I get sent away to the countryside because my parents fear that I'll use my privileged background to lord over others. In turn, they're taking in Tina from that family to the city for her upbringing and schooling.

In the countryside, I get up at 4:00 am daily to feed the pigs, then it's a grueling three-hour trek through the mountains to school. I'm also barely surviving due to constant malnutrition.

I reach out to my parents for a mere 300 dollars for tuition, only for them to accuse me of spending recklessly. In the meantime, they're donating an entire building just to secure a spot for Tina at her preferred school.

I finally make it into Tina's high school and earn a guaranteed university admission spot, only for my parents to order me to hand it over to her as they unleash their fury on me, yelling, "You're clearly bad to the bone, always trying to take things that belong to Tina."

"Tina almost gave up on life because of what you did. You're indebted to her for the rest of your life."

They, using their parental rights, forfeit my guaranteed university admission spot to fulfill Tina's wish. They then transfer all company shares and real estate to her for her future security, while the whole family makes arrangements to move abroad together.

I take in everything before me, no longer feeling hurt. I calmly pack my belongings and walk away from the place where I don't belong.

Having secured a guaranteed university admission spot at the top university in the country, Tina Johnson started handing out expensive gifts to everyone at school, earning her praise from the others for her generosity.

I, on the other hand, couldn't even bring myself to join in or lift my head to take in the scene before me. I had just turned in my application for the guaranteed university admission spot yesterday, but that day it was suddenly switched to Tina.

I wrapped myself tightly in my damp, foul-smelling clothes—the only ones I had—which were soaked because Tina had dumped dirty mop water on me yesterday. I then wiped the corner of my eyes, only to realize that I had been crying.

Those around me noticed my expression. Their faces then twisted into malicious grins as they started to ridicule me.

"It seems that Kiara is getting her just deserts!"

"It's a good thing Tina found the evidence of her cheating in the competition. Otherwise, that guaranteed university admission spot would have fallen into that cheater's hands."

"I bet she cheated before this, too. She deserves to be relegated to the trash can!"

I merely listened in silence as their venomous insults rained down on me. I didn't utter a single word. I had long grown accustomed to it, yet I could still feel a profound pain settling in my heart.

I desperately wanted to flee the classroom and avoid Tina, but then I was pushed down the stairs. In the end, blood started spreading across the floor, and through the haze of my fading consciousness, I noticed my mother, Karen Moore, rushing toward me in a panic.

I then noticed that she was looking at me as if she were looking at something utterly worthless before she turned to hug Tina. It looked as if she were grateful that Tina wasn't the one who had fallen down the stairs.

I could hear the chorus of laughter and words of congratulations for Tina echoing in my ears as I felt myself getting lightheaded. I then wiped the fresh blood from my head in silence, all while overhearing the conversation around me.

"You heard about it, right? Having secured a guaranteed university admission spot, the Johnsons immediately gifted Tina an entire villa. They're even holding a birthday celebration for her on a yacht!"

"Oh my gosh! The Johnson family truly treats Tina so well. I heard back then, when she had a fever during exams and couldn't get into our school, the Johnsons just donated an entire building to ensure her admission."

I couldn't make out anything else they were saying, as my mind was only consumed by one thought. It turned out that they were wealthy enough to buy villas and donate buildings for Tina.

Yet, when I had merely made a call to ask for 300 dollars for my tuition, I had been accused of squandering money before they hung up the call. It was clear that the amount was trivial to them. To make matters worse, I was their biological daughter.

I fully expected to lie there in a pool of my own blood and die unnoticed, just as their curses had foretold. I still managed to get someone's attention, though.

My brother, Liam Johnson, walked over, intending to scold whoever was disrupting Tina's celebration. He certainly hadn't anticipated finding me with my head covered in blood. His expression instantly shifted, his gaze burning with fury.

I thought he would worry about me, help me to my feet, and rush me to the hospital, just like he always did for Tina. Yet, his gaze was filled with pure revulsion, and his words froze me to the core as he snarled, "It's you again, huh? How long do you plan to keep playing the victim, Kiara? I told you long ago that Tina is my only sister. You'd better stop trying to take what was never yours."

It turned out that Liam thought all my suffering was merely a charade—that I was faking it just to contend with Tina for things that were, in fact, rightfully mine.

I stared at the blood on my hands and let out a bitter laugh. I remembered how, when Tina had simply twisted her ankle during P.E., Liam, being her homeroom teacher, had instantly dropped everything and abandoned all the other students to carry her to the ambulance waiting by the school gates.

He didn't even bat an eye when he nearly got hit by a car, as all his attention was on Tina, his darling sister. How could he ignore me now, his biological sister, after I had been pushed down the stairs and was bleeding profusely from my head?

Just yesterday, at the Johnson residence, I refused to relinquish my guaranteed university admission spot to Tina, causing my father, Henry Johnson, to slap me hard across the face. "You're clearly bad to the bone, always stealing what belongs to your sister! You ought to have been left to die in that godforsaken countryside!"

