The Champion She Could Never Become

My sister Emily and I were both given a Destiny System, a once-in-a-lifetime chance to change our futures. In our first life, Emily chose the Beauty System. She thought beauty would make every powerful man fall at her feet. Instead, it only made her a pretty toy for rich heirs to admire and discard. When she failed to earn genuine love before the deadline, the system took everything back. Her beauty vanished, her admirers disappeared, and she ended up broke, abandoned, and bitter. I chose the Elite Athlete System. I trained until my body nearly broke, became America’s youngest Olympic champion, shattered records, and built a legendary career. Fame, fortune, and success were all mine. Even Ethan Walker, the heir to one of the country’s most powerful old-money families, chased after me. Emily hated me for it. So she rammed her car into mine and killed me. When I opened my eyes again, we were both sixteen, standing before the Destiny System on the very day we first made our choices. This time, Emily shouted before I could speak. “I choose the Elite Athlete System!” She looked at me with a smug smile. “Olivia, this time I’ll be the one everyone admires.” I looked at the Beauty System now drifting toward me and smiled. Emily thought she had stolen my golden future. She had no idea that every gift fate offers comes with a price. Chapter 1 Only after Emily killed me did I realize she'd regretted her original choice all along. When we were sixteen, we had both been given a chance to rewrite our destinies. A mysterious figure appeared before us and said there would only be one opportunity to choose. "You may choose outstanding beauty... or extraordinary athletic talent. "You only get one chance. Choose carefully." In my previous life, Emily chose the Beauty System. She believed beauty was the fastest way into America's elite social circles. But once beauty actually opened those doors and she entered a world of billionaires, celebrities, and old-money heirs, she discovered something she'd never expected. Beauty wasn't rare. The wealthy young men around her treated her like a beautiful accessory for showing off for a while, not a person they truly loved. They were obsessed with her appearance. But only for a season. When the Beauty System determined she had failed to earn anyone's genuine love, it reclaimed every gift it had ever given her. She lost her extraordinary beauty overnight. Her wealthy benefactors disappeared. She was left penniless and alone. I, on the other hand, had chosen the Elite Athlete System. I became America's youngest Olympic champion and one of the greatest athletes of my generation. Even Ethan Walker, the heir to the powerful Walker family, whom Emily had never been able to win over, ended up chasing me. I had both fame and fortune. Unable to accept that, Emily murdered me. And now, we were both sixteen again. Before the mysterious figure could finish speaking, Emily shouted, "I choose the Elite Athlete System!" The hooded figure revealed half of a gentle smile. "But a moment ago, you said your greatest wish was extraordinary beauty." "The system you receive is born from your deepest desire. Are you certain becoming an elite athlete is what you truly want?" Emily answered without hesitation. "Yes! Absolutely!" "Beauty can't compare to talent!" The figure remained silent for a moment before turning toward me. "And what about you?" Seeing that the figure was still asking for my decision, Emily suddenly rushed forward and grabbed the glowing blue orb from its right hand. The instant she touched it, the light dissolved into her body. Joy filled her eyes. "Perfect! "This time, the fame, the fortune, and Ethan Walker will all be mine." The mysterious figure didn't move. Its smile simply grew warmer. "Then the Beauty System belongs to you." A second orb drifted gently into my hands. As soon as I touched it, the light merged with my body. The figure slowly became transparent. "My gifts have now been entrusted to you. Complete your missions and enjoy the life you've chosen." Its voice faded as it disappeared completely. Emily was already completely absorbed in her new system. She looked at me with a sneer. "You had your chance in your last life. Now it's finally my turn." I simply smiled back without saying a word. Emily still didn't understand. Fate's gifts are never free. A system may give you extraordinary talent. But it can never replace your own hard work. Chapter 2 Emily quickly began enjoying the benefits of her new system. Like all Destiny Systems, ours granted an initial boost. The Elite Athlete System enhanced her reflexes, coordination, endurance, and body awareness. Every drill came naturally to her, and every workout produced results far beyond those of an ordinary athlete. She couldn't wait to show everyone. During gym class and after-school training, she was suddenly outperforming varsity