Revenge of the Thorns: The Nanny's Daughter Cried for Mercy

The nanny's daughter stole my expensive jewelry and gave it away to her classmates, claiming it was to rob the rich and help the poor.

I called the police to have her arrested, and she was so frightened that she fainted on the spot.

The most popular boy at school led a group of students to defend her, insisting that the money was something I had voluntarily donated.

They turned the tables, accusing me of being untrustworthy and materialistic.

I was pushed and shoved out of the school, and before I knew it, I was hit by an outofcontrol truck and died on the spot.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she had stolen my jewelry.

She stood on the platform, emptying the jewelry from her backpack, her eyes brimming with tears as she told her classmates.

"Do you know? One of Sophia's meals costs as much as your family's entire annual expenses! I just couldn't stand it anymore, so I wanted everyone to live as well as she does."

Thunderous applause erupted from the students below.

"You're using my money to play the hero, huh?" I thought.

Remembering my tragic death in the previous life, I stormed onto the platform and slapped her twice across the face, leaving her seeing stars and wailing in pain.

——

"Come on, everyone, don't be shy. I know your families are struggling, and life isn't easy for you. Since I'm welloff, I can't let you suffer. Please, help yourselves."

When I opened my eyes, I saw Nicole standing proudly at the podium. She was shaking out a pile of glittering jewelry from her bag, offering it to the students.

Everyone rushed forward in excitement, scrambling to grab the jewelry and stuff it into their pockets, thanking her loudly.

Some were even so grateful that they bowed to her and said, "Nicole, you're amazing! My mom is seriously ill and couldn't afford surgery. Now we finally have hope!"

Nicole was surrounded by classmates showering her with praise, and she occasionally shot me a triumphant smile.

As she flaunted her success in front of me, I suddenly realized that I had been reborn, back to my senior year of high school.

...

Just last night, as I was organizing my mother's belongings, Nicole barged in without knocking. She started crying, accusing me of hiding such valuable items and not sharing them with her, and demanded I give her half.

When I refused, Nicole didn't even wait for an explanation. She shouted about ending our friendship.

Seeing that I didn't try to appease her like I used to, she took advantage of my absence, entered my room without permission, and stole the jewelry to give to her classmates.

It was as if she was determined to destroy what she couldn't have.

Watching my classmates roughly grab my mother's keepsakes and stuff them into their pockets made my heart ache and my hands tremble.

The pain of being crushed by a truck in my past life was fresh in my memory. I couldn't bear it any longer. I rushed to the podium and slapped Nicole across her chattering mouth. Turning to the classmates who had taken my things, I said, "If you're truly in need, I can help, but these jewels are my mother's keepsakes. Please return them to me immediately!"

Nicole stumbled from the force of the slap, her face twisted in rage as she glared at me. "Sophia, have you lost your mind? I already said that the classmates in need could take the jewelry. Are you trying to keep it all to yourself by coming up here and snatching it back?"

I ignored her and began collecting the few pieces of jewelry left on the podium, all while facing the hostile stares of my classmates.

Nicole tried to grab the jewels again, but I gave her a signal that made her back off. "You're just the daughter of a nanny. Do you really think you're a daughter of the Johnson family? You know what? If I call the police, the amount you stole would be enough to keep you in jail for life! Now get out of my way!"

When I was three years old, my mother passed away due to illness.

My dad said I was inconsolable, refusing to eat or drink and crying every day.

He thought that bringing Daisy's daughter, who was about my age, into our home might cheer me up.

According to him, from the moment Nicole arrived, I stopped crying, started playing with her, and even began eating again.

Grateful for what he believed was Nicole saving my life, Dad decided to adopt her, along with her mother, Daisy, who then enjoyed a comfortable life in our household.

I was even more grateful, thinking she had saved my life and treated her like a sister, granting her every request.

So, when Nicole saw my mother's jewelry, she felt entitled to ask for it.

When I refused, she couldn't handle it and broke down.

In her rage, Nicole stole everything to make a point.

She said that if she couldn't have something, then neither could I.

That was when I realized what kind of ungrateful wretch the Johnson family had raised all these years.

I reported her theft to the police, but she claimed that I had initially intended to donate the jewelry and only accused her out of regret.

Nicole had always pretended to be a wealthy heiress in class, while I was much more reserved.

The classmates who had taken the jewelry became her witnesses.

The incident was captured on video and spread widely, with various media outlets rushing to report the story. Before long, everyone knew me as an untrustworthy, vain, and materialistic person.

My classmates labeled me a disgrace, pushing and shoving me until I was hit by an outofcontrol truck and killed on the spot...

Nicole clearly hadn't expected that I, who had always treated her like a sister, would expose her true identity in front of everyone.

She froze for a moment, then clenched her teeth and stubbornly denied it. "Doesn't everyone already know whether I'm the daughter of a nanny? But you, acting like a mad dog over a few pieces of jewelry. What good is all your education if you've turned out like this? I'm warning you, hand over everything you took. Those are meant for my classmates, and you can't keep even one piece!"

