After Rebirth, My Whole Family Begged for My Forgiveness

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After Rebirth, My Whole Family Begged for My Forgiveness

NovelMaster new Completed
现实主义-Realistic重生-Reborn

I worked as an underpaid grunt in the Underworld for a solid century before Hades finally granted my wish: rebirth as an undisputed genius. Yet the second I opened my eyes, a whispered conversation by my cradle shattered the moment. "Swap them now, Helen. The baby in my arms is the true genius blessed by God." A cold shudder ran through my tiny frame. The memories hit me like a truck. In my past life, someone stole my identity, leaving me penniless and freezing on the streets. Not this time. In this life, nobody takes what is mine. A hundred years of hard labor in the Underworld bought me a single promise from Hades. He offered me rebirth, sweet revenge, a brilliant mind, and a smooth, effortless life. When I opened my eyes again, I was back as the youngest daughter of the Vance family. My father was a billionaire. My mother was a renowned artist. And I had an older brother, three years my senior. With a family like this, paired with my god-tier intellect, my life was practically set on easy mode. I smacked my little lips in satisfaction, fully prepared to breeze through an easy, glamorous life. Then, low whispers drifted from the foot of the bed. "Helen, the nurse just went to mix the formula. It's now or never." The woman's voice was sharp, grating. The other voice sounded soft, trembling. It belonged to my biological mother, Helen Vance. "Wendy, should we really do this? What about Nora...?" "My daughter was blessed by God! Even the psychic said she's born to be a prodigy." "Look at yours. She's so scrawny and weak. She clearly doesn't have the brains." "Think about all the women circling your husband. Without a brilliant heir, all your wealth will end up in someone else's hands!" My heart plunged. I was right back at the exact moment of the swap! This was how it happened in my past life. A fake heiress took my place, living in absolute luxury and attending elite private schools. Meanwhile, I was dumped at an orphanage, dropped out because I couldn't afford tuition, and ended up homeless. In the end, I froze to death on a park bench. During my century in the Underworld, fury kept me going. And now, they dare to try this again? A pair of hands reached into the crib, trying to lift me away from Helen's side. Summoning every ounce of strength in my newborn body, I opened my mouth and let out a blood-curdling screech that sounded nothing like an infant. "Waaaah—!" Helen and the other woman jumped, practically paralyzed with fright. "W-What's wrong with this baby?" "I don't know! Wasn't she just sleeping quietly?" My wails grew louder, piercing straight down the hallway and bringing the head nurse rushing in. "What's going on here?" The head nurse marched inside. Her eyes instantly locked onto the woman named Wendy, who was holding me. But the hospital band around my tiny wrist clearly bore a different family name. The nurse's face darkened. "Which room are you assigned to? What are you doing with the baby from Bed 302?" Wendy's face drained of color. Helen panicked too, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. The head nurse snatched me back, checked my wristband, and then glared at the name tag hanging above Helen's bed. "Mrs. Vance, care to explain why this woman is trying to take your newborn out of the room?" Caught red-handed. Security escorted Wendy out of the hospital, banning her from the premises permanently. The nurse placed me gently back into Helen's trembling arms. Helen clutched me tight, repeating the same broken phrase over and over: "Nora, I'm so sorry... Mommy lost her mind for a second... I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again." I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep against her chest. I knew this was only the beginning. My name is Nora Vance. And from this day forward, I will never surrender an inch of my life.Eighteen years flew by in the blink of an eye. I made good use of the intellect Hades granted me, consistently ranking in the top tier at school. I swept national competitions and academic awards. Even the investment portfolios I personally picked pulled in millions for our family firm on Wall Street. Because of a prodigy like me, the Vance name shone brighter than ever in high-society circles. As for Wendy, the woman who tried to switch me, and her daughter, Chloe? They seemed to have vanished into thin air. I assumed that dark chapter was buried forever. Until my eighteenth birthday party. It was a lavish, star-studded gala. Just as I stepped up to cut the multi-tiered cake, the double doors of the grand ballroom slammed open. Under the blinding crystal chandeliers, Wendy dragged a girl about my age into the room. The girl wore a faded, worn-out school jacket. She looked pale and sickly, but her gaze locked onto me with venomous intensity. Her face looked eerily similar to my mother, Helen. The room erupted. Wendy