Chapter 2

Oscar stood frozen in place. He stared at me in disbelief. Then, I let out a cold laugh and walked past him toward the black-car driver, who was still cursing under his breath. "I'll transfer the compensation money to you later," I said. Hearing that, Oscar clenched his fists tightly, the corners of his eyes reddening. Taken aback at first, I quickly understood. "Oh, I'll use my income, not the Berglings' money," I explained. "Carol!" Oscar cut me off impatiently, but to my surprise, there was a trace of grievance on his face. "You're the sole heiress of the Berglings. If you were to have the Berglings entire fortune, I'd never protest!" he said. I found it laughable and met his eyes, a trace of irony in my voice as I said, "Is that so?" Hearing that, Oscar flinched. It was as if the truth finally clicked. In name, Eveline held the title of the Berglings heiress, while I, the true heiress, had been reduced to a joke. To them, I was nothing but a disgraced lunatic, a woman lost in her own delusions. I laughed hysterically, the sound cracking as tears fell. Oscar and I used to be inseparable. He took me everywhere, even to his movie sets. But now, all his warmth was gone. He would glare at me with icy indifference, commanding me to play second fiddle to Eveline at every turn. Then, he hauled me to the car. His head hung low as he said, "Once Eveline wins the physics award, we'll announce that you're the true Bergling heiress. We'll tell them that everything up until now was a misunderstanding." I couldn't be bothered to answer. Instead, I turned my head and stared out the window. Before I crossed into this world, I was an orphan. During a routine check-up, I was diagnosed with bone cancer. Lying on the hospital bed, I had slipped into a coma from the agonizing pain. When I came to, the system had brought me to this world as a six-year-old child. Then, a voice rang out in my head. "Reach a favorability level of 80 with the Bergling brothers and the male lead, Nathan. Marry him and be rewarded with 100 million dollars and a ticket back to the real world." Following the voice came a burst of static, like a radio losing its signal. I almost thought I'd imagined it. Still, getting a second chance at life and a healthy body was enough of a win for me. Back to the present, the car drove smoothly. Oscar, on the other hand, gripped my wrist tightly. His fingertips brushed the back of my hand gently. It was the same way he used to soothe me when I couldn't sleep. As an orphan, I craved the warmth of a family. I even considered abandoning my mission just to stay, but once Eveline—the orphan I had brought home—arrived, all that love became hers alone. I started by acting like a spoiled child, then I tried sulking. Eventually, I just broke down into hysterics. In the end, all my pain was met with a single, cold remark. "Stop making a scene. Do you have any idea how pathetic you look right now?" The car stopped at the gates of the Bergling residence. I shook off Oscar's hand and stepped out. "Carol!" he said, his voice laced with disbelief. "I'm hurt, and I did it for you…" I cut him off, indifference plastered all over my face. "If you're hurt, go see a doctor. Telling me is a waste of time." I pushed open the Bergling residence's front door. The first thing I saw was Eveline seated on the couch. She was being doted on by everyone in the living room. My eldest brother, Martin Bergling, wore a stern expression as he threw a punch at Nathan's shoulder. "Eveline hadn't had a decent meal or a wink of sleep in three days because of you!" he said. "Is this your idea of looking after her?" However, Eveline quickly stepped in to intervene. "Martin, Albus, please! I'm perfectly fine! This was just a misunderstanding. There's no need for this now that we cleared the air," she replied. I stood at the entrance, watching their touching display of sibling devotion. "Host, I have detected a significant drop in your dopamine levels…" the system said, its voice taking on a somber tone. "Tell me, host. Are you feeling a great sense of sorrow now?"