After completing my mission, I, Ariana Gilbert, returned to my original world. The moment I opened my eyes, my parents Wyatt Gilbert and Sienna Gilbert were there with red-rimmed eyes, trembling as they called my name. My usually calm and composed husband Austin Foster was also in tears. I was moved and hugged my son Luca Foster. Just as I was about to tell the system I wanted to stay, Raegan Gilbert, who had been living my life in my absence, suddenly burst through the door. “Don’t touch me! My mommy will be angry!” Luca pushed me away forcefully and threw himself into Raegan’s arms. Raegan smiled smugly, looking like a victor. My family members, who had been heartbroken for me just a second ago, now all gathered around her. After a long silence, I said to the system: “Send me back.” ***** When I woke up, Raegan was crying and saying she wanted to leave: “Since Ariana is back, I, the imposter, should go too.” Wyatt and Sienna immediately rushed forward to stop her, their voices urgent: “What nonsense are you talking about? You’re our daughter, always will be!” Austin also comforted her gently: “That’s right, Raegan. Without you these past three Christmases, Luca and I wouldn’t have made it through.” Luca pushed me away hard and grabbed onto Raegan’s clothes: “Mommy, I can’t live without you.” I fell to the ground, staring at everything in front of me in shock. My heart felt like it was being cut open with a knife, and my eyes burned with unshed tears. I don’t know how long it was before they noticed I had fallen. Austin quickly picked me up and placed me on the bed: “Sorry, Ariana, Luca didn’t mean it.” Wyatt and Sienna also rushed to make amends: “While you were unconscious, Raegan stayed by our side. She’s our adopted daughter now, and your sister too.” Three Christmases ago, they had personally promised that when I returned, they would send Raegan back to her original family. But now, she was wearing the family heirloom bracelet that Sienna had given me. “Ariana, if you don’t like me, I’ll just leave.” Raegan wiped away her tears and made as if to go. But I was blinded by the diamond ring on her ring finger. It was the engagement ring Austin had personally designed for me. Now, it was on Raegan’s hand. I closed my eyes, my heart aching so much I could barely breathe. I said to myself: “System, give me a little more time to think about this.” After the system used my points to exchange for three days of consideration time, it fell into slumber. Seeing my silence, Raegan’s tears, which had just stopped, began falling again: “I knew Ariana wouldn’t accept me. I’ll leave right now.” She turned to go, her posture resolute. Wyatt and Sienna anxiously chased after her, but seemed to suddenly remember me and explained: “We’re afraid she might do something foolish, so we’re going to bring her back.” Luca glared at me fiercely and ran out anxiously: “Mommy, I’m coming with you.” Austin got up to follow, but stopped the moment he met my gaze. He awkwardly picked up the water glass from the table and handed it to me: “Ariana, don’t overthink it. You’re still the person we love most.” His tone was as gentle as always, but his eyes looked toward the door seven times. The hot water created a white mist that blurred my vision. During these three Christmases, the system’s missions had been incredibly difficult, and I had wanted to give up countless times. But whenever I thought of my loving parents, my husband who always protected me, and my child, I found endless courage. Now I wondered if everything I had persisted for was right. Soon, Austin received a message from Wyatt and seemed relieved. He brought me home, and the moment he opened the door, I froze. Austin noticed my reaction and pressed his lips together: “Maybe we should go to the dining room first, and later we can…” Before he could finish, I had already walked into the room. In Austin’s and my home, there were traces of Raegan everywhere. Even our wedding photos had been replaced with her face. Austin’s face went pale as he said frantically: “Ariana, let me explain.”
