Reborn: No More Good Girl

In my past life, Mom and Dad force me to jump into a freezing lake to fish out the necklace Ramona Stone, their adopted daughter, dropped. I end up running a 104-degree Fahrenheit fever, lying in bed barely conscious, while my whole family flies off to Solara for a vacation just to cheer Ramona up. I call Mom, trembling and barely holding on, only to be met with impatience. "Ramona is finally in a better mood, Harper. Do you really have to be so inconsiderate? You should just take some medicine yourself." I have no choice but to drag my weak body downstairs to look for medicine. I accidentally fall down the stairs and lose my life. I open my eyes and find myself back on the first day of summer vacation before my junior year of high school. Ramona dangles the necklace in front of me, then leans close. "You wouldn't refuse to help me retrieve it, would you, Harper? Mom says we need to help each other out, after all." I dodge her and hurl the necklace straight into the middle of the lake this time. "Screw you! I'm done with this family!" Chapter 1 Harper's POV "Have you lost your mind, Harper? Go help Ramona get her necklace back! You're truly from the sticks! You have absolutely no manners! Who gave you the right to just throw away someone else's stuff?" My mother Megan Campbell's shrill voice rang out nearby. I finally realized what I had just done when the shock of being reborn had only just passed. I looked around and found myself in the same familiar backyard of the villa. In my past life, years of being passed from place to place had left me timid and overly sensitive. I was afraid my biological parents would resent me, so even though I knew Ramona was trying to humiliate me, I still jumped into the freezing lake. I spent ages searching for the necklace, and by the time I climbed out, I had a high fever. They, on the other hand, didn't even leave me a single box of medicine. They left on a vacation to Solara with Ramona instead, supposedly to help her unwind. Ramona was standing right in front of me now, dressed in a new Chanel dress and wearing a pitiful expression. "That necklace was a birthday present from Mom and Dad, so it means a lot to me, Harper. How could you just throw it into the lake? I'll forgive you as long as you go into the water and retrieve it for me." Ramona didn't bother hiding the smugness and mockery in her eyes. I was the actual heiress of the Stone family, yet Ramona had lived the first 16 years of what should've been my life. It was clear that blood relation meant nothing against the 16-year bond the three of them shared. I felt like a complete outsider, locked out of their world. "Have you gone deaf, Harper? Ramona is talking to you!" Megan rushed over and raised her hand to slap me. I raised my hand and caught her wrist in a tight grip. Megan was stunned. In the two years I had lived with the Stone family, I had always put up with everything. I never fought back when they hit me or answered back when they insulted me. I wouldn't even raise my voice. Yet now, I was gripping her wrist so tightly that she couldn't pull free. Megan's face flushed. "L-Let go of me!" I released her wrist and looked at her coldly. "You want me to go into the water and get her necklace? Why don't you tell her to get it herself? Is there something wrong with her hands and feet?" Megan shook with rage. "You're the one who threw it in, so of course, you're the one retrieving it! Ramona's always been sickly since she was young! How could she compare to someone like you, raised out in the wild countryside?" I scoffed. "She destroyed the competition project I had spent six months making just last week. She tripped me and sent me rolling down three flights of stairs last month. She even took the tablet I bought with my own summer job money without even asking last year. "Why didn't you ever make her apologize or compensate me when she broke my things or injured me? "Do you plan on making excuses for her again, telling me 'it was just an accident'? If that's the case, throwing her necklace was an accident too. Why are you all making me wade through nasty lake water for her?" Megan was rendered speechless. Her carefully pampered skin flushed crimson from embarrassment and rage. Noticing the shift, Ramona immediately put on her typical fake, helpless front. "Is Harper still mad at me, Mom? I honestly didn't do it on purpose..." She even forced out a couple of tears, making Megan feel sorry for her. Megan turned to me, and her eyes were brimming with rage. "Do you see what you've done to Ramona? What the hell is wrong with you today, Harper? You threw her necklace away, and now you're even getting physical! Have you lost your mind?" Just then, a deep, middle-aged voice came from the villa's back entrance. "What's all the shouting about? I was on a conference call in my study, and I could hear you yelling from two floors away!" Chapter 2 Gregory Stone, my father, walked out of the villa with a scowl, his expression hardening further when he noticed Ramon in tears. "What are you making a fuss about now, Harper? Is it that hard for you to go a single day without causing a scene?" "Dad!" Ramona broke away from Megan and rushed over to Gregory's side. "Harper threw my necklace into the lake! It's the one you got for me for my birthday!" Gregory's expression turned cold as soon as he heard that. He looked at me angrily and asked, "Why did you throw Ramona's necklace? That thing cost 30,000 dollars! How could you just throw something that expensive away?" He was the chairman of Stone Group, as well as my biological father. He was always putting on the image of a successful businessman in public. He had no problem spending 30,000 dollars on a necklace for someone who wasn't even his biological daughter, yet he had never once celebrated his biological daughter's birthday. He couldn't even bring himself to wish me a happy birthday. "Why don't you ask her why she handed it to me in the first place?" I asked coldly. Gregory hesitated for a moment before waving his hand impatiently. "Isn't this just about retrieving the necklace for Ramona? You're