My husband had a daughter with his first love, Seraphina. I always knew. I thought if I just stayed by his side. If I used our daughter to hold him, he would eventually come back to me. That we could build a happy family. To get his attention, I pushed our daughter, Aria, to study hard, controlling her every move, molding her into a proper, elegant lady. I never imagined Aria couldn’t take the pressure and took her own life. My husband then sent me to a mental hospital. With me out of the way, he successfully brought Seraphina into our lives. But I woke up, filled with burning hatred. I was reborn. Aria jumped from a high-rise building, and I couldn’t bear the shock. I passed out. When I woke up, I was told my husband had already taken her body for cremation. I hadn’t even gotten to say goodbye to my own daughter. I found my husband, demanding to know why he wouldn’t let me see her one last time. But he was embracing Seraphina, surrounded by a group of people. He told them to take me to a mental hospital. It hit me then, a sickening clarity. He was an absolute scumbag. Aria’s body wasn’t even cold, and he was already planning to send me away, seize my family’s assets, and install Seraphina as his wife. I wouldn’t accept it. I truly wouldn’t. I lunged forward, confronting him, demanding to know why he was doing this to me. He slapped me, hard. “You killed Aria. If you hadn’t pushed her so hard, controlled her every move, why else would she have taken her own life?” My husband also claimed he only married me because of my father. He only married me because I had a powerful dad. How pathetic and laughable I was. I’d always known his intentions were impure. But I believed my true heart could win his. I knew he couldn’t forget Seraphina, that he even had a daughter with her. I once thought that if I stayed by his side, if I raised Aria into a perfect lady. He would finally look at me. It turns out, I was just deluding myself. My husband was discussing with the medical staff how to deal with me, when Seraphina suddenly walked over, crouching down to whisper in my ear. At that moment, she wasn’t gentle or frail at all. All that remained was pure malice. She hissed, “You look pathetic. What good did getting his body do? You’ll never have his heart. And now, even his body belongs to me too.” Aria’s death had already shattered me, and I couldn’t control my emotions any longer. I yanked her hair, forcing her forehead to the ground, making her grovel as if begging for my daughter’s forgiveness. Seraphina shrieked in terror, drawing Damian’s attention. He rushed toward us, and I felt a sedative injected into my neck by the medical staff. The last thing I saw was my husband gently comforting Seraphina, then casting a look of utter disgust my way. Hatred coiled around my heart, a venomous snake. If I got another chance, I would never let that cheating couple get away with it.
When I opened my eyes again, hatred still surged through me. I thought I had been sent to the mental hospital. But I looked around and realized, wasn’t this our piano room? Suddenly, I heard a quiet sob. Aria knelt before me, her eyes brimming with tears, her palms red and swollen from being hit. I stood there, arms crossed, a ruler still clutched in my hand. Seeing my daughter alive and well, I couldn’t help but burst into tears of joy. I quickly tossed the ruler aside and hugged her tightly. Aria seemed startled by my strange behavior. Her body involuntarily flinched. She cautiously whispered, “Mom?” “Yes, sweetheart?” Aria saw me crying. She looked disbelieving, but also asked with concern what was wrong. I wiped away my tears. “Mommy’s just so happy.” I didn’t know how, but I had returned to the time when Aria had just started her junior year of high school. No matter what, this time, I wouldn’t let the previous tragedy happen again. All those rules about being a lady, all those strict manners, I’d throw them to the wind. This time, all I wanted was for my daughter to grow up healthy and happy. As for that despicable couple, I wouldn’t let them off easy either. Especially that scumbag husband. I would make sure he lost everything and everyone. I stroked Aria’s head, telling her she didn’t have to learn piano if she didn’t want to. She looked at me, disbelief in her eyes, then cautiously said, “Mom, didn’t you always say a proper lady had to learn piano?” I sighed. What was I thinking back then? Why did I keep pushing my daughter, making her so miserable, making her speak to her own mother so timidly? I looked at her seriously. “From now on, do what you want to do. Mom used to think those things were for your own good, but I never considered if you actually needed them.” “From now on, Mom just wants you to be happy.” A flash of surprise crossed Aria’s eyes, but her gaze was still filled with doubt. My heart ached a little. It seemed I truly had been awful before. Even my own daughter didn’t believe I could truly change. But years of ingrained behavior don’t change overnight, and I understood that. I would prove it with my actions. I would earn her trust.
