My brother-in-law violated me, and my whole family forced me to keep silent. He grew bolder, and when I fought back, he beat me to death. Jade stuffed me into a bag, Mom cleaned up the blood. Dad saw my hand twitch. He grabbed an ashtray and slammed it down on my head with brutal force. When I opened my eyes again, I was at Jade’s wedding, posing for family photos. “Little lady on the left, smile a bit more, don’t be so stiff.” The last bit of air was sucked from my lungs. My mouth fell open, and I screamed silently, lying in the damp earth. Around me, there was endless darkness. In the final moment before losing consciousness, a flash of light appeared. I didn’t blink, just stared straight ahead. The silent world suddenly burst into noise. The smell of rich food and alcohol, polite laughter, crying children, and Jade’s disgusted voice. “Daisy, haven’t you ever had your picture taken? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.” She sneered, muttering under her breath, “Honestly, one bad apple spoils the whole bunch.” I looked at Jade, Preston, Dad, Mom. They were all dressed in festive clothes, and on the big screen, pictures of Jade and Preston’s loving moments played. “I’m sorry, Jade. Should we take another one?” I lowered my head, a slight smile playing on my lips. Yes, I was the vengeful spirit back to haunt them. “Forget it. You’ve always been trouble since you were little.” “Jade, how can you talk about your sister like that? I think she looks just fine! Especially my Jade, you look like a total siren.” “Oh, you think I look like a siren? Wait till tonight, I’ll show you.” “I wish it was our wedding night right now,” Preston said, his gaze fixed on me. Jade blushed and hurried off to greet guests. I felt awkward and started to leave, but he grabbed my arm. “Aren’t you going to thank me?” I forced a smile, timidly saying, “Thank you, Preston.” He patted my head, sighing dramatically, “Still just a kid, huh? What did you hear just now?” “Wh-what? I didn’t hear anything.” Preston smiled, a closed-mouth smile, his thin eye corners stretching outwards, his lips curving upwards in an almost unnaturally deliberate arc. He was thirty-eight, twelve years older than my sister. In my last life, I was completely fooled by that face. I was so happy for Jade that she married this man. Preston was the golden ticket, and we were just clinging to his coattails. Thanks to his generosity, our family’s life had dramatically improved. Preston was our family’s benefactor. I still thought that, right up until the second he started pouring drinks for me. First, he used the excuse that their house was close to my school, suggesting I move in with them. Jade, to maintain her gentle and filial image, even let Mom and Dad move in too. He asked which university I wanted to attend. I said a prestigious one. He looked displeased. “Then we won’t see each other often! Daisy’s growing up, meeting more people. What if she starts disliking her brother-in-law?” I didn’t quite understand back then. Right before my college entrance exams, he brought milk into my room, locking the door behind him. I was forced to drink, then pinned down and violated on the bed. The world spun. Everything receded, then stopped. The first thing I did when I woke up was crawl out to tell Mom and Dad that Preston had assaulted me. They looked surprised for a moment, then shifted uncomfortably. “Why do you smell so strongly of alcohol?” “You little brat, getting into trouble and drinking! And talking nonsense!” Preston knelt before Jade, crying, claiming I had seduced him, and he just couldn’t resist. I screamed that it wasn’t true, lunging at him, wanting to take him down with me. I was slapped. Jade, Dad, and Mom looked at me with alarm. They firmly declared that I had seduced Preston. Because they hadn’t heard any struggles. After that incident, Preston grew even more brazen. Every night, he’d barge into my room like a demon. During the exams, I picked up the paper, but I couldn’t make out a single word. My mind was filled with those filthy images. I submitted a blank test. Walking out of the exam hall, I felt my life was ruined. The boy I liked, Liam, confessed to me, but I didn’t have the courage to look him in the eye. I felt abandoned by the whole world. Preston smirked triumphantly, “Perfect. You’ll be my little bird in a gilded cage.” I slapped him, then used all my strength to bite off his ear. He beat me half to death. Blood gushed from my head as I lay on the floor, my eyes wide and staring. When I died, Jade breathed a sigh of relief. As she put me into a transparent bag, there was a smile in her eyes. Mom wiped away the blood, grumbling about how much there was, only showing annoyance. It had been a long time since she’d done any housework. Dad dug a huge hole in the garden and threw me in. My vision was swimming in red, and my hand feebly twitched. Dad, I was still alive! He saw it. He must have seen it. He pulled the bag closed with a blank expression, kicked me into the hole, and quickly began to bury me. The family I once believed in were all devils who had killed me. Reborn into this life, I swear you’ll pay back double.
Preston slipped me an envelope of money. “Girls need to doll themselves up, buy pretty clothes.” I glanced at my faded, washed-out clothes. He’d already tucked the envelope into my pocket. His hand lingered on my shoulder, slid down my back to my waist, then naturally pulled away. It was his habitual touch. I looked up. He was staring at me, his gaze crude and open. Before I could dwell on it, Mom pulled me away to join the bride for dinner. She held Jade’s hand and mine, praising Jade and belittling me. “Your sister is the one supporting this family. You need to be filial to her in the future.” Jade was beautiful and charming, a real smooth talker, always knowing how to please Mom and Dad. After she started dating a rich guy, she wore gold and silver, constantly buying things for Mom and Dad, making them love her even more. Jade paid for my tuition. Everything about me, she meticulously noted down. “Daisy, you’ll have to pay me back when you grow up, okay?” Everything we ate and used came from Jade’s money. Where did Jade’s money come from? I tore off a chicken leg and bit into it hungrily. Dad, completely drunk, slurred, “Look how successful your sister is! You can’t do worse than her, hear me?” He rapped me on the head. “I hate it when people hit my head.” I stared straight at him, momentarily forgetting to breathe. “Still talking back.” He hit me harder. It was time to go back to school. I’d specifically taken the day off to come for the wedding. Mom stopped me outside. I shrewdly handed her the envelope of money. “You’re not allowed to take money from your brother-in-law in the future, understand? It makes our family look bad.” I nodded. The envelope had a thousand in it, but I’d already taken eight hundred. “Where are you going?” “To school. The exams are coming up soon.” Mom just mumbled “Oh.” The family used to care deeply about my studies, but now they took a hands-off approach. Their focus had shifted to Jade. Or, to be precise, to Preston. There were 73 days left until the exams. I touched the thick stack of test papers, my heart burning. Ms. Albright, our homeroom teacher, with her neat short hair, lectured passionately from the podium. Liam, my crush, was hunched over, taking notes, his bangs almost covering his eyes. I really wanted to brush them back. He looked up, and I quickly averted my gaze, my face burning involuntarily. My heart beat strongly, a feeling like I’d escaped death. But I knew the real danger hadn’t arrived yet.