Nicole glanced at the indignant classmates before leaning closer and lowering her voice. "Don't forget, you owe your life to me. Today, I'm just teaching you a lesson!"

After she finished, Nicole crossed her arms smugly and called her classmates over to take the jewelry back from me.

I was alone, and there was no way I could protect my mother's belongings.

"Call the police."

The moment I said that Nicole's face changed, and she raised her voice. "What did you just say?"

Looking at her greedy and selfish face, I barely held back the urge to hit her again. "Didn't you say this jewelry belongs to you? Then let's call the police and let them figure it out!"

"Pah!" An unpleasant voice echoed through the classroom. "I've never seen anyone as shameless as you, Sophia. Have you gone crazy from being poor? Now you're just outright stealing!"

The classmates began chattering amongst themselves.

"Exactly! Nicole brought these jewels from home to share with us, and now you're trying to claim they're yours? How can you be so disgusting, Sophia!"

"Sophia is so gross!"

...

Finally, Edward, the most popular boy at school, stepped up beside Nicole. "Nicole, don't worry, I'll call the police for you. I won't let anyone steal what's rightfully yours!"

Edward pulled out his phone, looking down at me with disgust as if I were a fly too repulsive even to swat.

He said, "Sophia, if you hand over the jewelry now and apologize to Nicole on your knees, I might consider letting this slide for the sake of our classmateship."

Initially, I had liked Edward.

But I never understood why he hated me so much.

Until the day in my previous life when I was hit by a truck, he was the first to rush to my side, pretending to care as he pressed down on my wound as if he wanted my blood to flow faster.

He whispered, "Do you know, Sophia? In our first year, I was secretly eating dry bread alone until Nicole noticed my situation and added my name to the school's financial aid list. That's how I got to live comfortably. She's my princess, the person I want to protect most. She's been so good to you, and yet you kept hurting her. You deserve to die!"

...

Seeing me stay silent, Edward became even more smug. "Scared, are you? Sophia, this is just the beginning. You'll pay dearly for your arrogance and stupidity!"

What he didn't know was that I had already paid the price.

Noticing the bulge in his pocket, I reached out and pulled out a diamond necklace, one of my mother's keepsakes.

Edward hated me, yet he joined the others in grabbing my jewelry, which was beyond ridiculous.

When Edward saw the necklace in my hand and then looked down at his pocket, his face turned red. He tried to snatch it back. "Give me my stuff! We're in a classroom with cameras! Are you crazy, stealing like this in broad daylight?"

I quickly stepped back and secured the necklace, looking up at Edward without a trace of the affection I once had.

Maybe sensing the shift in my demeanor, Edward pulled his hand back and gritted his teeth. "Are you sure you won't give the necklace back?"

I shook my head. "Edward, you'd better stay loyal to Nicole for the rest of your life because you're not getting anything from me ever again."

"When have I ever gotten anything from you? Are you out of your mind?" Edward was trembling with anger, but he didn't dare grab the necklace from me. He clenched his fists. "Sophia, just wait. The police will be here soon, and you'll have to face the consequences!"

I raised an eyebrow, waiting for him to call the police, but Nicole suddenly panicked and slapped the phone out of his hand. "Edward, what are you doing? We're all classmates. Are you really going to ruin Sophia's future over something so small?"

Nicole turned to me, her tone now tinged with a plea. "Sophia, haven't I been good enough to you? If it weren't for me, you'd be dead already. Please stop this. Just give the jewelry back, okay?"

"Of course not."

Ignoring Nicole's pleas, I called the butler. "Kevin, there was a breakin at our home. Could you please send me the surveillance footage from outside my room last night?"

Before I could even hang up, Nicole let out a desperate scream and rushed over to me. She tugged at my sleeve, whispering, "Sophia...Have you lost your mind? Are you really going to send me to jail over some jewelry? Do you want to ruin my life? You better confess! Tell the others that you were just being greedy, or I'll never forgive you!"

Nicole still thought I was the pushover from my past life, the one she could manipulate as she pleased.

She didn't know that I had already repaid her socalled lifesaving favor with my own life.

I looked at her selfrighteous face and shook her hand off. "It's not just some jewelry. These are my mother's keepsakes. Nicole, there's no way I'm letting this slide. You took what's mine, and you have to give it back!"

Nicole had no options left. She collapsed to the ground, sobbing.

Edward looked like he wanted to fight me out of sheer pity for her.

The whole class urged her to call the police.

"Nicole, why are you even hesitating? Call the police and don't let her get away with this!"

"Exactly, throw Sophia in jail. She's nothing but trouble!"

"Yeah, Nicole, call the police. You're too kind for your own good. Sophia doesn't deserve your compassion."

...

My phone rang.

"Ms. Johnson, I've sent the video to your phone. The thief was Nicole."

Before Nicole could stop me, I quickly posted the video to our class group chat.

The classmates were stunned as they watched the surveillance footage, their faces growing more and more unpleasant.

