I’ve returned to Christmas 1975. I went to the black market and sold off all the jewelry and new clothes my fiancé Edward Gray had given me at bargain prices. I deliberately made myself look dirty and disheveled, like a beggar. In my previous life, my family had finally managed to secure me a spot to return to the city. I was overjoyed and, following Edward’s instructions, put on the clothes he had sent me. But I never expected that Olivia Murray, a poor female student who had been sent to the countryside with me, would steal my identity and board the city-bound vehicle ahead of me. When I chased after her to confront her, she pointed at my new clothes and accused me of improper conduct, claiming there was no way I could be the daughter of the upright Dean Albert Murray. They threw me off the vehicle, forcing me to continue working in the countryside. Three years later, I finally made it back to the city. I witnessed Edward walking past me with his arm around Olivia. That’s when I realized they had been together all along. My inability to return home had been part of their scheme. Not only that, but they also told my father Albert and mother Emilia Murray that I had been with other men in the countryside and didn’t want to come back. Albert, as the dean, was so enraged that he suffered a stroke and died. Emilia cried every day and also passed away the following year. Olivia smugly flaunted in front of me: “Matilda, thank you for having them take such good care of me before. The property your two foolish parents left behind all went to Edward and me.” I was so furious I coughed up blood. Edward, who had been promoted to associate dean, sent me to the hospital and injected me with an overdose of medication, killing me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day I was preparing to go home. ***** When I emerged from my room wearing tattered clothes, everyone around me was stunned. A man asked: “Matilda, didn’t your fiancé send you lots of things? Why are you dressed like this?” Matilda Murray is my name. A woman said: “Yeah, even if he truly cares about you and has been waiting for you to return for two years, you should still pay attention to your appearance.” Their faces were full of confusion. After all, we were going home – why was I wearing these drab work clothes and mud-stained rubber boots? Who would dress like this to meet their beloved? I smiled without saying anything, my eyes filled with complex emotions. In my previous life, I had also believed Edward truly cared about me. Albert and Emilia had finally secured me a spot to return to the city. When I received the things Edward had sent and learned he was coming to pick me up, I happily put on the new clothes and even wore the most fashionable hair accessories of the time. I had thought I could let my beloved see me at my most beautiful, but when I hurried to catch the city-bound vehicle, I discovered Olivia sitting in my seat. Olivia insisted she was Albert’s daughter and spoke about my family’s affairs in great detail. She also pointed at my new clothes and angrily said: “You all know my father is very frugal. How could his daughter possibly dress so glamorously? “This kind of extravagant style would only anger my father if he saw it.” The others believed her words. No matter how I tried to explain, it was useless. I was thrown off the vehicle and forced to return to the countryside. The letters I sent home and to Edward mysteriously went unanswered. It wasn’t until three years later that things changed. I returned to the city with others. As soon as I got off the vehicle, I saw Olivia in a dress with her arm linked through Edward’s. They were very intimate. It turned out they had been together all along. I was shocked and rushed forward to grab Edward’s sleeve, but he shook me off forcefully. Edward said: “Matilda, I really didn’t expect you’d actually make it back.” Before I could understand what he meant, Olivia cleared up my confusion. She smiled and said: “Matilda, Edward and I fell for each other years ago. I really have to thank you for your spot – it let me come back early and marry Edward. “Oh, by the way, you don’t know yet, do you? Albert thought you were with some old man in the countryside and died of a stroke from rage. Your mother also died last year. All that property went to Edward and me. “You have nothing left now. How pitiful.” I was so angry I coughed up blood, while Edward looked at me coldly and forcibly took me to the hospital under the pretense of medical treatment. He said: “Matilda, don’t blame me. “You could have stayed quietly in the countryside and married some rural man. But you came back. “For the sake of my bright future, you need to die.” Edward used his position without hesitation to inject me with an overdose of medication, leaving me to die in despair on that hospital bed. But in this lifetime, none of that has happened yet. This time, I absolutely won’t let them succeed.