dropped to her knees with a dramatic thud, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Helen! I am so sorry! I wronged the entire Vance family! Eighteen years ago, I lost my mind and swapped your baby!" Trembling, she pointed at the girl beside her, weeping theatrically. "Chloe... she is your real flesh and blood! The Nora you've raised for eighteen years is my daughter!" A wave of shocked gasps swept across the ballroom. I watched the spectacle with cold detachment, fighting the urge to laugh. Chloe stepped forward, her eyes locked dead on mine. "Nora Vance, you stole eighteen years of my life. It's time to give it all back." Before my parents could utter a word, Chloe turned toward the massive presentation screen in the center of the hall. Grabbing a dry-erase marker, she furiously scrawled an impossibly complex mathematical formula across the white panel. It was the final tie-breaker question from the International Physics Olympiad. Tossing the marker aside, she glared at me with smug defiance. "True genius isn't something money can buy." Beside me, my mother unconsciously pulled her hand away from mine, her gaze drifting toward Chloe. Seeing their sudden hesitation, an icy chill gripped my chest. Eighteen years of love and companionship crumbled the second the word "biological" entered the room. I took a slow breath, met Chloe's sneering eyes, and spoke calmly: "You claim I'm an imposter?" "Where's your proof?"The birthday party ended in total chaos. The DNA test results came back swiftly. Just as expected, Chloe was indeed a biological Vance. Overnight, I became a stranger under my own roof. My position in the house turned unbearable. Wendy showed up constantly, crying buckets of crocodile tears and talking about how "guilty" she felt all these years. She claimed greed had clouded her judgment back then. She also bragged about how Chloe had shown terrifying intelligence from childhood, only held back because they were too poor. "The poor girl suffered so much with me..." Wendy sobbed, keeping one eye on my parents' reactions. Helen broke down completely, pulling Chloe into her arms and calling her "my precious baby." My father sighed and ordered the staff to give Chloe the largest, most luxurious suite in the penthouse. From that day on, the way they looked at me grew stranger. Pity, guilt, but mostly... the polite, distant coldness reserved for a guest who had overstayed her welcome. Only my brother, Brandon... He treated me the same. Whenever I pulled an all-nighter studying, he still brought a mug of warm milk to my desk, saying softly: "Don't worry, Nora. No matter what happens, you will always be my little sister." In a house freezing with rejection, he was the sole spark of warmth I had left. Naively, I believed he was the one person who would never betray me. Until a multi-million-dollar corporate project Chloe touched went horribly wrong, demanding a scapegoat. My father summoned the entire family into his private study. "Chloe is still young, and she's still in school. Giving her corporate responsibility was too much, too soon," Helen started, her voice hesitant, dodging my eyes. "She's suffered enough her whole life. If she takes the fall for this failed merger, her reputation in business will be ruined before she even starts..." "Nora, you're different..." My heart sank. I knew exactly where this was going. They wanted me to take the blame for Chloe's catastrophic blunder. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Brandon—the brother who swore he would always stand by me—spoke up. "Dad, Mom... I think Nora should release a statement taking full responsibility. After that, we can send her abroad to study." I snapped my head up, staring at him in utter disbelief.The temperature in the study seemed to plummet below freezing. My parents exchanged a look, both visibly exhaling in relief. So this was what they truly thought. All that talk about "you'll always be my sister" was nothing but my own foolish fantasy. Faced with the cold, hard fact of bloodlines, eighteen years of sibling bond meant nothing. I caught the smug grin playing on Chloe's lips, then watched the fleeting guilt across my parents' faces. Finally, I let out a soft laugh. "Sure." My casual tone caught everyone off guard. I stood up, glancing around at the three people who called themselves my family, my voice completely devoid of emotion. "Since Brandon suggested it, what else can I say? I'll take the fall. Consider my ruined future the payment for whatever debt you owe her." Without waiting for their reactions, I turned and walked out of the study. As the heavy oak door clicked shut, I caught Helen's choked sob from inside. "Nora is so sensible... it breaks my heart even more..." Heartbroken? Back in my room, I leaned against the cold door, a silent smirk spreading across my face. In my last life, I died because I was too "sensible," swallowing every injustice until it killed me. In this life, I know better: nobody steals from me ever again. Did they really think I rolled over and gave up? Me? Lose?

