Calculated Breakaway

After exiting the system space, Elise sat in silence, mentally strategizing her next moves. Her goal was clear: accumulate enough skill points to unlock powerful abilities—and fast.

Though her heart ached to reunite with her biological family, the Swansons, she knew rushing into their lives would only create complications. The Coopers, her so-called adoptive parents, would likely try to exploit the Swansons, using Elise’s identity as leverage to gain wealth and social standing.

No—she had to sever ties with the Coopers publicly and permanently. Only then could she protect the Swansons from being manipulated. But that wasn’t all. She needed to become financially independent. Only with money and status would she be untouchable—beyond anyone’s control.

The fastest way to earn points was by making $100,000. Skipping grades was off the table for now; as long as she lived under the Coopers’ roof, they would attempt to use her achievements to their advantage. So, she devised a plan: she would publicly break off from the Coopers on Olive’s birthday. It was the perfect opportunity—dozens of guests would be present, and with the right provocation, she could manipulate the Coopers into disowning her themselves.

But she couldn’t just sit around and wait for that day. She had two months until the party, and that time needed to be used wisely. Her first step? Build her finances.

Thanks to the system, Elise had access to knowledge from the future. With that advantage, investing in the right stocks would be like shooting fish in a barrel. She quickly began jotting down everything she remembered—significant events, financial trends, and company breakthroughs from her previous life.

She summoned the system again and created a fake identity to open a trading and stock account. A quick check of her bank account revealed she still had $1,000 in savings.

She made a plan: invest $800 into the stock market and use the remaining $200 to purchase new clothes—nothing flashy, just enough to replace her current wardrobe of vulgar and attention-seeking outfits, handpicked by her controlling adoptive mother. If she asked for new clothes suddenly, it would raise suspicion. So, she'd have to replace them quietly, making it seem accidental.

Focusing on investments first, Elise selected four companies she remembered achieving major success during this period. She put $150 into each of them and placed the remaining $200 into cryptocurrency—knowing full well how drastically its value would rise in the next 15 years.

She predicted she would start seeing results within a week. One of the companies she’d invested in was about to launch a revolutionary product in two days, which would skyrocket its stock value. Another was a real estate firm about to begin a luxury apartment project. She remembered how wealthy investors had flocked to buy in, sending the stock soaring.

The third company was a medical institution. In her past life, it had famously developed a cure for a long-standing viral epidemic—its discovery had triggered a surge in both fame and funding.

And the fourth? A modest apparel brand, barely known now. But soon, a blockbuster film star would wear their clothing, catapulting the brand into instant stardom.

Elise estimated she could earn around $10,000 in just a week from these moves alone. But this was only the beginning. She intended to multiply that amount, investing through every viable channel, until she had enough to start her own business—one that would make her financially secure and completely self-reliant.

With her investments in place, Elise exited the system and moved to the next part of her plan: discarding the clothes her adoptive mother had chosen for her. But it had to be subtle—an accident, not a statement. After all, Elise knew better than anyone: every move had to be calculated, every step precise