Chapter 1

"Let me loosen your dress. Don't embarrass us at the banquet."

My mother approached my waist with scissors.

In my past life, she snipped the seam. I was exposed in front of the entire Sterling family.

My sister draped her coat over me and stole the marriage contract.

I was exiled to the countryside and froze to death in a shack — only to learn on my deathbed that my sister was my father's secret love child, and my mother was her accomplice.

This time, as the scissors came down, I lunged into her arms.

The blade sank into her own palm. My sister rushed to help her, and I tugged loose her belt.

"Does your hand hurt, Mom?" I wiped the blood from her fingers.

"In my last life, I hurt a thousand times more than this."

......

After finally finding my biological parents, they arranged for me and my adopted sister to meet the heir of the Sterling Group.

Before we left, my mother personally straightened my collar, but she secretly pulled a loose thread from my dress’s waistline.

The moment we arrived at the Sterling manor, I leaned over to change my shoes, and the side of my dress burst open, exposing my slip.

Mrs. Sterling sneered in disgust, "Blood-related or not, she’s so indecent she can't even dress herself—what an embarrassment!"

My sister, Maya, draped her designer coat over me right then, earning praise for her grace and sisterly love, which effortlessly secured her the marriage contract.

Back home, I knelt and begged for justice.

My father only snorted, "You couldn't even keep your clothes together and humiliated the entire family; how dare you blame others?"

My mother added with fake concern, "Since you returned, Maya has been crying every day out of guilt; you only lost a marriage, so stop acting like it's the end of the world."

Later, Maya had a grand wedding while my reputation was ruined, and I was exiled to a derelict farm in the countryside where I eventually froze to death in a drafty shack.

It was only before I died that I realized that thread had been intentionally snipped by my mother’s scissors.

I have been reborn.

My mother is smiling again, reaching out to straighten my collar: "The silk is slippery, honey; let me tighten this so you don't look unrefined."

I snapped back to reality, seeing that same fake smile on her face.

"The silk is slippery, honey; let me tighten this so you don't look unrefined."

As she spoke, her fingers brushed toward my sleeve, revealing the tip of a tiny blade.

In my past life, these small scissors snipped the seam of my waistline, leaving me exposed and humiliated in front of the Sterlings.

In the freezing midwinter of my past, I had shivered in that shack.

Maya had stepped on the back of my hand, mocking me: "Sister, I didn't expect that just because I said I was afraid you'd outshine me, Mom would personally cut your future to pieces."

The cold wind of that shack seemed to still linger in my bones.

I stared at my mother’s well-manicured hands, my heart hammering against my ribs.

She continued to smile as she adjusted my collar, her fingers ready to strike my waistline with the scissors.

Suddenly, my knees buckled, and I lunged forward.

"Oh!"

I let out a cry and crashed into my mother’s arms.

Caught off guard by my sudden fall, her hand slipped.

The scissors sliced through the air and stabbed directly into the back of her own hand.

"Ouch!"

My mother shrieked in pain, and the scissors hit the floor with a loud clang.

I took the opportunity to wrap my arms around her waist, squeezing tightly from behind.

Using my body as a shield, my right hand reached out to the side.

Maya was standing nearby, waiting for the show to begin.

She was wearing a limited-edition dress my mother had custom-made for her, cinched with an exquisite leather belt.

Before she could react, my fingers hooked onto her belt buckle and gave it a sharp pull.

The fastened buckle instantly came loose.

I stood up quickly, feigning total panic.

"Mom! Are you okay? It’s all my fault, I slipped!"

I held her steady, looking deeply concerned.

My mother clutched her bleeding hand, hissing in pain, and shot me a venomous look: "Clumsy girl! We’re going to the Sterlings, and you’re acting like a savage!"

Maya stepped forward, pulling out a silk handkerchief to wrap my mother's hand.

She rolled her eyes at me with contempt before pretending to speak up for me: "Mom, Elena is just nervous, don't blame her. She just got back from the countryside and hasn't seen the world, so it's natural for her legs to go weak."

My father, Arthur, stood at the door with his hands behind his back, glancing at the clock with a scowl: "Enough! Stop wasting time! We’re going to be late, and if you keep Mrs. Sterling waiting, can either of you handle the consequences?"

Father didn't even glance at me; his eyes only softened when they landed on Maya: "Maya looks elegant today, truly sophisticated. Once we’re at the manor, keep an eye on your sister so she doesn't humiliate us."

Maya nodded obediently: "Don't worry, Dad, I'll take good care of her."

She straightened her back, puffing her chest out like a proud peacock.

I lowered my head, a cold smile touching my lips.