The System Thief, Reclaiming My Face

I saw it clearly when my mother pushed me into the crematorium furnace. There wasn't a hint of sadness on her face.

She turned around and stroked another girl's face with such tenderness.

That girl had the exact same face as mine. She was a pathetic imitator.

Lianna, don't be afraid, my mother whispered. "What's burning is just an empty shell. From now on, you are my only daughter, Jade."

My real name is Jade Sterling.

That imposter is Lianna Snow.

She was a parasite who used a "Life Stealing System" to rob me of everything.

I became a ghost, floating in the air. I watched her live in my room, hold my boyfriend, and spend my family's fortune.

She acted spoiled toward my ex-boyfriend, Reid Lancaster. "Reid, look, I did it. From now on, I am the real Jade, the golden girl everyone admires."

Reid kissed her forehead. "Silly girl, you always were. A loser like her should have disappeared a long time ago."

My ghostly body decayed rapidly. My skin sagged, and my features twisted.

Finally, my face turned completely into Lianna Snow's original, plain face.

I was dead.

I was cremated by my own mother, who treated me like a complete stranger.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back at the exact moment she was preparing to replace me.

This time, I'm going to make everyone see the truth.

A parasite belongs in the gutter, rotting forever.

"Jade, look at the makeup I did. Doesn't it look just like yours?"

Lianna Snow held up her phone. The screen showed the "Mermaid Tears" look I had posted three days ago.

It was an original look I designed specifically for the campus masquerade ball. It was supposed to be my secret weapon to outshine everyone.

My mother is a famous actress, and my father is a supermodel. I inherited all their best traits and am the recognized campus queen.

Lianna, on the other hand, was plain. She was the kind of person you'd lose in a crowd.

The way she looked at me was full of greed. It was like she was looking at a brand-new outfit that belonged to her.

In my past life, she wore this exact makeup and the same mask at the ball. She stunned everyone.

From that day on, the things that made me "me" started flowing to her uncontrollably.

At first, people would occasionally call me by her name.

Then, the small birthmark on my wrist began to fade. It reappeared in the exact same spot on her wrist.

Eventually, she took over my entire life.

I was erased from everyone's memory. My body slowly morphed into her old self until I died in agony.

"Does it look like you?" Lianna pressed when I didn't answer. Her tone had a hint of provocation.

I curled my lips into a cold smile and put down my makeup brush. I shifted my gaze from the mirror to her face.

"Not even close."

I turned around and stared into her jealous eyes. I spoke slowly and clearly.

"Your skin is too sallow, your features are too flat, and your eyes are too far apart. You can't pull this look off. You just look like a cheap knockoff."

Lianna's face instantly turned the color of raw liver.

She hated it when people called her ordinary, especially when compared to me.

"Jade, what do you mean by that? It's just makeup. Is there a need to be so insulting?"

Her eyes turned red. She kept her voice just loud enough for our two roommates to hear.

Sure enough, Skylar and Maddie immediately rushed over.

Skylar patted Lianna's back and frowned at me. "Jade, how can you say that to Lianna? She just admires your skills and wants to learn."

Maddie chimed in. "Exactly. We're all friends here. Why can't you just share? You're being so petty just because your family is rich."

I looked at them and sneered inwardly.

These two were the same in my last life.

They were fooled by Lianna's "innocent girl" act. They always thought I was the rich bully and loved to judge me from their moral high ground.

It wasn't until I died and saw them calling that imposter "Jade" that I realized their friendship was worthless.

"Petty?" I stood up. At five-foot-eight, I easily towered over them.

"First, this is my original design. I have no obligation to teach it for free, especially to a thief. Second, instead of playing the saint, you should spend more time improving your own taste so you don't get used as pawns."

I ignored their pale faces. I grabbed a bottle of makeup remover and wiped half my face clean right in front of them.

Lianna was stunned. Her voice went shrill. "What... what are you doing?"

I tossed the used cotton pad into the trash can by her feet. Then, I turned on my professional livestreaming gear.

Thousands of viewers flooded the room instantly. I smiled at the camera, looking both radiant and wicked.

"Hey everyone! I've decided to change my look last minute. The theme for tonight's ball will be the 'Corpse Bride.'"

I have millions of followers and am a top-tier beauty influencer. The live chat went wild immediately.

"Omg! She's even gorgeous without makeup! Is her skin literally glowing?"

"Corpse Bride? That sounds so intense!"

"Jade is going dark tonight? I'm obsessed!"

Lianna's face went ghost-white.

She had spent days studying my videos to copy the mermaid look. She even spent a fortune on the exact same products.

Now that I was changing it, all her preparation was wasted.

More importantly, I was live.

How could she copy me now? Would she admit to being a thief in front of tens of thousands of people?

I ignored her hateful glare. I applied a pale foundation to my face and used dark shadows to contour a skeletal frame. Finally, I added blood-red tear stains at the corners of my eyes.

The look was eerie, dark, and heartbreakingly beautiful.

The chat was losing its mind.

"Is this real life? This belongs in a horror movie! It's perfection!"

"Jade, you aren't just a bride. You're a goddess!"

"Who called her a talentless bimbo? I'll fight them right now!"

I stroked the red tears on my face and spoke in a sultry, midnight-fairy voice.

"Do you like it? Come find me at the ball tonight."

I shut off the stream and looked at my reflection. I looked like a complete stranger.

Lianna, you want to be me?

Try it.

Let's see if you can even keep up.