the older one here. What's wrong with helping her, Harper?" I shot back at him. "You think it's just about helping? You expect me to get into filthy water without any gear and search for a necklace I have no idea where to find. You call that 'just helping'? "You should go retrieve it yourself, then. I'm sure your beloved daughter would be even happier if her father retrieved it for her." Gregory bellowed, "How dare you! I'm your goddamn father, Harper! You do what I tell you, no question asked! Get in the water and retrieve that necklace now!" I suddenly found the whole thing ridiculous as I looked at his self-righteous expression. That was exactly how things had gone in my past life. Megan played the villain, Ramona played the victim, and Gregory delivered the final verdict. They worked together seamlessly, keeping me, the "unreasonable" biological daughter, firmly under their thumb. I refused to play along this time around, though. "I'm not doing it," I said flatly. "W-What did you just say?" Gregory narrowed his eyes, seemingly unable to believe what he had just heard. "I'm not doing it!" I repeated myself, emphasizing every word. "Ramona gets a 30,000-dollar necklace for her birthday. What did I get? Did any of you even remember my birthday? I lost 16 years of my life because of her, and now that I'm finally back, I still get treated like trash by all of you! Why should I put up with any of this?" Megan roared, "Have you forgotten who you're speaking to, Harper?" "I'm talking to the people who lost me for 16 years out of pure carelessness, brought me home, and then treated me like unpaid help!" I glared at Megan and Gregory. Tears streamed down my face despite my efforts to hold them back. In that instant, the atmosphere became strained. Gregory broke the silence after a while, letting out a derisive scoff. "You've finally learned how to talk back, huh? Do you think throwing a fit like this is going to make us care about you? "I'll have you know that if it weren't for the fact that you're my biological daughter, I would've sent you back to your poor adoptive mother already! You should be grateful that I've allowed you to remain in the Stone family! You'd better not take that for granted, Harper!" I felt a profound wave of helplessness wash over me at that moment. It turned out that they had never validated my existence, not even for a second. It was probably better that way, though. After all, if they treated me badly enough, I wouldn't have to feel sorry for them when I finally fought back. I took a sheet of paper from my backpack and slapped it down hard on the stone table. It was a handwritten declaration severing our family ties, with only a few sparse lines of text. "I, Harper Stone, hereby renounce all parent-child relations with Gregory Stone and Megan Campbell, effective immediately. We will have nothing to do with each other from this day forward—in life, sickness, or death." Chapter 3 I had already signed my name on the bottom of the document. "What is this?" Gregory looked down at the paper. His face turned livid in a split second. "It's a declaration that I'm cutting ties with the Stone family," I replied as I calmly slung on my backpack. "I've already signed it, so as of today, I have nothing to do with you or the Stone family." Megan grabbed the paper and read it. Her hands were trembling with rage. "You want to cut ties with us? Do you think you can do whatever you want now, Harper? Do you really think a mere piece of paper can sever our family ties?" I looked at her and said indifferently, "You might be my birth parents on paper, and there's nothing I can do about that, but from this moment on, you'll be nothing more than names on my identification documents—beyond that, I have no relationship with either of you." Megan crumpled the paper into a ball and threw it onto the floor with a derisive scoff. "You've only just graduated high school. What are you going to do without the Stone family? Do you seriously think your poor adoptive mother can afford to support you?" "That's none of your business," I said before I turned on my heel and walked toward the villa's entrance. Gregory's voice boomed behind me. "Hold it right there! If you walk out that gate today, don't even dream of coming back, Harper! You won't get a single cent of the Stone family's inheritance!" I didn't stop, waving goodbye without even bothering to turn around. "You can rest assured that the next time I set foot in this house, I'll be the one kicking you out." I heard curses echoing behind me, followed by the sound of a coffee cup shattering against the floor. Once I left the residential compound, I caught a cab straight to the tallest skyscraper in the city. It was the headquarters of Lund Group, the Stone family's biggest business rival and the most powerful business empire in the city. Joshua Lund, the heir to Lund Group, was someone I had met by chance back when I was still living away from the Stone family. I was in ninth grade then, still attending school in our small town. I helped a drenched boy who was lost on a rural road on a rainy night, giving him directions. I even gave him a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup, so he could warm up. I didn't realize until later that the boy was Joshua. In my past life, Joshua came to my aid more than once after I returned to the Stone family. He even found evidence of financial wrongdoing by Gregory and offered to help me reclaim the shares that should have been mine. I had been manipulated by Ramona back then, so I turned down his help and, at her urging, distanced myself from him. I didn't find out until after my death that Joshua had never forgotten what I did for him that rainy night. Joshua was ultimately the person who brought the Stone family down and sent them to prison. I walked into Lund Group's first-floor lobby and took a deep breath before approaching the front desk. "Hello, I'm here to look for Joshua Lund. Please let him know that Harper Stone is here with all the evidence of the Stone family's tax evasion." In less than three minutes, the private elevator doors opened, and Joshua stepped