Six years after dying, I returned from the Underworld to settle a massive debt. An orphan with no family, I went straight to my best friend. As I entered her house, text flashed before my eyes: ăThe tragic heroineâs having a breakdownâsmashing all the male leadâs luxury gifts.ă ăHer husband cheats, her son rejects her⌠sheâs been suicidal.ă ăEveryoneâs too scared to go in⌠Waitâwho just tore the door off its hinges?!ă That was me. I grabbed her wrist as she was about to cut it and exclaimed, “Claire, you know Iâm scared of snakes! Except that Bulgari Serpenti on you.” “Hold off on dyingâIâve got Underworld debts to pay.” She stopped crying, dropped the knife, and started chasing me: “You brat! Never visited in dreams, but when in debt, you come to me?!” The comments were stunned: ăNow thatâs a friendship that feels like a home invasionâŚă 1. When I burst into the master bedroom of my best friend Claireâs luxurious mansion, she was in the middle of slitting her wrists. The house staff were just about to rush in and stop her. I beat them to it, grabbing her wrist and flashing her a thumbs-up. “Well, well, well, bestie. Showing off your million-dollar Bulgari Serpenti without me.” Claire stared at me, completely bewildered. The staff crowded in the doorway were aghast. The floating comments filled the air with question marks: ă???ă ăUh, lady, are you seeing what Iâm seeing? Sheâs trying to kill herself and youâre admiring her braceletâŚă ăTalk about reading the room.ă Claire looked at me, her eyes swollen to the size of walnuts, glistening with tears. The despair in them was now mixed with utter shock. I remembered her as she used to be: vibrant and beautiful, with a long, curly high ponytail, resilient and full of bright hopes for the future. She used to always say, “Ava, when Murray and I get married, you have to be there.” But looking at her nowâher face pale and bloodless, her eyes dull and hopeless, her hair a tangled mess, her silk pajamas wrinkled from being tugged and twistedâit felt like a lifetime had passed. Claire was so thin she was practically a skeleton, as if a single touch would make her fall apart. I had never seen her so broken. A sharp, unexpected pain pierced my heart. Six years. The moment I reappeared before her, she looked like she was about to faint. She just stared at me, her brain trying to catch up. I used her stunned silence to snatch the fruit knife from her hand and get a better look at the bracelet, which glittered blindingly under the lights. “Bestie, you know Iâm terrified of snakes.” “But Iâll make an exception for Bulgari.” Staring at my own bare wrist, I was consumed with envy. Shamelessly, I demanded, “You brat! Friends share everything. Take that diamond-encrusted thing off and let me try it on.” The staff gaped at me as if Iâd told the worldâs worst joke. One of them, unable to stomach my audacity, spoke up. “Who let you in here? Have you no manners? Thatâs a million-dollar bracelet, you think sheâs just going to give it to you? You⌔ But in the next second, Claire stopped crying. She wiped her tears away messily and, in front of everyone, slipped the bracelet off her wrist and onto mine. Her voice was raspy and low, catching with sobs. “If you’d told me you liked it, I would have bought you one too.” The staff looked at each other, their eyes about to pop out of their sockets. She actually gave it to her? 2. After the staff dispersed, I glanced at the empty doorway, then dragged the door Iâd removed back into place to block the opening. Ignoring the absurdity of the situation, I slyly pulled a piece of paper from my pocket. It was an IOU. I presented it to Claire with my most charming, sycophantic smile. “Bestie, guess what fantastic souvenir I brought back for you from my little trip to the Underworld?” Claire’s mood was still heavy, but at least for the moment, the thought of suicide seemed to have vanished. But after she unfolded my IOU for a ludicrously massive sum, she transformed back into the wild woman I knew from our school days. No more staring blankly into space, no more pondering the meaning of life. She snatched up the fruit knife Iâd tossed aside and started chasing me. When she screamed my name, her voice was no longer weak. It was loud enough to scare the birds from the trees in the garden. The commotion brought the staff running back, only to find this scene: Claire, wielding a fruit knife, was chasing me all over the room. “Ava, you deadbeat! You don’t visit me in my dreams once, but the second you’re in debt, you come crawling back to me?! Do I owe you something from a past life?! I’m going to kill you! If I can’t be happy, nobody can!” I threw my hands up in surrender, dodging around furniture. “Whoa, whoa! Bestie, calm down! Let me explainâŚ!” The butler, arriving late and having missed the entire prequel, simply took in the chaotic scene, calmly raised his phone, and made a call. “Hello, sir?” “You’re not going to believe this, but⌠Madam, who could barely walk this morning, is now chasing someone around the room with a knife.” 