My son had dwarfism. I quit my job, scouring clinics far and wide, giving him growth hormone shots, and accompanying him through rigorous training in all weather. Finally, I helped him become the youngest world champion. But the moment he stood on the podium, he accused me, his father, of being cold-blooded and selfish to the global media. Faced with an overwhelming wave of online hate and abuse, my wife threw divorce papers at me. She said I wasn’t fit to be a father or a husband, then turned around and married the single dad downstairs who cooked gourmet meals. It wasn’t until I was on my deathbed that I found out my wife had cheated on me with that man the very day I quit my job. My son even helped her hide it, claiming that was the only place he could find a moment of peace. When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day my son was diagnosed with dwarfism. “Don’t listen to the doctor’s nonsense. Our son is just a late bloomer. Is bothering my mom the only thing you do all day?” Watching my wife and son look at me like an enemy, I curved my lips into a sneer. Fine, then. No treatment. I’m done catering to you all.
“Your son is seven years old now, and he’s only 3 feet 4 inches tall. He’s severely stunted. If you don’t intervene with growth hormone treatments in time, you’ll miss his growth spurt, and it’ll be much harder later on.” Listening to the doctor’s patient explanation, I felt a moment of dizzying confusion. I wasn’t barely clinging to life, hooked up to machines in the ICU anymore. My body felt light, a sensation I hadn’t experienced in years. I… had actually been reborn? Despite the disbelief, my body trembled with excitement. The doctor thought I was too upset and told me to calm down. Using that as an excuse, I rushed out and crouched by the wall. “I told you you were making a fuss. My mom was raising the kid just fine, but you insisted he was sick. Now look, you’re happy that he’s diagnosed with dwarfism, aren’t you? You believe everything the doctor says, even if it’s just nonsense. They’re only after your money.” “Yeah, Dad, Grandma said I’d be a late bloomer, just like Mom. I’m so smart, I’ll definitely get into college and be successful. You just can’t stand us being comfortable, always messing things up.” Even though I’d heard it once before, facing such doubt and mockery from my own flesh and blood still sent a sharp ache through my chest. I had tirelessly raised him until he was three. My mother-in-law only started helping out when he began preschool, under the guise of lending a hand. She brainwashed him daily, telling him I didn’t love him, and now she was openly accusing me of messing things up right in front of him. In my previous life, he inherited my mother-in-law’s side of the family’s dwarfism. I quit my job and poured all my time into him. I traveled the world to find him treatment. Each shot cost $200, given weekly, for years on end. My wife thought I was wasting money and simply washed her hands of it. I gritted my teeth and persevered through everything alone. I also exercised with him every day, and eventually, he was indistinguishable from his peers In fact, his consistent training gave him exceptional physical fitness, and he was chosen by a coach. After two years of training, he became the youngest long-distance running champion at the Junior World Championship. Yet, despite all that, he hated me. He believed I had tormented him all those years, preventing him from seeing his mother and grandmother, and robbing him of a happy childhood. The most agonizing part was that in my previous life, he already knew about my wife’s affair but helped her conceal it. I only found out when I was diagnosed with terminal cancer and wanted to see him one last time. Instead, I saw him excitedly stuffing his championship trophy and prize money into that lowlife’s hands. They… they had already been a cozy, harmonious “family” for a long time. And I, the one he accused of being a lunatic and a control freak, was subjected to overwhelming online abuse even in my final, dying days. Remembering the pain and despair of my deathbed in the previous life, I absolutely refused to be a foolish martyr this time. Since he also thought I was “messing things up,” then I’d just completely pull away and let things fall apart. Let’s see. Without me. Could he still become a world champion?
“Since you both feel that way, then let’s just go home.” Both mother and son looked surprised at my words. Usually, anything involving the child meant a huge argument. My sudden compliance made my wife think I was in the wrong, and she immediately started lecturing me. “I told you you were making a fuss. Go home and apologize to my mom. She helps with the kid every day and still has to put up with your attitude.” My wife’s words made me sneer. My attitude? For years, I juggled work and childcare. Who do you think handled all the big and small matters in this house? For the four years our son was with my mother-in-law, she extracted countless sums of money from me under various pretexts. Then she’d turn around and tell my wife I wasn’t committed to the family. Now, even my own son has been brainwashed to resent me, and she’s still claiming she has to “put up with my attitude”? She always felt that her marrying me was some great favor. She spent my money, enjoyed the life I provided for her. And she’d constantly play the victim to sow discord between us. I endured it all for the sake of family harmony and my son. But then she let my son develop dwarfism, and my wife still blamed me, saying I was “making a fuss.” Sure enough, back home, my mother-in-law started arguing with me again. “I told you you’re just rich and bored, can’t stand to see others doing well.” “The kid was fine, but you just *had* to take him to the doctor. If our neighbors hear our kid has dwarfism, they’ll laugh us to scorn.” After that, she started crying, wiping her tears, saying if I disliked her, she’d pack her bags and go back to her hometown to grow vegetables, so she wouldn’t bother our family of three. Leo watched his grandma about to leave, and I remained unmoved. He looked at me with a fierce, hateful gaze. “Dad is a control freak, selfish and cold-blooded. That’s why he was abandoned at an orphanage! I don’t want you as my dad. Mr. Jason downstairs is funny and makes great food. I want *him* to be my dad!” Those simple words hit me with unbelievable pain. Sure enough, only the closest people know how to twist the knife most painfully. He knew my orphanage past was my greatest wound, and now he was using it to tear me open. Thinking about everything he did to me in the previous life… Indeed, what kind of seed, what kind of fruit. Nature is unchangeable. I sacrificed my career, all my youth, for his healthy growth, only to be told I was worse than a home-wrecker. Seeing my wife’s deeply approving expression. So, without my knowing, that Jason had already infiltrated my home.
