My mom loves playing the victim whenever she faces a problem. One weekend, my whole family went on a trip. She thought no one would check the lucky charm souvenirs at the tourist spot. So she just casually snatched one and shoved it into my backpack. That led to an influencer filming me, and the video even went viral. I was fired from a major corporation where I earned a million dollars a year. She put on her innocent act, saying, “Wasn’t I just trying to bring good luck to this family?” Later, during my medical exam for a new job. My mom lost my lab samples. She secretly swapped them with her own. That resulted in me being diagnosed with a rare chronic illness and getting rejected for the job. She played the victim again, saying, “I thought anyone’s sample would be fine! How can you only care about your job? You don’t even care that I’m sick!” I was pushed to severe depression and had to stay home to recuperate. My mom, ever the victim, started crying, “My daughter, you can’t just isolate yourself!” So she forced me onto the street to hug strangers. Eventually, a malicious predator dragged me into a dark alley. When I opened my eyes again. I was back on that weekend family trip.
The first thing I did after realizing I’d been reborn. Was to subtly switch backpacks with my dad, then detour to the souvenir shop behind us. Because I knew. Half an hour ago. My mom had torn a lucky charm off the wishing tree at the top of the hill and stuffed it into *my* bag. That’s exactly what happened in my past life. I’d taken my family on this trip that weekend. In the crowded tourist spot, my mom had eyed the wind chimes hanging from the wishing tree. She just assumed they were free souvenirs you could take. So she casually shoved one into my backpack. When security staff at the exit stopped me during a secondary check. I had no idea why. I argued with them, self-righteously. Until my backpack was ripped open. The lucky wind chime fell to the ground, shattering into pieces. The embarrassing scene of me being exposed in public was filmed entirely by an influencer who happened to be there. The video instantly exploded online, becoming a trending topic. I became the thief condemned by netizens. My million-dollar corporate job vanished. It wasn’t until the security camera footage from the park was found that day. The footage clearly showed my mom. Her movements, as she slipped the wind chime into my bag, were clear and practiced. I angrily confronted her, demanding to know why she did it. My mom covered her face, speechless. She cried, trembling all over. My dad slapped me across the face and said, “Stop going on and on! Who told you to be so careless with your own bag?” Later. I managed to find a comparable job elsewhere, thanks to my impressive resume. But during the entrance medical exam, my mom lost my urine sample. She, again, just assumed. That anyone’s sample would be fine. As a result, my exam showed I had chronic conditions common in the elderly, leading to my job offer being rescinded. I was furious, crying silently in my room. But all the relatives and elders in the family dragged me out to apologize to my mom. “It’s just a job, if it’s gone, find another! You don’t even care that your own mother is sick! You really are a heartless wretch!” Even later. Under their constant pressure, I developed severe depression and refused to leave the house. My mom, once again, assumed I was like this because I lacked social interaction. She hung a “Free Hugs” sign on me. And pushed me out onto the street. Ultimately. I was dragged into an alley by a deranged pervert, abused, and left for dead. Reborn. I had to make everyone understand. Just how desperate it was to deal with someone like my mom.
By the time I returned with the purchased souvenirs. My dad was loudly arguing with the park staff, pointing at the shattered wind chime already in his backpack. My mom stood by, silent the whole time. As if the entire incident had absolutely nothing to do with her. “How many people do you guys extort with this stuff all year round?! I’m telling you again! I didn’t take this thing at all!” The park staff remained polite. Patiently explaining their work procedures to my dad. The onlookers couldn’t stand it anymore and started speaking up. “What kind of manners do people have these days? There’s a limit to lying through your teeth!” “You didn’t take it? Did that charm just grow legs and walk into your bag?” I walked in, feigning complete ignorance. After a quick understanding of the situation. I angrily pulled my dad aside, firmly demanding the park provide security footage from when the wind chime went missing. In my previous life. The moment I saw the wind chime shatter from my bag. The intense shame made me want to resolve the matter as quickly as possible. By the time I wanted to check the footage afterward. The park had already refused to cooperate. Even though the surveillance footage that later circulated online proved I hadn’t stolen anything. My job and life had already been severely impacted. This time. I asked to see the footage immediately. My mom, who hadn’t said a word, suddenly stopped me. She tried to persuade us not to pursue the truth and just apologize to resolve the matter quickly. My dad and I both ignored her. Especially my dad, who wore a self-important, clear-conscienced demeanor. He even pulled out his phone, ready to record irrefutable proof of the park extorting tourists on camera. Who knew that when the footage played. My mom’s movements, as she plucked the wind chime and slipped it into my backpack, were quick and practiced. She had even moved lightly, careful not to let me notice. Later, completely unaware. I had inadvertently swapped identical backpacks with my dad. Now it was clear. While it proved my dad hadn’t stolen anything. The thief was, unfortunately, his lawful wife. My dad, who had been righteously yelling at the park for extortion just moments ago. Could only turn ashen-faced and pay for the item.