At dinner, Aria was still very reserved. I remembered how she used to come home from school, excited to share her day’s stories during dinner. But I would sharply hit her arm with my fork. Back then, I’d glare at her and say, “What did Mom teach you? No talking at the dinner table. Silence while eating, silence while sleeping.” After that, she remembered it well. Now, thinking about it, we were a family. Why did we need so many rules? I served Aria her favorite braised pork ribs, telling her to eat more. “From now on, you can tell Mom anything.” Aria looked surprised but obediently said, “Okay.” After dinner, Aria dutifully went back to her room to study. I sat in the living room, sipping tea, thinking about how to deal with that despicable couple. Suddenly, Mrs. Davis, our housekeeper, walked over. “Madam, this package is for you.” I opened it. It was a photo, dated for today. In the picture, my husband was hugging Seraphina, celebrating their daughter’s birthday. In the past, seeing this would have sent me into a furious rage. Now, I just felt a quiet sense of irony. Well, isn’t that convenient? I needed to save this. Wasn’t this clear evidence of Damian’s infidelity? The photo, without a doubt, was sent by Seraphina to provoke me. It wasn’t the first time I’d received something like this, but before, my mind wasn’t clear, and I’d just endured it. This time, I planned to remain calm, not to swallow my anger. It was just that I couldn’t divorce him yet. I needed to regain control of the company first. Even though the company shares were still in my name. Damian had been managing the business for so many years that he had successfully sidelined me from the company’s management. Once I had control again, I’d kick that scumbag out, leaving him with absolutely nothing. Then, I’d like to see if his love with Seraphina was truly as solid as gold.
My in-laws, Eleanor and Richard, whom I hadn’t seen in a long time, suddenly showed up at the house. Damian was away on a business trip. Aria, ready for school, dutifully went forward to greet her grandparents. But Eleanor just stared at her, then sighed. “Why is she just a girl?” My eyes turned cold. I spoke up, “A girl is wonderful. I’m very happy with her.” This old-fashioned preference for boys was unacceptable. For years, Eleanor had looked down on me and my daughter for not having a grandson. Before, out of respect, I had endured it. So much so that when I read Aria’s suicide note, she wrote that she felt like an unwanted child. Eleanor, however, ignored me and continued, “What good is a girl? She can’t take care of you in your old age or bury you. And the family fortune will go to someone else eventually.” She even wanted me to have another child. Hah, I scoffed. But Aria looked a little hurt. I took her hand and comforted her. “Don’t worry, Mom will only ever have one daughter, you.” I told her to go to school first and ignore Eleanor’s unreasonable demands. Eleanor sat on the sofa and said, “Your brother-in-law, Jasper, is getting married. Give him one of your properties for his wedding home.” So that was her real purpose for coming. But what was with that condescending attitude? Was that any way to ask for a favor? I refused. I told her I was leaving all my properties to my daughter. Eleanor shamelessly claimed, “If you give your property to Jasper, and his wife has a son, then his son can take care of you in your old age.” The nerve! I said coldly, “I don’t need anyone to take care of me. I can go to a retirement home.” Eleanor was furious, cursing me as a “cursed woman.” “What’s wrong with giving Jasper a property? It’s not like you’re losing an arm or a leg!” “I’ll say it again. All my assets will go to my daughter. No one else will touch a single penny.” Why didn’t this old hag ask her own son to buy him a place? She just wanted to take advantage of me. In my past life, I had given my all for their family. Yet they showed no gratitude. They still wanted to scheme for my assets. Hmph. Eleanor’s face twisted in rage, and she lunged at me, intending to hit me. But Richard held her back. He tried to smooth things over, saying Eleanor was confused. He pulled Eleanor into a room, and I could still hear them whispering. “Damian hasn’t gotten the shares yet. Don’t ruin things with her.”
