Chapter 1
My grandma always loved making decisions for me.
When I was a kid, I got bullied at school.
She told me not to be so sensitive, and then took it upon herself to forgive the bullies for me.
When I turned eighteen, I was sexually assaulted.
Grandma said, "Poor guy, he's already in his thirties and still single.
"It's your own fault for being so good-looking.
"Let me make the call. We won't press any charges against him."
Later, an old beggar set his sights on me.
Grandma made the call again and forced me to marry him.
I ended up dying because of the beggar's abuse, but my family just kept making excuses for Grandma.
My mom said, "Emily, I'm sorry. Your dad and I love you, but Grandma's old, and she really didn't mean any harm.
"Don't hold it against her. We've decided to bury you as a dead man's wife so you can have someone take care of you underground, and his family is offering 30,000 dollars."
But this time around, I decided to do exactly what Grandma said.
I was going to make sure the whole family got a taste of her "love".
*****
"Emily, you've been studying for so long. Aren't you tired?" Grandma's voice came from right beside me. The desk lamp swayed gently.
That was when I finally realized that I was really back. I was back at eighteen.
"Oh, my precious girl, you've been working so hard. It really pains me to see you like this. Here, drink some water and take a break," Grandma said, pushing the cup right in front of me.
Rage flared up inside me.
In my previous life, it was this very cup of water that cost me my virtue at just eighteen.
It was the same cup of water that set me on a road I could never come back from.
I shook my head quickly and looked at Grandma, trying to show her I was serious. "No, I'm not thirsty.
"Grandma, I have an exam tomorrow. Can you let me study alone for a while?"
But Grandma was hopping mad. "No way."
She looked at me, clearly upset. "Give me your phone. I'll talk to your homeroom teacher myself.
"My good girl, you're so talented. Why can't they just hand you first place? Making you take the exam is way too unfair."
Oh, there she went again with the same old line.
In my previous life, hearing that would move me to tears.
I always thought Grandma didn't understand me, but that at least she loved me.
But now I finally got it. She kept building me up just to win my trust and hit me with the fatal blow when it mattered most.
Thinking about everything that happened in my previous life, I couldn't hold back any longer.
For once, I shouted at Grandma, "That's enough. Stop talking!
"I'm a student. Studying is my job. What am I supposed to do if I don't study? Stop with your nonsense!"
At that moment, Grandma's tears spilled over.
She looked at me, all pitiful and teary-eyed, her voice quivering as she sniffled. "It's all my fault, Emily. I just wanted to care for you, my sweet girl. I didn't know I'd cause you trouble."
She just wouldn't stop, sniffling and crying for what felt like forever. And her crying drew the whole family over.
"Emily," my dad called out, leaning against the doorframe with a cup of coffee in his hand, "Your grandma has worked herself to the bone for this family.
"At her age, even with everything going on, she still takes time out of her day to pour you a cup of water. Is this really the right way to treat her?"
After that, my dad took a sip of his coffee. His gaze, as cold and venomous as a snake's, locked right on me.
"Emily, how can you be so ungrateful? Grandma worries herself sick over this family, and you actually scolded her? You're just heartless," my brother William Carter snapped.
He shot me a look of pure contempt, and then he rushed over to Grandma and hugged her. "Grandma, it's okay. Your grandson's got your back."
"Emily, that's too much. Apologize to your grandma," my mom said, standing there with her arms crossed.
She was so mad that I could see it even through her face mask.
"Don't blame Emily. It's all my fault. I shouldn't have interrupted her studying.
"But I just wanted to pour Emily a cup of water and show I care. Did I really do something wrong?" Grandma wiped her tears, sniffling softly.
In the end, the three of them soothed Grandma and took her out for beef stew.
I closed the door, let out a sigh of relief, and finally got to study in peace.
*****
The next day in class, our homeroom teacher's phone kept ringing nonstop.
She kept hanging up. But whoever was on the other end just kept calling back, clearly not ready to give up.
I suddenly had a bad feeling.
By the fifteenth ring, our homeroom teacher couldn't take it anymore and picked up the phone.
"Hello, is there anything urgent?" she asked.
As soon as the phone was answered, Grandma's voice exploded from the other end. "This is Emily Carter's grandma. What's wrong with your school? Why are you making her take exams?
"Emily is so amazing. Why can't you just give her a fast-track admission to the best college?
"I'm telling you, if you don't give her a spot right now, I'll hang myself at your school gate."
Our homeroom teacher was so flustered that she collapsed onto her desk.
I rushed over, grabbed the phone, and yelled at it, "That's enough! If you keep causing trouble like this, I'll call the police right now."