Olivia’s jaw clenched, her cheeks flushing red.
Richard hadn’t had much education and had made his fortune by marrying into Margaret’s family business.
He was often mocked for relying on his wife’s money, so he placed an obsessive emphasis on his children’s academic achievements.
I ignored them all and headed upstairs to sleep.
To care for Grandma during her surgery, I’d already requested a week off from school.
On the day of the SAT, Olivia “kindly” packed my admission ticket and test materials for me.
“Don’t be nervous. Even if you don’t get into college, Dad can always get you a job—maybe as a janitor.”
I ignored her, rolled over, and went right back to sleep.
When Richard Bennett found out I hadn’t taken the SAT, he blew up again.
In the end, he decided to hire a private tutor for one-on-one lessons so I could repeat the year.
After the exams, Margaret Bennett took Olivia on an overseas vacation, while I stayed in the hospital with Grandma Grace until she was discharged.
They only returned the day before the banquet.
Just like in my previous life, all the guests believed this event was purely Olivia’s eighteenth birthday celebration, forgetting it was also supposed to be my welcome-home banquet.
But this time, instead of feeling wronged, I was actually looking forward to it—because I knew there’d be a good show.
Olivia opened with a piano performance, earning the crowd’s applause and praise.
“Not only is Olivia beautiful, but she’s also talented in music, chess, calligraphy, and painting. And she scored above the top university threshold on her SATs—truly impressive.”
Olivia gave a coy smile and thanked them.
“It’s all thanks to Mom and Dad’s guidance. I love you both so much.”
Richard and Margaret beamed with pride.
Then a few of Olivia’s arrogant friends turned their attention to me.
“If the younger sister is so outstanding, then the older sister must be even better! Why don’t you perform something for us?”
“I heard she didn’t even take the SAT—must be hiding some terrible scores.”
The teasing grew louder until Olivia stepped in with faux compassion.
“Oh, don’t make fun of my sister. She grew up in the countryside, has poor grades, and isn’t used to high society. Her temper can be bad—be careful she doesn’t offend anyone.”
Well, since she’d said that, it would almost be rude of me not to offend someone.