Evidence Against Her

"Anya, I poured my heart and soul into that song three years ago. How could you accuse me of plagiarism?" On a variety show, the fake heiress broke down in tears. Without hesitation, I pulled out the music copyright certificate I had registered five years earlier. "Maybe learn a little law first. You're already infringing on my rights, Wendy." Chapter 1 Back to Where It All Began "Anya, from now on, this is your home. And this is your sister, Wendy." When I opened my eyes again, I was fourteen years old. It was the year the Sutton family found me and brought me home. The memories of my previous life, the humiliation and torment I had endured, were still painfully vivid. Instinctively, I reached up and touched my neck. Instead of the scars I remembered, my fingers met the smooth, delicate skin of a teenage girl. I looked around. Wendy Sutton stood behind Penelope Somers, my biological mother, tears glistening in her eyes as she spoke timidly. "I'm sorry, Mom. Now that Anya is back, should I leave? I've been your daughter for all these years, and your real daughter has finally come home. I can't keep taking her place. But Mom… I'm really sad." Penelope immediately pulled the tearful Wendy into her arms. "Wendy, don't say such foolish things. I'm not sending you away. You'll always be my daughter and a member of this family." I watched their embrace coldly, hatred surging beneath the surface. It had been exactly the same in my previous life. On the day I returned home, Wendy had deliberately shown off how much Penelope adored her. I had been left standing awkwardly to the side, heartbroken and embarrassed, like an outsider who had barged into a place where I did not belong. Back then, I had desperately longed for Penelope's love. But thanks to Wendy's constant schemes, Penelope gradually grew to dislike me. Meanwhile, Wendy, the daughter of the woman responsible for everything, stole everything that should have been mine. After endless disappointment and heartbreak, seeing this scene again no longer stirred any emotion in me. And now that I had been given a second chance, knowing the two-faced person Wendy truly was, there was no way I would let her have everything her way. "Mom…" My voice interrupted their embrace. "Are you really my mother?" My frail body trembled as I pulled back my sleeves, revealing bruises and scars in shades of purple and blue. "Maybe I shouldn't be here, but I've always wanted a mother of my own. It hurts so much, Mom." At the beginning, Penelope had cared about me. She had felt sympathy for me. The problem was that quiet children never got the candy. In my previous life, I had been obedient and cautious, trying my best to fit into this family. Years of suffering during my childhood had taught me to swallow every grievance in silence. My tolerance only made Wendy more ruthless. All it took was a single tear from her, and every problem became my fault. I suffered in silence with no way to defend myself. But this time was different. I was going to use the small amount of pity and affection Penelope still had for me and reclaim everything that belonged to me, one step at a time. Only then did Penelope truly notice the injuries hidden beneath my long sleeves. Her face filled with anguish. She barely spared Wendy another glance. "I'm sorry, Anya. This is my fault. You've suffered so much all these years." She wrapped me in a tight embrace. The warmth I had never received in my previous life turned out to be so easy to obtain with just a few words. Wendy froze. She even forgot to keep crying. Her eyes locked onto me with naked resentment, as if they were screaming, 'So what if you're the biological daughter? Mom loves me most.' Leaning against Penelope's shoulder, I looked at Wendy and her pathetic performance. Thinking back, I could only laugh at how foolish I had been in my previous life to fall for such an obvious act. I deliberately curled my lips into a mocking smile. The moment Wendy saw it, she lost control. "Mom!" Her shout was so sharp her voice cracked. "She's pretending. She's lying to you. She was making fun of me!" Chapter 2 The Beginning of the Counterattack Penelope looked at me in surprise. But when she turned toward me, all she saw was a face covered in tears. "Mom, did my coming home make Wendy unhappy? She's had your love all these years. I'm more jealous of that than anything else. How could I possibly laugh at her? What right would I even have to mock Wendy?" The more I spoke, the quieter my voice became. My words trembled as I cautiously dragged my suitcase backward. "Mom, maybe I never should have come back. My return has only made everyone unhappy. I'm sorry, Mom. Maybe I should just leave." "Wendy." Penelope's voice turned stern. "I've spoiled you too much. I already told you that you were staying with us. How could you lie and accuse Anya like that?" Wendy had always been Penelope's favorite, cherished and protected. It was the first time Penelope had ever scolded her so harshly. Only then did Wendy realize she had said the wrong thing. She admitted her mistake