Chapter 1: My Good Family
“Look closely. These are the people you once trusted—your family, your lover.”
Jinley Reed’s head throbbed. A sharp pain radiated from her brow as she was forced to lift her gaze. On the massive screen, her father laughed heartily on a golf course, her stepmother lounged comfortably in a luxury salon, and her stepsister twirled a diamond ring on her finger, smiling with satisfaction.
And her boyfriend—Adrian Yu—stood onstage, receiving the award that should have been hers.
“I’m humbled by this honor,” he said, full of fake sincerity. “I thank my parents, my team... and all who believed in me.”
Jinley’s hands clenched into trembling fists.
He had taken everything.
Her career, her trust, her future.
She had helped secure the film. She had paved the way. Yet Adrian, together with her stepmother and stepsister, had betrayed her—offering her up to powerful men in exchange for his rise to fame.
She had been discarded like an unwanted script.
"You really thought someone like you could win?" a voice sneered in the background.
A harsh jolt knocked her to the ground. Jinley gasped, her body curling in defense. Her skin was bruised, her thoughts hazy.
“You were just a stepping stone,” the man’s voice continued coldly. “They planned it all. Your accident. Your disappearance. The rumors.”
She could barely keep her eyes open, but she understood.
They had staged everything.
When her father's business faltered, when her family’s wealth crumbled, the ones who claimed to love her revealed their true faces. Her stepmother, her stepsister Mona, and even Adrian—each had played a part in handing her over, like a pawn to be sacrificed.
She had tried to escape. She remembered running through the storm to Adrian’s home, desperate and terrified.
“They can’t do this to me,” she had cried.
And Adrian? He had embraced her, soothed her. He handed her a glass of milk and whispered, “It’ll be okay. Just rest.”
The milk had been drugged.
When she awoke, her body was weak, her surroundings unfamiliar. She heard muffled voices. Mona. Her stepmother. Even her father.
They had all gathered. Watching. Waiting.
“You always thought you were better than me, didn’t you?” Mona's voice was filled with hatred. “Let’s see how far that pretty face gets you now.”
She remembered Adrian’s calm voice from across the room: “Don’t leave marks. That’s not what the client wants.”
That night, her world collapsed.
In the following days, the media erupted with scandals—claims of infidelity, arrogance, and misconduct. Her reputation was torn apart. Brands dropped her, fans abandoned her, and colleagues turned away.
Then came the headlines: Rising Star Presumed Dead in Tragic Car Accident.
A fitting end, they said.
The final curtain call.
“Regret it yet?” came a whisper in her ear, snapping her back to the present. “You cost me a fortune.”
She felt a hand lift her chin.
“You were brilliant on screen. I watched all your films.”
His words were a twisted echo of admiration. Jinley shut her eyes, her mind spiraling into silence.
She had nothing left.
No allies.
No voice.
No escape.
But deep in her bones, something stirred—rage, grief, resolve. A fire that refused to die.
The darkness closed in.
And then—
“Sis! Wake up!”
A familiar voice. Annoyingly sweet, sickeningly familiar.
Jinley’s eyes flew open, her heart pounding.
Sunlight streamed through an open window. The scent of summer flowers drifted through the air.
Hadn’t she just…?
“Sis?” the girl called again. “Why are you staring at me like that? You look pale.”
It was Mona Ning. Dressed in white. Smiling as if nothing had ever happened.
Jinley bolted upright.
This room—it was her grandfather’s summer estate. The scent, the layout—everything was exactly as it had been... before.
Her hands flew to her face. No bruises. No scars.
She stumbled into the bathroom, slamming the door shut.
The mirror reflected a young, untouched version of herself. Clear skin, bright eyes, and the fierce spark of nineteen.
She looked at her phone. The date blinked on the screen.
Eight years ago.
She was back.
Back before the betrayal. Before Adrian. Before the nightmare.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Sis! Grandpa is waiting for you!” Mona’s voice chimed from outside. “Don’t forget your dream! If you don’t tell him today, he’ll pressure you into painting!”
Jinley stared at her reflection, heart thudding.
This was the day she had fought with her grandfather. The day that led to his heart attack.
All because they told her to chase fame.
Tears stung her eyes.
She had been such a fool.
In her last life, she begged for someone to save her.
But now, she finally understood—
No one was coming.
She would save herself.
