Chapter 1

My son was always irritable, an absolute brute.

Even as I was dying, he kept beating me. "You old hag, who the hell do you think you are, daring to discipline me?"

My young daughter tried to shield me with her tiny body, but she couldn't stop Daryl's punches. "Get lost, you worthless brat, or I'll make sure you take a beating, too!"

When I opened my eyes again, I found myself a year in the past.

I gently reminded my husband, "Just remember to go along with whatever he says, or he really might kill you."

*****

The moment I opened my eyes, I saw my son Daryl smashing everything madly.

While he was at it, he shouted crankily, "You old hag! If you don't buy me the newest game console, then get out of my home."

My daughter Cecilia was terrified, sobbing uncontrollably.

"Keep crying, and I'll choke you out!" Daryl snarled, snatching up a vase and launching it our way. I threw myself in front of Cecilia. The shards sliced my forehead, and blood instantly trickled down.

He didn't even blink. He just grabbed whatever he could and kept hurling it at me.

I wiped away the drops of blood from my forehead and cleaned up the floor coolly.

Then I stared him down and said sharply, "No."

He paused, shocked I'd dared to talk back for the first time. Then his face twisted in rage. "You old hag! Who the hell do you think you are, telling me no?"

I looked at his furious face, and my heart sank.

He was my firstborn, the Zamora family's golden boy, showered with love from every side. My in-laws practically treated him with extra care, afraid he might get hurt. It was no wonder that he turned out so arrogant and unruly.

Every time I tried to lay down the law, my in-laws and husband would immediately shut me down.

They always said that he was just a kid and would grow out of it.

But the apple didn't fall far from the tree.

In my previous life, I was so damn stupid, and it cost me my life.

How could I have been so naive, thinking Daryl would ever grow up and get his act together?

How could I have fallen for my husband's bullshit about how I had to sacrifice for the family and give up my career to be a full-time housewife?

I let them treat me like nothing more than the Zamora family's maid. Even my son knew I didn't deserve any respect.

Right now, this fifteen-year-old child, already built like a tank, actually thought he could lay another hand on me.

Before his fist could even land, I sidestepped and slapped him straight across the face.

"Because I'm your mother, and as long as you live under my roof, you are not going to rot your brain in video games as a student!" I snapped.

Daryl was still reeling from the slap. After a moment, his fists flew as he roared, "I'm gonna kill you!"

Quick as a flash, I dashed into the kitchen and grabbed a knife, holding it between us. "If I can't keep you in line, then let's die together!"

He gulped in fear and started backing away, jabbing a finger at me. "Yeah? Fine! Just wait. I'll get Dad to teach you a lesson when he gets back."

As soon as the door slammed shut behind him, I let out a long breath.

Cecilia came running over, tears streaming down her face. "Mommy, are you okay?"

Her little chubby hands gently touched my bruised cheek, and she blew on it. "Does it hurt, Mommy?"

I felt my heart ache as I cried. "It doesn't hurt anymore when you're here to help me, Cecilia."

In my previous life, after Daryl beat me to death, Cecilia's world turned into a nightmare.

Her grandparents were indifferent. Her father showed no love, and her brother made her life a nightmare. In the end, she was left all alone, abandoned like an orphan.

But this time around, I wouldn't let history repeat itself.

*****

About an hour later, my husband, Hiram, called me.

The moment I answered, he roared, "Sylvia, why the hell did you throw my son out?"

He went on, "He's just a kid. So what if he plays a few video games? Did you really have to blow things up like this? I bust my ass day and night to feed you, him, and that useless brat. Can you even appreciate it? No, of course not! You can't even get one minute's peace on my business trip."

I held the phone away from my ear and cut him off coldly. "Just worry about your business trip. When you get back, we'll settle things for good."

He kept ranting on the other end, but I just hung up.

I used to have a good, steady job, but Hiram kept pestering me until I finally gave in and quit. He swore he'd take care of all the finances, and all I had to do was manage the house.

His parents claimed they'd come to help take care of Cecilia and Daryl, but they just wanted to be waited on. So I got stuck juggling the kids and his parents, and by the end of the day, I was running on fumes.

Whenever we disagreed about raising Daryl, their endless spoiling just drained all the energy and patience I had left.

Then Hiram sweet-talked me into having another baby, promising that once the second kid arrived, his parents would step in and handle everything at home so I could finally go back to work with ease.

But the moment Cecilia was born, his parents showed their true colors. They didn't even bother coming into the delivery room and started going off about how she was a worthless girl that the Zamora family didn't want.

From that point on, I was left juggling both kids all by myself, and the thought of ever going back to work was basically a joke.

Every single day was an endless loop around Hiram and the kids—pickups, and groceries. Over time, I totally stopped caring about how I looked.

Later, Hiram started calling me an old hag. Daryl learned from him and threw the same insult in my face.