At my younger brother Brandon’s graduation party, he was absolutely beaming, declaring he was going to make a fortune this summer. “I’m going to start a live stream and become an influencer! I’m going to take on the ‘one hundred girls home’ challenge!” Recently, many people were doing this challenge, and the views were great. Plus, Brandon had just been accepted into a top-tier university, so everyone rushed to flatter him, praising his intelligence and innovative ideas. But I’d seen those videos. They called it “escorting girls home,” but in reality, it was just stalking and harassment. In my previous life, I was the only one who disagreed. I tried to convince Brandon that chasing this kind of viral trend would seriously blow up in his face, and he might even get his university admission revoked. But my mom slapped me. “You’re just jealous your brother is smarter than you!” Brandon’s tone dripped with sarcasm. “Sis, you just can’t stand that I’m more successful than you.” To stop him, I paid for and arranged a graduation trip for him, finally making him give up the idea. But just a few days later, those who took on the challenge blew up. Brandon started to resent me. He followed me after I finished working late, and under the cover of night, he pushed me into the river. I drowned. My parents claimed I’d accidentally fallen and drowned, then hastily buried me. After I died, my soul watched them laughing, celebrating that they had finally gotten rid of me, the obstacle holding them back from striking it rich. Reborn, I was back at Brandon’s graduation party. This time, I just offered a faint smile. “Oh, Brandon’s the smartest, absolutely.” 1 “Seriously? Didn’t you just say that was a terrible idea?” “What? Are you going to be so fake and wishy-washy even in front of your own family?” My mom looked at me with contempt, her voice dripping with scorn. My dad chimed in, sarcastically, “Oh, honey, just ignore her. This daughter of ours has no conscience. We might as well consider her a lost cause.” After dying once, I found myself much calmer than in my previous life. Before, I would have desperately tried to prove I was a good daughter and that I truly cared about Brandon’s well-being. But now, I just smiled politely. My brother, Brandon, saw my indifference and started wailing dramatically: “Everyone, she’s my own sister! Why is she so jealous of me? How can she be so cold-hearted?!” Encouraged by his performance, a chorus of relatives began to speak up: “Aster, you were indeed the only one who made it into a top-tier university in our family, but now Brandon is more promising. Don’t think you’re so special anymore!” “See? I told you. Girls just aren’t as good as boys; they’re not as smart and tend to be ungrateful leeches.” I looked around at them. They all seemed to have forgotten… When Uncle Ben was sick, I paid for his treatment; when Aunt Carol’s son needed money for a down payment on a house, I helped him raise it; when Aunt Sarah’s daughter couldn’t get into school, I pulled strings to find her a place. Even Brandon’s acceptance into a top-tier university was because I diligently tutored him for three years, helping him go from average to the top of his class. And anyway, if my dad hadn’t insisted I go buy fruit for Brandon on the day of my college entrance exam, how would I have been late? How would I, who was always number one in the entire city, have performed so poorly that my scores ended up being lower than Brandon’s? I closed my eyes. Before, I always lied to myself, convincing myself that they loved me too, maybe they just didn’t know how to express it. Sure enough, it’s hard for children to admit their parents don’t love them. I opened my eyes again. Thankfully, the Aster who craved family affection was already dead. I spoke calmly, almost nonchalantly, “Everyone…” I noticed my parents and Brandon staring at me intently, their faces full of schadenfreude. This scene was all too familiar. They often did this, blaming me back and forth, then watching me frantically try to defend myself like a lunatic. Then they could tell everyone I had mental issues, using it as an excuse to continue suppressing me. But this time, I offered a small smile. “Everyone, please don’t be upset. If Brandon wants to escort a hundred girls home, let him.” “You’re right. Brandon’s exam scores were higher than mine. He must be smarter.” 2 I noticed my mom’s expression instantly dimmed, and my dad pursed his lips. They were so disappointed that they hadn’t managed to drive me crazy and make a fool of me in front of everyone. My parents could still control their expressions, but Brandon couldn’t. He was too young. He looked a little flustered. “Aster, what do you mean by that?! Are you being sarcastic?! Do you think I won’t get famous?!” “I’m telling you, once I get famous and rich, everyone here today will be living the good life with me, except for you!” The relatives and friends present burst into laughter. Aunt Carol said, “Brandon, your aunt doesn’t want anything from you, but I just hope that when you make it big, you’ll help out my son’s kids.” Aunt Sarah smiled too. “Brandon, my daughter’s grades have always been a struggle. Why don’t you tutor her, perhaps?” “Your aunt won’t make you work for free. I’ll give you a red envelope.” Aunt Sarah pulled out a thick red envelope. Seeing this, many others also pulled out red envelopes for Brandon. These weren’t gifts for my