Second Life but First in Line

When my sister, Amelia, and I are waiting to be adopted at the orphanage, a man and a woman come to visit.

Ambitious as ever, Amelia instantly sets her sights on the elegantly dressed woman named Charlotte Evans, while I end up being chosen by the man in plain, unremarkable clothes.

But to my surprise, the man turns out to be a discreet billionaire. After adopting me, he publicly announces my identity for everyone to see.

Meanwhile, Amelia is taken in by Charlotte, who's so harsh it borders on cruel. She constantly scolds and punishes her.

Moreover, Amelia is bullied at school and even gets doused in dirty water by her classmates.

While she stands there trembling and humiliated, I walk away with friends crowding around me.

Consumed by jealousy and resentment, Amelia waits for the perfect moment and pushes me off a tall building when I least expect it.

The next time I open my eyes, I find myself back on the day we are supposed to be adopted.

I watch as Amelia chooses the man without the slightest hesitation. It's obvious she's come back to this day, just like I have.

On the day we part ways, Amelia gives me a knowing smile. "From now on, I'm going to live the high life. If you ever go hungry, maybe I'll spare you a bite or two."

Outwardly, I look angry, but inside I am over the moon. In this life, Amelia can enjoy her luxurious life, even if it means living comfortably in a gilded cage.

"Sir, can I call you Dad? You look so much like my father, from what I remember. I really miss him."

When Amelia Pearson clung to Henry Foster with tears in her eyes, I knew right then that she had come back to this day, too.

She looked up at him with those big, misty eyes. She was still just a girl, but there was no doubt she'd grow up to be beautiful.

Just as I expected, Henry's eyes lit up, and he quickly bent down to gently help Amelia to her feet.

"Ms. Murphy, I feel a connection with this little girl. Why don't I take her home with me?"

The orphanage director, Vanessa Murphy, couldn't help but glance at Amelia a few more times, obviously confused about why she'd suddenly changed her attitude and handed such a golden opportunity to someone else.

Charlotte Evans stood there with a cold, unreadable expression as she pointed at me. "Then I'll adopt her," she said flatly.

On the day Amelia and I parted, she gave me a meaningful smile. "From now on, I'm going to live the high life. If you ever go hungry, maybe I'll spare you a bite or two."

I kept up an angry front, but inside I was grinning from ear to ear. In this life, Amelia could enjoy her luxurious life, even if it meant living comfortably in a gilded cage.

In our last life, Amelia never hesitated to pick the elegantly dressed Charlotte. She always looked down on poverty and chased after wealth, learning how to read a room before she was even grown.

On adoption day, she dropped to her knees in front of Charlotte, begging her to take her in. And just like that, Henry ended up taking me home.

But when Amelia actually arrived at the Evans residence, she discovered life there wasn't the fairy tale she'd dreamed of. She wanted to be a princess waited on hand and foot, but Charlotte was strict and didn't hesitate to punish her for every mistake.

Since Amelia was so proud and arrogant, thinking that being an Evans made her better than everyone else, she ended up making plenty of enemies at school.

However, Charlotte refused to stand up for Amelia. Sometimes, she even watched the bullying unfold with cold indifference.

The rest of the Evans family wasn't any better, so Amelia found herself bullied at school and then mocked and criticized by the relatives at home.

She felt like she was barely getting through each day.

Meanwhile, after Henry adopted me, he made sure I was taken care of in every way. Little by little, the sallow look from years of malnutrition disappeared, and my face grew healthier and prettier with each passing day.

By the time I reached my sophomore year, I had transferred to the same university as Amelia.

I still remembered the day she stood there shivering, drenched in dirty water, while I walked away with friends crowding around me.

At the university's annual gala, I played a piano piece onstage, becoming the center of attention.

Down in the crowd, classmates whispered to each other, "Amelia Evans looks so much like Emma Foster, but their lives couldn't be more different."

Amelia dug her nails so deeply into her palms that she almost drew blood.

Not long after that, Henry announced in front of the wealthy elite that I was his long-lost daughter.

That was the moment when Amelia's jealousy finally reached its breaking point.

She found her chance and killed me, shoving me off a tall building. The hateful look on her face was something I'd never forget.

It was only after I died that I realized just how wrong I'd been. I'd always remembered my mother's dying wish and gone out of my way to take care of Amelia, even though I was only a year older.

Whenever the orphanage handed out anything good, I always gave my share to Amelia. She grew up chubby and healthy while I was thin and sallow. I even dropped down a grade just to be in the same class as her.

But in Amelia's eyes, that was all just what I was supposed to do. She never once felt grateful.

In this life, she was the first to choose Henry, determined to live as the beloved daughter in a wealthy family.

What she didn't know was that everything in this world came with a price. What she saw as suffering might have been a second chance for me.