Chapter 2 Family? I'm Done With It

Venus hitched rides all the way back to her house.
Before her stood a grand Euron-style mansion. Its tall marble doors looked majestic, made from white stone imported from Strayjan. The wide courtyard was covered in lush green grass, and flowerbeds were filled with rare, colorful blooms. The place screamed wealth and pride.
That worker gawked at the sight. "Wait—this isn't the richest man's mansion in Zrebert, is it? You work here or something?"
He thought she was one of the servants.
Venus said nothing. She just stared at the house quietly.
There was a time she would've done anything to be loved by the people inside.
She had bowed her head and tried to please them, begging for their affection, but all she got back was rejection and disgust.
Whether in the countryside or in the city, she had never once felt warmth.
All she ever received was coldness and humiliation.
Only after she ran away and met her mentor and joined the Hermetic Order did she finally understand something. She was born under a thin bond of kinship.
Some ties just weren't meant to be hers.
So even if she got a second chance at life, she wouldn't want them again.
It was eight o'clock at night.
The mansion glowed brightly, filled with laughter and music.
Venus walked up to the glass wall and looked inside.
The grand living room was packed with elegant guests—rich socialites and polished young heirs clinking glasses and laughing. They were celebrating Lumi Burn’s 18th birthday. She was the fifth out of seven children in the family.
Venus suddenly remembered—it was her 18th birthday too.
But no one remembered. Not even her father, who knew the truth: Lumi was the fake daughter. Venus was the real one.
Harvey, who was always stern and not the type to smile easily, was smiling widely, standing beside her stepmother, Megan Burn. Together they pushed out a tall cake covered in layers of frosting. "Happy birthday, sweetheart," Harvey said warmly.
Axel, the eldest son, was dressed in a black tuxedo. He sat by the grand piano, playing a soft, beautiful melody. "Happy birthday, Lumi."
Neil Burn, the second son of the Burns, handed Lumi a shiny AI-powered pet robot he had built himself. "Happy birthday, Lumi."
Keir Burn, the third son, presented a jar of his new scar-healing beauty cream, specially made for her. "Happy birthday, Lumi."
Rayne Burn, the fourth son, hired Lumi's favorite male singer to perform for the occasion. Together, they sang her a birthday song. "Happy birthday, Lumi!"
The youngest sister, Bree, gifted her a designer necklace, which she personally handpicked. "Happy birthday, Lumi."
Even little Percy, the seventh and youngest son of the Burns, who was always up to no good, gave her a hand-drawn picture. "Happy birthday, sis!"
The whole family was glowing with warmth and joy.
Venus thought back to that night years ago—when she'd been unconscious on her birthday. When she finally woke up, nobody remembered. Instead, they told her to clean up the mess in the living room.
Back then, she had been foolish. She told herself it was normal. They'd known Lumi longer; of course they forgot her birthday. So she forced a smile and eagerly cleaned the place up without a word.
Now that she thought about it, she must have been out of her mind.
Venus took a slow breath, pushed those thoughts aside, and shoved the door open.
The moment Venus stepped inside, Harvey's cheerful face darkened. "You ... Why are you here? Of all days, why must you show up on such a happy day? Get lost!"
His bark silenced the room. Everyone turned to stare at Venus. Their eyes were full of scorn and disgust.
Bree sneered at her older sister, whom she'd always looked down on for coming from the countryside. Her voice dripped with spite as she snapped, "What are you doing here, country bumpkin? Don't you see? Everyone here's rich. Oh, wait! Don't tell me you're trying to steal something again?"
At the mention of "stealing," a few heiresses in designer gowns instinctively covered their jewelry. Their looks toward Venus turned colder with contempt.
Venus stood still, her head slightly lowered, enduring the humiliation. The birthday girl, Lumi, lifted her gown and walked over with a gentle smile, trying to smooth things over.
"Don't be so harsh. Maybe Venus only took the necklace because she couldn't afford a gift. Bree, can't you forgive her this once? I'm sure she won't do it again."
But Bree refused to let it go. "Ugh! Don't pretend she's innocent! A thief is a thief, and I hate that! Just so you know, she's stolen from me more than once!"
Venus was amused.
