Return of the Crowned Heiress (Felicia)

Everywhere Carmen turned, she was met with accusatory stares. People whispered, pointed, and smirked, feeding on her misery like vultures circling their prey. In a fit of rage, she hurled the bag of groceries straight at the couple, shouting, "You're the ones who are shameless, not me! Get lost! Leave me alone!" The man, quick to save himself, ducked and stepped aside.Property belongs to Nôvel(D)r/ama.Org.

But his wife wasn't so lucky. The bag hit her square in the chest. Furious, the woman stormed forward, grabbing Carmen's hair with both hands.

"You filthy tramp!" she screeched, dragging Carmen down. "What gave you the right to hit me? I'll show you what happens when you mess with me!" The woman was built like a linebacker, strong and unrelenting. Carmen, despite her struggles, was no match for her.

Within seconds, she was pinned to the pavement. She was helpless against the weight pressing her down.

"Let's see how brave you are once I strip you bare!" the woman spat venomously, clawing at Carmen's clothes.

The sound of tearing fabric cut through the air like a knife. The chill of the open air hit Carmen's exposed skin, and she froze.

"No! Stop it! Let go of me!" Carmen screamed, tears streaming down her face. Her cries became desperate and echoed across the street.

For all her efforts to pretend she didn't care about the lies, the gossip, or the humiliation, this moment shattered that façade. She cared. She cared too much.

As the woman ripped at her shirt, Carmen's mind snapped. A surge of adrenaline coursed through her, and with a guttural scream, she pushed the woman off. She was sent staggering backward.

Without stopping to think, Carmen clutched at her torn clothes and ran. She didn't know where she was going, but she didn't care. Her feet carried her to the top of her apartment building to the rooftop. The wind was cold up there, biting against her skin, but Carmen didn't feel it.

Standing at the edge, she looked down at the world below. The sounds from the streets, the cars, and the people faded away.

"Just jump, Carmen." She told herself it would be easy. Just one step forward, and it would all be over.

...

"Someone's on the roof!"

When she overheard the frantic

shout, Felicia had just returned with her bag of herbs. Looking up, her breath caught in her throat. There on the edge of the rooftop, was a figure swaying precariously with their hair and clothes whipping in the Wind.

Felicia dropped her bag without hesitation, her heart pounding in her chest.

Her mind raced as fragmented memories surfaced-memories of another life.

In that life, there had been two outcasts.

One was Felicia herself, ostracized

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and ridiculed as the "illegitimate daughter who had no right to challenge the golden girl of the. family The other had been Carmen, slandered and bullied for sing she never committed.

In that life, Carmen's torment ended on the rooftop of their school.

Felicia remembered seeing her fall, looking just like a broken bird with wings too battered to fly.

The scene had haunted her for years-the blood pooling beneath Carmen's lifeless body, the whispers and excuses from those who had driven her to it... Not again!

Felicia bolted toward the building.

She reached the elevator and punched the button repeatedly, urging it to move faster. But the digital display showed it was stuck on the fifth floor. "Damn it!"

Without another thought, Felicia turned and sprinted for the stairwell.

Her legs burned as she took the steps two at a time, her breath coming in short, sharp gasps. She pushed herself harder. She wanted to make it to the rooftop in time to save Carmen.