Their Beloved Golden Girl is Back, So Let Me Die

I am the real heiress of the Sterling family.

It wasn't until I died in poverty in my past life that I realized I was actually the biological daughter of Arthur Sterling, the billionaire tycoon.

After my death, a mystical System bound itself to my soul, offering me a second chance at life.

When I was reborn, I went to the Sterling family and initiated the DNA test myself. But the moment I returned to the family, Chloe, the fake heiress who had stolen my life, left a suicide note and jumped into the ocean.

She died, instantly becoming the untouchable, tragic "golden girl" in everyone's hearts.

And I, the biological daughter, became nothing but her miserable shadow.

My parents wept, demanding to know why I had to come back and ruin everything.

My brother, Julian, cursed me, asking why it wasn't me who died instead.

Even my husband, in our most intimate moments, would whisper her name.

Now that my five-year quest had failed, the System told me it could grant me one last wish before I died for good.

I smiled faintly. "Then bring their precious Chloe back to life."

The System was silent for a long time.

"Can't you do it? Chloe didn't actually die, did she?" I asked.

"Clara, are you sure about this?" the System's mechanical voice sounded almost sad.

I exhaled slowly, my voice cold and resolute. "I'm absolutely sure."

I was done begging for their fleeting affection and love.

The living can never compete with the dead.

Even if that "dead" person was actually alive and hiding somewhere.

In my past life, I was worked to death at a young age, tortured and exploited by my adoptive parents.

After my death, my soul lingered. I heard my adoptive mother, Mrs. Miller, sighing with relief, saying that I was finally dead and could no longer pose a threat to her real daughters future.

That was when I discovered the truth. I was the Sterlings' real daughter.

My biological mother had gone into premature labor while vacationing in our small town, sharing a hospital room with Mrs. Miller.

Seeing how incredibly wealthy my mother was, Mrs. Miller secretly swapped our baby tags.

My spirit drifted to the Sterling mansion. I watched the fake heiress living a life of luxury I couldn't even dream of.

Her bedroom was larger than my entire childhood home. Her walk-in closet was overflowing with designer clothes.

She wore beautiful gowns, carried herself with elegant grace, and had a private chauffeur to take her everywhere.

And my biological parents and brother absolutely adored her.

I couldn't help but think: *If only I had grown up in that house. They would have loved me just as much.*

That was when the System bound with me.

It offered to let me start over, but with one condition.

I had five years to make my family and my husband truly love me. If I succeeded, I could stay in this world. If I failed, I would die permanently.

I accepted the deal without hesitation. How could such a warm, loving family not love their own biological daughter?

So, after being reborn, I took the initiative to find them. When my mother saw my faceso strikingly similar to hersshe broke down in tears of joy.

But during my grand welcoming gala, Chloe left a tragic note and threw herself off a cliff into the ocean.

"I wish Clara all the happiness. Let me, the one who stole her eighteen years of luxury, pay for my sins with my life."

From that day on, everyone blamed me for Chloe's death.

My parents grew cold and distant. Julian hated me for murdering his beloved sister.

But I hadn't done a single thing wrong.

Later, my father forced me into an arranged marriage with the Vance family. Every fiber of my being wanted to refuse because Tristan Vance was originally Chloe's fianc.

But I had spent years walking on eggshells, too terrified to speak up. To my surprise, Tristan agreed to the marriage without a fight.

It had been five years since my rebirth, and I had been married to Tristan for two.

Yet, in those two years, he had never given me a single warm look.

My time was running out. If I couldn't get my family or my husband to love me, I would disappear forever.

I grabbed Tristan's sleeve just as he was about to walk out the door. "Can you just say you love me? Just once."

His dark eyes stared down at me, turning icy cold before he violently shook my hand off.

"Clara, you are truly disgusting."

"You know today is the anniversary of Chloes death, yet you stand here demanding I say I love you? Have you forgotten I was supposed to marry her?"

"The woman I wanted to marry was never you. You stole her place and took things that never belonged to you. Don't push your luck."

But I didn't force him to marry me. The marriage was a business merger between the Sterling Group and the Vance Group. It was purely for profit.

He married me for money, so why was I the one carrying all the blame?

I was his wife. I just wanted to hear him say he loved me. Was that really such a crime?

"I just want to see what kind of magic Chloe has that makes my family and my husband hate me so much. So, bring her back."

I wanted to see if they would feel even a shred of guilt when their precious Chloe appeared before them, perfectly fine.

"Very well. I will grant your wish," the System replied.

I lay lazily on the lounge chair, trying to rest, when my mother called. She immediately started yelling at me, demanding to know why I hadn't gone to Chloes grave to pay my respects. She said I owed her this.