3. Claire refused to pay my debt. Instead, she mercilessly sentenced me to work it off as a maid in her mansion. Ten thousand dollars an hour. So, I begrudgingly started my new career as a housekeeper. Because her emotional state was so fragile, she would often break things and frequently couldn’t bring herself to eat. One evening, after another untouched dinner was returned to the kitchen, the staff was despondent. The head chef was even starting to question his own culinary skills. I glanced at the floating comments: ăThe heroine is on the verge of an eating disorder. This is so sad.ă ăEver since her parents went bankrupt and jumped off a building a few years ago, she’s been all alone. Her husband doesn’t care, her son doesn’t love her⌠If it were me, I would’ve given up long ago.ă ăWell, what can you do? Sheâs the tragic heroine. Later in the story, the male lead is going to force her to donate a kidney to his mistress. She’ll almost die on the operating table, and then he’ll start his redemption arc! Can’t wait!ă I marched into the kitchen. The vegetables on the cutting board met a furious end under my knife. It was as if I were chopping up a certain cheating scumbag. I made a bowl of noodles and proudly presented it to Claire. She had no appetite. She turned her head away, refusing to eat. Even when I tried to force-feed her, it was no use. “I feel sick just looking at food,” she said flatly. “I can’t eat.” I raised an eyebrow at her, picked up a piece of beef with the chopsticks, and put on my best singsong voice. “Here comes the airplane~” “Ahhh~” Claire’s mouth fell open wider than my fist. ⌠Heh. Women. The comments were hysterical: ăIs this Ava a new character? Sheâs killing me. She knows exactly how to handle the heroine.ă ăHas anyone noticed the heroine is finally gaining some weight back? Sheâs looking so much healthier, her skin is glowing. Her beauty is making a major comeback! Sheâs stunning!ă ăAva keeps calling her âbestie.â Whatâs their relationship? Iâve never even heard of this Ava person before.ă ⌠4. I stayed by Claireâs side, and her breakdowns became less frequent. During my time in the Underworld, I had learned everything about the last decade of her life. I knew about the nightmares that plagued her every night, the recurring image of her parents’ desperate leap. I knew about the constant humiliation she endured from the mistress her husband, Murray, kept on the side. But Murray chose to ignore it all. He pushed her, broke her, and even forced her to kneel and apologize to his mistress. She had lost herself, a puppet pushed along at every step, devoid of emotion. ⌠Today, I finally pestered Claire into taking a walk in the garden in front of the mansion. The comments sighed with admiration: ăDamn, a best friendâs words are worth more than any manâs. If the male lead had asked her to do this, he wouldâve gotten a pillow thrown at his head.ă ăWait, isnât this the part of the story where her hellion of a son gets brought home by his grandparents?!ă ăAva, you have to keep Claire away from Leo! He canât stand her. His own mother, and he wonât even acknowledge her.ă ⌠Before the comments could finish, two elegantly dressed elderly people walked into the garden, a young boy in tow. At that moment, Claire and I were squeezed onto a single swing chair, playfully fighting for territory. Claire smiled at me, but for some reason, the sight of it infuriated her son, Leo. Leo, his face puffed up with anger, threw his limited-edition toy car on the ground and stormed over to us, screeching, “Get off! Why are you on my swing?!” He started shoving at Claire’s legs with all his might. The smile on Claire’s face froze. She instinctively clutched my hand, her eyes fixed on her son. “Leo, please don’t⌔ The comments were a chorus of sorrow: ăUgh, how can you not love the mother who carried you for ten months? The heroine really wants to be close to her son!ă ăHeâs just like his father, a total monster!ă ăCan someone please deal with this little brat, Leo? He has no respect. I want to jump into this book and spank him senseless!