I was the manipulative second female lead in a novel about true and false heiresses. Everyone loved me, and no matter what I did, I was always in the right.
The female lead was my opposite. Even in the eyes of the male lead, I was his innocent first love, and she was just a stand-in. It wasn't until the female lead tragically died of cancer that everyone realized how much they loved her.
So, on the very first day of my time-travel journey, I took the female lead to the hospital for a check-up, saying, "Let's do an endoscopy."
I was having a smooth sailing life, carefree and happy, so I wished her a life free from cancer.
The day Cecilia came home, our family sat together for a meal, but the atmosphere was awkward.
She sat across from me, a thin, shy country girl. Her eyes sparkled at the sight of the delicious food on the table, but she dared not eat.
Eventually, she couldn't resist and served herself a piece of beef. My mother hurriedly moved the dish in front of me, afraid that I couldn't reach it, "Gina, you love stewed beef the most. I made it especially for you, so eat up."
The light in Cecilia's eyes dimmed.
Seeing this, I picked up the entire plate of beef, divided it in half and gave her a portion. "We have similar tastes, both love meat, we really are sisters."
Everyone was surprised to hear the word "sisters" from me, especially Cecilia who was left with her mouth wide open.
This was a story from Cecilia's perspective. She was the wrongly adopted daughter of a wealthy family, while I was the false heiress who took her place. Even when my parents knew that there was no blood relation between us, they still loved me.
The condition for Cecilia to come home was that my biological parents had to give up my custody right so that I could still live in luxury.
Cecilia's family lived in the countryside. They didn't want to raise a daughter and wished they could marry off the fourteen-year-old Cecilia for money.
My parents were more than willing to spend money, and they happily helped to arrange the adoption contract.
So, I stayed at home, and Cecilia was added to the family. Due to malnutrition, she was small and cringing, looking like an outsider, starkly contrasting with me who was slender and tall.
After dinner, I went back to my room to study. My mother came in to have a heart-to-heart talk with me, "Gina, you suddenly have a sister, are you mad at your father and me?"
"No."
My mother didn't expect such a straightforward answer from me, so she cautiously probed, "Then, will you feel uncomfortable having an extra person at home?"
"This mansion is 3,200 square meters, I won't even notice an extra person."
My mother started to wipe away her tears, "Did you find out about your origins and now you don't consider us your Mom and Dad anymore?"
"Why would you think that?"
My mother held my hand, "Some children will throw a tantrum even if their family has a second child. You've been spoiled since you were a child, but now you're not fighting or arguing. Are you distancing yourself from your father and me, worried that you're no longer our precious gem?"
Seeing my silence, she hastily explained, "Gina, regardless of who it is, no one can make you suffer. I don't want you to worry or be afraid at home. Your father and I have discussed it, if you don't like Cecilia, we'll send her to a private school and let her board there. It will be just the three of us, just like before!"
I sighed.
From Cecilia's perspective, her foster parents didn't love her, barely raised her, and even wanted to sell her. Her biological parents were wealthy, yet they treated her like she was nothing. She was indeed pitiful.
When I first read this story, I was infuriated by the character of the mother and couldn't understand why she was so hard on her own daughter. But when I put myself in Gina's shoes, I realized that she was a great mother.
Even after finding her biological daughter, her first thought was to give me a sense of security and affirm my position in the family. She might be Cecilia's enemy, but she was the best mother to me.
I put my arms around her shoulders, "Mom, my biological parents never raised me for a day. If I had ended up with them, I would have been just a tool for making money. The kindness of raising me is greater than the kindness of giving birth to me. No matter what, you two are my only parents in this life."
My mom, being a soft-hearted woman, teared up and hugged me tightly, "My precious baby!"
We shared a sweet hug, and then I looked at her seriously, "But Cecilia is also your daughter."
My mother averted her gaze.
"She just left home and came here, you need to pamper her a bit. You've spoiled me for fourteen years, but Cecilia missed out on those fourteen years with you."
There was a hint of gratitude in her eyes as she looked at me.
I gently nudged her, saying, "Go."
It was as if a huge weight had been lifted from her heart. She picked up the silk quilt and cheerfully went to Cecilia's room.
Favoritism did exist among parents, but often, the key factor was how the favored child used that favoritism.
The original story didn't have a happy ending.
After Cecilia died of stomach cancer, the male lead only realized too late how madly he had fallen for her, and our wedding was abruptly called off.
I fell into depression, my father's business went bankrupt, and my mother committed suicide by jumping off a building...
Though it may seem overly dramatic, I still believe in the concept of karma.
If Cecilia could have grown up happily, how would our family have ended up in this state?
I knocked on my father's door, "Transfer my sister to my school, so we can look out for each other."
According to the original plot, she was transferred to another private school after I lost my temper and didn't come home for a year.
She later dropped out because she couldn't keep up with her studies, and ended up at my school, where she was bullied and had a miserable adolescence.
I helped her slightly change the plot, which also allowed her to meet the male lead earlier.
I remember, the male lead was from our school.