For the past five years, this day had felt like a public execution. I would be dragged out like a criminal while they wept over their memories of Chloe.

"I have things to do today. I'm not coming," I said coldly.

The line went dead silent for a few seconds. She couldn't believe that I, who had spent years desperately trying to please them, had actually rejected her.

I didn't have many days left to live. Why should I go back and let them treat me like garbage?

Besides, their beloved Chloe was coming back anyway.

But my refusal to play along didn't mean they were going to let me go.

The next afternoon, Julian burst into my house, trembling with rage.

"Clara! Why didn't you come home yesterday? You made Mom cry her eyes out!"

The fury in his eyes was so intense it looked like he wanted to burn me alive.

I just stared at him, my expression completely blank.

My lack of reaction only made him angrier. "I hate this fake, emotionless act of yours! Stop pretending!"

"Do you have any idea what yesterday was? It was Chloe's death anniversary! You killed her five years ago, and you don't feel a single shred of remorse? You knew Mom would be devastated, and you didn't even bother to come back and comfort her!"

"You don't deserve to be Mom's daughter. You aren't even worth a single hair on Chloe's head. Why couldn't it have been you who died?"

Listening to his harsh words, I remembered how much it used to hurt. I used to cry and beg for his forgiveness, trying everything to make him like me.

I wanted him to protect me the way other brothers protected their sisters.

But five years of coldness had completely frozen my heart. I was done coddling them.

After all, Chloe was on her way back.

Suddenly, a sharp, stabbing pain flared in my chest. It was happening so fast. In my past life, this was the exact time I had died of bone cancer brought on by extreme exhaustion.

Since I had failed the System's mission, was my body reverting to its cancerous state?

I clutched my chest, my face turning deathly pale as cold sweat broke out on my forehead.

"Clara, cut the act. I'm not falling for your pathetic drama," Julian sneered.

I couldn't help but laugh, a cold, mocking sound escaping my lips. "Wow, you're so smart, Julian. You saw right through me."

"You're right. I did it on purpose. I deliberately stayed away to ruin Mom's day, and now I'm pretending to be sick just to annoy you."

I lifted my chin, looking at him with a spiteful glare I had never shown before. "Seeing how miserable and angry you all are... it actually makes me incredibly happy."

"If I had known this would be so much fun, I wouldn't have spent the last five years acting like a kicked puppy. It's such a pity that a horrible person like me is still alive..."

"...while your precious, perfect Chloe is rotting in the ocean."

I curled my lips into a cruel smile. "Jumping off a cliff... that must have been so terrifying and painful. But honestly, she got off easy after stealing my wealth for eighteen years."

*SLAP!*

A stinging slap landed squarely on my cheek.

My face burned instantly, and my ears started ringing.

Julian's face went pale. He stared at his hand in shock, a brief flicker of regret crossing his eyes.

His mouth opened slightly, and for a split second, I thought he was going to apologize.

But the next moment, his arrogant, defensive mask slipped right back on.

He pressed his lips together, looking down at me with disdain. "You brought this on yourself. You know Chloe is a topic you never touch, yet you deliberately brought her up to provoke me."

With that, he turned on his heel and slammed the door.

Feeling the fiery pain on my face, I finally lost my battle with tears.

To say it didn't hurt would be a lie. I had desperately wanted a brother's love.

I remembered my childhood neighbor, Lily, who had an older brother.

Whenever it rained, he would carry her on his back. When they walked, he would hold her hand.

And whenever their parents scolded her, he would stand in front of her, shielding her.

Every time Mrs. Miller beat me, I would pray to God that I had a brother who would protect me and stand by my side.

But when I finally got a brother, Julian coldly told me that he only had one sister, and her name was Chloe.

That was when I realized not all brothers were created equal.

Still, I had tried so hard to please him. When Chloe "died," Julian was so devastated he couldn't eat or drink.

I stayed up all night to bake his favorite chicken pot pie, only for him to smash the dish onto the floor.

"You will never replace Chloe! Don't you dare touch her recipes! Only Chloe is allowed to make this for me!"

The scalding hot gravy had splattered all over my arms, breaking out into painful blisters.

Tears had welled up in my eyes from the pain, but Julian had only sneered. "It was just a little splash. Stop acting so dramatic. Who are you trying to manipulate?"

Back then, I had lowered my gaze, telling myself that he was just grieving the sister he had lived with for over a decade. I shouldn't hold a grudge. As long as I kept treating him well, he would accept me eventually.

But it was all just a foolish delusion.

Some hearts are made of ice, and no amount of warmth can melt them.

***

In my sleep, I felt a soft sigh brush against my ear.

Then, a cool, soothing ointment was gently spread across my bruised cheek.

"Why do you have to provoke Julian? You know his temper is always terrible around the anniversary."

