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837words2026-01-26 11:22

I was reborn.
In my past life, I was finally acknowledged by the wealthy Sterling family.
To compete for favor with the fake heiress, Luna Sterling, I was caught in a relentless rat race almost every moment.

But in the end, all my efforts ended up benefitting only Sterling.
The collaborations and connections I secured for the Sterling—after I died in that car crash, they all became her assets.
Bitter and full of rage, my spirit followed them back to the Sterling mansion.
That’s when I overheard Luna talking to herself—and realized our world was actually some kind of family novel, and she was the female lead.
Me? I was just a cannon fodder side character, dumb enough to try and outshine the moon.
Thankfully, I got reborn.

I woke up twenty years earlier, inside my mother's womb, with only seven days left till birth.
I quietly clenched the umbilical cord in my tiny fist.
So what if she's the heroine of some doting novel?
In my past life, I returned to the Sterling family too late—I didn't have enough time to grow.

This time, I'll start outcompeting right from the womb. I refuse to believe I can't beat her down.
First goal after rebirth: improve my physique
Though I couldn't see anything, I dedicated myself to daily exercise, battling wits with the amniotic fluid and the umbilical cord in my confined space.
After enduring this for three days, my mother couldn't take it anymore.
She insisted the doctor perform another ultrasound, desperate to know if she was carrying a monkey or a demon child.
After hearing her out, the doctor fell into brief self-doubt.
"You're saying the baby kicks off precisely at 9 AM sharp and stops at 5 PM on the dot? Oh, and also stops during lunch and nap breaks?"
"So... she's working a 9-to-5 schedule in the womb? Even more regimented than us working folks?"
Skeptical but professional, the doctor dutifully performed the scan.
When the results came out, the doctor was stunned.
"Mrs. Summers, your baby is not only healthy but incredibly smart!"
"Previous scans showed the baby was in breech position and had the umbilical wrapped around the neck. But now, the baby has not only corrected her position by herself but also managed to unwrap the cord!"
"..."
"What? Unwrapped it by herself?"
"Is that even possible for an unborn baby? That's genius-level!"
"Genius? More like just lucky!"
Hearing that sour, grating voice outside the belly, I froze for a second.
It sounded familiar... like Luna Sterling's mother's voice?
Could it be that Luna and I possibly be born in the same hospital?
That night, my suspicion was confirmed.
Luna Sterling's mother was transferred into the same hospital room as my mother.
Unlike my mother who was all alone, Luna's mother was surrounded like a star.
There was a constant stream of visitors bringing her gifts.
Luna's mother sipped expensive tonics while offering "concerned" advice to my mother.
"Chloe, dear, why are you here all alone? Couldn't your husband make time to be with you?"
My mother forced a smile.
"He's very busy with work. I can manage just fine on my own."
My mother was lying.
The truth is, at this time, I didn't have a fathert.
My mother was a minor internet influencer whose biggest dream was to marry into wealth.
Finally, at age 25, she seized her chance at the company's annual gala, successfully climbing into the bed of a wealthy young heir.
Good news: She hit the jackpot on the first try.
Bad news: She didn't get a clear look at which wealthy family he belonged to.
In my past life, it wasn't until I was eight years old that a chance blood donation revealed I was the Sterling family’s lost descendant.
Knowing that Hazel was in the womb next door, I doubled down on my efforts.
Besides my strict daily fetal workout schedule, I absorbed knowledge any way I could.
Like intently listening to the 7 PM news broadcast from the hallway.
Or deducing the personalities and preferences of pregnant women, their families, doctors, and nurses through snippets of their conversations.
My mother quickly adapted to my 9-to-5 womb aerobics and noticed my hobby for eavesdropping.
She started waddling around to different delivery rooms every day.
Not only did she become a familiar face in the maternity ward, but her own stamina also improved a lot.
A week later, my mother and Luna's mother both went into labor simultaneously.
The maternity ward descended into chaos.
My mother and Luna's mother were rushed into adjacent delivery rooms.
"Aaaaaah!"
Screams echoed from the next room.
My mother, chewing on chocolate a nurse offered, felt a bit awkward.
She was wondering if she should scream a little too when she felt a release in her belly.
The doctors and nurses stared at the little fleshy bundle squirming out on the bed.
Their eyes widened—it took them a long moment to snap out of it.
"Th-that's it? She's born?!"