On the way back. I sat in the back seat, silent. My dad gripped the steering wheel, his face grim. Only my mom wiped away tears, rambling incessantly. “Who knew that thing couldn’t be taken? Who knew?! It was right there, easy to pick… If you didn’t want people to take it, you should hang it higher!” “The park is also to blame, there were so many hanging on that tree, what’s wrong with me taking just one?” “Wasn’t I just thinking the charm had a good meaning, wanting to bring a little good luck to the family?” “Why is it all my fault? How was I supposed to know they had security scanners at the entrance that could detect it?” In all my memories, growing up. My mom had always been like this. She had her own unique understanding of the world. She’d act according to her own rules, assuming they were universal. Never considering anyone else’s feelings. Even if she ended up hurting others. She would always justify everything she did as being “for your own good.” I always thought. My mom was just ignorant and naive. It wasn’t until my past life, when she caused my death, that I finally understood. My mom actually knew right from wrong. She just chose to elevate her own ignorance above normal rules. Through feigned weakness and kindness, she would emotionally blackmail everyone connected to her. “Chloe! I distinctly remember putting that wind chime in *your* bag! Did you know about it all along?! Is that why you deliberately swapped bags with your dad?! Making him lose face in front of all those people!” In a moment of desperation. My mom threw the blame on me. “Mom, it doesn’t matter whose bag you put it in, if you wanted it, our family could afford to buy it. But since you were the one who put it there, why didn’t you just admit it? Why did you let Dad argue with those people for so long?” “Explain what?! I had good intentions, why should I explain?! I’m not like you! My heart is entirely for this family! For all these years, has anyone ever cared about me? Has anyone ever paid attention to me?” With that, my mom habitually began to sob again. As if the entire world was against her innocent self. My dad slammed on the brakes, stopping the car on the side of the road. He raised his hand and slapped my mom next to him several times. Then he glared at me, seething, and said, “Aren’t you two embarrassing enough?! You two worthless deadweights! I must have had the worst luck to be stuck with you! If you embarrass me again! Get out, both of you!” See? My dad, as always. Didn’t care about right or wrong. Only about his own cheap pride.