Truly, there’s no limit to shamelessness. It seems I need to accelerate my return to the company. But before I could even start making plans. That evening, Aria’s homeroom teacher called me, saying Aria had gotten into a fight at school. I rushed over, only to find my husband, Damian, who was supposed to be on a business trip, already there. In the office, besides him, was Seraphina, his mistress. She was crying hysterically, holding her daughter, Celeste, and accusing Aria of bullying her. My daughter stood helplessly to the side. Damian showed no inclination to defend Aria. He even wanted her to apologize to Seraphina’s daughter, Celeste. Aria stubbornly said, “I didn’t do anything wrong, why should I apologize?” Seeing this, Damian raised his hand, intending to slap Aria across the face. I pushed open the door and walked in, radiating power. “Try to hit my daughter, I dare you.” His hand froze in mid-air, unable to strike. Damian glared at me with disgust. “Look at the daughter you’ve raised! Bullying others!” I scoffed. “My daughter would never bully anyone. And you, you want her to apologize without even knowing the reason?” “Are you even her real father? Anyone would think you’re someone else’s dad!” His expression flickered with panic for a second. I ignored him. I asked Aria what happened. She said Celeste was bullying Chloe, and she stepped in to defend Chloe. It was then I noticed a small girl in the corner of the office, likely Chloe, the girl Aria mentioned. I patted Aria’s shoulder, reassuring her. To my surprise, my husband actually interjected. “Why are you so reckless, sticking your nose where it doesn’t belong? And you scratched Celeste’s face like that!” It was just like in my previous life. Damian had always sided with his illegitimate daughter, blaming Aria for being reckless and for stepping in. Back then, I also thought Aria was undignified, not behaving like a proper young lady. I completely ignored Aria’s intentions and just kept scolding her. This time, I absolutely wouldn’t do that again. I glared at him. “Shut up.” I turned to Aria’s homeroom teacher, who hadn’t spoken yet. “I believe the teacher has already clarified the situation.” “My daughter was acting heroically. I don’t believe she did anything wrong.” The one who was wrong was the bully, Damian’s illegitimate daughter. The girl Aria had protected, Chloe, looked timid. But she also confirmed that Aria had stepped in for her. As a homeroom teacher, she naturally knew the character of the students in her class. The teacher asked Celeste to apologize to Chloe and Aria, but Celeste looked defiant. Seraphina also wouldn’t let her daughter apologize, insisting that her daughter would never bully anyone, that she was a good girl. She then cast a pitiful look at Damian, daring to flirt and provoke me right in front of me. I scoffed. Damian looked conflicted. He shamelessly spoke up, “How about we just let it go? It’s not like Aria was hurt.” I scoffed again. “Whether we ‘let it go’ or not is not up to you.”
Chloe was an orphan. In my previous life, once I found out, I forbade Aria from playing with her. Aria had a huge fight with me then, and later, I heard Chloe had been bullied until she took her own life. I couldn’t imagine if Aria had also been bullied. I only knew that this time, I had to help Chloe. I would even sponsor her education, because she was a friend my daughter accepted. In the end, Celeste reluctantly apologized. Seraphina looked as if she had suffered the greatest injustice. After settling the matter, I took Aria home. Damian followed us. On the way, I couldn’t help but taunt him. “Weren’t you on a business trip? How did you get here so fast?” Damian pompously declared that no matter what, nothing was more important than his daughter. Which daughter was he talking about? Who knows. Aria nestled close to me. She had finally completely believed that I wasn’t the controlling mother I used to be. I felt immensely relieved. That night, I slept with Aria. The next day, I went to see Uncle Liam, a highly respected elder and my father’s most trusted friend. He also held shares in the Sterling Group. I stated my intentions, and he pondered for a while. He said Damian had been diligently managing the company for so many years; kicking him out wouldn’t be easy. He could bypass Damian and arrange for me to start at a lower level, prove myself, and then be transferred back to headquarters. Otherwise, the old directors on the board might not approve of me. I assured him I would achieve great results. I used to focus solely on family, but thankfully, I hadn’t forgotten everything I’d learned before. Uncle Liam acted quickly. I was soon assigned to a struggling subsidiary of the Sterling Group. This company had been losing money for a long time, and morale was low. The first thing I needed to do was stabilize their confidence.
