Chapter 1Runway Revenge: The Curse of the Green Thorns

My stepsister tricked me into drinking a protein shake spiked with her own blood—a dark ritual to steal my beauty.

She replaced me, becoming a top supermodel, while I withered away—bloated, disfigured, and blacklisted from the industry.

My stepmother didn't stop there. She placed a cursed cactus in my bedroom, an occult object designed to siphon my luck and life force. The harder I worked, the worse my life became.

I lived in a nightmare until the day I was struck by a truck on 5th Avenue.

But when I opened my eyes... I was back. Back to the night my stepsister handed me that silver tumbler for the first time.

I took the shake—the one meant to swap our faces—and secretly poured it into the soil of the very cactus my stepmother used to drain my luck.

In this life, if I’m going down, I’m taking every single one of them with me.

* * *

"Harper, sweetie, I warmed up your milk. You’ve been working so hard, drink up and get some rest!"

Hearing Tiffany’s voice sent a violent shiver down my spine.

In my previous life, this glass of milk was the beginning of the end.

My mom passed away when I was very young. Not long after, my dad brought home a new woman, Brenda. And her daughter, Tiffany, who was only a few months younger than me.

At first, they played the part of the perfect, supportive family.

But everything changed after graduation. I was scouted by a top agency and quickly became an international supermodel.

Tiffany was consumed by jealousy. She found a psychic who taught her a dark ritual: using her own blood as a medium, mixed into my nightly milk, to slowly swap our bodies and faces.

She stole my runway, earning millions and basking in the spotlight. I was left with a face covered in cysts and a body that gained weight no matter what I did. I lost my career.

To ensure I never recovered, Brenda placed a "Luck-Vampire Cactus" in my room to drain the energy of whoever slept there.

No matter how hard I tried, I met with nothing but failure. I was a walking corpse until that accident sent me to the ICU.

In the hospital, Tiffany leaned over my bed and whispered the truth.

"Harper, I hated you. I hated that you were born with everything—the looks, the money, the attention—without even trying."

"But it doesn't matter now. Mom and I took your dad, and now we’ve taken your beauty, your fame, your fortune... everything."

"Oh, and guess what? Next month, I’m not just walking in the Global Gala... I’m getting engaged to your boyfriend, Chad."

"Too bad you won't be alive to see it."

My damaged heart couldn't take the shock. The monitor flatlined. Tiffany pretended to scream for help, and my world went black.

"Harper?"

Tiffany’s voice pulled me back to the present. I looked up. Under her mask of concern, I saw the hidden malice and anticipation.

I suppressed my rage and took the cup. "Thanks, Tiff. I'll drink it in a minute."

I watched her leave and locked the door. I turned around and poured the cursed milk directly into the soil of the luck-stealing cactus.

Since this milk is infused with her blood, I imagine this evil plant will find it much more... appetizing than just my presence.

In this life, let's see what happens when two parasites try to feed on each other.