In the video, Nicole was holding a transparent trash bag. After glancing around to make sure no one was watching, she sneaked into my room. Not long after, she came out with the bag filled to the brim with jewelry, the very same pieces she had been handing out to her classmates.

After closing the door behind her, she even muttered to herself, "Hmph! How dare you not share such nice things with me, Sophia? I'll make sure you learn your lesson!"

For a moment, the only sound in the classroom was Nicole's arrogant voice echoing again and again.

"Ah!" Nicole suddenly let out a hysterical scream. "Stop watching! Stop watching! Who gave you permission to watch? I'm not a thief. I'm Sophia's savior! The Johnson family's money is supposed to be half mine. I'm taking what's rightfully mine, so how is that stealing? How?"

"So, Nicole really is the Johnson family's nanny's daughter?"

A classmate finally managed to voice the question.

In an instant, the once noisy classroom fell silent.

Everyone clutched their pieces of jewelry, hesitating about whether to return them to me.

"Nicole, if you're broke, don't act like you're rich. You made us all happy for nothing."

The leader spoke up and handed the jewelry back to me.

Gradually, other classmates who could no longer hold out began returning my things as well.

Nicole, enduring the strange looks and hearing the blame and ridicule from her classmates, finally broke down.

Nicole suddenly jumped to her feet, shouting, "No! I'm not the nanny's daughter! I saved Sophia's life! I'm the Johnson family's adopted daughter, Sophia's sister! I was sharing my family's things with you, so why are you all looking at me like this? You ungrateful wretches aren't worth my kindness!"

Hearing her speak like that, Edward, who had been clenching his fists and unsure of what to do, finally let out a sigh of relief.

He stood behind Nicole. "Sophia, is this how you treat someone who saved your life? Do you feel proud seeing her so upset? How can you be so cruel?"

Nicole, seeing she had someone supporting her, began her performance anew.

Nicole wiped away her tears. "Sophia, you're so inconsiderate. Your family is filthy rich, you spend thousands dollars on just one meal, so why can't you help out your classmates? You can't be so petty! I only took your things to share with them because I was worried about your excessive spending. I was trying to accumulate good karma for you, to keep you from going to hell when you die. How can you blame me for that?"

Watching her overthetop and clumsy performance, I couldn't help but clap my hands. "Bravo! Keep going."

"You!" Nicole pointed a trembling finger at me, her tears spilling over once again. "Sophia, what did I ever do to you? Are you trying to drive me to death?"

Hearing my words, the classmates, afraid of getting themselves into trouble, quickly began returning my jewelry.

While I was busy checking my things, I didn't notice Nicole suddenly drop to her knees in front of me with a loud thud.

She grabbed onto my pant leg, tears streaming down her face as she cried pitifully. "Sophia! The classmates are really struggling. They don't have a rich father like yours to provide for them. Just surviving is hard enough for them! I apologize on their behalf. That jewelry could help them live comfortably for a long time. Please, show some mercy and don't take it back, okay? I beg you!"

With her back to her classmates, Nicole covered her face and sobbed, but from my angle, I could clearly see the satisfied smile playing on her lips.

Seeing this, the classmates who had been reluctant to return the jewelry became even more indignant. One of the more outspoken ones pointed at me and angrily shouted, "Sophia, are you even human? We've been classmates, and now you're pushing us to the edge? If I starve to death because of this, it'll be your fault!"

"How can you stand being in the same class as someone like her? Let's kick her out!"

"Yeah! Kick her out!"

...

The outspoken student led the group, rolling up their sleeves as they approached me. Edward rushed over to help Nicole up from the floor, mouthing to me. "You're finished."

As I watched the classmates charging toward me, memories of my tragic death in my past life flashed through my mind.

I grabbed a chair and slammed it onto the desk with all my might, making it clear I was ready to fight if needed.

The students stopped in their tracks, startled.

I held up my phone and yelled, "You all saw the video! If you don't want to ruin your future, you'd better return my things now! Nicole is a thief, and none of you will escape the consequences!"

Nicole, feeling guilty, buried her head in her hands and continued to cry.

The student who had been most reluctant to return the jewelry gave in. "You should've kept a better eye on your things, instead of causing trouble for everyone else!"

I didn't care what she said. I just wanted to secure my mother's belongings.

With the college entrance exams approaching, no one wanted to taint their future with a scandal. Gradually, everyone began returning my jewelry.

The classroom was filled with murmurs of discontent directed at Nicole.

"If you're broke, don't act like you're rich! Stealing things to donate, Nicole, you're disgusting!"

"Exactly, and we thought she was so generous. Turns out her mom's a nanny, and she's a thief. How gross!"

...

Nicole, who had always prided herself on being a wealthy heiress, was suddenly overwhelmed by the insults. She didn't react at first, but then she turned all her anger toward me. She wiped away her tears and glared at me with hatred in her voice. "Sophia, you'll pay for this! Uncle George won't let you get away with it! Just you wait!"

Nicole ran out crying, clutching her phone tightly. It wasn't hard to guess that she was calling my dad to tattle on me.