quickly. "I'm sorry, Mom. I misspoke. I didn't mean it that way." Penelope's attention immediately shifted back to me. She took my hand and fussed over me with concern. This was treatment I had never received in my previous life, but this time, I wasn't going to fool myself into being moved by a little sympathy. … Back then, after returning to the Sutton family, I had spent every day carefully trying to please everyone. I memorized each family member's likes and dislikes. I cooked breakfast, lunch, and dinner myself, all for the sake of earning a single compliment. I had been a wealthy heiress in name, yet I lived more like the family's maid. Even so, I never earned the Sutton family's approval. Although I inherited Julian Sutton and Penelope's remarkable musical talent and eventually became a moderately successful composer, I remained hidden in the Sutton family's shadow, unseen and unacknowledged. After realizing I was not as easy to manipulate as she had expected, Wendy behaved herself for a while. The two of us maintained a surface-level peace. At the same time, I needed to continue playing the role of the obedient daughter in front of Julian and Penelope, so I didn't openly target Wendy either. Every week, Wendy took piano lessons personally taught by Julian. Like a proud peacock, she constantly showed off her accomplishments in front of me, hoping to make me feel inferior. Unfortunately for her, I wanted exactly those opportunities to show off. Wendy had studied piano since childhood. Through years of hard work, she had won numerous awards and built an impressive reputation. In my previous life, her achievements in music had made her the pride and joy of Julian and Penelope. Once upon a time, I had envied her. Dressed in a white gown, sitting gracefully at the piano while receiving endless praise, she had looked like a fairy-tale princess. That was before I discovered just how extraordinary my own talent was. After only one week of touching a piano, I could already play an entire piece flawlessly after hearing it once. My fingers were long, agile, and strong. They seemed born for the keyboard. However, before anyone could discover that gift, Wendy destroyed it with her own hands. I would never forget the way she bullied me. She had slammed the piano lid down on my fingers, crushing them one by one until they went completely numb. Then, she told Penelope that I had secretly been fooling around on the piano, accidentally damaged it, and injured my hand in the process. According to her, if she had not found me in time, my hand might have been permanently ruined. The fact that I could still write normally was supposedly a miracle. Looking back now, the whole thing was ridiculous. My fingers had been trapped, not my entire body. If I had truly been injured by accident, I could have moved away myself. The lie was full of holes, yet Julian and Penelope had believed every word. The thought was almost laughable. … As I sat in the living room, Wendy's piano music flowed through the house. The piece was not easy. It was obvious she had spent countless hours practicing it. When she finished, a rare smile finally appeared on Julian's face. Before he could praise her, I walked into the piano room, clapping enthusiastically. "Wendy, you're amazing. That's such a difficult piece, and you played it beautifully." Chapter 3 A Gift No One Could Ignore Wendy beamed with pride at my compliment and lifted her chin. "Of course. Dad has been teaching me personally since I was little." "Wendy, playing the piano looks like so much fun. Could I try too?" A flash of disdain crossed Wendy's face, but with Julian present, she quickly covered it up and smiled. "Sure. Just be careful. This piano was a birthday gift from Dad. It would be a shame if it got damaged." Julian affectionately tapped her nose. "Look at you. If it gets damaged, I'll just buy you another one. Don't be so stingy." Watching their intimate exchange, I sneered inwardly. Pretending I was unfamiliar with the instrument, I sat down at the piano and took a deep breath. My fingers casually pressed a few random keys, producing a messy string of notes as I reacquainted myself with the feel of the keyboard. "It's fine," Wendy said generously. "It's your first time touching a piano. Of course you'd be curious." I looked at her and smiled softly. Then, I recalled the sheet music from the piece she had just played—Debussy's Reflections in the Water. My fingers flew across the keys, and the melody flowed effortlessly from the piano. I closed my eyes. For the first time in what felt like an eternity, I felt the joy of playing with healthy hands again. I had missed this feeling. After my injury in my previous life, I had continued playing, but damaged fingers could never move with the same freedom and grace. When the final note faded, I opened my eyes. Both Wendy and Julian stood frozen. Shock filled Wendy's gaze. This was a piece she had spent an entire month mastering, yet in my hands, it seemed as natural as breathing, as if it had been written specifically for me. Julian's eyes, meanwhile, were filled with