Chapter 1

My nephew shoved a firecracker into a thermal well and it blew. I pulled him back at the last second.

The whole family praised me for saving their one and only heir. That lasted until he hit puberty and everyone started bullying him for how he looked.

"If you'd pulled me sooner, the steam wouldn't have burned my forehead. I wouldn't have this bald spot for life," Ethan complained.

"You know how many years people made fun of me? It's your fault for not protecting me," he accused.

To get revenge, he and my sister-in-law Natalie actually dumped boiling oil on me. I died from burns that never had a chance to heal.

So this time, when I saw him pushing another firecracker into that same well, I stepped back, turned around, and ran.

*****

The moment I opened my eyes on that bed, staring at the familiar rented room and my untouched, smooth skin, I knew I was back.

My suitcase sat packed beside me. The clock said eight. Time to head home again.

Just like in my previous life, my parents' call came in.

"Chloe, why aren't you home yet? Your brother, sister-in-law, and Ethan are already here. You need to hurry up. Ethan's waiting for you to take him out," my mom said.

"Take him out?" My brother and his wife were brainwashed by short videos about "perfect aunties." To them, every girl should be a devoted, self-sacrificing babysitter.

Ever since the kid was born, every time I came home on college break, they dumped him on me so they could "enjoy their couple time."

Other people's so-called "perfect aunties" at least get something out of it. I didn't.

I watched their kid, cleaned their house, cooked their meals, bought their groceries.

If anything wasn't up to their standards, they threatened to cut off my living expenses.

My parents preferred sons, always did. They never stood by me. When my mom was pregnant, childbirth rules were harsh, but some village doctor told her I was a boy.

So she hid in the countryside and risked her job to give birth. And then I came out a girl.

Whenever I annoyed her, she'd give me that look and say, "I lost my job because of you.

"If it weren't for you, I'd be retired now with a steady income. Helping your brother's family is the least you can do. I'm not even asking you for support money."

I was young and couldn't live on my own, so I stayed quiet, worked harder, and tried not to take up space. I let my brother Sebastian and his wife Natalie use me however they wanted.

It wasn't until I saved my nephew's life in that previous life that my mom finally softened a bit. I clung to that tiny piece of affection and kept giving everything I had. Until the day I was dying.

I lay there hearing my mom and Natalie calmly discussing whether to stop treatment. Their voices were cold and weightless.

"She's just a girl. If she dies, she dies. Treating her is a waste of money. Her apartment's fully paid off anyway. Better save the money for Ethan's future wedding," Mom said.

My mouth hung open. My own family was signing off on my death.

Thinking of everything from before, I gripped my phone and spoke in my sweetest, most obedient voice.

"Mom, remember how your friend keeps bragging about her wool sweaters?" I said. "I ordered you a pure wool coat from Metro. More than seven thousand. Way nicer than hers. I'll be home a little later. Need to pick it up first."

Her attitude flipped in an instant. She sounded delighted, telling me to hurry and get it.

Of course I didn't order anything. I just needed time. When it was almost the moment Ethan would get himself into trouble, I rolled my suitcase into the alley near home and sat in the café at the corner.

Sebastian and Natalie had gone out for shopping, leaving the kid with my parents.

He complained that staying home was boring and begged them to let him play with firecrackers. They had barely walked outside when an old man called my dad over to join a card game.

Once the cards were out, my dad was gone, shouting and laughing with the others.

My mom took the kid along but quickly got pulled into gossip with her friends. Ethan asked for a drink, and she shoved some bills into his hand without looking.

Then she went right back to chatting, not noticing he was wandering farther away with firecrackers.

I swallowed the urge to strangle him, slipped out the back door of the café, and headed downstairs. Just in time to see him toss a firecracker into someone's yard, sending a dog into a barking frenzy.