A close friend once gave me a fish-shaped pendant, a gift I treasured dearly.

I wore it every day, unaware that it would become the very thing that led me to ruin.

Through it, she siphoned my good fortune, rising to become the cherished daughter of the Carter family, living a life of ease and privilege.

Meanwhile, I became an outcast, shunned by everyone.

As I looked at the pendant around my neck, with a bitter smile.

If you're so eager to steal my life, then take it all.

*****

I awoke, my body drenched in cold sweat, haunted by the vividness of the dream I'd just had.

The memory of being forced, abandoned, and left vulnerable in the wilderness, made my stomach twist in revulsion. I had no idea a dream could feel so real.

It was like I had been watching my own life from above, seeing everything unfold under Vanessa Steele's control.

In the orphanage, I was an outcast, and when I was finally brought back to the Carter family, my own parents rejected me.

Vanessa, on the other hand, used my misfortune to elevate herself, basking in the love and success that should have been mine.

I watched her excel in every area, taking credit for my work, while my parents adored her as if she were their true daughter.

The loneliness was overwhelming. Who even remembered me? They were my parents, and I was their flesh and blood.

But no amount of stolen fortune could change the truth. They simply didn't love me. And yet, after my death, they revered the very person who had caused it. They were as guilty as she was.

I saw them gathered around the dinner table like a perfect family.

The hatred inside me boiled over, consuming me from within.

As I recalled the intensity of the dream, I couldn't tell if it was a memory from another life or some twisted vision of this one.

Then, I felt a sudden chill. My eyes fell on the pendant around my neck, and a dark resolve settled in my heart.

"Vanessa, if you're so determined to steal my life, then take it all!"

I ripped the pendant from my neck and held it in my hand. Under the moonlight, the small white fish seemed almost alive, glowing with an unsettling red light. If I looked closely, I could see a thin red thread connecting it to me.

I dropped the pendant into a bowl of water. In my dream, I had seen Vanessa do the same after my death, trying to protect herself by severing the connection between us.

A surge of anger rose in me. How could she so easily take everything that was rightfully mine and live a life of comfort and joy?

Not only did she take my life, but she also spread lies about me after I was gone. This time, I was going to make sure she felt the pain of losing everything.

Tomorrow, she'd supposed to impress a professor, riding on the luck she stole from me. Even though she'd done nothing to deserve it, even though that opportunity should have been mine, one smile from her would make it hers.

But this time, I would take back what was mine.

The next day, I watched Vanessa, elegantly dressed, ready for the event.

She greeted me with her usual bright demeanor, but I knew better. Behind that cheerful exterior, she was calculating and ruthless, willing to destroy anyone for her own gain.

She had already ruined the lives of many girls, effortlessly taking what belonged to others and making it her own.

"Ella, are you going to that gala today? Can you take me along? I've never been to an event like that."

Before I could answer, Margaret appeared, showering Vanessa with compliments.

"Vanessa, you look absolutely stunning today! That's my favorite girl."

Then she turned to me with her usual look of disapproval.

"And you, what are you wearing? You're an embarrassment to this family."

I glanced at Vanessa's designer dress, then down at my own plain suit. Maybe she was right.

But they never gave me a cent to buy clothes. How could they blame me? Since coming back to the Carter family, I'd been treated like a servant while Vanessa took over my room and my life.

My parents handed her credit cards without hesitation, yet they couldn't bear to look at me, their own daughter.

I stayed quiet, my head down, but my silence only seemed to irritate my mother more.

"What's wrong? Are you sulking because I told you the truth? Why can't you be more like Vanessa? Look at her, smart, charming, and full of life. And look at you, always so dull and depressing. No wonder no one ever wanted to adopt you."

Her words made me look up, my gaze steady and unflinching.

"No one adopted me because I remembered I had a family. Plenty of people wanted me, but I waited for you. Now, I regret it. After all these years, I wish I hadn't."

Margaret's face twisted in anger. Feeling challenged, she raised her hand to strike me.

I lifted my chin and met her eyes without flinching.

At this moment, Vanessa caught Margaret's hand, pulling her close with a sweet smile.

"Oh, Margaret, don't be upset with Ella. You know how she is. It's not her fault. She's always been under my wing. Don't get angry, or you'll get wrinkles, and we can't have that, can we?" she said, her voice laced with mock concern as she leaned in affectionately.

The scene would've been convincing if I hadn't noticed the slight smirk.

How ironic. My temper had only changed because I was the one protecting her before. Back at the orphanage, she was the youngest and the smallest, always picked on by the others. I was the one who fought off her bullies. And now, she had the nerve to act like she was the one shielding me.

I could feel the anger bubbling inside me, so I turned to leave.

Sensing my escape, Vanessa quickly rushed over and grabbed my arm, trying to hold me back.

Suddenly, it hit me. Every time she touched me, she siphoned away my good fortune even faster than the pendant could. Without thinking, I shook her off, pulling my arm free.

Vanessa stood there, momentarily stunned. Margaret, catching the scene just in time, swooped in like a protective mother, stepping in front of Vanessa with a look of fierce disapproval.

"Why are you treating Vanessa like this? I've told you before, I'm the one who doesn't like you. This isn't her fault. If you've got an issue, take it up with me. Picking on Vanessa doesn't make you brave."

I noticed the fleeting glimmer of triumph in Vanessa's eyes and decided this was the moment I'd been waiting for. Reaching up, I tore the pendant from my neck.

"Vanessa, what were you so pleased about just now? Did you think this was funny? I thought you were my friend, but it turns out you've been trying to steal everything from me, my parents, my life. I guess we're done here."

With that, I threw the pendant to the ground and walked away without looking back.

I didn't bother to see their reactions. All that mattered now was securing that professor's approval, and I wasn't going to let anyone stand in my way.