I stared silently at everything in the room, unable to utter a single word as tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Austin held me tightly: “After your car accident, Wyatt and Sienna were overcome with grief and took their anger out on Raegan, driving her out of the house. I knew she was your sister, and I should have protected her for your sake, so I brought her back home.” His explanation felt hollow and weak, and I no longer had the strength to dig deeper. Just then, his phone rang. Seeing the name on the screen, his face instantly lit up with unmistakable joy. The display showing “Raegan Baby” pierced through my chest like a sharp blade, each breath pulling at the excruciating pain. “Have you guys gotten to the restaurant? Ariana and I will be right there.” His tone was more cheerful than I’d ever heard. He used to sound just like this when we were madly in love. After hanging up, he gently wiped the tears from my face and led me to the restaurant. Raegan sat in the head seat while Wyatt and Sienna took turns serving her food. Sienna said lovingly, “Eat more, Raegan. You’re too thin.” Luca also held a strawberry to her lips: “Mommy, you should eat more. With me here, no one will dare bully you.” Those innocent words drew laughter from everyone at the table, and even Austin watched them with a smile, his eyes full of contentment. What about me? My feet felt like they were filled with lead, every movement tugging at my heartstrings. “Oh my, Ariana, you’re here!” Seeing me, Raegan immediately stood up: “Today’s dinner is to celebrate your recovery. It’s not appropriate for me to sit in the head seat.” But Sienna pulled her back down: “What are you talking about? A seat is just a seat, right?” The next moment, she seemed to remember that I was supposed to be today’s guest of honor and looked up abruptly, a flash of embarrassment crossing her eyes: “Right, Ariana? It’s no big deal to let Raegan have it. It’s just a seat after all.” But I remembered that on the day they brought me home, Wyatt and Sienna had thrown the most lavish homecoming banquet for me. The guests were all elite socialites and dignitaries, with some quietly trying to squeeze toward the center seats. That’s when the usually gentle Wyatt roared in front of everyone: “Today is my biological daughter Ariana Gilbert’s homecoming celebration! She is the only star of the show! “No matter when, she must always sit in the head seat!” The contrast cut through me like slow torture, each memory reopening the wound. I held back my tears and sat down in the farthest seat. Austin served me some food and held my hand, comforting me softly: “Eat more, Ariana.” My throat tightened, my voice hoarse: “I’m allergic to seafood.” Everyone froze, and the cheerful atmosphere instantly turned awkward. Every dish on the table was seafood, yet no one remembered my allergy. Because Raegan loved seafood the most. Tears immediately rolled down Raegan’s face: “I’m so sorry, it’s all my fault. I’ll have them bring out a whole new spread right away!” She rushed out in a panic, and as she turned, tears splattered on the floor. Then Luca smashed a plate against my head. Scalding soup splashed across my face, glass shards embedded in my skin, and blood trickled down my cheeks. But this physical burning pain was nothing compared to even a fraction of the agony in my heart. Luca looked like an enraged little beast: “You evil woman! Why are you bullying my mommy again? You made her cry twice in one day! I hate you!”
I watched Luca’s retreating figure as he rushed out, my heart aching as if cut by a knife. My eyes burned, but no tears would come. When he was born, I hemorrhaged severely and nearly died on the operating table. But the moment I woke up and saw him, I felt all the pain had been worth it. From when he first started learning to speak, to holding my hand as he learned to walk, to when he would throw himself into my arms with his sweet little voice saying “Mommy, I love you.” These memories are deeply etched in my heart. But now, he’s given all his love to Raegan. When he looks at me, there’s only coldness and resentment in his eyes. This realization chills me to the bone. Wyatt and Sienna snapped back to reality and quickly helped me tend to my wound. Wyatt frowned and said, “Austin, you should go check on them. I’m worried something might happen. We’ll take care of Ariana.” Austin hesitated for a few seconds before nodding and leaving. While wiping away the blood, Sienna said softly, “Don’t hold it against Raegan. She grew up without parents and lacks a sense of security. And Luca—after all, Raegan raised him. Don’t blame him.” I hadn’t said a word, yet they all assumed I would hurt her. I abruptly pushed Sienna’s hand away, my voice hoarse: “I’m going to the restroom.” Just as I walked out the door, I heard Sienna complaining to Wyatt behind me: “Ariana isn’t sweet and understanding like Raegan at all. She doesn’t even know how to act cute with us.” I thought bitterly: “But Mom, have you ever considered that during the years when I should have been able to act cute, I was suffering in the mountains? The slightest mistake would earn me beatings and scolding from my foster parents. And Raegan? She grew up surrounded by your love, like a little princess, traveling the world by plane. How was I supposed to learn to act cute?” I walked to the restroom door, only to see Raegan pinned against the wall by Austin, kissing her. His eyes burned with an almost manic intensity, his movements rough yet possessive. In our four years of dating and six years of marriage, Austin had always been gentle and restrained with me. I had never seen him look so passionate. My feet seemed glued to the spot—I couldn’t move. Like a masochist, I watched their intimate embrace, my stomach churning violently. It wasn’t until they left hand in hand that I rushed into the restroom