Chapters (4)

第1章

I worked as an underpaid grunt in the Underworld for a solid century before Hades finally granted my wish: rebirth as an undisputed genius. Yet the second I opened my eyes, a whispered conversation by my cradle shattered the moment. "Swap them now, Helen. The baby in my arms is the true genius blessed by God." A cold shudder ran through my tiny frame. The memories hit me like a truck. In my past life, someone stole my identity, leaving me penniless and freezing on the streets. Not this time. In this life, nobody takes what is mine. A hundred years of hard labor in the Underworld bought me a single promise from Hades. He offered me rebirth, sweet revenge, a brilliant mind, and a smooth, effortless life. When I opened my eyes again, I was back as the youngest daughter of the Vance family. My father was a billionaire. My mother was a renowned artist. And I had an older brother, three years my senior. With a family like this, paired with my god-tier intellect, my life was practically set on easy mode. I smacked my little lips in satisfaction, fully prepared to breeze through an easy, glamorous life. Then, low whispers drifted from the foot of the bed. "Helen, the nurse just went to mix the formula. It's now or never." The woman's voice was sharp, grating. The other voice sounded soft, trembling. It belonged to my biological mother, Helen Vance. "Wendy, should we really do this? What about Nora...?" "My daughter was blessed by God! Even the psychic said she's born to be a prodigy." "Look at yours. She's so scrawny and weak. She clearly doesn't have the brains." "Think about all the women circling your husband. Without a brilliant heir, all your wealth will end up in someone else's hands!" My heart plunged. I was right back at the exact moment of the swap! This was how it happened in my past life. A fake heiress took my place, living in absolute luxury and attending elite private schools. Meanwhile, I was dumped at an orphanage, dropped out because I couldn't afford tuition, and ended up homeless. In the end, I froze to death on a park bench. During my century in the Underworld, fury kept me going. And now, they dare to try this again? A pair of hands reached into the crib, trying to lift me away from Helen's side. Summoning every ounce of strength in my newborn body, I opened my mouth and let out a blood-curdling screech that sounded nothing like an infant. "Waaaah—!" Helen and the other woman jumped, practically paralyzed with fright. "W-What's wrong with this baby?" "I don't know! Wasn't she just sleeping quietly?" My wails grew louder, piercing straight down the hallway and bringing the head nurse rushing in. "What's going on here?" The head nurse marched inside. Her eyes instantly locked onto the woman named Wendy, who was holding me. But the hospital band around my tiny wrist clearly bore a different family name. The nurse's face darkened. "Which room are you assigned to? What are you doing with the baby from Bed 302?" Wendy's face drained of color. Helen panicked too, her mouth opening and closing without a sound. The head nurse snatched me back, checked my wristband, and then glared at the name tag hanging above Helen's bed. "Mrs. Vance, care to explain why this woman is trying to take your newborn out of the room?" Caught red-handed. Security escorted Wendy out of the hospital, banning her from the premises permanently. The nurse placed me gently back into Helen's trembling arms. Helen clutched me tight, repeating the same broken phrase over and over: "Nora, I'm so sorry... Mommy lost her mind for a second... I promise I'll never let anyone hurt you again." I closed my eyes and drifted off to sleep against her chest. I knew this was only the beginning. My name is Nora Vance. And from this day forward, I will never surrender an inch of my life.