delight. He clearly had not expected his newly found daughter to know how to play the piano. He certainly had not expected me to play this well. Wendy quickly regained her composure. Covering her mouth in exaggerated surprise, she said, "Anya, didn't you tell us you were abused growing up? How do you know how to play the piano? Have you been lying to us this whole time? Who sends an unwanted child to piano lessons?" I knew I had successfully made her feel threatened. Noticing the hint of doubt in Julian's expression, I blinked innocently and scratched my head. "I've never taken piano lessons before. Growing up, I had to beg my parents on my knees just to get money for school. How could they possibly pay for piano lessons?" I lowered my eyes shyly. "I didn't know this was Wendy's piano. After I came home, I secretly tried playing it a few times when nobody was around. Wendy, you're not mad at me, are you? "And that piece sounded so beautiful just now. I wanted to try it myself. I didn't expect I'd actually be able to play it." "Why would I be mad at you?" Wendy replied with a smile. "This should have been yours in the first place. I just didn't realize you were so talented." Despite her calm words, her hands clenched so tightly that her knuckles turned white. She bit her lip hard, struggling to maintain her composure. I could practically see the jealousy overflowing from her. Watching her force herself to stay calm filled me with satisfaction. Julian patted my shoulder proudly. "As expected of my biological daughter. You've inherited the best qualities from both your mother and me. Your future is limitless." His eyes shone with excitement. "From now on, I'll teach you personally. Don't disappoint me." After that day, Julian added a world-class grand piano to his private music studio. Whenever he wasn't performing, he devoted himself to teaching me. Meanwhile, Wendy's treatment declined sharply. She could barely find Julian at home anymore. Julian and my older brother, Felix, had always valued talent and ability above everything else. Even in my previous life, they had never shown Wendy excessive favoritism. It was only because of Wendy's endless schemes that they had gradually become more and more disappointed in me. What was happening now was something I never would have dared imagine in my previous life. Yet in this life, it came so easily. The more exceptional I became, the less noticeable Wendy became within the family. After all, who would ignore their gifted biological daughter—especially one they owed so much to—and devote all their attention to an adopted daughter instead? Chapter 4 The Wounds Music Couldn't Heal After that, Wendy and I attended the same arts high school. I was now walking a path completely different from the one in my previous life. Back then, I had always gone to ordinary academic schools. At first, Wendy pretended it was for my own good. Claiming I might struggle to adapt to the atmosphere of an arts school, she persuaded Julian and Penelope to enroll me in a prestigious academic high school instead. Before long, Wendy realized I was an easy target who never fought back. She then convinced Julian and Penelope to transfer me to her school so she could bully me more conveniently. In a strange way, I should have thanked her. If Wendy had not insisted on sending me to an arts high school, I might have gone to my grave without ever discovering my talent for music. I never would have received professional training either. In my previous life, I loved music because it was the only thing that healed my pain. I wrote and composed many songs that became widely popular. In the end, every single one of those works was stolen by Wendy and passed off as her own original creation. During a hugely popular talent competition, I unknowingly performed a song I had personally written and composed. Proudly, I told everyone it was my original work. The result was disastrous. Because Wendy had released the song first, I was branded a plagiarist and a fraud. Countless strangers flooded my social media accounts with insults, attacking me with the cruelest words imaginable. "No wonder she's jealous. With such an outstanding younger sister, of course she'd steal Wendy's work. She's ugly inside and out." "I heard Anya is Julian and Penelope's biological daughter. Do they know their real daughter is such a disgusting person? She's nowhere near as gentle, talented, and graceful as Wendy. Maybe the hospital never mixed them up after all. Wendy should've been the real daughter." "Felix must have the worst luck. A respected musical family produced someone like her. What a disgrace." "If Anya had even a shred of dignity left, she would get on her knees and apologize to Wendy. She's nothing but a parasite living off her sister." Meanwhile, the real thief, Wendy, stood before reporters with a warm and elegant smile. Every word she spoke pushed me deeper into the abyss. "I hope everyone can be a little more forgiving toward my sister. After all, she never received professional music training. When she was reunited with our family, her