and collapsed by the toilet, retching violently. Tears mixed with blood from the corner of my mouth, falling into the water without a sound. At eighteen, Austin promised to love me forever and never cheat. At twenty-eight, Austin brought that adopted daughter who had taken my place into his bed under the guise of “taking care of his sister.” I don’t know how I made it back to the private room. When I pushed open the door, it was already empty. The server said, “The guests at this table already paid and left.” My fingers clenched suddenly, then I smiled. They had completely forgotten about me. Without my phone and penniless, I could only walk home step by step. By the time I reached my front door, my feet were covered in blisters. As the door opened, I heard laughter and cheerful voices from the living room. Wyatt was pouring water for Raegan, Sienna was peeling oranges for her. Luca was lying on her lap, making funny faces to make her laugh. She was nestled against Austin’s side, looking like a loving couple. They were a complete family, and I was the extra one. Only when they heard the commotion did they notice me standing disheveled at the doorway. Raegan immediately stood up, her face full of apology: “Ariana, I’m sorry. I didn’t see you and thought you had gone home first, so I came back with Mom and Dad. It’s all my fault—you can hit me or scold me, whatever you want!” Sienna quickly pulled Raegan over and had her sit down on the couch. “It’s okay, you didn’t do it on purpose.” Wyatt chimed in as well: “Yeah, Ariana, why didn’t you call to let us know you were coming?” Before I could explain, Raegan let out a soft sigh. All eyes turned to her once again. The butler couldn’t stand watching any longer and called for a doctor to examine me. Only then did they remember I was there. Perhaps out of guilt, Wyatt and Sienna hurried to prepare some gifts for me. But Raegan received double portions of everything. Love versus indifference—it was crystal clear. The next day, I told Wyatt and Sienna that I wanted to return to work at the company. Wyatt looked somewhat embarrassed and cleared his throat: “You just recovered. Don’t rush back to work yet. You’ll still get your dividend payments—we won’t shortchange you.” I paused for a moment and instinctively looked up, only to see Raegan in a crisp business suit slowly descending the stairs. She said, “Ariana, I’m heading to the office now. Please take care of Mom and Dad for me.” Her smile was radiant, but her eyes held nothing but provocation as she looked at me. Wyatt and Sienna had once told me that everything they had would be mine. But now, everything they’d promised had likely changed hands long ago. Seeing my continued silence, Austin gently took my hand: “I made dinner reservations. Let me take you out to eat, okay?” The warmth of his palm made me involuntarily recall the image of him holding and kissing Raegan. I pulled my hand away almost instinctively. He froze for a moment but said nothing, simply leading me to the car in silence. At the upscale restaurant, Raegan happened to be entertaining clients. Several clients were taking turns toasting her when Austin immediately stepped forward: “Everyone’s here! What a coincidence—why don’t we all have a drink together?” With that, he began drinking glass after glass in Raegan’s place. Austin had always had stomach problems. During countless business dinners in the past, I was the one who drank those harsh liquors for him. But now, Austin, who never touched alcohol, was drinking until his face turned pale—all for Raegan. I couldn’t take it anymore and grabbed his arm: “Stop drinking! Your stomach can’t handle this!” He was already somewhat drunk and pulled me close by the waist, whispering in my ear: “Don’t worry, Raegan. I’m here—no one can hurt you.” Raegan? My entire body went rigid, as if I’d fallen into an icy abyss. Raegan raised an eyebrow at me provocatively and mouthed: “You lose. This family is happier without you.” My hands trembled as rage surged through me like a tsunami. But I knew that everything that had happened these past few days was telling me the same thing—I no longer mattered. I bit down hard on my teeth and stubbornly lifted my head: “You’re nothing but a fake. What’s there to be proud of?” With that, I helped the swaying Austin toward the exit. Raegan slowly stood up and followed us. She glanced outside and smiled slightly: “Is that so? Then let me show you who’s really the unloved fake.” The next moment, she grabbed my hand and yanked it forward, making it look as if I had pushed her as she tumbled down the restaurant stairs. She let out a pained whimper: “It’s all my fault. Dad, Mom, please don’t blame Ariana.” Before I could react, a sharp slap struck my cheek. Wyatt and Sienna had appeared at the restaurant entrance at some point. Sienna’s eyes were red with fury as she pointed at me and screamed: “Raegan is pregnant! How dare you still bully her? If anything happens to her, you get out of this house immediately!” Wyatt’s hand was still trembling, his face filled with anger and disappointment: “How did I raise such a vicious daughter? I wish Raegan were my real daughter instead.” Austin instantly sobered up from his drunken state. He rushed forward in a few quick steps and carefully lifted Raegan into his arms. Before getting in the car, he turned back and shot me a vicious look. The hatred in his eyes nearly consumed me entirely. Watching their car disappear into the distance, my heart ached unbearably. My last shred of hope was crushed to dust beneath their wheels. I collapsed onto the cold stairs, letting the wind and rain soak my hair, unable to tell whether what streamed down my face was rain or tears. After a long while, I said wearily: “System, send me back to the mission world. I don’t want to stay here anymore.”
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