第2章

Eighteen years flew by in the blink of an eye. I made good use of the intellect Hades granted me, consistently ranking in the top tier at school. I swept national competitions and academic awards. Even the investment portfolios I personally picked pulled in millions for our family firm on Wall Street. Because of a prodigy like me, the Vance name shone brighter than ever in high-society circles. As for Wendy, the woman who tried to switch me, and her daughter, Chloe? They seemed to have vanished into thin air. I assumed that dark chapter was buried forever. Until my eighteenth birthday party. It was a lavish, star-studded gala. Just as I stepped up to cut the multi-tiered cake, the double doors of the grand ballroom slammed open. Under the blinding crystal chandeliers, Wendy dragged a girl about my age into the room. The girl wore a faded, worn-out school jacket. She looked pale and sickly, but her gaze locked onto me with venomous intensity. Her face looked eerily similar to my mother, Helen. The room erupted. Wendy dropped to her knees with a dramatic thud, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Helen! I am so sorry! I wronged the entire Vance family! Eighteen years ago, I lost my mind and swapped your baby!" Trembling, she pointed at the girl beside her, weeping theatrically. "Chloe... she is your real flesh and blood! The Nora you've raised for eighteen years is my daughter!" A wave of shocked gasps swept across the ballroom. I watched the spectacle with cold detachment, fighting the urge to laugh. Chloe stepped forward, her eyes locked dead on mine. "Nora Vance, you stole eighteen years of my life. It's time to give it all back." Before my parents could utter a word, Chloe turned toward the massive presentation screen in the center of the hall. Grabbing a dry-erase marker, she furiously scrawled an impossibly complex mathematical formula across the white panel. It was the final tie-breaker question from the International Physics Olympiad. Tossing the marker aside, she glared at me with smug defiance. "True genius isn't something money can buy." Beside me, my mother unconsciously pulled her hand away from mine, her gaze drifting toward Chloe. Seeing their sudden hesitation, an icy chill gripped my chest. Eighteen years of love and companionship crumbled the second the word "biological" entered the room. I took a slow breath, met Chloe's sneering eyes, and spoke calmly: "You claim I'm an imposter?" "Where's your proof?"

第3章

The birthday party ended in total chaos. The DNA test results came back swiftly. Just as expected, Chloe was indeed a biological Vance. Overnight, I became a stranger under my own roof. My position in the house turned unbearable. Wendy showed up constantly, crying buckets of crocodile tears and talking about how "guilty" she felt all these years. She claimed greed had clouded her judgment back then. She also bragged about how Chloe had shown terrifying intelligence from childhood, only held back because they were too poor. "The poor girl suffered so much with me..." Wendy sobbed, keeping one eye on my parents' reactions. Helen broke down completely, pulling Chloe into her arms and calling her "my precious baby." My father sighed and ordered the staff to give Chloe the largest, most luxurious suite in the penthouse. From that day on, the way they looked at me grew stranger. Pity, guilt, but mostly... the polite, distant coldness reserved for a guest who had overstayed her welcome. Only my brother, Brandon... He treated me the same. Whenever I pulled an all-nighter studying, he still brought a mug of warm milk to my desk, saying softly: "Don't worry, Nora. No matter what happens, you will always be my little sister." In a house freezing with rejection, he was the sole spark of warmth I had left. Naively, I believed he was the one person who would never betray me. Until a multi-million-dollar corporate project Chloe touched went horribly wrong, demanding a scapegoat. My father summoned the entire family into his private study. "Chloe is still young, and she's still in school. Giving her corporate responsibility was too much, too soon," Helen started, her voice hesitant, dodging my eyes. "She's suffered enough her whole life. If she takes the fall for this failed merger, her reputation in business will be ruined before she even starts..." "Nora, you're different..." My heart sank. I knew exactly where this was going. They wanted me to take the blame for Chloe's catastrophic blunder. Just as I opened my mouth to speak, Brandon—the brother who swore he would always stand by me—spoke up. "Dad, Mom... I think Nora should release a statement taking full responsibility. After that, we can send her abroad to study." I snapped my head up, staring at him in utter disbelief.

第4章

The temperature in the study seemed to plummet below freezing. My parents exchanged a look, both visibly exhaling in relief. So this was what they truly thought. All that talk about "you'll always be my sister" was nothing but my own foolish fantasy. Faced with the cold, hard fact of bloodlines, eighteen years of sibling bond meant nothing. I caught the smug grin playing on Chloe's lips, then watched the fleeting guilt across my parents' faces. Finally, I let out a soft laugh. "Sure." My casual tone caught everyone off guard. I stood up, glancing around at the three people who called themselves my family, my voice completely devoid of emotion. "Since Brandon suggested it, what else can I say? I'll take the fall. Consider my ruined future the payment for whatever debt you owe her." Without waiting for their reactions, I turned and walked out of the study. As the heavy oak door clicked shut, I caught Helen's choked sob from inside. "Nora is so sensible... it breaks my heart even more..." Heartbroken? Back in my room, I leaned against the cold door, a silent smirk spreading across my face. In my last life, I died because I was too "sensible," swallowing every injustice until it killed me. In this life, I know better: nobody steals from me ever again. Did they really think I rolled over and gave up? Me? Lose?