Chapter10 They were always telling me that if I played nice with Ashley , things would go easier for me . But here was the thing . Ashleys parents were gone , and mine were still around , but they chose to ignore me over her . So , what made my life any different from an orphan ? It was Christmas . I was in the kitchen filling up a pot with water when Ashley strutted in , all dressed up in her newest dress . Grace , do you think this dress looks good on me ? I ignored her and tried to move past her . But she wasnt having it . She latched onto my arm from behind . Im waiting for an answer . I frowned , trying to pull away . She grabbed my other hand , splashed herself with the hot water , and then let out a scream . Please no Grace ! What are you doing ?! I asked her. Who do you think Moms going to believe , you or me ? Ashley smirked , and right on cue , my mom walked in and saw the whole thing , just the way Ashley had set it up . Grace , if youve got an issue , you come to me , my mom said , her voice heavy with disappointment . Why would you do this to Ashley ? Ashley was all teary eyed , playing the victim . Mom , please dont be mad at Grace . Its my fault . 10:57 My brother yanked my arm . Are you jealous of Ashley ? You know we have family coming over , and you messed up her dress on purpose ? My dads face was a storm cloud . Grace , youre grounded . You stay here and think about what youve done . Ashley , go change , and well all head out for dinner . Ashley looked like she was about to cry , and my mom was right there , soothing her with gentle words and a soft touch . I used to feel that warmth , but it was a distant memory from another life . If they had just looked a little closer , only looked at me for a moment , they might have seen the burn in my hand . But no , they didnt . They all left , a happy little family of four , without even looking back . As she was leaving , Ashley shot me a triumphant glance , as if to say , Grace , Ive won again . It didnt take much longer than two weeks for my moms Instagram to become a chronicle of Ashleys adventures with our family , showcasing their delicious meals and memorable trips . My brother even brought a cake once , but it was only for her , and they didnt even share a slice of it with me . It felt like I was the one whod been forgotten . Before I died in my previous life , I posted something on Instagram too . If you dont love me , why did you even have me ? But all I got was being called a Drama Queen . Those two words were what pushed me to jump off the rooftop without a 25564 10:57 Chapter second thought . I spent my whole high school years back then living in that unfairness . In this life , I avoided all of them , and the absence of constant conflict with Ashley allowed a significant shift in my overall well- being . The release of tension and frustration brought by the absence of conflict with Ashley had a profound impact on me . As a result , I woke up feeling more refreshed and energized each morning.I was able to focus more on my studies and witness great improvements , while Ashley remained stuck in a cycle of average grades . No matter how much effort she put into it , she couldnt reach my pace . When the second semester of our senior year started , the school announced a parent teacher conference . This was normal , every semester , and my parents would never come to mine , but I wanted to be optimistic , so I told my mom about it . I thought she would go , but she said , Grace , you know Ashley has been struggling with her grades since her real parents passed away . Weve already promised to go to her conference . You understand , right ? Did I understand ? No , I didnt . I never understood why they had a preference for her over me . 10 571 Chapter ms Mouchers . In my previous life , I had let all of it affect me , and my grades were bad , and because I wasnt doing well , my dad said it would be embarrassing for him to be there . Now that Ashley was the one with the poor grades , they couldnt miss it for the world . I thought I was past feeling hurt , but I found myself saying , Mom , could you come for me ? Ashley has Dad with her . But my mom just frowned , Grace , I thought youd be more considerate . Its an important day for Ashley , and we need to be there for her . Of course , it was an important day for her , not me . They were sure to be there for their adopted daughter , and it was fine for their own daughter to go to the parent teacher conference alone . I must have been crazy to think that maybe , just maybe , if I did well , my mom would care about me a little more . It turned out that some things would never change . 10 571 Chapter ! Chapter11 After her grandfather's death, she unexpectedly discovers that both her sister and boyfriend betrayed her, taking away the family fortune left by her grandfather. Determined to seek revenge, she decid...