Hearing the voice calling him, Eddie withdrew his hand from Katie’s bedroom door. Downstairs, he saw Sally, her face flushed red, clearly running a fever. “I’ll get the car. Let’s head to the hospital right away.” Eddie and Clifford worked together to take Sally to the hospital. Meanwhile, in the upstairs bedroom. Katie lay in bed, her face also red from fever, sweat dripping down her forehead. All night, her body felt weightless as she drifted in and out of unsettling dreams. The next morning, Katie was woken by the constant buzzing of notifications on her phone. Her face darkened as she unlocked her phone and saw that the messages were private notifications from a social media app. Opening them, she found they were almost all filled with insults. She wasn’t surprised. The incident of her pushing Sally into the pool had been shared on the school’s online forum the night before. Sally, leveraging her popularity, used this to turn her supporters against Katie. Katie’s head throbbed painfully, as though it were about to explode. Irritated, she personally logged in to the forum and began fighting back in the comment section. Her language was sharp and brutal. She used every offensive swear word, and those prohibited words were packaged and sent out. In no time, the forum thread’s replies skyrocketed to over a thousand messages, leaving the forum moderators panicked, wondering if the site had been hacked. After hitting “send” on her final post, Katie tossed her phone aside and collapsed back onto her bed. Who cared about keeping up appearances anymore? She didn’t need to please the Maddisons or care about her reputation. She refused to live such a stifled and humiliated life any longer. Not long after, there was a knock on the door from a house staff. “Ms. Katie, it’s time to get up. You’ll be late for school.” School? Katie suddenly remembered—she still had to go to class today! Splashing her face with cold water to wake herself up, Katie forced her mind to clear. If she wanted to sever ties with the Maddisons, she had to finish her education first and secure a good university far away from them. After putting on her school uniform and grabbing her backpack, Katie headed downstairs. Just as she reached the main floor, Eddie and Clifford walked in from outside. When Eddie saw the faint flush on Katie’s face, he instinctively walked up to her and reached out to touch her forehead to check for a fever. But Katie stepped back, avoiding his hand, and turned to sit at the dining table instead. She needed to eat a good meal, recover quickly, and save her energy to study hard for Thalindor University’s entrance exams. Eddie’s hand froze midair before he awkwardly lowered it back to his side. Clifford let out a derisive snort. “See? She’s nothing but an ungrateful brat. And tough as a bull—she’s never sick! Not like Sally, who’s been frail since birth. One little mishap and Sally catches a fever. Katie? Nothing ever happens to her.” Eddie said nothing in response, though he silently agreed. Katie had always been in good health. He sat down at the table. “Sally is sick right now. While she recovers, you’ll need to take care of her at school—make sure she’s doing okay until she’s back to full health. Understood?” Katie’s behavior was growing increasingly out of line. He couldn’t let her continue like this. If she didn’t understand gratitude, he’d have to force her to learn. Clifford chimed in, his tone harsh, “Katie, Sally’s father saved your life, and now you’ve almost taken hers. The least you can do to atone is to take good care of her!” Katie focused on her breakfast, eating with deliberate care. Though she had little appetite, she forced herself to eat. There were less than 100 days until the university entrance exams. Once those were over, she could leave the Maddisons for good. Clifford, annoyed by her indifference, slammed his hand down and snatched her forks away. “I’m talking to you! Are you deaf?” Katie raised her head, her dark eyes clear and silent as they locked onto Clifford’s. Clifford’s tone turned commanding. “When Sally needs her medication, you’re to fetch her water. During lunch, go to the cafeteria and get her food—make sure it doesn’t get cold on the way. If she needs help going to the bathroom, you’ll go with her. Her father saved your life, so this is the least you can do to repay that debt. Do you hear me?” Katie’s voice was flat. “Yeah.” But hearing and agreeing weren’t the same thing. Without another word, Katie walked out of the house. Stepping outside, she looked up at the sky, forcing back the tears that threatened to fall. She thought that rebirth would make her immune to these feelings, but hearing Clifford’s words just now, she still felt like needles stabbing her heart. She remembered how, when she was little and sick, Eddie had stayed by her bedside all night, and Clifford had told her jokes to coax her into taking her medicine. But