Chapter 3
While I was busy buying supplies, Jackson and Irene weren't sitting around. As soon as the day I mentioned arrived, they couldn't wait to call me.
Jackson said, "Clarissa, we're already in your neighborhood.
"It's boiling out here, but your security won't let us in. Hurry up and talk to them. Let them know who the real boss is around here."
I finished installing the last camera and patted my hands off, feeling nothing but disgust.
My parents were always like this.
They'd never achieved anything in their whole lives, always stuck at the bottom of society.
Yet, they still looked down on people who actually worked for a living.
I honestly thought the security guard was way better than them.
I called up the security office, explained what was going on, and apologized to the guards for the trouble.
After that, the guards finally let my parents in.
When they knocked on my door, all five of them swaggered right in without a care in the world.
Lucas barreled straight into me as I opened the door, slamming right into my stomach and making it ache with pain.
Irene just stood there like she was blind, completely ignoring the way my face twisted from the pain.
She just clapped her hands happily on the side.
She said, "My little champ, you're so strong.
"You can even handle your aunt now. No wonder you're the Harris family's little treasure."
None of them even noticed anything was wrong with me.
They just brushed past me and started touring the house like they owned the place.
Jackson wrinkled his nose and said, "What's with these curtains? I don't like them at all. Clarissa, you'd better change them sometime.
"How am I supposed to play games here? You don't even have a computer!
"They say you're some big-shot executive in the city, but that's just bullshit."
My dad spat right onto my brand-new carpet.
He grumbled, "Why is this place so tiny? It only has two bedrooms and a living room? How are the five of us supposed to live in here?
"They say you're doing well now, but I don't buy it. You'll never measure up to your brother."
My family picked my place apart like nothing was ever good enough for them.
Irene was always the sneaky one. She darted straight to my bedroom.
Then, she started fiddling with the skincare products on my vanity.
She said, "Clarissa, what's this brand? I've never even heard of it.
"Is it like Valmont? Looks pretty nice. Give them all to me."
She acted like she was asking me, but it was really more like she was just giving orders.
She didn't even bother to ask what I thought.
But I didn't care.
I'd already planned to give these to her anyway.
Back in my previous life, the moment she showed up, she took all my skincare stuff without even asking me.
This time, I'd gone out of my way to prepare some sketchy knockoff products from some shady online seller just for her.
I thought coldly, 'My dear Irene, these are all for you. Enjoy them to your heart's content.
'The ruined-face special is waiting just for you.'
Lucas ran into my spare bedroom, took one look around, and then stormed back into the living room.
He yelled, "Stupid aunt, why don't you have any toys? Go buy me some right now.
"I want the kind of collectible figures that city kids have, so all the other kids will be jealous of me!"
Watching Lucas, who was so chubby, throwing a tantrum in the living room, I almost wanted to laugh.
I had some toys.
In my previous life, all the collectible figures I'd painstakingly gathered were ripped apart the second he showed up.
I tried to stop him, but my dad slapped me for it.
This time, I'd already hidden all those things away ahead of time.
This time, there was no way they could take anything from me.