ă I raised an eyebrow at the little pouting fluffball with his hands on his hips. He really did look like his father. Leo snorted arrogantly, certain that Claire would never lay a hand on him. He had a smug “what are you gonna do about it” look on his face. The next second, I let out a cold laugh, grabbed him by the ear, swiftly pulled him onto my lap, and with all my strength, started smacking his little butt. Smack! Smack! In the distance, Leo’s grandparents, who had been watching with cold indifference, suddenly sprang to life. They hobbled over as fast as their canes would carry them. “Who is this lunatic?! How dare you hit my grandson! Let him go! Let him go now!” Leo was howling, his cries growing louder. “Aaaah! Grandma, Grandpa, my butt hurts! She’s hitting me! Save me, please, save me! Waaah!” I didn’t stop. In fact, I hit him harder. Hearing him cry only fueled my righteous fury. “You little monster! If your mother won’t teach you a lesson, then your godmother will!” When I was finally tired, Leo’s grandparents snatched him from my arms and joined in the wailing. “Oh, good heavens! Is the staff in this house deaf?! Security? Where is security?!” The three of them huddled together, bawling. The comments exploded: ăHOLY S#*T, HOLY S#*T, HOLY S#*T! She is my hero! She doesn’t just talk the talk, she walks the walk!ă ăWait a minute, guys. Does anyone else think the heroine looks like she’s about to die of laughter watching her son get spanked? She looks like sheâs enjoying this.ă ăOMG, sheâs smiling! A full-on, no-holds-barred smile! She looks like sheâs about to start clapping! LOL!ă The staff came running, armed with knives and spatulas, only to freeze when they saw the old couple pointing at me. Leo, his face red and tear-streaked, stomped his foot in a rage and charged at me, ready to throw a punch. His grandparents surged forward, grabbing at my clothes. Seeing things were getting out of hand, Claire jumped up and held the three of them back. The staff rushed in to break up the fight. The scene devolved into chaos. Just as Leo swung his chubby little fist, before it even came close to me, I dramatically threw myself onto the ground and started wailing. “Oh, the humanity! Is there no justice in this world?! Assault! Assault! Little Leo is a bully! All the kids in your class, don’t play with him! Oh, woe is me~” Leo’s big eyes blinked in confusion. He frantically waved his hands, trying to explain. “You’re lying, you mean lady! I didn’t touch you! I… I didn’t!” When Claire saw me “pushed” to the ground, her usual composure vanished. Her face hardened with anger, and she shoved everyone around her away. No one expected it. The woman who was always so gentle and patient with her child grabbed Leo by the collar, pulled him into her arms, and, copying me, gave his bottom a series of resounding smacks. Leo started howling all over again. His grandparents stared in disbelief, certain Claire had lost her mind. “Claire, you little witch! You’ve gone insane! I’m telling Murray! We’ll see what he has to say about his rebellious wife!” The staff tried to intervene. “Madam, please, let the young master go! The master will be furious if he finds out! MadamâŚ!” Claire ignored them all, her voice ice-cold. “Leo! What has Mommy told you! Are you allowed to hit people?! What do you have to say for yourself now?!” Leo was completely stunned. He sobbed and begged for mercy. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry⌠I was wrong⌠I was wrong! Stop hitting me! Waaah⌔ At this point, the staff stopped trying to intervene. The grandparents stopped wailing. They all just stood there, watching Claire discipline her child. “Who are you sorry to?! Speak!” I leaned in and whispered in Leo’s ear, “It’s Godmother.” Leo struggled violently. Seeing my smug expression, his face turned beet red, snot and tears flying everywhere. “I’m not calling that mean lady Godmother! I won’t! Waaah⌔ Claire raised her hand again. Leo surrendered. He stopped crying and put on a cheerful smile. “I’m sorry, Godmother, I was wrong.” I nodded, satisfied. The comments were a chaotic mess of celebratory fireworks: ăWhoa! Did I see that right?! Before, whenever the heroine tried to discipline this brat, he never listened and just kept hurting her until she gave up on him. Ava comes in with one simple trick and gets her right back in the parenting game!ă ăI have never seen the heroine this angry! Not even when the male lead flaunted his mistress in front of her. But Ava gets a little “push”âŚă ăThis is so satisfying! Following you is like watching a boss-bitch power fantasy! I will follow you forever, Queen Ava!ă ăClaire: You touch my bestie, I destroy your world (son included).