athletes who had trained for years. "Since when is Emily this athletic?" "She's incredible." "I've never seen anyone improve that fast." Emily basked in the admiration. Then, catching sight of me from the corner of her eye, she covered her mouth with a small laugh. "My sister trains really hard after school too. It's just no matter how much she practices, she never seems to improve." She sighed dramatically. "If Olivia wanted, I'd gladly share my training routine with her. But she's too proud to ask." A teammate who had been asking Emily for advice immediately chimed in. "Come on, Olivia just isn't naturally athletic. Even if you coached her, it wouldn't make a difference." "You two are sisters. How did Emily end up so talented while Olivia got none of the athletic genes?" Untalented? I lowered my eyes to the A on my latest fitness assessment. The truth was, I wasn't doing badly at all. Emily simply had a way of planting ideas in people's minds. Little by little, everyone started believing I was secretly obsessed with catching up to her, and jealous that I never could. In high school, people naturally admired gifted athletes. Especially someone like Emily, who seemed to excel without breaking a sweat. Natural talent was rare. And because it was rare, everyone envied it. Meanwhile, some of the boys in school began teasing me just to get my attention. The Beauty System had begun revealing its power as well. Emily and I had always looked alike. But as we grew older, subtle changes began to appear. I was going through a transformation. I grew taller, my figure became more graceful and athletic, my complexion cleared, and my features became more defined. At a school where almost everyone dressed casually and wore little makeup, my appearance gradually became impossible to ignore. "So what if she's pretty? This is school. Athletics and grades matter more." "Exactly. Olivia may be gorgeous, but Emily's the real star. If I had to choose, Emily's still my favorite." Emily looked thoroughly pleased with herself. I simply watched without saying a word. What she didn't understand was that the Elite Athlete System didn't magically create champions. In my previous life, she had needed to earn someone's genuine love before the Beauty System rewarded her. Likewise, I had needed to train relentlessly, day after day, before I could ever stand on an Olympic podium. Talent alone had never been enough. The people who reached the very top were never lacking in ability. In the end, what separated them wasn't talent. It was discipline. Who could work harder. Who could endure years without immediate results. The world is full of beautiful people. It's also full of talented athletes. But very few ever become truly successful. Every glamorous moment is paid for by countless unseen hours of sacrifice. Fate has never rewarded those unwilling to earn what they've been given. Chapter 3 Emily quickly became the star athlete everyone at school was talking about. The students surrounding her were all varsity stars and the most talented athletes on campus. But she soon realized something didn't make sense. Unlike my previous life, I wasn't being isolated by the other girls. If anything, everyone still laughed and talked with me as usual. She couldn't understand it. Why was it that, despite having the Beauty System, despite becoming the prettiest girl in school and constantly being the subject of anonymous crush posts online, I wasn't surrounded by jealous girls? The truth was that people hadn't disliked Emily in my previous life because she was beautiful. "Hey, Olivia." A familiar voice called out from the hallway. Jake Carter, the school's most notorious troublemaker, was leaning against a row of lockers with that familiar cocky grin. "You coming to the bonfire after the game tonight?" Jake came from one of the wealthiest families in town. His father owned casinos, luxury resorts, and half the entertainment businesses in the county. Everyone knew the Carter family had connections powerful enough that even the school administration preferred not to challenge them. In my previous life, Jake had chased Emily just as relentlessly. Back then, she loved the attention. She was always riding around town in the passenger seat of his brand-new Corvette. While everyone else was studying for exams or training after school, she skipped classes to follow Jake around, using his reputation to intimidate other students. That was why people disliked her. Not because she was beautiful. Because she treated everyone else as if they were beneath her. I wasn't going to repeat those mistakes. Jake walked straight to my desk, resting both hands on it as he looked down at me. He was handsome. Popular. Generous with money. Half the girls in school had a crush on him. Unfortunately, he also had a terrible temper. "So? You coming or not?" I shook my head. "No. I'm going home after school." It was the fourth time