She raised her head and met Bree's eyes directly.
"Since the day I came to this house," she said evenly, "I've never stolen a single thing."
Bree froze. She wasn't used to that look—calm, steady, defiant.
Venus had never dared to look her in the eye before—always timid, always apologizing.
What happened today? Not only was she staring back, but she also actually talked back.
Bree let out a sharp laugh. "Oh, yeah? Didn't steal, huh? You've got some nerve saying that. You were so desperate for money you almost stole Grandpa's gold watch to sell it! He was so furious he moved to the mountain villa just to stay away from you."
At the mention of Julian, everyone's expression hardened. The disgust in their eyes deepened as they looked at Venus.
"Venus," Bree spat, "you're rotten to the core. Stop pretending to be innocent."
Venus's face stayed calm.
In the past, she had done everything to please her family. She thought that if she tried hard enough, they'd finally accept her.
But she'd been wrong.
This house had never been her home—not then, not ever.
In her last life, she endured their cruelty in silence. This time, she wouldn't.
Venus took a bold step forward. Without hesitation, she flipped the birthday cake. Gasps filled the room. Before anyone could react, she knocked over the champagne tower too.
The guests froze in shock, eyes wide as the scene descended into chaos.
Venus went on a rampage. She smashed everything she could reach—including the gifts meant for Lumi.
In seconds, the elegant living room turned into a disaster zone.
The Burns were livid. "Are you crazy, Venus?! What are you trying to do?" Harvey roared, face red with rage.
Lumi's eyes filled with tears. "My birthday party ... " she whimpered.
Her brothers rushed to comfort her, glaring at Venus with pure hatred.
"Venus, what's wrong with you?!"
"Apologize to Lumi, now!"
Venus rubbed her sore hand and gave a lazy, satisfied smile. "You all call me wicked, right? If I don't cause a little destruction, wouldn't that make me seem too obedient?"
She looked around the ruined room, her tone suddenly sharper. "So, you think I stole something, huh?"
Her gaze landed on a maid standing stiffly in the corner.
"Patricia."
The maid trembled all over, forcing a calm tone. "Yes, Ms. Venus? What do you need?"
Venus spoke coolly, "You can confess and make it easier for yourself, or we can check the security cameras."
Patricia froze. Cameras? How would this country girl even know about that?
Lumi stepped in gently, her voice sweet but laced with manipulation. "Venus, I told Bree not to argue with you anymore. You just need to change your attitude. Why drag innocent people into this?"
Her words sounded kind, but she was defending Patricia while making Venus look like a liar.
Venus turned her gaze on Lumi. Her expression was calm, but her words cut deep. "You told Patricia to frame me, didn't you? What's wrong, Lumi—afraid the real daughter might take back what's hers?"
The entire room erupted in murmurs. The real daughter?
All the guests widened their eyes at this.
Until that moment, everyone had believed Venus was just Harvey's adopted girl. The Burns had always told the public that story. But now—this revelation changed everything.
If Venus was the real daughter, then what was Lumi?
Lumi's circle of rich-heiress friends couldn't stand this. They immediately jumped to her defense.
"Lumi's been nothing but nice to you, you little thief! You ruined her birthday, and now you're accusing her? You're disgusting!"
"Someone should call the cops on her! Let her rot in jail for a while; maybe that'll teach her manners!"
"Yeah, Lumi, you're too kind. Some people just don't learn until they face the consequences!"
"I've heard all about Venus," someone sneered. "Greedy, always chasing fancy things, can't stop stealing. People from the countryside never have clean hands. Just look at her—does that face scream ‘real heiress' to you? She doesn't deserve the name!"
The insults kept coming, sharp and cruel. And honestly, no one in that glittering room would ever believe that the frail, underfed girl standing there—pale skin, thin frame, and hollow eyes—was the real daughter of the Burns.
Rumors about her "stealing" had spread long ago. Tonight, they simply sealed the verdict. Not one person spoke up for her.
Venus smiled, though her eyes stayed cold. "Save your breath. I already called the cops. They'll be here soon."
The room fell silent. Patricia's face turned pallid. Her fingers twitched as she stole a quick glance at Lumi, panic flashing across her eyes.