I boarded the vehicle with my packed belongings, and the bespectacled man sitting by the door frowned at me. He said, “All seats are taken. Who are you? Go back where you came from.” I feigned ignorance, covering my mouth in surprise as I said, “All seats taken? How is that possible? I have a reserved spot. Who’s taken my place?” The man’s expression darkened. He turned to scan the area, as if trying to determine whether my words held any truth. I pointed at Olivia, who sat there looking somewhat nervous, and confronted her: “Olivia, why are you sitting in my seat?” She immediately shot back, “Your seat? This seat is mine.” The man chimed in, “That’s right. Do you know who she is? This is the daughter of hospital director Mr. Albert Murray and General Carter Simpson. Don’t you dare falsely accuse her.” “The daughter of Mr. Albert Murray and Ms. Simpson? You mean her?” I asked, my gaze cutting toward Olivia like a blade. Olivia’s body stiffened for a moment, a flash of guilt crossing her eyes, but she still straightened her spine. She said, “Yes, that’s me. I am Mr. Albert Murray’s daughter. This opportunity to return home is mine.” Olivia was about to use my attire to suggest I was improper, but after looking me up and down, she froze completely. I wasn’t wearing a single decent piece of clothing or jewelry. Where had all those things Edward gave me gone? I could see Olivia’s confusion, so I flashed her a meaningful smile. Olivia was stunned. She knew very well that if she couldn’t get me off this vehicle, both she and Edward would be finished. Olivia’s gaze fell on my shabby appearance, her eyes flickering several times. She said, “Edward has already prepared a welcome banquet for me in the city. You’re dressed like a beggar—how could you possibly attend a welcome banquet? “Matilda, I know you desperately want to return to the city, but you can’t just try to steal someone else’s spot. You should focus your energy on legitimate pursuits.” Olivia’s words were filled with righteousness. Compared to the timid demeanor she had when she first arrived at our house, her boldness had certainly grown considerably. My gaze fell on the dress Olivia was wearing—the one Albert and Emilia had sent together—and my eyes grew profound. Olivia was the daughter of our family’s housekeeper, Ella Murray. Her biological father was a gambler who had already been arrested by the police, with no connection whatsoever to Albert. She simply happened to share the same surname as us. Initially, seeing that she was about the same age as me at Christmas and had such a pitiful background, Albert and Emilia agreed to let Ella keep her close, allowing her to grow up alongside me as a companion. I was delighted to have another sister in the house, so I shared almost everything good with her, treating her like my own sister. Olivia also appeared very well-behaved and sensible. When the family was deeply worried about my being assigned to work and live in the countryside, she even volunteered to accompany me. I was so moved that I immediately begged Albert and Emilia to adopt her as their goddaughter. However, in my previous life, just before I died, Edward mercifully revealed the truth to me. He said, “Accompany you to work and live in the countryside? Olivia’s name was on the list too. She simply had no choice but to go to the countryside.” Olivia was nothing but an ungrateful, thankless person. Just as I was about to publicly expose Olivia’s true identity, the man suddenly spoke again: “Exactly, stop making things up here. If she’s not Mr. Albert Murray’s daughter, then are you supposed to be? She has the Murray family heirloom and a personal letter from her fiancé Dr. Gray as proof. “Mr. Albert Murray is away, but he specifically wrote to ask Dr. Gray to host a welcome banquet for her.” A family heirloom? A handwritten letter? I was furious beyond words, wanting nothing more than to strangle Olivia and Edward. The Murray family heirloom was a ruby pendant. When Edward and I got engaged, Albert had given it to Edward as a special gesture to show how much he valued him. But I never expected it to be in Olivia’s hands now. Not to mention Edward’s handwritten letter. No wonder in my past life, even when I explained that I was Albert’s daughter, no one believed me. Olivia had lost her initial panic and now wore a smug expression, looking at me provocatively. She said, “It’s okay. She’s probably just homesick and didn’t get a spot, so she resorted to this. Since it’s still early, you should get off and head back. Don’t waste everyone’s time.” Olivia’s words sounded magnanimous and considerate. The people on the bus from other places didn’t know the truth and began treating her as Albert’s daughter, gathering around to curry favor with her. A man said, “Miss Olivia, you’re so generous. If some lowlife tried to steal my spot, I’d definitely call the police and have her arrested.” A woman chimed in, “Exactly. I’ve long heard that Mr. Albert is upright and famously professional throughout the medical field. Miss Olivia is truly forgiving to pardon even someone like this.” I watched all this coldly and said, “Olivia, you’d better not regret this.” My warning was clear enough, but Olivia was basking in the feeling of being adored by everyone. Hearing my words, she just gave me a disdainful glance and didn’t take it to heart at all. Before the man with glasses could kick me off like he did in my previous life, I grabbed my bundle and stepped off the bus myself. The man sneered, “At least you have some self-awareness. You’ve crossed Mr. Albert’s daughter—aren’t you afraid of what’ll happen when someone in your family gets sick?” He scoffed and slammed the door shut. The bus drove away right in front of me, kicking up dust all over me. My already dirty work clothes now looked even worse. I took a deep breath and used the money from selling my belongings to rent a car. So what if that bus wouldn’t take me? As long as I had money, couldn’t I still get there? I was determined to see exactly what kind of welcome banquet Edward had prepared.