"You've behaved yourself for five years. Why start trouble now?"

I opened my eyes to see Tristan sitting on the edge of the bed, holding a tube of bruise cream. He clearly already knew what had happened.

"Tomorrow, I'll take you back to the Sterling mansion. I'll make Julian apologize to you," Tristan said.

Looking at his hypocritical face, I let out a dry laugh. "Why are you pretending to be the good guy now? You're no better than Julian."

"If you loved Chloe so much, why didn't you jump off the cliff with her?"

"Everyone says she died because of me, so why did you marry her supposed murderer? Oh, right. Because of the Vance Groups profits. It was a business merger."

"Since you married me but treat me like garbage, making me live in her shadow every day, you're actually worse than Julian."

"Do you have any idea how disgusting it is to watch you perform your tragic, loyal lover act in front of me?"

Tristan stared at me, frozen, as if he were seeing me for the very first time.

I provoked him further. "Do you want to know why Julian slapped me?"

I leaned closer, my eyes flashing with absolute coldness. "I told him that Chloe deserved to die. I said she got what she deserved, that her death was..."

"Clara!"

Tristan growled, his hand wrapping around my throat, squeezing tightly until my face turned red from lack of oxygen.

See? Chloe was their sacred goddess. No one could mention her, no one could criticize her, or they would turn into monsters.

He suppressed his rage, his eyes wild.

"What is wrong with you today? You already have everything that belonged to Chloe. Why can't you just be satisfied? What more do you want before you stop acting up?"

*Acting up.* A slight display of self-respect was considered "acting up" to him.

Maybe because he saw how much I was struggling to breathe, he finally let go of my neck.

I gasped for air, coughing violently, then looked at him with a mocking grin. "What do I want? What if I told you I want you to say you love me?"

There was still time.

If even one of them said they loved me, I could live.

Tristan pressed his lips into a hard line, his eyes turning cold and dismissive.

His silence spoke volumes.

I burst out laughing, tears streaming down my face.

His silence meant: *You stole Chloe's husband. How dare you have the audacity to beg for my heart?*

"Tristan, I really want to see the look on your face when you find out..."

I cut myself off, staring at him with deep amusement. No, it would be much more fun if he discovered the truth himself.

"Find out what?" he demanded.

*Find out that Chloe isn't dead. Find out why she staged her suicide.*

But I didn't say a word.

Ever since Chloe "died," I had lived under a mountain of guilt.

I kept asking myself if my return had truly driven an innocent girl to commit suicide.

During my darkest moments, when I was on the verge of taking my own life, the System had intervened.

"Chloe Sterling is not dead," it told me.

"She ran away with the school's bad boy, Derrick Cooper, because she was pregnant with his baby."

She was too terrified of ruining her perfect image in front of her parents, so she didn't dare confess the truth.

But she also wanted to punish me. So, she played a brilliant final hand.

She staged her suicide on the day of my welcoming gala, escaping with her lover while leaving a note that ruined my life.

I truly couldn't wait to see the look on Tristan's face when he realized his beloved "pure" white angel had actually run away to play house with a deadbeat.

"Clara."

Maybe the mockery on my face was too obvious.

Tristan's expression darkened. "You don't deserve to speak her name."

"Every single day you draw breath, you must remember that you are the reason she is dead. You owe her for the rest of your life."

Tristan left, his face like stone.

Just like Julian, this was the first time he had ever seen me fight back.

That night, the excruciating pain returned. My bones felt like they were being pierced by thousands of tiny needles.

I curled into a ball on the bed, unable to sleep a single wink.

At dawn, I threw up a mouthful of blood.

I asked the System how much longer I had.

The System, which had spent five years with me, sounded like it was on the verge of tears. "Less than two weeks."

"Clara, don't be sad."

I wasn't sad. Before I came back to this family, I was filled with hope and excitement for the future.

But these past five years of being treated like a murderer, of enduring their cold glares, had completely drained every ounce of hope I had.

I actually regretted my choice. I should have just stayed dead in my previous life.

I opened my bedroom door, and Tristan was standing there, his hand raised as if he were about to knock. It was rare for him to look for me so early.

"Let's get a divorce," I said flatly.

Tristans lips went pale, his eyes wide with disbelief. "What kind of game are you playing now?"

"I don't want to live with you anymore. You don't love me, so why keep torturing each other?"

"Don't even think about it. You are never leaving me," he snarled, turning and storming off.

Right after he left, Julian arrived.

He told me Mom was sick and demanded I come back to the Sterling mansion immediately.

As we walked out, Julian looked down at me, his eyes filled with a cruel, smug satisfaction he couldn't hide.

Julian had a reason to be smug.

Ever since Chloe's "death," our mother had been plagued by severe anxiety and persistent fevers.