ever since Sally arrived, whenever she fell ill, she was left to fend for herself, while her brothers always rushed to Sally’s side first. Swallowing the bitterness in her throat, Katie got into the car, closed her eyes, and rested. Just a little longer—less than 100 days, and she’d be free. At school, Katie headed straight for the senior-year classroom. The moment she walked in, the previously noisy room fell completely silent. Her recent online tirade on the school forum had spread like wildfire, leaving everyone wondering if Katie had lost her mind. “Do you think something happened to her? Maybe she’s completely given up.” “Probably just stopped pretending. This is the real Katie—petty and vicious.” Katie heard the whispers around her but didn’t react. She placed her bag on the desk and immediately laid her head down to sleep. For the entire morning, she didn’t move. At lunchtime, Sally arrived in the classroom. She was still hooked up to an IV drip, and the moment she entered, she drew the sympathy and concern of her classmates. Katie frowned at the commotion but changed her position and continued to rest. Not long after, someone slapped her desk loudly. Annoyed, Katie raised her head, her sharp gaze tinged with irritation. Standing before her was Sally, flanked by two of her lackeys, both of whom looked impatient and ready for a fight. Katie’s eyes narrowed slightly. These two lackeys were Sally’s loyal followers who often spread rumors about Katie, ganged up to bully her, and fabricated lies to tattle to her brothers. Sally’s voice was soft and weak. “Katie, what would you like for lunch? I can get it for you. Please don’t be mad at me, okay?” Katie’s tone was cold. “No need.” The first lackey, Belinda Potter, immediately exploded. “Katie, stop being so ungrateful! Sally’s sick and still thinking about you!” “Exactly! You should be taking care of Sally at school after everything you’ve done to her.” Sally coughed weakly and said, “Please don’t blame Katie. I can take care of myself—I’ve always been alone anyway. Don’t make her angry because of me.” “Sally, you’re just too kind. That’s why people like Katie bully you!” Katie’s patience wore thin. Standing up, she prepared to leave the classroom. But just as she walked out, Sally suddenly stumbled forward, knocking over the IV stand. The IV bottle shattered on the ground, and Sally fell directly onto the shards. What a coincidence. It seemed like fate itself was orchestrating this melodrama. The classroom erupted into chaos, and Katie’s headache worsened from all the noise. She opened her mouth to say something, but before any words could come out, her vision went black, and she collapsed. When Katie regained consciousness, the sharp smell of disinfectant filled her nose. Was this the school’s infirmary? “Your temperature is 102.2 degrees. Did you want to see how long you could survive before fully cooking yourself?” Katie turned her head to see a tall, lean man in a white lab coat. His cold eyes and masked face gave him a sharp, aloof air. She remembered him. He was the new school doctor who had caused a stir among the students because of his good looks. But his mouth was as sharp as a scalpel. This school doctor hadn’t stayed long in her previous life. Katie sat up, feeling much better. The IV seemed to have done its job. “I can leave now, right?” she asked, her voice hoarse. “Not until a family member comes to get you,” the doctor said lazily, leaning back in his chair. “If you collapse on the way home, I’m not dealing with it.” The doctor, Ryan Ashford, lounged in his chair, his tone unusually casual. Truly, a school doctor with a sharp tongue. Katie’s lips curled into a bitter smile. “I don’t have family.” Just as the words left her mouth, Clifford’s voice rang out from outside the infirmary. “Sally, are you okay? How did you get so badly hurt?” “Clifford, it’s just a minor scrape. Don’t blame Katie—it wasn’t her fault. I’m just clumsy and knocked over the IV stand myself,” Sally said weakly. Belinda added fuel to the fire. “That’s not what happened! Sally offered to get Katie lunch, but Katie refused and got angry, then deliberately tripped Sally. We all saw it!” The second lackey, Josephine Wilkinson, chimed in. “That’s right! Sally’s sick but still worried about Katie, and Katie pushed her over. She’s so cruel!” Clifford’s voice erupted with anger. “Where’s Katie? Get out here! How dare you make Sally do anything for you? Her father should’ve let you die in that car crash instead of saving you, so you wouldn’t be here tormenting his daughter!” Hearing this, Katie’s lips twisted into a mocking smile. It was exactly the same as in her past life—Sally’s word was law. A second later, the curtain beside Katie was yanked open. She looked up, her pale face and cracked lips making her appear weak and fragile. “Katie, you—” Clifford froze, his words stuck in his throat as he saw her condition.