The atmosphere in the dorm was freezing.

Lianna stared at me with a look that could kill.

Skylar and Maddie didn't dare to speak. They shrunk into the corner, trying to be invisible.

I didn't care about them. I changed into my custom black lace gown.

With the makeup, I looked like a vengeful bride rising from the grave.

I glanced back at Lianna.

She was still wearing that white tulle dress she bought to match the mermaid look. Standing there with her angry face, she looked like a cheap joke.

"Lianna," I said, my voice full of mock pity. "Actually... that mermaid makeup really suits that dress. Cheap things always belong together, don't they?"

"You!" Lianna trembled with rage, her teeth practically grinding together.

I didn't give her a chance to explode. I gave her a winner's smile and walked out.

The masquerade was held in the grand hall.

The moment I stepped in wearing my black lace mask, I became the center of attention.

My "Corpse Bride" look was too shocking to ignore. Gasping and the sound of camera shutters filled the air.

"Wait, is that Jade? That's so cool!"

"That makeup is a work of art! How did she think of that?"

"She really can pull off anything. Even a death look!"

While I was enjoying the spotlight, an angry voice shouted from behind me.

"Jade! You've gone way too far!"

I turned slowly and saw my "dear boyfriend," Reid Lancaster.

He was protecting Lianna, looking furious, as if I had committed a crime.

Lianna had finished her mermaid makeup anyway. But it was sloppy. Compared to my look, she looked pale and ridiculous.

She hid behind Reid, crying like a victim.

"How have I gone too far?" I tilted my head, mocking him.

"You know how long Lianna prepared for this!" Reid's voice rose, attracting everyone's attention. "She just wanted to match with you, but you changed it to humiliate her! Why are you so cruel?"

Looking at Reid's self-righteous face made me want to gag.

In my last life, he was exactly like this.

He always accused me of being "jealous" and "malicious."

I used to think he was just fooled by her acting.

After my death, I realized the truth.

He wasn't blind. He was just a bad person.

"Reid," I said coldly. My voice wasn't loud, but it cut through the music. "First, my makeup is my choice. You're not my mother, so stop nagging like a gossip. Second, she chose to copy me and ended up looking like a clown. That's on her. Third, and most importantly..."

I paused, my eyes turning sharp as ice.

"In what capacity are you questioning me?"

Reid blinked. He puffed out his chest. "I... I'm your boyfriend!"

"Oh?" I laughed. "Consider this your notice. As of right now, you're dumped."

I pulled out my phone and started a livestream. I pointed the camera right at their shocked faces.

"Hey everyone! I'm giving you a front-row seat to a breakup. Let's call this: Dumping the Gold Digger and His Snake."

The live room exploded. The viewer count skyrocketed.

"Holy crap! Is she serious? A live breakup?"

"Gold digger? The tea is piping hot!"

Reid's face turned ugly. He panicked. "Jade, have you lost your mind? Turn that off!"

"Turn it off?" I smiled wider. "Why? I want everyone to see what kind of trash I'm throwing away."

I turned the camera to myself.

"Attention everyone. I am officially announcing my breakup with Reid Lancaster. The reason is simple: he's filthy."

I flipped the camera to the trembling girl behind him.

"As for Miss Lianna Snow, since you love picking up my trash, you can have him. I hope you two rot together forever."

Then, my gaze snapped back to Reid, sharp as a blade.

"By the way, Reid. You always said you hated my family's money, right? Fine. Before we end this, let's settle the bill."

I opened my banking app for the world to see. I pulled up a prepared list of expenses.

"We've been together for two years. That Porsche 911 you drive? A birthday gift from my dad. Three hundred thousand dollars. The downtown condo you live in? My mom pays the five-thousand-dollar monthly rent. That's a hundred and twenty grand. That designer suit? Eight thousand. That watch? Thirty thousand. Not to mention your twenty-thousand-dollar monthly allowance..."

With every word, Reid's face got paler.

"Over these years, I've spent exactly five point six million dollars on you. Since we're over, I expect it all back within a week. Also, bring back the car keysDand make sure it's clean!"

The crowd gasped.

Everyone thought Reid was a rich kid. No one knew he was a total leech living off his girlfriend!

Reid's pride was being crushed under my heels in front of the entire school.

He clenched his jaw, glaring at me. "Jade, don't test me!"

"I'm testing you?" I laughed. "You spent my money to flirt with my roommate in the apartment I paid for. Who's the one testing who?"

"That's a lie!" Reid and Lianna shouted together.

I smiled, and the room went silent.

"Whether it's a lie or not doesn't depend on what I say."

I held up the phone again. I had hundreds of thousands of viewers now. I opened a video folder labeled: "Cheating Scandal: My Trash Ex."

My finger hovered over a thumbnail. Even though it was small, you could clearly see two people tangled in bed.

The live chat went feral. The guests in the hall gasped.

Reid and Lianna looked like they had seen a ghost.

My voice was low, but it felt like a cold needle in their ears.

"Reid, Lianna. I've always been a generous person."

I smiled a bloodthirsty smile.

"So, I'll give you one chance. Get on your knees right now and apologize to me in front of everyone."

"Or else..."

My thumb hovered just millimeters above the play button.

"The whole world is going to see your 'spectacular performance' in my bed. It'll be the highlight of the night."

The room was deathly quiet.

Nobody breathed. Everyone's eyes were fixed on my thumb and the two terrified faces in front of me.

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