The Reborn Heiress Defeats the Schemer

I traveled time to a story about the true and false daughters of a wealthy family, becoming the real daughter who had been lost for years.

On the day I was brought back home, I was prepared to be hated by my whole family.

To my surprise, my parents and brother showered me with affection, while the false daughter was ignored.

Slowly, I let my guard down.

But when I gave them all my sincerity, I suddenly heard a chime sound.

"Brinley's true affection level has reached one hundred. Mission accomplished, reward granted."

In an instant, I aged dramatically, my life hanging by a thread.

Meanwhile, the false daughter was radiant, embraced tightly by the family.

Only then did I realize that my family was just doing a task, and their affection was merely a ploy to transfer my life force to the false daughter.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day I was brought back home.

Once more, I heard a chime sounded.

"Win Brinley over. Success brings rewards, failure means erasure!"

1

I was reborn at fifteen, on the day I was brought back home.

My family all looked at me with smiles, as if I were a long-lost treasure.

But the next moment, I heard a chime sounded.

"Win Brinley over. Success brings rewards, failure means erasure! Brinley's initial true affection level is 20. When it drops to 0, you all will be killed immediately."

My mother's smile grew warmer as she took my hand, asking about my hardships. "Brinley, you must be suffering outside? You're so thin. You must not have eaten well. Make sure to eat more now that you're back."

My brother carried my luggage into the house with a grin. "Brinley, knowing you'd be back, I prepared a big room for you. Come and see."

My father personally peeled an apple for me. "Brinley, apples are good for you. They're nutritious and beneficial."

I glanced over the scene before me.

Everything was exactly as it had been in my previous life.

Back then, I knew from the story that the real daughter would face a tragic fate upon returning home, so I was prepared to be hated by my whole family.

Yet, after I came back, my parents and brother lavished me with love, sidelining the false daughter.

They explained that they kept her because her biological parents had passed away, and out of kindness, they decided to raise her until adulthood.

I believed them and gradually lowered my defenses in the warmth of their familial love.

Until I truly accepted them as my family and was about to give them gifts, I suddenly aged dramatically.

My features and organs deteriorated rapidly, and even breathing became difficult.

The Harvey family's members, whom I thought cared for me, immediately revealed their true colors, showing their sinister faces.

"Did you really think we considered you a daughter of the Harvey family? If not for the quest system instructing us to win you over, you wouldn't have set foot in our home, even though you are our biological daughter."

They cast me a disdainful look and turned to care for the false daughter.

"Clara, you suddenly gained many years of life. Do you feel much better?"

Their words hit me like a ton of bricks.

I laughed bitterly, understanding everything.

Their kindness was just a strategy to strip away my lifespan for the false daughter, Clara.

I could never forget the pain before my death.

Now that I was reborn, I would never be blinded by false family affection again.

If they wanted to complete the mission, then let them do it.

Because I discovered the system could only detect surface emotions.

And surface emotions were just my thoughts.

In my past life, I was too attached to family affection and was kept in the dark.

This time, the progress of the task would be controlled by me.

2

The false daughter, Clara, did not come out to welcome me.

In my past life, I thought they were afraid Clara would harm or trouble me.

But now I realized they were afraid I would hurt her.

I asked the same question as in my previous life. "I haven't met Clara yet. Which room does she stay in?"

Their faces changed slightly at the same time.

Finally, my mother spoke first, "Her room isn't very big, quite cramped, and she's stubborn. I am afraid she might hurt you."

She gave the same answer as I did in my previous life.

I inwardly mocked but outwardly complied.

My mother, still uneasy, added, "Brinley, try not to spend time with Clara. She's spoiled and might lead you astray."

I knew she didn't want me to see Clara's room, which, despite its small appearance, was at least twice the size of mine and lavishly furnished.

Even if they were just putting on a show, they didn't want Clara to suffer.

My room had all the essentials but was modest.

Clara's room was filled with luxury products, with dolls and toys of all kinds.

But in my past life, I didn't think much of it.

I was even happy because my room seemed spacious.

I was ignorant in my previous life and didn't understand many things.

Looking back now, I realized how foolish I was.

I obediently agreed and turned to my room to unpack.

At this age, I wasn't yet eighteen and lacked independence. I needed their presence.

After unpacking, I intended to take a shower, but heard a quarrel from Clara's room.

Instinctively, I looked over. Clara's door wasn't fully closed, so the voices drifted out.

They probably weren't used to having an outsider like me around.

"Mom, how could you speak ill of me in front of her? Who does she think she is? Does she deserve to laugh at me?"

A clear male voice followed. "Exactly, Mom. Clara is my sister. What is that girl? You speak ill of Clara in front of her, making Clara lose dignity."

"Bryson, if Clara doesn't understand, do you not understand either?"

My mother's slightly sharp voice sounded. "The three of us are bound by the system. As long as Brinley's true affection level reaches one hundred, Clara can live fifty more years. She's been sickly since childhood and depends on this lifespan.

That's why I'm working hard to win Brinley over. Otherwise, if she notices something's wrong, not only will Clara not benefit, but the three of us will be killed!"

Then, my mother's voice turned gentle, "Clara, you need to be obedient. I'm counting on you to take care of me in my old age."

Afterward, she comforted Clara for a while.

Finally, my father, who rarely spoke, concluded, "Enough, don't stay here too long. Brinley might get suspicious. Let's go out. Remember, no matter what we think, we must outwardly show that we value and love Brinley."

I retreated back to the room in time, sneering in my heart.

Let us see who would win this time.

At the dinner table, my parents kept placing meat in my bowl, urging me to eat more.

I didn't hold back, dumping an entire plate of meat into my bowl.

Clara's face filled with grievance, tears welling in her eyes.