ă Leo’s grandparents looked like they were about to have a stroke. They immediately dialed Murray’s number. “You need to get back here right now! Your wife and her accomplice are starting a rebellion!” 5. Murray and his little mistress, Stella, took the earliest flight backâa full ten-hour journey that must have made their butts ache. Serves you right, you scumbag. When they arrived home, the living room was in utter chaos. The comments were worried: ăOh no! The heroine didn’t just hit her son, she kicked his parents a few times in the chaos. And her grandfather’s medical treatment depends on the male lead’s connections!ă ăThe thought of his parents waiting up all night without showering just to preserve the footprint evidence on their clothes for the confrontation is making me laugh so hard.ă ăThe mistress came back with him. The male lead must have done that on purpose, right?ă ⌠I watched Murray’s constipated expression and had to hold back a laugh. Stella was the first to speak, her voice a whiny complaint. “Claire, what is all this? Murray and I were having such a wonderful vacation. Since when did you have the guts to pull a stunt like this? You just wanted Murray to come back, didn’t you? Tsk.” Her words fanned the flames of Murray’s anger. He lifted his gaze to Claire, but then he froze. Claire was no longer painfully thin. She looked healthy, well-fed, and⌠happy. He was suddenly reminded of how she had been the famous campus beauty back in their university days. And that made him even angrier. In his absence, Claire seemed to be thriving. “Claire, what kind of game are you playing now? I’ve told you before, if you cause trouble, your grandfather suffers the consequences.” His cold voice was a knife to Claire’s heart. She tensed, instinctively trying to defend herself. “I didn’t! I⌔ I cut in. “Someone’s breath really stinks. Murray, did you rush over here without brushing your teeth?” My interruption threw him off. Only then did he seem to notice there was an extra person in the room. His mother pointed at me. “It was her! She’s the one who led your wife to rebel!” I smiled sweetly up at him. When he saw my face, he went rigid. “YouâŚ?! Ava?! But you’re supposed to beâŚ?!” Dead? He didn’t say the last word. When the news of my death had reached Claire, she had been devastated. Pregnant at the time, she had insisted on attending my funeral. But Murray’s mother had stopped her, claiming it was bad luck for the baby. She had begged and pleaded with Murray to let her see me one last time, but Murray, convinced that she was using it as an excuse to secretly get an abortion because of their recent fights over his affair, had refused to let her go. In the end, Claire had nearly fallen from their fifth-floor balcony, threatening to kill herself, just to get him to accompany her to see me one last time. He had definitely seen my picture at the funeral hall back then. 6. The standoff was broken by Stella’s cheerful voice. “Hmm? Why hasn’t Leo called me ‘Mommy’ today?” At the mention of his name, Leo perked up and excitedly ran into Murray and Stella’s arms. He was about to speak when he noticed Claire and me watching him. Me, in particular. I made a slow, deliberate motion of scratching my neck. Leo shuddered, clamped his mouth shut, and burrowed into Murray’s embrace. Seeing me standing there, a thorn in his side, Murray’s expression turned nauseated. He swallowed his rage and pointed at the door. “I don’t care if you’re a person or a ghost. Get out of my house now!” Claire suddenly stood up from the sofa, moved to stand in front of me, her back straight as a rod, her eyes sharp. “Murray, this is my house. You’re the one who needs to get out!” The comments, watching this, were crystal clear: ăThe male lead is pure scum. This house was left to the heroine by her parents. His parents just waltzing in whenever they want is bad enough, but since when did it become his house?ă ăNot only that, but he deliberately brings his mistress into the home her parents lived in just to torture her. Can we get a new male lead?ă ăThe heroine doesn’t even know yet that the brilliant surgeon who saved her grandfather’s life didn’t do it as a favor to the male lead at all. The male lead has been hiding the truth just to keep her from leaving him, right?ă ăWait, now that Ava’s here, it’s finally clicking. Didn’t that surgeon do it all because he had a high school crush on someone?! And wasn’t that crush⌠Ava, who was best friends with the heroine?!ă ăHOLY S#*T HOLY S#*T HOLY S#*T! I’m shook! I think that’s it!ă Wait, what?! Me?! Someone had a crush on me?! Why are you all telling me this after I died?! ⌠Oh, wait. I guess you did tell me after I diedâŚ
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