educational background wasn't very strong, and she didn't really understand copyright issues. That's probably why she performed my song on the show. "I'm fine, and I appreciate everyone's concern. But I believe Anya didn't do it intentionally. If she needs songs in the future, I can always write a few more for her. We're family, after all." Fueled by Wendy's seemingly kind remarks, the attacks against me only intensified. I became someone everyone despised. No one believed me. After all, Wendy had been raised with an elite education since childhood, while I was just the country girl who had been brought back into the family halfway through life. In everyone's eyes, the gap between us was as wide as heaven and earth. The truth was, I really did not understand copyright law back then. Because of my ignorance, I could not produce a single useful piece of evidence to defend myself or reveal the truth. Even Julian, Penelope, and Felix looked at me with undisguised disgust. I felt like a rat crawling through the sewers. Overwhelmed by grief and resentment, I moved out of the Sutton family. That incident became the root of the depression that haunted me in my previous life. Perhaps Julian and Penelope still felt a trace of pity for their biological daughter. They left me a portion of their inheritance, enough to ensure I would never have to worry about money for the rest of my life. When Wendy found out, she hired people to torture and murder me. For an entire day and night, I endured relentless beatings and humiliation. Every tendon in my body was severed one by one before my throat was finally slit. I hated Wendy for her cruelty. But I hated myself even more for my weakness and ignorance. Because of Wendy's greed and jealousy, my life ended at twenty-two. After being reborn, this was the first time I had stepped onto the campus of the arts high school. As I stared at the familiar grounds, a chill spread through my entire body. Chapter 5 The Man Behind the Lie The memories of being ostracized on campus and bullied by Wendy in my previous life were still vivid in my mind. Just thinking about them made me physically uncomfortable. Just like last time, I ran into Frederick Zane on my very first day at school. He was the fiance destined for the true heiress in those cliched rich-family stories. I looked at Frederick's handsome, aristocratic face. Once, it had been my favorite face in the world. Now it only made me sick. In my previous life, I had met him at my lowest point. Wendy had been leading a group of people in humiliating me when Frederick happened to walk through the hallway. He stepped in and stopped them. That was when I started falling for him. Every time I was at my most embarrassed or vulnerable, he seemed to appear out of nowhere to save me. I thought I had finally found someone who genuinely cared about me. He became the unattainable dream of my youth. He told me he believed in my musical talent. He dated me. Yet he never once acknowledged my identity in public. My one-sided devotion ended with him handing all of my manuscripts to Wendy. The moment I lost my usefulness, he threw me away without hesitation. I would never forget the sight of him wrapping an arm around Wendy's waist, crushing what little dignity I had left beneath his feet. The two of them acted intimately right in front of me, every gesture stabbing at my nerves. "You don't seriously think I ever liked you, do you? What made you think you were qualified to stand beside me? The only reason I helped you in high school was that people kept spreading rumors that you were my fiancee. Having someone like you associated with me was embarrassing. "The person I've always loved is Wendy. Back in high school, and now too. Now that the Sutton family has kicked you out and our engagement is officially over, I don't have to keep pretending anymore. If your manuscripts hadn't been useful, I wouldn't have given you a second glance. Honestly, being around you disgusted me. "If you're smart, stop bothering me. Tell the public that you're the one who stole Wendy's work, and I'll be generous enough not to release those private photos of yours. Otherwise, just wait until they end up trending online." Not long afterward, they announced their engagement in grand fashion. They became the perfect golden couple in everyone's eyes. Meanwhile, I hid in the shadows, licking my wounds alone. Frederick's approach had been a lie from the very beginning. The pathetic thing was that I had spent years lying to myself about it. But things were different now. I had already lived with the Sutton family for two years. I was no longer the dirty, frail, awkward Anya from my previous life. I had grown into myself. Unlike the insecure girl I used to be, the years after my rebirth had given me confidence and brightness. The timid, small-town awkwardness that once clung to me had completely disappeared. I had inherited Julian and Penelope's excellent features, and under Penelope's careful care and guidance, my body was no longer thin and malnourished. I was healthy, elegant, and beautiful, with flawless skin