My brother, Bryson, seeing this, stood up and shouted at me, "What are you doing? Haven't you ever eaten meat before? Even pigs aren't as gluttonous as you."

I looked up, meeting his sharp gaze, feeling a bit dazed.

In my previous life, Bryson had also scolded me angrily because of Clara, and afterwards, my parents pretended to blame him.

At that time, I was moved by their performance, thinking my parents were truly good to me.

How ridiculous!

"What are you looking at..."

Bryson reached out as if to hit me, but at the critical moment, my dad cleared his throat softly.

It was as if he received a signal, and Bryson's contorted expression quickly softened, even squeezing out a smile. "Brinley, I am just worried that eating too much meat might upset your stomach, that's why I got angry. Don't take it to heart. I apologize."

"I knew you wouldn't dislike me."

I took two steps forward and hugged Bryson's arm, smiling brightly while my eyes remained cold.

If they wanted to act, I would play along.

I had made up my mind.

I would use the Harvey family as a stepping stone, leveraging their connections to secure the best educational resources for myself.

Education would change my fate.

This was true in both my original world and this book world.

Therefore, I would not break off relations with the Harvey family for now.

"Hint! Brinley's true affection level is +10. The current true affection level is 30."

When the voice rang in my head, I clearly saw the three of them visibly relax.

They exchanged glances quickly, then enthusiastically served more food into my bowl.

This time, it was all vegetarian, under the guise of being "healthy."

Seeing me eat the vegetables, they smiled as if pleased with my obedience.

I didn't mind.

If I wanted to deceive them, I must first let them benefit.

I knew the truth.

Anyway, the accounts would eventually be settled.

3

My family excelled at keeping up their reputation, sending me to the city's top high school.

Riding on their coattails, I studied hard.

With the experience of two lifetimes, my previously average grades began to improve.

Before long, my sixteenth birthday arrived.

The Harvey family celebrated my birthday at home and even prepared a birthday gift.

It was a dress.

It was pretty but of poor quality.

In my previous life, I didn't think much about it. I was just grateful for the first gift I received after living two lives.

It was from this moment that I began to learn to let my guard down.

After all, before travelling the time and space, I was an orphan, longing for family affection.

Otherwise, I wouldn't have been completely deceived by the Harvey family's superficial care.

In my previous life, not long after I put on the dress, I broke out in a rash.

The Harvey family rushed me to the hospital, carefully taking care of me, completely winning me over.

Thinking back, there must have been something wrong with the dress. They wanted to send me to the hospital on purpose so that they could win me over easily.

But this time, it wasn't going to happen.

I pretended to be delighted, carefully putting the dress away, saying I would wait until Christmas to wear it.

As I turned to the staircase, I heard Clara's excited voice coming from the living room downstairs. "This is a brand-name dress from overseas. Thank you, Mom and Dad, and Bryson. I knew you all loved me the most."

From my vantage point, I could see Bryson's indulgent smile.

"You're my sister. Who else would I spoil if not you? Certainly not Brinley." Bryson snorted, "She's just a country bumpkin. She's not as cherished as you. Let me tell you, the dress we gave her this time was just picked up from a small stall, and it was soaked in seawater. It will make her uncomfortable. She doesn't know the truth. Her eyes lit up at the sight of the dress. How unsophisticated."

My mom whispered, "That's enough. Don't say anymore. She's gone to put away the dress. When she comes out, Clara, you should act sad."

I sneered, pausing for a moment before pretending to have just finished tidying up and stepping out. "Mom, this is my first gift, so I took extra care in putting it away."

As soon as I spoke, Clara feigned envy. "Mom and Dad love you, Brinley. We share the same birthday, but I didn't get a gift. But it's fine. I've already taken many of your gifts in previous years. From now on, all of Mom and Dad's gifts will go to you."

I always knew Clara wasn't to be underestimated.

As expected, as soon as she finished speaking, the smiles on the Harvey family's faces became strained.

If I hadn't been watching them closely, I wouldn't have noticed. No wonder I didn't catch it in my previous life.

I knew they were feeling sorry for Clara, who appeared to be beneath me on the surface.

How ridiculous!

They even felt sorry for her pretending to be wronged.

4

A week passed, and Clara was sent away.

My mom said they were afraid I'd feel sad seeing her, so they sent her to the countryside.

I put on a look of complete trust and gratitude, making they beam with smiles.

After Clara left, my parents treated me with exceptional care, constantly checking on me and showing concern.

But just a few days later, my dad said he was fired, and our family had to live frugally.

It was summer, yet we could only use an electric fan because the air conditioner consumed too much power.

My parents were filled with guilt.

Sometimes, to save electricity, my mom would sit by my bed at night, fanning me to keep me cool.

If I hadn't accidentally discovered that their room secretly had the air conditioner on during a midnight trip, I might have been fooled again.

During the day, our meals had no meat, and the feasting on rich foods turned into mushy vegetables.

Bryson comforted me, "Brinley, our family is struggling financially now. Our parents still have to support our education. You need to be more understanding."

It seemed like Bryson suddenly matured overnight, taking the lead in eating mushy vegetables.

But despite eating the same food every day, a few days later, the three of them visibly gained weight while I lost weight.

I said nothing because I knew the truth.

The so-called story of my dad being fired was fabricated.

This scenario had played out in my past life too.

Not only that, but Clara being sent away wasn't what they claimed. They sent her to a villa in the countryside, feasting on rich foods, even having a dedicated maid to cook and clean for her.

They stayed behind to pretend to care while actually punishing me, the one who had supposedly stolen Clara's happiness, under the guise of love.

I forced a smile, just like in my past life, growing even closer to them.

"Hint! Brinley's true affection level is +20. The true affection level is 50."

My parents and Bryson were elated.

I was also pleased because the higher this level, the faster they would meet their death.