of me clocking in."

Feeling a bit guilty for doubting me, my mom patted my shoulder.

"Next time, make sure you answer your phone. You never know if you might make bad friends... Emm, mom and Uncle Jeremy would worry."

My stepfather, enraged, raised the clothes hanger to hit Emma.

Emma ran around the room, trying to dodge him, shouting.

"You've never even bought me a five-dollar game skin! Who are you to tell me what to do?"

Just before Emma slammed the door, I noticed the familiar keychain on her bag.

That was the first step Tobias took in deceiving me in my previous life.

I had been excited to show it to my stepfather, and he even encouraged me.

"Love at your age is pure, and Uncle Jeremy supports you in pursuing true love. This will be our little secret."

Now, it was his own daughter on the receiving end.

Suddenly, love wasn't so pure, and true love wasn't encouraged anymore.

But it didn't matter if he didn't encourage it—I would.