I'd turned him down. His patience was obviously running out. A flash of irritation crossed his face. The curious stares from everyone around us only made him angrier. "Olivia Brooks. Don't push your luck." "I'm actually into you right now. So quit acting like you're too good for me." The hallway fell completely silent. Everybody was looking at us. Just last month, Jake had put another student in the hospital after a fight in the parking lot. I lowered my eyes. Quietly pinched my thigh as hard as I could. When I looked up again, my eyes were already shimmering with tears. "Jake... How could you say something like that?" His anger vanished instantly. He scratched the back of his head, looking completely lost. "Whoa, I didn't even do anything." "Hey, don't cry. If you don't want to go, then don't." I ignored him completely. Sniffling, I wiped away my tears and hurried down the hallway. Another second and I probably wouldn't have been able to keep crying. I had to admit it. Beauty could be a weapon. But it was always a double-edged sword. If you didn't know how to use it, you'd only end up hurting yourself. Confronting Jake head-on would've been foolish. For now, showing a little vulnerability was the safest way to protect myself. Before I had the strength to protect myself, my beauty was a liability disguised as a blessing. But unlike Emily, I had no intention of relying on a powerful man to keep me safe. Building your future around strangers who only value your appearance was a losing strategy from the very beginning. Even the most beautiful flower loses its charm once it becomes familiar. A bird in a gilded cage can never truly soar. I wasn't meant to belong to anyone. I was meant to fly on my own. Chapter 4 I might have looked delicate. But I could run. By the time Jake came looking for me, I was already long gone. I slipped into an old fitness room behind the gym and pulled out my resistance band. I set my phone on a small tripod and started filming another workout vlog. Today's video was a simple after-school conditioning routine. I'd edit it and upload it later that night. In today's social media world, extraordinary beauty could be turned into an opportunity almost overnight. I'd been posting fitness content, training routines, and snippets of my daily workouts for months. My accounts had already grown to over 600,000 followers. My followers liked to joke that I was the daughter they wished they had. They loved watching a sweet, hardworking teenage girl chasing her athletic dreams one workout at a time. Who wouldn't want a daughter like that? Among countless fitness influencers who relied solely on looks, I’d managed to build something different. Nearly ninety percent of my followers were women. Before long, I’d somehow collected an army of internet moms. At first, I had only wanted to test a theory. In Emily’s mind, beauty existed to win a man’s attention. A beautiful woman was supposed to be chosen, protected, and lifted into a better life by someone powerful. But as more and more girls and women followed my account, encouraged me, defended me, and waited for every new video I posted, I began to understand something Emily never had. Love did not only exist between a man and a woman. Affection was affection. Genuine support was genuine support. As long as it was real, the Beauty System recognized it. Once the system paired extraordinary beauty with the image of a diligent high school student, that beauty no longer felt threatening. It felt inspiring. Sometimes I’d catch my reflection in the mirror and wonder how one face could change so much. My inbox was flooded with messages from modeling agencies and talent scouts. They all insisted I belonged in Hollywood and should become the next big star. In my previous life, Emily had briefly entered the entertainment industry as well. But her popularity disappeared almost as quickly as it came. The wealthy men obsessed with her preferred to keep her out of the spotlight. Later, after the Beauty System abandoned her, gossip accounts constantly posted side-by-side photos comparing her "before" and "after," lamenting how badly she'd aged. Aged? She'd only been thirty-two. This time around, I no longer possessed extraordinary athletic talent. I was physically no different from anyone else. Throwing myself into the brutal world of elite sports simply wasn't the right path for me anymore. But I wasn't planning to rush into show business either. An ordinary person who worked hard could still earn admission to a great university. And in today's creator economy, beauty could quickly become a profitable advantage. Still, living off my appearance alone would never be enough. While my online presence continued to grow, Emily's performance began to slip. One afternoon, she angrily demanded, "I have the Elite Athlete System. So why are there still skills I can't master?" The system answered in its usual cold, mechanical