Cicada Song
### Chapter 1
In my past life, when I got into Jade Purity University, my grandpa gave me a dragon-etched jade pendant worth millions.
I never even dared to wear it, but the scholarship student my family sponsored stole it.
When I confronted her, she just stared at me with wide, innocent eyes. “Was it really that expensive? It looked like some cheap accessory from the dollar store. Since you never even wore it, I just gave it to a homeless guy on the street.”
I was so furious I was about to call the cops, but they stopped me.
Nicholas Stewart, my childhood friend who had sworn to protect me for life, called me a spoiled rich brat who bullied ordinary people.
My own brother, who used to spoil me rotten, said my arrogance and willfulness made me unworthy of being his sister.
To cheer up the scholarship student, they forcibly shipped me off to the mountains to “experience poverty.”
There, the student's grandmother tried to force me to have a baby for some old, hideous man. After I fought back with all my might, they fed me three whole bowls of poison.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the scholarship student stole my pendant.
“I'm so sorry, Autumn. I had no idea your pendant was so expensive. I thought it was just some cheap thing from the dollar store, so I just gave it to a homeless person on the street.”
Hearing that voice, so familiar it made me sick, my eyes shot open. I'd been reborn.
The seemingly fragile girl in front of me was Grace Watson, the scholarship student my mom had been sponsoring for years.
Right now, she was huddled pitifully in my childhood friend Nicholas Stewart's arms, whimpering.
“What do I do, Nicholas? Autumn's mad now, and it's all my fault, boo hoo…”
At that, Nicholas's face filled with concern, and he rushed to comfort her. “It's okay, Gracie. It's just a pendant. If it's gone, it's gone.”
I scoffed.
A dragon-etched jade pendant worth millions, and they think they can just 'give it away'?
Hearing my laugh, Nicholas pointed at me, annoyed.
“Autumn, what are you laughing at? Why can't you try to be kind, like Gracie? That pendant was just sitting in your room collecting dust. It's better off being given to someone who needs it!”
I remembered how, last time, I had refused to let it go. It was a birthday gift from my grandfather. But Nicholas, instead of helping me, had sided with Grace and torn into me.
“Nicholas, what right do you two have to take my things? And taking something without asking is stealing! I could have you both arrested!”
Hearing me mention the police, Grace panicked, clinging to Nicholas and bursting into tears.
“Sob, I'm so sorry! I really didn't know the pendant was worth that much! I just saw how pitiful that homeless man was, so I gave it to him. I thought giving him a gift might at least make him happy for a little while, you know?”
“I was just trying to be charitable, Nicholas! Why is Autumn still yelling at me?”
Her words instantly triggered Nicholas's hero complex. He jabbed a finger at me and snapped.
“Don't take it too far, Autumn! Gracie was just being helpful! Why can't you let it go? Besides, if it was so valuable, why didn't you lock it up properly? When you get down to it, this is your fault anyway!”
I was speechless.
Even if I hadn't locked the pendant up, was that an excuse for her to steal my things?
I remembered my past life. After Nicholas yelled at me, I had gone to find my brother, unwilling to give up. But who would have thought that not only did he not help me, but he also backed Grace up.
“Autumn, I really have spoiled you rotten. How did you develop such a petty personality? Why can't you be more like Gracie and give me a break?”
Later, when I refused to admit I was wrong, my brother sent me directly to Grace's hometown.
“You need your attitude adjusted. Go and experience what kind of life Gracie used to live. Maybe then you'll be able to empathize with her.”
And just like that, I was thrown into the mountains.
Grace's family included a grandmother with severe mental health issues.
The place was surrounded by mountains, making escape impossible.
Not only was I forced to do farm work every day, but her grandmother also abused me constantly.
Eventually, she put rat poison in my food and killed me.
After my death, the murderer was never caught. Instead, my brother took Grace in as his own sister.
He even moved her entire family into the city.
Her family took my place, living a life of luxury.