parents; they were specifically for Brandon. Brandon held his head high, glancing at me triumphantly. My parents were also beaming with pride. I couldn’t help but remember my own graduation party a few years ago. Back then, no one valued me so highly, and no one gave me red envelopes. Instead, they all presumed I would become an ungrateful wretch, constantly reminding me to remember family affection and not to forget my family once I got a boyfriend. I still remember feeling like I was on pins and needles then. It was supposed to be a celebratory graduation party, but I was on the verge of tears from the injustice. I sneered inwardly. This time, I’d make sure they saw what a *real* ungrateful leech looked like. My parents and Brandon basked in others’ flattery, enjoying their moment of glory. Let them be proud for a while. I remembered clearly that not long after I died in my last life, those who were escorting girls home late at night did indeed face backlash. Many media outlets stepped in to criticize the phenomenon. If Brandon became one of them, would any university still accept him? After collecting all the red envelopes, Brandon turned to me. “Sis, where’s *your* red envelope?” I feigned surprise. “Why would you think I’d give you one?” “Don’t you know I’m cold-hearted? Don’t Mom, Dad, and all our relatives know I’m an ungrateful leech with no conscience?” This was the first time I had ever refused my family money. Everyone looked stunned, frozen in place. Before they could react, I stood up and walked away. I’d had enough of this place. As I reached the door, I heard Brandon’s furious roar behind me: “Aster! Don’t you ever think you’ll get a single dime from me in the future!” Everyone present started echoing his words. I scoffed. These people were flattering Brandon just to invest in a potential goldmine, hoping for double the profits. But trying to make money off someone with Brandon’s despicable character was like dancing with the devil. 3 Just a few days later, Brandon started his live streams. Brandon specifically targeted young, pretty girls, and the comments in his stream were utterly disgusting. But it was clear these girls didn’t want to be escorted by a stranger. They looked terrified, stumbling as they tried to run away, yet the number of viewers in his stream kept soaring. In the family SnapChat group, messages popped up one after another. “Brandon’s only been streaming for three days and he already has so many viewers!” My mom replied proudly, “Of course! He already has over ten thousand followers!” My dad also said, “Yeah! Brandon is just so much better than his sister!” How boring… I was about to turn off my phone when a private message from my mom popped up. “Your Grandma Rose is sick. If you still have any conscience, come see her.” My heart clenched instantly. When I was little, my parents were always busy. Grandma Rose raised me. But after Brandon was born, they suddenly weren’t busy anymore. When I felt lost because of my parents’ indifference, Grandma Rose was there, holding me, comforting me. Grandma Rose always said that no matter what my parents thought, she would always love me the most. I took a day off and went to Grandma Rose’s little house. Grandma Rose’s eyes welled up when she saw me. She said weakly, “Aster, Grandma is fine, just a little high blood pressure. You taking time off will just delay your work.” “It’s fine, Grandma. But your blood pressure was stable, wasn’t it? Why did it suddenly go up?” Grandma Rose sighed. It turned out that on the day of Brandon’s graduation party, Grandma Rose had seen me being bullied by everyone and was so anxious and angry that she fainted shortly after I left. My heart ached. Even for Grandma Rose, I had to find a way to get rid of these parasitic relatives. At dinner time, everyone at the table was loudly chatting. Brandon boasted to me, “Sis, I’m really going to blow up. Go check out my follower count now!” “Sis, I’ll let the red envelope thing slide from my graduation party.” “Now, if you give me ten thousand, I’ll use it to boost my content, and I’ll count you as an investor, how about that?” I shook my head. “I’m not interested.” “Brandon, if I really partnered with you, Mom and Dad would probably be worried sick every day, wondering if I, this ungrateful leech, would scheme against their precious son.” My dad slammed his fork down, ready to curse at me. But my mom glanced at a frail Grandma Rose and stopped my dad with her eyes. My dad quieted down, but Uncle Ben started acting pompous again. “Aster, everyone at this table is your flesh and blood, your closest family! You can’t be so petty with your own relatives!” “You young people nowadays are so selfish, not as righteous as us older folks!” Aunt Sarah chimed in, “My brother’s right. You have to have a spirit of dedication to your family. It’s just a little money you need to invest!” I was mindful of Grandma Rose and didn’t want to start a conflict with them. I mentally told myself to just pretend they were talking nonsense! Uncle Ben, with the alcohol kicking in, got even more excited: “What’s wrong with investing a little money in Brandon? Brandon isn’t an outsider!” “How many people in this world can truly treat you well? Only the few of us at this table, right?” “If you ask me, forget investing money! Even if Brandon loses it all, so what?! That’s family love!” I had reached my limit. I was about to retort… Just then, “Uncle Ben! Why don’t *you* invest in me then?!” Brandon’s eyes lit up as he looked at Uncle Ben. Uncle Ben froze instantly, his drunken eyes clearing up. “Uh… I…” Uncle Ben stammered. I almost burst out laughing. Brandon then turned to Aunt Sarah, who quickly looked down. But Brandon spoke anyway. “Aunt Sarah, you should invest a little too!” Aunt Sarah’s body stiffened. Brandon didn’t seem to care about their current awkwardness, talking to himself: “Thank you, Uncle Ben! Thank you, Aunt Sarah! I, Brandon, am so lucky! To have such loyal and devoted elders!” Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah exchanged glances, their faces thunderous. At that moment, my parents quickly refilled Uncle Ben’s and Aunt Sarah’s glasses, ready to toast them. My dad said, “Our Brandon is a top-tier university student! You can invest with confidence! He’ll never lose it!” My mom wiped away fake tears. “Indeed, no one can be relied on but my own brother and sister! Not even my own daughter!” Uncle Ben and Aunt Sarah were completely cornered, gritting their teeth and nodding. At this point, Aunt Laura and Uncle Gary’s faces were even darker than the bottom of a pot. 4 I lowered my head, hiding the smile I couldn’t suppress. Just then, a sharp pain shot through my waist. My mom had pinched me hard. She leaned in close and whispered, “Even so, you still have to give your brother ten thousand!” “Otherwise, I’ll tell everyone you’re unfilial! You can just wait to be dragged through the mud and face online hate!” A chill ran down my spine. I didn’t care about what people said, but how much did she truly despise me? To go to such lengths against me? I vaguely nodded. Seeing my nod, she smiled with satisfaction. Ha, I just didn’t want to cause a scene in front of Grandma Rose. If I actually gave them money, wouldn’t I just sink deeper into this swamp of a family? After leaving Grandma Rose’s house, I immediately blocked all my relatives, including my parents and Brandon. And I didn’t forget to leave the family SnapChat group. Then, I quickly found a new place to live and moved in. After settling everything, my heart gradually calmed down. But I couldn’t understand why Brandon’s follower count was growing so fast and steadily. Did he even need to boost his content? And he’d received so many red envelopes at his graduation party, why did he still need so much money? Thinking this, I opened his live stream again. The girl Brandon picked this time looked quite young, still carrying a school backpack, probably only sixteen or seventeen. When she realized Brandon was following her, her face instantly turned incredibly pale. The girl quickened her pace. Seeing the girl try to escape, Brandon lunged and blocked her path. He smiled maliciously. “Why are you running, little sister? Do I look like a bad guy?” The girl tried to stay calm. “Get lost! I’ve seen enough creeps like you, and I’m not afraid!” The comments scrolled rapidly. “Good intentions wasted on an ungrateful person,主播 quickly teach her a lesson!” “This girl is such a jerk, can’t even take a joke.” Seeing that the girl had riled up the audience, Brandon smiled. “Little sister, I’m not a bad guy. I want to escort you home.” “I see you’re probably in high school, right? I just graduated from senior year.” He said smugly, “Plus, I’ve been accepted into a top-tier university. I could even come to your house and tutor you!” As Brandon said this, the comments exploded with excitement. “The streamer got into a top-tier university? This girl must be dumbfounded!” “This girl is so ungrateful! It’s an honor for a top-tier university student to offer to escort her!” The girl wasn’t buying any of it. She shoved Brandon hard and ran off. The comments became even more frenzied. “Hahahaha streamer, chase her! Chase her!” My anger flared. How pathetic must these people’s lives be to need to terrorize a girl late at night to prove their strength? Gift effects popped up one after another, and Brandon chased with increasing enthusiasm. I reached out and clicked “Report.” Just then, a sharp screech of tires pierced the air, and the girl fell to the ground. Brandon stopped abruptly, and his pale face was reflected on the screen. Comments scrolled wildly, and Brandon immediately ended the live stream. At that moment, I finally recognized the girl. She was the daughter of my company’s CEO, and he was the wealthiest person in the city. I quickly dialed 91 That night, I was sleepless. The next day at work, I found a layoff notice on the company HR computer that hadn’t been issued yet. My name was on it. Immediately after, my phone rang suddenly. It was an unfamiliar number. I answered, and the voice on the other end was harsh and shrill. It was my parents. Their numbers were blocked, so they had gotten a new one to call me. “Aster! Go find your CEO right now! Whatever you have to do! Fix this for your brother!” “That girl isn’t even dead! She just got a little hurt! Why should your brother’s future be ruined because of that?!” “Your CEO thinks so highly of you, doesn’t he?! Go sleep with him! You *have* to save your brother!” I hung up, my heart growing colder and colder. I no longer hesitated. I walked to the CEO’s office and knocked on the door. 5 After I went to see the CEO, Brandon really wasn’t held responsible, and I wasn’t fired either. Grandma Rose called me, extremely worried.
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