Jason had moved into the first-floor apartment in my building a few months ago. He was divorced with a daughter, tall, handsome, humorous, and a great cook – very popular. Within the first week of arriving, he’d added every well-off married woman in the neighborhood on SnapChat. He called it “exchanging parenting tips,” but his true motives were unknown. In my past life, I was entirely focused on my son’s medical treatment and his studies. I had no time to notice my wife’s odd behavior or Jason’s countless boundary-testing moves. “Alright, if you like him that much, then let him be your dad.” No sooner had the words left my lips than the doorbell rang. My wife, being closest, opened the door directly. Jason stood there, holding a box full of cream cakes and a plate of cola chicken wings. “Yesterday, I heard Leo say he wanted cake and cola chicken wings. I had ingredients at home, so I made some.” As Jason spoke, he naturally handed the items to my wife, then took off his shoes and put on slippers. He walked into the kitchen, took out plates, and started portioning the food. His movements were so skilled and natural, like the man of the house. Because of his arrival, not only my son Leo, but even my wife and mother-in-law, were utterly smitten. They immediately put on beaming smiles and squeezed into the kitchen to help. In my previous life, during the holidays, I’d wake up at five in the morning to prepare nutritious meals for my son. In the evenings, I’d massage and stretch him, leaving me with aching back pain. They only thought I brought it upon myself. Leo wasn’t just reluctant; my wife would spread rumors that I was petty and annoying, always finding something to complain about if I did even a little work. But now, with someone else, why was everything so harmonious? “Oh, Dean, you’re here too. I was so busy packing the cake, I didn’t even see you. I’m so sorry. Don’t get the wrong idea, it’s just that Veronica helped me out a few times, and I felt so bad, so I just made some gifts in return.” Jason acted as if he’d just noticed me, standing there awkwardly and nervously. He even looked a bit wronged and fearful, as if I were bullying him. God knows, I hadn’t said or done anything. “Mr. Jason, don’t mind my dad. He just wants to cause trouble and make us all follow his rules. Come quickly and eat with us!” Leo, while devouring the sugar-laden cake and chicken wings, scolded me. My mother-in-law and wife echoed his words from the side. My son didn’t even consider that his dad had been running around all day and hadn’t had a drop to eat or drink. That huge cake – the four of them didn’t even think to offer me a piece. Finally, Jason was coaxed back into the kitchen to eat cake with them. The warm yellow light in the kitchen shone on their faces, making them look blissfully happy, as if they were a natural family. Well, they were just a perfect match made in hell.
Watching that disgusting display, I found an excuse to go on a business trip and left the house. I urgently needed a quiet environment to clear my head. In my last life, I quit my job to treat my son, giving up a promotion that was practically in my hands. This time, I’m getting back everything that belongs to me. And in my last life, because I was so consumed with my son’s issues, I overlooked my wife’s affair and her attempts to transfer assets. As a result, after the divorce, I didn’t get a single dime and still had to pay child support. Now I’m back. The tables had turned. Let’s see if I don’t mess you all up this time. “Hello, Mr. Hayes, I have something I’d like to consult you about…” “Hi, I’d like to install some home security cameras. Yes, I’ll set the date. I need them with audio recording. Price isn’t an issue.” I hung up the phone, relieved that I hadn’t missed anything. Then my phone started buzzing with notifications for card deductions. I looked closely: an amusement park, a fancy restaurant, a clothing store, and even a watch store – forty thousand dollars in total. This card was one I always kept at home as Leo’s education fund. Every year, no matter how hard or poor things got, I’d consistently deposit two thousand dollars into it. And now, the one hundred and forty thousand dollars in it had dropped by over forty thousand in just one day. I instinctively clicked into my wife’s Ins. She’d posted a picture of her holding our son at the amusement park. Though not fully in the frame, a tall, handsome figure was clearly visible beside her. He even reached out to help my wife adjust her hair. That mechanical watch on his wrist must have been the one they just bought, right? We got married eight years ago. As an orphan, I desperately longed for a family. Even though my wife’s family was poor and couldn’t offer much in the way of a dowry, I still gritted my teeth and saved up for a significant sum for her family. I didn’t just buy all the traditional wedding jewelry, I gave her eighteen thousand eight hundred dollars, and threw her a grand wedding. For that, I worked my ass off for two full years, even taking the riskiest assignments the company sent me to. My wife just took my efforts for granted. She never reciprocated anything. And now, she was generously spending money on another man. “Oh, Veronica, is that your husband next to you? It’s rare for your family to go out, so happy!” “That’s not him at all! He’d just spoil the fun. Won’t let us eat this, won’t let us play that. That’s just a friend.” In my wife’s Ins, our mutual friends were commenting. Everyone thought the man adjusting her hair was me. And seeing that “spoiling the fun,” I couldn’t help but sneer. For years, my wife had stomach ulcers and