Chapter 1

My mom was the real-life badass heroine.

After catching my dad cheating with the nanny, she just called over a couple of relatives from both families.

Mom left with nothing but her pride, just to ditch that cheating bastard.

In my last life, watching her walk away so cool and carefree, I thought Mom was absolutely epic, like a webnovel heroine stepping straight into reality.

But six months later, after getting scammed out of every last cent in Vyrdenia, Mom was left broke and starving, barely hanging on.

Meanwhile, my dad was busy marrying the homewrecker nanny in our biggest villa.

As her daughter, I couldn't bear to see her so desperate, so I brought her back, hoping my dad would cough up some money.

But to my shock, Mom snatched up a knife and lunged straight at my dad.

Panicking, Dad dragged me in front of him as a human shield. I died with my mom terrified and full of regret.

Then, I got a new life. I was in the day my mom caught my dad cheating. She was pulling out the divorce papers, and I dashed straight over to her.

"Raven, I dare you to sign even one word," I yelled, my voice echoing through the room.

I charged over, snatched the divorce papers from her hands, and with a dramatic rip, shredded them right in front of her while she stared in shock.

The living room went dead silent.

Dad was still kneeling on the floor, the aunts and uncles who'd been trying to break up the fight, and Loretta, the young nanny, was cowering in the corner, playing the innocent little flower. Everyone just froze, staring at me like someone had hit pause on the whole scene.

Mom was the first to snap out of it. Her perfectly maintained face twisted in disbelief and anger, her brows furrowed as she pointed right at my face and screamed, "Miranda! Are you crazy? Do you even know what you're doing?"

Of course I knew. In my last life, it was that "leave with nothing" agreement she signed herself. That was the start of all our misery.

Mom thought she was some badass heroine, strutting away and making all the rich guys fall for her.

But in reality, after the divorce, Mom got scammed out of her last bit of savings by some scammer in Vyrdenia running a romance con, and ended up on the streets.

And because of her ridiculous pride, I lost my home, my stable life, and in the end, even my life.

Right before I died, when Dad shoved me straight into the path of Mom's cold, shining blade, I saw her eyes go wide with shock and crushing regret, like her whole world had just collapsed.

That look haunted me for the rest of my life. So this time, I swear I won't let her mess up like that ever again.

"I'm not the crazy one here. You are," I shot back, my voice even louder than hers. "What do you mean, leave with nothing?

"You spent half your life building this home. Why just give it away? Have you been reading too many web novels? Seriously, do you think you're some heroine who can walk out of a rich family and instantly run into eight billionaire CEOs?"

My words landed like a slap, making her face go pale, then turn red with shame.

Mom cared more about her reputation than anything, especially in front of all these relatives. Me exposing her unrealistic fantasies right here left her totally humiliated.

"You... you're talking nonsense," Mom stammered, her lips trembling with rage. "This is my business, not yours. My pride won't let me take a single cent from that cheating bastard."

"Pride? Can you eat pride?" I sneered, pointing at the pile of property deeds and bank books on the floor. "This isn't his dirty money. It's marital property. Half of it is yours. You earned it. If you don't take it, who are you handing it to on a silver platter? That fake innocent cowering in the corner, secretly gloating?"

My eyes zeroed in on Loretta like arrows. She flinched, instantly squeezing out a couple of tears, putting on her best sob story. "Miranda, please don't say that.

"It's all my fault, it's got nothing to do with Mr. Valor. I... I'll leave right now. I won't ever bother you again."

With that, Loretta covered her face and bolted out, looking like she was about to fall apart.

'Nice try. Playing the victim so everyone will pity her and let her off the hook.'

Dad, the bleeding heart, immediately looked all worried and was about to chase after her, but I cut him off with a sharp shout.

"Stop right there. No one's leaving until we settle this." I blocked the doorway, swept my eyes around the room, then fixed my gaze on my mom, speaking each word clearly. "Mom, if you want to be the badass heroine, I'm all for it.

"But a real badass heroine isn't some doormat who lets the scumbag and the homewrecker walk away with everything. She grabs what's hers, holds on tight, and makes sure those two leave with absolutely nothing."