out in a tailored dark-gray suit with the unmistakable refinement and dignified bearing of someone born into a prominent family. Yet, the moment Joshua noticed me, his aloof expression broke into sheer surprise and undeniable concern. He hurried over to me and asked, "What brings you here, Harper?" He looked at my washed-out T-shirt and shabby backpack, his brow instantly furrowing. "Did the Stone family mistreat you again?" I could feel tears welling up in my eyes as I heard his words of concern. In my past life, he was the single person who had ever bothered to ask if I was doing okay. I took out the thick brown envelope from my backpack and said, "I've cut ties with the Stone family, Joshua. I have all the evidence of Gregory's tax evasion and commercial bribery in here. I just wanted to ask if your offer of legal help is still on the table." Joshua froze for a moment before taking the envelope from me. He didn't open it. He led me toward the elevator and said softly, "Lund Group has more than enough lawyers to help you. We've been needing someone who can serve as the key witness against the Stone family, and since you've chosen to come forward, I'll place our entire legal team at your disposal, Harper." I caught him up on everything that went down with the Stone family once we reached his office. Then, I turned over all the evidence I had compiled regarding Gregory's illegal operations. Joshua looked at that stack of meticulously organized materials. A flicker of compassion and appreciation showed in his gaze. He set the documents down and turned to me. "There's enough here to put Gregory away for a decade. You should enjoy the rest of your summer break and don't stress about any of this, Harper—go stay at my private resort and get some rest. I'll handle everything else." I shook my head and said, "I want to be there when they finally fall." Chapter 4 Joshua met my unwavering gaze, stayed silent for a few seconds, and then nodded. "You're a special advisor to Lund Group's legal department from now on, and every piece of evidence you hand over will bring us one step closer to putting Gregory behind bars." … Third-Person's POV In the meantime, back at the Stone residence, everyone was having a wonderful time together. "Did Harper, that country bumpkin, actually leave, Mom?" Ramona asked, lounging on the living room couch with a spoiled look on her face. "Oh, please! She's just playing hard to get!" Megan said with a contemptuous look as she packed her suitcase for her trip to Solara. "She lived with that poor family for 16 years. She can do a few menial chores, and that's about it. Where could she possibly go without the Stone family?" "What if she tries to get back at us? I saw her sneaking into Dad's study a few days ago," Ramona said, putting on a fake look of concern. "What could a brat like her possibly do?" Megan asked with a smug smile as she zipped up her suitcase. "We're her parents, so even if we hit her or scold her, she has no right to complain. Does she actually think she can get back at us? What kind of daughter would turn against her own parents?" Just then, Gregory walked out of the study with freshly brewed coffee, looking completely unbothered. "It doesn't even matter if she managed to snoop around and find something in my study. Mr. Wagner and I go way back. He'll make sure I'm covered if anything happens." "What about my necklace, Dad?" Ramona asked with a pout. Gregory affectionately ruffled Ramona's hair and said, "I'll buy you an even better necklace once we return from Solara. Come on, let's get going! We shouldn't let that buzzkill put a damper on things!" That evening, Ramona proudly posted a series of photos on social media, accompanied by a brazen caption. In the photo, she held a champagne glass alongside Megan and Gregory in the first-class airport lounge. "I'm having the best summer vacation ever! I'm heading to the beach with my beloved family—and for those who still don't know their place, maybe it's time to figure it out." Ramona's group of friends left plenty of comments in the comment section. "You're so lucky, Ramona! Your parents spoil you so much!" "Is that country bumpkin stirring things up again? Does she actually think she's a legit heiress or something? "You should just ignore her, Ramona. You'll always be the sole heiress of the Stone family!" Ramona left a blanket reply. "Thank you all for the concern. Harper probably just hasn't gotten used to everything yet. I'll try my best to get along with her!" … Harper's POV I was in Joshua's office, grabbing a bite of takeout while sorting through documents, when I read it. I couldn't help but laugh out of sheer absurdity. What did she even mean by getting along with me? Did she intend to do so by ruining me completely? I set aside my takeout, booted up my laptop, and got to work on the final batch of documents—the evidence proving that Gregory had paid off government officials. It was information I had accidentally uncovered just before dying in my past life. Ramona assumed she had erased every last trace, unaware that I had made backups of everything long ago. … Third-Person's POV It was the following morning, and Gregory was by the pool at Solara's most luxurious resort, wearing a floral shirt and raising glasses with a few business partners. Megan and Ramona were posing for photos in bikinis, looking like they were living the dream. It was then that a balding business partner asked, "Is it true that your long-lost daughter is throwing another fit, Mr. Stone?" Gregory brushed it off with a wave of his hand. "She was raised in the country and doesn't know any better. She'll come running back after fending for herself for a few more days." "You really know how to keep order, Mr. Stone! You're running such a huge business, so it's no wonder you can keep everyone in line!" Gregory took another satisfied sip of red wine when his phone suddenly started going off. He realized that it was Jeremy Hall, the CFO of Stone Group, calling. "We're in trouble, Mr. Stone! Those officers from the Financial Crimes Unit and the Federal Revenue Service just raided Stone Group together!"