She was constantly trapped in nightmares, and no doctors could find a physical cause for her fevers.

Later, a spiritual medium told the family that this was a sickness of the soul. The only way she could heal was if the person who caused her grief repented.

Mom's grief, of course, was Chloe.

In her fever dreams, she would scream Chloe's name, weeping and apologizing, saying she regretted ever bringing me back.

She cried that she had let Chloe down.

So, every time Mom fell ill, I was forced to kneel at her bedside, forbidden to stand until her fever broke.

Over the past five years, I had lost count of how many times I had knelt there until I fainted from exhaustion.

But this time, when I walked into Mom's bedroom, I stood straight and kept my eyes lowered. I didn't kneel.

Our father, Arthur, glared at me with pure rage. "You ungrateful brat! Why aren't you on your knees? Your mother gave birth to you! Have you no conscience? How can you stand there and watch her suffer?"

I remained silent.

My father grew even more furious, raising his hand to strike me.

Julian stood by, watching the show with a smirk, mouthing silently: *Apologize to me, and I'll help you.*

I gave Julian a cold look, then voluntarily went down onto my knees.

Whatever. I would kneel. The sooner I died, the sooner I could escape this wretched place.

I never wanted to see these disgusting people ever again.

We were living in the twenty-first century, yet they still believed in spiritual curses. Or maybe they didn't believe it at allthey just wanted a scapegoat, and I was the perfect target.

In the past, even when I was punished, they would at least feed me.

But this time, Julian only sent up three bowls of plain watery congee a day.

I wasn't some weak-willed girl who thrived on scraps. I knew this was Julian's doing. In the past, he would sneak in at night and let me rest.

But this time, Julian stayed in the room, watching me through the night.

His arrogant eyes seemed to say: *Beg me, and I'll let you rest.*

I didn't give him a single glance. My knees had already gone completely numb.

I closed my eyes and forced myself to think of happy memories. But no matter how hard I searched through both of my lifetimes, I couldn't find a single moment of genuine happiness.

From the moment I could remember, Mrs. Miller had treated me like a pack mule.

Whenever I wasn't at school, I had endless chores. And whenever she missed her real daughter, she would lock me in a room and starve me.

After returning to my biological family, I thought I would finally be happy. Instead, I had plunged into an even darker abyss.

I had spent five years tiptoeing around them, begging for just a tiny drop of love.

But they couldn't even give me that.

I couldn't win over a single one of them. I felt like an absolute failure.

Sometimes, I wondered if I was just fundamentally unlovable.

Tristan actually showed up, but he only gave me a cold, passing glance before going to talk to Julian about Moms condition.

He didn't offer a single word of concern for mehis wife, who had been kneeling on the hard floor for days.

"I told you not to be too soft on her. Look what she's become. She actually thinks she can replace Chloe," Julians mocking voice drifted over.

Tristan let out a sharp, sarcastic laugh. "She could never replace Chloe. She isn't even in the same league."

Julian purposely raised his voice so I could hear every word.

"She spent years shamelessly begging for our attention. She even tried to bake chicken pot pies for me just like Chloe did. It was pathetic."

"Shes like a thief who stole Chloe's family and Chloe's husband. Now that a few years have passed, she's finally showing her true, ugly colors."

So, my years of careful devotion were nothing but "shameless begging" and "disgusting" to them.

This was supposed to be my family. How was I a thief? And marrying Tristan was never my choice.

If he hated it so much, he could have refused. Why take his anger out on me?

"Look at her, pretending to be pale and victimized. Who is she trying to fool?"

Since falling ill, my entire body had been racked with constant pain. I was completely exhausted, yet they actually believed I was faking it.

Tristan sneered, walking over and looking down at me. "I'll give you one last chance. Apologize to me."

I slowly lifted my head, my face devoid of emotion. "Please, sign the divorce papers as soon as possible."

Tristans face contorted with rage. He grabbed my wrist, pulling me up roughly.

"Clara, stop throwing these tantrums! Why do you think you got to marry me in the first place? If Chloe were still here, do you think I would have ever looked at you?"

He squeezed my wrist tightly, his voice dripping with venom. "You better take those words back right"

Before he could finish his threat, my body reached its absolute limit.

I coughed violently, and a dark spray of blood splattered onto his expensive shoes.

My legs gave out, and I collapsed onto the floor.

"Clara! Whats wrong with you?"

"Clara! Why are you spitting blood?"

"Stop pretending!"

How hilarious. I actually heard a note of panic in their voices.

My body felt weightless as someone lifted me into their arms.

Almost at the exact same moment, frantic, ecstatic shouting echoed from the hallway outside.

"Chloe is back! Miss Chloe isn't dead! She's alive!"