The car bumped along the entire way. By the time I made it back to the city, it was already evening. My two-story house was brightly lit, with many people moving around inside, looking quite lively. I immediately understood—this was the “welcome party” they had mentioned. Without hesitation, I walked straight in. Everyone was busy chatting, and hardly anyone noticed me. I was about to head upstairs when someone suddenly grabbed me. A woman in a floral shirt pushed me away with disgust, her eyes full of contempt. She said, “What kind of beggar are you? Is this a place you should be? Planning to steal something? I’m telling you, get out of here before I call the police.” I figured she had mistaken me for some thief trying to steal. Just as I was about to explain, a familiar voice rang out: “Mrs. Jones, what’s happening here?” Freya Jones, who had just treated me so rudely, immediately put on a respectful expression. She said, “Mrs. Emilia Murray, some beggar broke in. I don’t know if she’s here to steal. I was worried it might disrupt Ms. Olivia Murray’s welcome party, so I wanted to throw her out.” “Mrs. Emilia Murray” sighed after hearing this. Then she said, “This poor soul. If she wasn’t truly desperate, who would swallow their pride and beg from others? Let her come in and have something to eat. Just keep an eye on her and don’t let her wander around.” Freya said flatteringly, “You’re so kind. You and your husband Mr. Albert Murray are truly a perfect match.” “Mrs. Emilia Murray” looked quite pleased with the praise, nodding slightly, really looking like a wealthy person. However, when she caught sight of my face from the corner of her eye, her expression instantly froze. She asked, “Ms. Murray… Matilda, how did you get back?” This “Mrs. Emilia Murray” that Freya was flattering was actually Ella, Olivia’s nanny mother. I remembered she used to always keep her head down and seemed very honest, so our whole family trusted her completely. When I went to work in the countryside and Albert went away for research, only Emilia was left at home. Since Emilia didn’t like socializing and rarely appeared in public, we specifically asked Ella to take good care of Emilia. But I never expected she would have the audacity to assume Emilia’s identity. My gaze swept over Ella several times. The jewelry around her neck and on her hands all originally belonged to Emilia. In my previous life, I hadn’t been able to return at this time. When I came back three years later, both Albert and Emilia had already passed away. I had no idea how much Emilia had suffered at home. Perhaps all that talk about Emilia crying every day and dying of depression was just lies. Suppressing my rage, I walked toward Ella step by step, asking coldly, “What? Ella, am I not allowed to come back?” Ella trembled with fear and said, “That’s not what I meant.” Her tone was clearly frightened. Freya, standing nearby, looked surprised after hearing this. Freya asked, “Mrs. Emilia Murray, who is this beggar? Why are you being so polite to her?” Ella didn’t know how to respond. I lost my patience, worried that Emilia was being framed by them, and headed straight upstairs, only to run into Olivia and Edward coming down hand in hand. The moment Edward saw me, a flash of panic crossed his eyes, and he instinctively let go of Olivia’s hand. Edward asked, “Matilda, how did you get back?”
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