voice. "I can enhance your physical potential. I cannot train for you." Emily had never been someone with much patience. Making her practice every day was practically torture. But after losing her spot as the school's top athlete, she had no choice but to start training seriously. With the system's enhancements, improvement came much more easily. Before long, she climbed back to the top. Our parents couldn't have been happier. Everyone loved a successful child. Especially our parents. Progress meant everything to them. One evening, Dad looked at me and frowned. "Olivia, why can't you be more like your sister? Emily's the best athlete in school. And you're barely average." Tilting my head, I smiled. "But Dad, I've improved a lot too." "My coach says I have a real chance of earning an athletic scholarship." Mom frowned even harder. In my previous life, she'd become increasingly suspicious of Emily as she grew more beautiful. She always assumed attractive girls attracted trouble. This time, those suspicions had shifted onto me. "I've heard you've been hanging around boys with bad reputations." "Olivia Brooks, don't embarrass this family." Emily watched with obvious satisfaction. After our parents finished lecturing me, she walked over with a smile and pulled me toward the hallway mirror. "See, Olivia? What good is beauty?" "This time, I'm the one Mom and Dad really love." I looked at her and quietly sighed. Even after living through an entire lifetime, she was still obsessed with winning their approval. The truth was that our parents didn't truly love either of us. They loved whichever daughter brought the family the greatest pride. In my previous life, after I became a world-famous Olympic champion, they were constantly dragging me to charity galas, alumni events, and community functions just so they could introduce me as their Olympic daughter. Not everyone is fortunate enough to have parents who love their children unconditionally. Sometimes, even a parent's love comes with a price. But that was all right. No life is ever completely perfect. Chapter 5 Emily had made sure our parents knew that Jake Carter was chasing me. Lately, Mom has watched me like I was a criminal. She was terrified I'd do something that would disgrace the family. If she could, she'd lock me in the house and never let me out. "Don't you dare do anything stupid. There are plenty of men in the world. But if you ruin your reputation, no one can fix it for you. " "Girls who fool around always end up regretting it." Her shrill voice echoed through the house. I treated it like background noise. Every bad YA novel needed an overdramatic parent, after all. But that afternoon, I didn't make it home. Jake was waiting for me outside the school entrance. "Olivia Brooks." He folded his arms across his chest. "Your sister told me you think you're too good for me." Emily knew Jake well. He was athletic, impulsive, hot-tempered, and hated looking weak. The moment she convinced him I'd been rejecting him because I looked down on him, he stormed over to confront me. He pulled me away from the crowd. "So that's it? You think you're better than me? I can make your life miserable if I want to." I looked at him helplessly. Time to use the same trick again. "Are you teaming up with Emily to bully me, too?" Teenage boys were surprisingly easy to manipulate. Even one like Jake. Until you held all the cards, picking a fight with someone like him was just stupid. I still had a future worth protecting. I wasn't going to throw it away over someone like him. "Bully you?" I covered my face and burst into tears. No matter what he asked, I refused to answer. The empty fitness room echoed with nothing but my sobbing. Within minutes, Jake looked like he wished he could disappear. Meanwhile, Emily was leading Ethan Walker toward the fitness room. She knew Jake's temper. Once he dragged me away, things were bound to get ugly. Just to make sure there were witnesses, she invited several classmates to come along. She'd even called parents ahead of time, claiming her sister had run off with the school's resident troublemaker and that she couldn't stop her. A small crowd made its way across campus. Emily practically skipped the whole way there. She could already picture my reputation falling apart. Walking behind her, Ethan frowned. "I still don't get why we have to go to the fitness room." Emily smiled sweetly. "I just thought it'd be quieter." With several classmates nearby, Ethan didn't press the issue. As Emily reached for the door, she spotted our parents hurrying across the athletic field. She didn't even bother looking inside. The moment she pulled the door open, she shouted, "Mom! Dad! Don't come in! Olivia, Olivia's doing something she should be ashamed of!" Our parents rushed forward, pushing past the stunned students. Mom was already yelling about how I was humiliating the family. Then both of them froze.