diabetes from drinking and socializing. If she didn’t control it, she’d get stomachaches and cramps, even risking kidney failure. My son, fed by my mother-in-law, had a weak spleen and stomach; he’d get indigestion if he ate anything wrong, leading to fever, vomiting, and needing IV drips. Every time, I was the one rushing him to the hospital. For their sake, I had to give up my own dietary preferences and join them in eating bland, healthy food. And now she called me “spoiling the fun.” In my previous life, I might have endured it to protect my son’s feelings, but now, I didn’t care. “Why are there transactions on Leo’s card? What did you spend over forty thousand dollars on?” I FaceTimed her directly. I could even see Jason feeding my wife a bubble tea beside her. He was about to smile and say something, then suddenly noticed me. He quickly explained that my wife’s hands were full, so he was just helping her with the bubble tea, telling me not to overthink it. The sleazy vibe was practically seeping through the screen. That careful look in his eyes even held a hint of provocation towards me, but neither she nor my son seemed to notice. “It’s just spending, what’s the big deal? Leo accidentally broke Jason’s heirloom watch, so we had to pay for a new one, right?” I remembered this dialogue from my previous life. When I saw the card activity back then, I specifically asked, and she gave the same excuse. But it wasn’t until later that I found out Jason’s original watch cost him only fifty bucks. They had just made up the lie to appease me and to suck up to him. Then my wife went on about how pitiful Jason and his daughter were. After his divorce, he was left with nothing, and they were struggling. His little girl had never been to an amusement park, never eaten good food, and dressed in ordinary clothes. “So… you were just overflowing with sympathy? You spent the money I painstakingly saved for Leo on another man?” My questioning made my wife choke. As a pharmaceutical rep, she earned over ten thousand a month, which sounded decent, but she had so many social engagements. After all the networking, she not only didn’t bring money home, but I often had to cover her expenses. For years, she drove a twenty or thirty thousand dollar car, living a carefree life. She was out early and back late every day, socializing and charming clients. She never fulfilled any motherly duties, but she sure was quick to spend money. “Dad, why are you so selfish? Mr. Jason is so pitiful, of course we should help him when we have money. And that money was yours to save for me, so I have the right to decide how to spend it. If you keep being unreasonable, I won’t recognize you as my dad anymore.” This line had been used to manipulate me countless times in my previous life. Every time he wanted something I wouldn’t give him, he’d say that, and I’d soften and compromise. Because he was the only blood relative I had in the world; I cherished that connection. But thinking about his hatred for me in the previous life, it seemed he had never shown any warmth to me, his father, since he was a child. So this time, why couldn’t I cut my losses? My father-son bond with him, it was time to break it completely. “Okay, then I don’t want you either. From now on, you can live well with your mom and grandma. If you need anything, find them. I’m going away for a month on business.” With that, I hung up the phone. I immediately went to the bank, transferred all the money out of that card, and closed the account. Looking at the remaining cash, I thought, why shouldn’t I spend it on myself? Not a cent of my money would go to those scumbags. I switched off my personal phone, making sure they couldn’t reach me. First, I dropped two thousand dollars at a detective agency to thoroughly investigate Jason. Know your enemy, win a hundred battles. Then, with the rest of the money, I went to a phone store and bought the latest model. Next, I went to a clothing store and bought all the suits I’d admired for so long but never dared to buy. I even went to a foot massage parlor for the first time – turns out foot massages are incredibly relaxing. I got a two-thousand-dollar hairstyle design. Finally, I went to an all-you-can-eat seafood buffet I’d dreamed of my whole life, priced at $299. In a single day, I bought everything I’d ever wanted but never bought in my previous life. Lying on a five-star hotel bed, looking at the day’s spoils, I checked the cash I had left. Even with such extravagant spending, it was only about ninety thousand dollars. In my previous life, to pay for Leo’s growth hormone and meet his daily needs, I scrimped and saved, not spending a single cent on myself. Thinking about it now, it was laughable. It was time I started loving myself. The next day, I arrived at the company looking refreshed, and went straight to the General Manager’s office. The risk control department I worked in was personally built up by the GM. I was one of the first employees, and I’d always been hardworking and reliable, with excellent judgment—almost none of my chosen investments had ever lost money. He trusted me completely. I pulled out the agreement I’d printed. For the upcoming projects I’d take on, if successful, I’d get 5% of the profit. If not, I’d lose everything and even go to jail to compensate. The GM thought I was crazy, but the newfound confidence and wild determination in my eyes convinced him. “GM, let’s go crazy and make a huge fortune!” “Dean, Leo’s in the hospital with indigestion. You need to come back and take care of him. Mom isn’t feeling well and can’t handle the strain.”
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