I parachuted in to take over this company that was on the verge of being shut down. On my first day, the existing executive director tried to put me in my place. Whatever materials I requested, she claimed weren’t available. Employee morale was also very low. The company was a mess, and that executive director even arrogantly said, “This is how we usually operate.” I flew into a rage, deciding to make an example out of her. I fired her on the spot. I told her to go to accounting to settle her severance. She was furious, claiming I had no right to fire her. I ignored her shouting and simply encouraged the others, “I’ve taken over this company, and I will lead you to success. Work hard with me, and I won’t let you down.” No matter how nice the words sounded, without actual results, there was no convincing power. What I needed most was a big deal, one that could revive this company. That evening, I arranged a meeting with some potential partners and, accompanied by a young assistant, went to negotiate a contract. To my surprise, I met a bald Mr. Henderson. He brazenly eyed me up and down, then coarsely insisted I drink with him. I thought, “I’ll endure this if I can.” For the sake of the deal, I drank. But then he reached out, trying to grope me. My assistant was a man, waiting outside the private room. I wanted to twist his arm off, but then someone walked into the room. The moment Mr. Henderson saw him, his eyes lit up as if he’d struck gold. He ran over like a bootlicker. “Well, Mr. Caleb! It’s rare to see you here. Come, come, let me toast you.” I looked up. It was Caleb Sullivan, my old university classmate. I never imagined he’d be doing so well now. Caleb exchanged pleasantries with Mr. Henderson, then sat down. He said, “I hear you’re discussing a contract with Ms. Sterling, Mr. Henderson. I wonder if I could get a piece of that action?” Mr. Henderson smiled obsequiously, “Of course, Mr. Caleb! With your involvement, it would be twice as easy. Everyone knows following Mr. Caleb means good profits!” Just like that, a major deal was sealed. I looked at Caleb with gratitude. It was all thanks to him that things went so smoothly. I took the opportunity to add Caleb’s contact information.
After that deal was secured, I distinctly felt the company’s morale rise significantly. I instructed the finance department to issue a bonus to every employee as encouragement for their hard work. This would better maintain employee loyalty. I also specifically promoted the young assistant who had accompanied me to the negotiation, putting him in charge of liaising with Mr. Henderson. And I specifically invited Caleb to dinner at an elegant, traditional restaurant. Caleb and I chatted about our university days. I couldn’t help but remark, “You were quite the campus celebrity back then, you know. So many girls had crushes on you.” Caleb just smiled, not saying anything. “And now you’re doing so well! What lucky woman gets to marry you?” Caleb paused for a moment, then said, “I’ve been divorced for a long time.” I felt a little awkward. It seemed I had said the wrong thing. Caleb smiled, reassuring me, “It’s been a long time. I’ve moved on.” With him saying that, I didn’t know what else to say, so I just chuckled and changed the subject. I asked Caleb why he suddenly appeared that day to help me. He then told me a story. He said that once, a young man, poor and about to drop out of school, met an old man fishing in the park. Seeing how distraught he looked, the old man kindly asked what was wrong. At that time, the young man told him he was going to quit school. The old man disagreed and urged him to continue his studies, assuring him not to worry about tuition. The old man asked for his ID and school details. He thought that day he had met a con artist, but it turned out he had met a savior. Because soon after, a sum of money appeared in his bank account, enough to see him through to university graduation. Caleb looked intently into my eyes. “That man was your father.” “After I started university, I met you. But back then, you already had a boyfriend.” “I told myself that if you ever faced any difficulties, I would help you with all my might.” “That day, I appeared on purpose.” So, it was my deeply loving father, helping me all along. My eyes welled up with tears. What goes around comes around. I would carry on my father’s generosity. Once I fully took over the group, I would establish a foundation. To help those in need.
fter dinner, I declined Caleb’s offer to drive me home. I decided to browse a mall and buy a gift for Aria. I walked into a jewelry store, and a sales associate warmly greeted me. I said I was looking for a piece of jewelry suitable for a young girl. The sales associate recommended a very beautiful protective pendant, with a braided cord chain that was durable and looked understated. I decided to buy it on the spot. As I finished paying and was about to leave, I saw Seraphina. She was intimately holding a man’s arm, picking out jewelry. After they exchanged some words, she even happily kissed the man in front of the sales associate. I internally exclaimed, “Well, isn’t that something!” Damian is about to get cuckolded. I quickly took out my phone and snapped a few pictures, then quietly slipped away. I wouldn’t tell Damian yet. It wasn’t the right time. I wanted them to tear each other apart when the time was right. Back home, I placed Aria’s gift in her room, planning to surprise her. But when I went downstairs, I saw Damian sitting on the sofa. I raised an eyebrow. The moment he saw me, he started questioning me. “When did you go back to work at the company?” “Whenever I felt like it. What’s it to you?” Damian had the nerve to say, “I hope you put your focus on the family. Aria still needs your guidance.” “Leave the hard work of earning money to me.” Was he starting to panic already? I decided to mimic his hypocritical act. “How could I let you suffer alone? I’m willing to share the burden.” My husband’s face cracked. He pompously stated, “I was just trying to care for you. Don’t be so sarcastic.” I rolled my eyes. “Don’t bother. If you’re so concerned, maybe care about your own daughter.”
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