As Song Mei returned to a time ten years ago, she knew this was her second chance—a rare chance to rewrite her fate. Her rebirth had granted her an opportunity to correct her path, to remember every painful detail that led her to her miserable end. This time, she wouldn't be naïve.
"I must remember it all. Every betrayal. Every injustice. Every crack that widened until I fell into an abyss of despair."
Song Mei and Song Ning were the only daughters born into the Song family in over a century. The birth of twin girls should've been a grand celebration, but it wasn't. The family, thrilled with the arrival of their beautiful and delicate firstborn, Song Ning, treated that day as a festival. Song Ning was cherished like a rare jewel.
Aside from the twin daughters, Mr. and Mrs. Song already had three sons. Mr. Song's younger brother also had two sons. In short, the family was full of male heirs—so the arrival of daughters, especially Song Ning, felt like a divine blessing.
Yet, no one in the family—or the public—knew that Song Ning had a twin.
Only the delivering doctor and a nurse knew of the second baby, Song Mei. Due to an undisclosed deal with a desperate couple from a rural village, they secretly gave Song Mei away. The couple had wanted a boy and were furious when given a girl. But the doctor threatened them with legal consequences if they didn't take her, citing that child kidnapping was now involved.
Scared, they accepted the child. For five years, Song Mei lived as an unwanted burden in a dilapidated farmhouse.
Years later, the same nurse who had orchestrated the swap discovered she had terminal cancer. A superstitious woman, she sought a priest who told her to confess her sins to lessen her karmic debt. That's when she informed the Song family of their long-lost daughter. And perhaps, she hoped, she'd be rewarded with money in exchange for her confession.
When the Song couple discovered the truth, they were shocked. But they ultimately agreed that the blood of the Song family shouldn't be left to grow up in obscurity. Grandpa Song ordered them to bring Song Mei back.
However, when they saw Song Mei in person, the couple were overcome with shame and regret. This girl had coarse manners, no sense of refinement, and dressed like a poor farmer. Nothing about her resembled the elite upbringing they had envisioned for their daughters.
Despite their embarrassment, they conducted a DNA test—Song Mei was indeed their biological daughter.
Song Mei's adoptive parents caused a huge commotion, demanding compensation for raising her. The Song family, more concerned about public image than morality, paid them off under the condition that they never contact Song Mei again.
Confused but hopeful, Song Mei imagined a new beginning. She thought she would finally live a life of comfort, filled with affection, tasty meals, and the warmth of a real family. She never expected this new life to become her prison.
At first, Song Ning welcomed the idea of having a sister. But soon fear took root in her heart. She worried that Song Mei, with her tragic backstory, would steal the spotlight and affection of the family.
She voiced her insecurities to her parents, crying that she didn't want to be forgotten. Of course, the entire family rallied around Song Ning, vowing to protect their delicate angel.
From that day on, Song Mei was treated like an outsider in her own home. A maid was hired to care for her, and she was largely ignored at family gatherings.
Every gaze was filled with scrutiny. Every conversation stopped when she entered the room. And when she met Song Ning for the first time, she felt an overwhelming inferiority complex. Song Ning was beautiful, refined, and adored. She was everything Song Mei wasn't.
All Song Mei ever wanted was to be treated equally. She didn't need praise—just acknowledgment. But her quiet desire turned into resentment. That resentment slowly morphed into jealousy, and then it became hatred.
She began to scheme, hoping to bring Song Ning down, but it only pushed her further away from the family. Her brothers even warned her—if she ever harmed Song Ning, they would abandon her completely.
Afraid yet stubborn, she tried harder to make Song Ning suffer. The most recent act? Pushing her down the stairs.
Unbeknownst to her, a hidden camera captured everything.
The Song family was livid. They demanded an explanation. But instead of remorse, Song Mei unleashed years of pent-up frustration.
"You've never loved me. None of you. If only Song Ning didn't exist, maybe then… maybe then I would be the one you cherish."
Disgusted, Mrs. Song slapped her. Her brothers berated her. Mr. Song turned his face away.
In a fit of despair, Song Mei grabbed a fruit knife from the table and slashed her wrist.
"You want compensation for Song Ning? Fine. Here's my blood. Is that enough?"
Mrs. Song screamed. The room erupted in panic.
"You disgust me," Song Shaoting spat.
"Where did you dig up this revolting trash?" Song Feng snarled.
And so, Song Mei became the villainess. The disgrace. The unwanted.
She remembered nothing after that except darkness. The blood loss had rendered her unconscious. When she awoke again, it was to this moment—reborn, rewound, and ready to rewrite everything.
"Ah… so today is the day I'm supposed to confront Song Ning and be ordered to kneel before her. I refused last time, and they threw me into the ancestral hall for three days—no food, no water."
She shook her head. "I'm not doing that again. What was I thinking back then? Fighting for the scraps of their affection? Letting them trample over my pride?"
Not this time.
It had been two years since she joined the Song family at age 14. That was two years of rejection, humiliation, and fake smiles. Her hatred had fermented into something sharp and cold. It no longer consumed her. It fueled her.
School was no better. She never hid her complicated feelings toward Song Ning. The result? Everyone turned against her. They protected their so-called angel like she was heaven-sent. Song Mei had become the villain in their perfect fairy tale.
"Protect her all you want. I don't care. I'm done listening to your hypocritical nonsense."
Today, she would start by ending this forced drama.
She selected a simple yet elegant outfit—one that reflected her inner transformation. In two years, they'd tried to polish her like a diamond, force elegance into her bones, erase her countryside roots.
Ironically, they succeeded. But not the way they imagined.
She looked into the mirror.
"Hmm. Nice choice, Song Mei. You're ready to go."
KNOCK KNOCK.
"You may come in."
"Miss Mei, Elder Mr. Song and Mrs. Song are calling you to the main house," the butler announced politely.
"I'm coming. You can go now," she replied calmly.
The butler was startled by her composed tone. So was she, a little.
As she stepped out of her room and into the hallway, Song Mei whispered to herself:
"It's time to change your awful destiny."