and refined features. I looked every bit the wealthy heiress I was supposed to be. When Penelope and I went shopping, talent scouts had approached me more than once. Each time, Penelope politely turned them down, saying I was still too young. So, when Frederick saw me again in this life, I caught the unmistakable flash of amazement in his eyes. Then, I noticed Wendy shooting him a sharp glare. Only then did he look away and continue down the hallway as though nothing had happened. I almost laughed. So, the signs had been there from the beginning. I had simply been too blind to see them. With a self-mocking smile, I took my seat. Whispers immediately spread around the classroom. "Isn't that the girl Wendy said was her family's maid's daughter? She doesn't look like it at all." "Exactly. Honestly, she looks more like a rich heiress than Wendy does. Seriously, I can't stand Wendy's attitude." I listened to the not-so-quiet gossip with a faint smile. Across from me, Wendy looked noticeably guilty. Chapter 6 Showing Her True Colors "Wendy, did you tell them I was the maid's daughter?" The girls immediately stopped whispering and looked between Wendy and me in confusion. Wendy's face stiffened. She bit her lip and said awkwardly, "This is my sister. She was only recently reunited with our family." "How come you've never mentioned having a sister before?" "Yeah, and she doesn't look anything like you." Wendy opened her mouth, clearly searching for an excuse, but nothing came out. "Because Wendy is the Sutton family's adopted daughter," I said calmly. "We were switched at birth, so of course we don't look alike." If Wendy would not tell the truth, then I would do it for her. She wanted to keep clinging to her identity as the Sutton family's beloved heiress. There was no way I was going to let that happen. A flash of resentment crossed Wendy's eyes. The color drained from her face, but in order to maintain her graceful image, she could only nod. The girls were not fools. They were exactly the type who adjusted their attitudes based on someone's status. Seeing the usually arrogant Wendy acting meek and frightened in front of me, they immediately realized her position in the Sutton family wasn't nearly as secure as she claimed. At once, mocking smiles appeared on their faces. "So, you're adopted, Wendy? Then, where are your real parents? What do they do?" Wendy's biological parents had long since been sent to prison for abusing their daughter and deliberately switching the babies. They had received three-year sentences. Naturally, there was no way Wendy would reveal that information. She could only shake her head and mumble that she did not know. I watched her stammering and shifted slightly as if I were about to speak. The moment Wendy noticed, panic flashed across her face. She hurriedly grabbed my arm and dragged me to the rooftop of the school building. The rooftop door slammed shut behind us. "Can you please just leave me alone?" Wendy's voice trembled. "What did I ever do to deserve this humiliation?" I idly twirled a strand of hair around my finger. "What did you do wrong? You spent more than a decade living my life. You enjoyed everything that should have been mine and still refuse to give it up. You constantly slander me and put me down in front of Mom and Dad." Wendy's expression stiffened. "But none of that was my fault," she argued desperately. "If you're angry, you should blame the people who raised you. Why are you taking it out on me? I didn't know anything. Aren't I innocent, too?" Tears streamed down her face as her voice shook. She lowered herself, acting pitiful and vulnerable, trying to convince me she was an innocent victim. Maybe the me from my previous life would have fallen for it, but not anymore. "What?" I said with a laugh. "Are you afraid I'll tell everyone your biological parents are in prison? Wendy, they're your real parents. Isn't it a little heartless to pretend they have nothing to do with you?" I stepped onto the rooftop ledge and looked down at her from above. "If you want me to keep quiet, that's easy." I smiled. "Kneel and beg me." Humiliation flooded Wendy's face. She had been pampered her entire life. No one had ever dared speak to her this way, much less humiliate her openly. Her body trembled. Slowly, reluctantly, she began lowering herself to her knees, wearing the expression of someone heading to an execution. Then, I laughed. "Or there's another option." I spread my arms slightly. "I'm standing right here. You could push me off the roof. If I die, I won't be able to tell anyone anything." Wendy froze. As she kneeled there, her face twisted with shame and resentment. Her head was lowered, but I clearly saw the hatred and struggle flashing through her eyes. The next second, she stood up. Step by step, she walked toward me. Then, she reached out her hands. "Anya," she hissed, her face contorted with malice, "you brought this on yourself." Looking at Wendy's twisted expression, I smiled. So, she was not invincible after all. In this life, it had taken almost no effort to make her reveal her true nature.