A few scruffy guys with bleached hair often stood by the school gate, smoking and checking out the passing girls. As I walked past, one of them whistled. I stopped and glared at them. They actually looked away. “Damn it, what are you staring at? Never seen handsome guys before?” I crunched on a candy, my mouth as sweet as honey. “Hey, guys, could you do me a favor?” In a few days, a heavy evening rain would fall, and Preston would “accidentally” drive by and offer me a ride home. Using that opportunity to make me stay at their house. I wouldn’t disrupt the timeline. The unknown butterfly effect was too scary. My goal was to take control. That day arrived quickly. I stood at the school gate, remembering how I’d waited five minutes in the last life. The rain grew heavier, and I, worried about missing the last bus, had flown out, clutching my backpack. My clothes were quickly soaked. Preston poked his head out of his car window. “Daisy, your brother-in-law is here to pick you up. Hurry, get in.” I pretended to be grateful and started to run towards him, but one of the thugs grabbed me. He ripped my clothes, slapped my face. “Help! Mmph…” The thug stared, dumbfounded. “Sis, you’re a savage.” “Say some curse words, will you? And give a sinister laugh,” I whispered, coaching him. Preston approached with a stick. Seeing only one thug, he relaxed a bit. “Get lost, before I call the cops.” I coughed a few times, and the other thugs emerged from the shadows. I leaned close to the thug, whispering, “Beat that man senseless.” A kick landed in my stomach. I collapsed onto the ground, my eyes fixed on Preston. “Preston, save me!” He stood at the intersection, hesitant to move. I broke free from the thugs, lunged at Preston, pinning him tightly. Then I signaled the thugs with my eyes. The beating lasted about ten minutes. The two guys on lookout at the alley entrance barked like dogs – someone was coming. The thugs fled, and I clutched my ripped clothes. “Preston, please don’t tell the family the truth. Just say I fell. I don’t want them to worry. “All I want right now is to study hard.” Preston looked outwardly unharmed, but I’d specifically told them to aim for the fleshy parts. I got into the car. Preston suddenly glanced at me. “Daisy, how did you get mixed up with them?” I shook my head, crying into my clothes the whole way. But halfway there, my legs started trembling uncontrollably. This wasn’t the route home. “Preston, where are we going?” “Central Road is jammed. I took a detour.” “Oh. …Preston, thank you for tonight.” Preston gave me another look and pulled over. Outside, it was pitch black, only the car’s headlights cut through the darkness. It was a deserted village. “Daisy.” “Hmm.” I closed my eyes, feigning a yawn. The silence was deathly. In the dim light, I knew Preston’s eyes were glued to me. I dared not look at him. My teeth bit hard into my lip. The windows were tightly closed, the air thick with a sickening smell. Preston lit a cigarette, took a few drags, then suddenly leaned closer to me. His pale face was expressionless. “Did you… did you also get reborn?” “Preston, what are you talking about?” I frowned. “Reborn?” “Did you get reborn, Preston? Then why didn’t you remind me to bring an umbrella today?” I pouted, feigning annoyance. Preston’s eyes shifted, the flesh on his face relaxing. “Just kidding.” He pulled a bottle of soda from somewhere. “Thirsty?” I took a sip. He watched me, pondering something. I couldn’t let him suspect me, so I took another big gulp. The car suddenly lurched. I seized the opportunity and spat out the drink. The car window was hammered loudly. “Hey, buddy, you picked a real spot to park your car.” It was a taxi driver. Preston got out, wanting to let it go, but the driver wouldn’t. “What if you go back on your word later and try to extort me?” I looked back. There was someone in the taxi. I got out, wanting to get a closer look, but no one was there. The driver sat by the side, smoking, giving us a meaningful look. “Some people, hmph. “Little girl, stay away from guys like him.” Preston pointed at him. “What do you mean?” “You’re so scared of calling the cops. Got other crimes on your conscience, do you?” “Spreading rumors is illegal!” I ran over and handed the driver a bottle of water. Preston’s car had two compartments. I took a bottle from the left one. Just as the driver was about to drink, Preston snatched it back. The water was indeed tainted. If it hadn’t been for that car accident… I shot the driver a grateful look. I said apologetically, “Preston, I still have homework to do, and I have early morning class tomorrow.” Preston, back to his “good brother-in-law” facade, called a taxi. The April air already held a hint of warmth, but as it brushed against me, I hugged myself, shivering. I replayed Preston’s actions and glances in my mind. I was certain. Preston had also been reborn. But rebirth was always predicated on death. How had Preston died? I stayed in the room on the far right of the second floor, right next to Jade and Preston’s bedroom. The walls were an elegant white, and in the center hung a happy family portrait.
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