After the holiday ended. Sitting at my familiar office desk again. An unreal sense of dizziness washed over me. What happened at the park. My mom had lost that round. It was one of the few times in years my mom had been outmaneuvered by me. I knew. She would definitely find an opportunity to re-establish her authority over me. To completely escape the fate of my past life. And break free from this toxic family I should have left long ago. I decided to run for a senior leadership position at headquarters, aiming for a transfer to an overseas branch. Before participating in the election. I deliberately kept my candidacy a secret. I only told my mom that I was busy with work and would be working overtime. No need to prepare dinner for me at home. However, on the very first day of overtime. I received a complaint from the security department downstairs. They said my mom was sitting at the main entrance, carrying an insulated food container, crying and blocking the security gate, refusing to move. For the sake of my future. I patiently explained to my mom. Company policy disallowed outsiders from entering without important reasons. After much persuasion, I finally coaxed her back home. The next evening. She showed up again with the insulated container, insisting that the security staff’s hands were “dirty.” Crying and making a scene, she demanded to personally deliver the food upstairs to me. She even broke two of the security department’s walkie-talkies. This went on for a whole week, every single day. I was publicly reprimanded by the entire company. Under duress. I became like a trained pet. Forced to bring a huge pile of work home every day. Just to make it home in time for my mom’s dinner. My mom, once again, became everyone’s image of a hardworking, caring parent. On the day of the official election. To prevent my mom from sabotaging my candidacy that day. I specifically transferred her two thousand dollars. Coaxing her and my dad to go out and enjoy themselves. To my surprise. I hadn’t even finished my performance review presentation. When my mom burst into the company’s main conference room with her insulated container. Regardless of the occasion. She opened the container and tried to spoon steaming hot dinner into my mouth. “Honey, why are you hiding your overtime from your mom?” “Good thing Mom found out, I rushed it over to you right away!” “What do you mean outsiders aren’t allowed? If Mom wants to bring you food, she can! I don’t believe any rule can stop someone from eating!” Under the gaze of the senior executives from headquarters. I awkwardly and politely explained my current situation to my mom. Unexpectedly, my mom suddenly slammed her forks down. Pointing at the noses of the senior leaders, she started questioning them. “How can you leaders be like this? Why are you forcing my only daughter to go to such a faraway place!” “My daughter would never volunteer for this! She always listens to me! She would never leave me and her dad!” I don’t remember how I got home from the company. I only remember developing a high fever that night. I slept fitfully under my blanket. Dreaming of all my efforts over the past days turning to dust. Suddenly. A loud banging on the wall jolted me awake. My locked bedroom door was kicked off its hinges from the outside. Before I could even react. My dad and Uncle Robert, two grown men, dragged me from my bed all the way to the living room. And forced me down in front of my mom. The scene eerily overlapped with a desperate memory from my past life. In my previous life, my mom had spilled my urine sample. And secretly swapped it with her own. Causing my new job application to fail. As the two most meddlesome people in the family. Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan also rushed over immediately, pressing me to apologize to my mom. My mom sat on the couch, sobbing and wiping her tears. “It’s just a job, what’s the big deal? I didn’t know it was that important?” “No one ever paid for me to go to so much school since I was little! What do I know?!” “I just didn’t want my child to work too hard! I just wanted my child to have dinner early! If I really ruined my child’s future, I’d rather die!” Saying this. My mom theatrically slapped her own face twice. Uncle Robert shoved me from behind, telling me to kneel and apologize to my mom. He unleashed a torrent of accusations at me. “Hurry up and apologize to your mom! No matter what, your mom did it for your own good! You’ve been cooped up in your room, refusing to come out! Do you know how worried you’ve made your mom?” “Exactly! Why is a girl like you so restless, always wanting to run off to another city? Why not just stay put, find a good partner, and get married? So impulsive! Who would want to marry someone like that?!” Aunt Susan chimed in. “I told your mom back then to have another son, but she wouldn’t listen! If there was a brother here to be the man of the house! Would this girl dare talk back to her like this? She should have been disciplined a long time ago!” Uncle Robert stood by, arms crossed, watching coldly. “If you were my daughter, you’d be lucky to even finish junior high! Your mom even paid for your college, what a waste of money!” As the highest-paid among the younger generation in the entire family. Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan often received gifts from me. Occasionally, they would even praise my mom for raising a daughter so correctly. Now, my success had become proof of a girl who wouldn’t listen to authority. Amidst their incessant lecturing. My mom’s sobs grew even louder. But there wasn’t a single tear in her eyes. During brief pauses. I could even see clear triumph in her gaze as she looked at me. “Mom, I’m sorry, I was wrong.” “I shouldn’t have given you attitude, I shouldn’t have kept my transfer plans from you.” “Mom, please forgive me, from now on, I’ll listen to everything you say.” I don’t know how many apologies and sweet words I uttered. Until my voice was completely hoarse. Only then did Uncle Robert and Aunt Susan seem satisfied, patting my parents on the shoulders and chatting cheerfully. In reality. All of them knew perfectly well. Who was right and who was wrong between my mom and me. They accused me. Simply because they wanted to assert their authority as elders. And to elevate themselves to a moral high ground from which they could criticize anyone. I didn’t blame them for unanimously condemning me that day. I just hoped that when the boomerang hit them back. They wouldn’t cry out in pain. 6. The chance for the boomerang. I didn’t have to wait too long.
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