"Claire, do you admit what you did?"

The voice was cold and sharp, slicing through the humid summer air like a blade.

Gasping for air in the deep end of the pool, Claire Morgan opened her eyes, the chlorine burning as she blinked. Her vision cleared just enough to make out her older brother, Nathan Morgan, standing at the edge. His face was as icy as his voice. Beside him stood their younger brother, Ethan, gently cradling Ivy in his arms.

And in that moment, it hit her—she had gone back. Back three years, to the very day Ivy had officially been adopted into the Morgan family.

It had been during a lavish welcome party. That was when Ivy had orchestrated the perfect setup, making it look like Claire had pushed her into the pool.

Ethan had seen them both in the water, but without hesitation, he’d swum straight for Ivy—leaving Claire behind, even though she couldn’t swim. Nathan had only glared down from the edge, his voice like steel, demanding a confession before even thinking of saving her.

Desperate and choking, Claire had begged and apologized as she flailed in the water. She was on the verge of blacking out when someone finally pulled her out.

From that moment on, she had bent over backward trying to please Ivy and her brothers—hoping, foolishly, to win back their love. And what had it earned her?

Ivy had stolen her senior thesis, and Nathan had even lied under oath to protect her, getting Claire expelled from college. When Ivy needed a kidney, their brother Logan had shoved her into surgery like she wasn’t even human. And when Ivy wanted the spotlight at an international art showcase, Ethan, Lucas, and Max had booted Claire off the team without a second thought.

Claire had eventually gathered solid proof of Ivy’s plagiarism, but when she showed it to their eldest brother, Blake, he hadn't even looked at it before tossing her out of the family estate.

She had been left with nothing. Alone and discarded, she scraped by however she could.

The memories flooded back—raw and relentless.

Claire clenched her fists, her soaked clothes clinging to her like chains. This time, she swore, things would be different.

Instead of fighting to stay afloat, she let herself sink. Her body drifted toward the bottom, eyes wide open, staring through the water at her brothers fawning over Ivy on the shore.

Even the second time around, it hurt like hell.

How ironic. A biological sister meant less to them than a stranger.

Nathan’s eyes stayed on Ivy until he finally noticed the stillness in the water. Panic struck his face as he turned—only to see Claire motionless at the bottom.

"Claire!" he shouted, going pale before diving in.

Watching from the shore, Ivy let a flicker of satisfaction pass through her eyes. How perfect it would be if Claire really drowned.

But outwardly, she played her part. Coughing weakly, she tugged on Ethan’s shirt and whispered, “I should go in and help her. It’s all my fault. She fell in because of me…”

“Don’t be ridiculous,” Ethan said, his voice tight. “Nathan’s already in there. This is Claire’s own mess.” His eyes darted toward the water, dark and unreadable.

Underwater, Claire watched her brother swim toward her. Just minutes ago, this same man had stood there, cold and unmoved, waiting for her to grovel.

How laughable.

She didn’t need his pity.

Turning sharply, she pushed upward and swam to the edge herself.

She remembered what came next. After nearly drowning, Nathan had forced her to take swimming lessons—with Ivy as her coach. She had hated every second of it, but she endured.

All for what? So Nathan could turn around and praise Ivy’s courage while ignoring the trauma Claire suffered from being deliberately shoved underwater for a full minute?

In Nathan’s eyes, Ivy was always the golden girl.

“What kind of game are you playing now?” Nathan snapped, blocking her path. “Trying to fake another drowning to earn sympathy?” His voice was dripping with suspicion. Since when could she swim?

Claire stared up at him. Once upon a time, she had trusted Nathan more than anyone. Blake was too strict, and Nathan had seemed… softer. But now, all she saw was frustration in his eyes.

“Don’t blame her, Nathan,” Ivy said sweetly. “Claire never liked me joining the family. It’s my fault. I just… I wanted to be part of something. I wanted a real home. Please don’t fight over me. You’re all the family I have.”

Ethan turned to Claire, his voice hard. “Happy now? If her dad hadn’t died saving you in that car crash, Ivy wouldn’t be alone. Maybe we should’ve let you drown that day.”

Nathan’s tone was colder. “Claire, you need to learn to be grateful. Ivy deserves to be here. The Morgans owe her that—and so do you.”

“She pushed Ivy,” Lucas said sharply. “Someone like her will never understand. If Ivy’s dad had saved a dog instead of her, at least it would’ve been loyal.”

Claire felt numb. Like she’d been dunked in ice water all over again.

If she could go back in time, she would rather have died in that crash.

But she swallowed the pain, voice raw. “I’m sorry. It won’t happen again.”

No—it wouldn’t happen again.

They could all have Ivy. She was done chasing people who didn’t love her.

“Claire, how could you?” Nathan asked, still looking stricken. “You knew Ivy can’t swim. What if something had happened to her?”

He looked at her like she was a monster.

Just then, the family doctor arrived. Ethan shot Claire a glare. “You better hope she’s fine. If anything happens to her, Blake won’t go easy on you.”

Nathan hesitated before turning away. He looked back at Claire—soaked, pale, trembling—and softened for a split second.

“Go change. The banquet’s starting.”

Claire said nothing. Only after they left did she let herself collapse against the wall, her body racked with coughing fits. A bitter metallic taste filled her mouth as she stumbled to her room.

Soaked in silence, she drew a bath and sat in the water, trembling. The end of her last life came flooding back.

She had lost everything—her identity, her sanity—until all she could think of was revenge. But before she could act, Blake had her committed to a mental hospital. Ivy had pulled the strings behind the scenes, and the staff there had tortured her until she died.

She let out a cold, joyless laugh that sent shivers down her own spine.

When she opened her eyes again, they were ice.

Dressed now, she glanced around her bedroom—it felt strange. In her past life, this space had been handed over to Ivy. Claire had been shoved into a smaller guest room.

Her gaze landed on a family portrait: a young couple holding a baby, six boys standing around them. Her parents. Gone too soon in a car accident.

That day, the driver had saved Claire first—then went back for her parents. The fuel tank exploded. Everyone died, including the driver.

Ivy was the driver's only child—always sickly, always fragile. After the accident, Blake had taken her in. And from that moment, the Morgans had slowly replaced Claire.

“Ivy needs special meals—make sure she eats every bite.”

“Ivy wants to learn painting. You’ve been studying longer; give her your teacher.”

“Ivy’s entering that competition. Step aside and let her take your place.”

“Ivy’s applying to that university—even if she doesn’t qualify, go with her so you can take care of her.”

Claire clutched her head, heart pounding with pain. No more.

She was done with the Morgan family.

She grabbed her bag and started packing.

Outside her door, a maid called out, “Miss Claire, Mr. Nathan says you need to change into your gown for the banquet.”

“I heard you,” Claire replied flatly.

Minutes later, she strode toward the banquet hall, calm and composed.

The maid blinked, stunned. “God help us… what is she wearing?”

Inside, the ballroom glowed with golden lights.

Ivy, draped in an angelic white gown, looked like a picture-perfect sweetheart. Nathan and Ethan stood beside her, faces full of affection.

The sight was enough to make anyone sick.

Nathan sighed. If only Claire were as sweet and compliant as Ivy. She had become so difficult over the years…

And then someone announced loudly, “Claire Morgan has arrived!”