Karen, meanwhile, held Tina tightly, comforting her while scolding me. "Tina almost gave up on life because of what you did. You're indebted to her for the rest of your life."

Liam's reaction back then was exactly as it was at that moment. He merely looked at me with utter contempt and revulsion before turning away to softly console Tina.

I looked up. Fighting back tears, I fixed my gaze on Liam, the one who was supposed to be my biological brother.

I then declared defiantly, "You're absolutely right about that. I'm indeed putting on an act! I'm obviously the biological daughter of the Johnson family, so I'm just taking back what's rightfully mine! What does it matter that Tina stole my guaranteed spot at the university? I'm smarter than her, so I'll always be better than her!"

I had kept those thoughts inside me for a long time. I had longed to say them aloud countless times, but I had always been too afraid that saying them would diminish the tiny bit of love they had. I had endured it all—even when Tina bullied me, cut my hair, burned my books, poured filthy water on me, or even spread rumors that I had cheated in my exams.

I had always put up with everything, desperately hoping to earn even a fleeting glance from my parents and Liam. Yet, now, Tina, bathed in their affection, had stripped me of everything. I could no longer tolerate it.

Liam's face clouded over when he heard me speak. Once praised as the kindest in the whole school, he now looked like he was about to yell at me.

Just then, Tina, dressed in a pink ball gown, hurried to the scene. As her gaze swept over my messy appearance, she barely hid her triumphant smirk. Still, she was clearly worried that the other students would learn that I was the real heiress of the Johnson family. So, she quickly interjected, stopping Liam. "It's obvious that Kiara is just jealous of me, Liam. I'm certain that she doesn't actually harbor any malice…"

Having said that, she gently helped me up, putting on an act of deep concern as she continued, "Why are you lying here, Kiara? I know that it's tough that you were exposed for cheating. But honestly, Mom and Dad can't bail you out of this one. I know you had it hard in the countryside, but that doesn't excuse you from trying to cheat your way in."

Tina's remarks instantly stirred an uproar among the onlookers, causing their disdain for me to become even more pronounced.

In the meantime, Liam, spurred on by Tina's remarks, glared at me with utter contempt as he said, "Tina is being so magnanimous toward you, Kiara. You'd better get up now and stop embarrassing yourself in front of everyone!"

I gazed at the people before me, a profound disgust welling up inside me, especially at Tina's blatant hypocrisy. I had resisted letting her lay a hand on me, yet for some reason, my own hand ended up brushing against her.

Tina abruptly fell backward to the ground. Her face was a mask of fear. Tears streamed down her face as she said, "I know you're upset with me, Kiara, but how could you resort to violence?"

I was still completely stunned when a resounding slap landed hard on my face. The impact immediately caused my head wound, which had barely stopped bleeding, to start flowing again.

"You're truly a vile creature, Kiara! I ought to have let you die back in the countryside! How dare you lay a hand on Tina!" Karen bellowed.

Karen, who typically carried herself like a refined lady, had now completely lost all semblance of control.

That resounding slap definitively extinguished any reverence I had once felt for Karen. I stayed silent, struggling to hold back my tears as I fixed my gaze on Karen, who was standing before me.

Yet, Karen perceived me as the embodiment of malice, uttering cutting remarks that tore into my very core. "Who do you think you are? How dare you harm my daughter! Why don't you just drop dead? You've been nothing but trouble. I don't expect you to be as brilliant as Liam and Tina, but at the very least, you shouldn't be so wicked! I truly wish I had given birth to Tina instead."

I clenched my hands tightly, gathering my composure before saying, "It's not my fault. You are well aware that it was Tina who cheated on the exam. I never—"

Yet, before I could complete my sentence, Liam cut me off. "Have you lost your mind, Kiara? You ought to know that Tina's excellence is common knowledge, having ranked first in every high school exam. You, on the other hand, were always dead last. How dare you accuse Tina like that!"

I merely looked at the people before me. I had endless explanations and mountains of evidence against Tina. Ever since I got into Evergreen High School as the top-ranking student, Tina had always switched out all my test papers. This competition was the only time she didn't manage to pull it off.

Still, I knew that no matter what I said, my family wouldn't believe me, as Tina was the only one they cared about.

Tina, nestling in Karen's embrace, looked at me tauntingly. She said, "I know this is all my doing, and you dislike me, Kiara, but I hold no grudge against you. I only wish that I had perished in that accident."

Upon hearing that, Karen and Liam, who were already seething with revulsion, became even more enraged.

Karen directly pointed her finger at me, yelling, "You vile creature! You lured Tina into the river and almost drowned her ten years ago! You wouldn't even be around if Tina hadn't been so magnanimous. How dare you still target her! You are to withdraw from school today! You ought to head back to the countryside and never come near Tina again!"