Last life, my best friend gave me a longevity lock, a beautiful gold charm. Little did I know, once I put it on, it couldn’t be taken off. And then, I had a fever for seven straight days. When I finally recovered, bad luck haunted my every step. That’s when I found out: my life of fortune had been swapped with her husband’s fate of an early death. From then on, they lived a blissful life where money seemed to roll in effortlessly, while I was left broke, struggling, and unlucky in everything. I barely lived to thirty before I was hit by a car and died in an accident. As I lay dying, my older brother, Tyler, who suffered from XYY syndrome, let out a heart-wrenching cry and tried to shield me. But it was no use. We both died that day. Reborn, I opened my eyes to find myself back at the moment she was about to give me that longevity lock. A cold smile touched my lips. If she wanted my prosperous life so badly, then I’d give her a husband with XYY syndrome. “Happy birthday to you, happy birthday to you!” The dorm door burst open with a bang, and my best friend, Brittany Hayes, walked in, holding a cake with lit candles. That’s when my other roommates, Chloe and Ashley, realized it was my birthday. “Oh my God, Brittany, you’re so thoughtful!” Chloe exclaimed. “Cassidy, I’m so jealous you have a best friend like her,” Ashley added. … Brittany suppressed a smug grin, pretending to be bashful. “Oh, it’s nothing, isn’t it just what best friends do for Cassidy?” She handed me a gift box and told me to open it to see if I liked it. Inside was a golden longevity lock. Everyone gasped in awe. “Wow, that must’ve cost a fortune!” In my last life, I was first thrilled that Brittany remembered my birthday, and then utterly moved by such an expensive gift. But I had no clue that this lock was a cursed charm! Once it was on, it would swap my life with her boyfriend’s! Back then, I suffered from a high fever for a whole week, with no warning, no reason. Doctors were stumped. But once I got better, my luck turned sour. I became impoverished, couldn’t even afford food. Meanwhile, her boyfriend started living the good life, with money literally falling into his laps, winning the lottery left and right. I only lived ten more years after that before a car crash ended my life. When I died, a fortune teller who had once read my future happened to pass by. He said my life was destined for immense prosperity and boundless wealth. How could it have ended so miserably? It was then I realized: my fate, from the moment she placed that lock on me when I was twenty, had been swapped! Now, in front of me, Brittany’s eyes flickered with a ruthless smile, but she gently took out the lock. “Cassidy, let me help you put it on.” “I picked this gift out for so long; it’ll definitely suit you.” My heart seized. This lock had been custom-made. If I put it on, I wouldn’t be able to take it off for the rest of my life!
I quickly stepped back, dodging her. She paused, then her face crumbled into a look of hurt. “Don’t you like my gift?” “But I saved up my allowance for half a year, penny by penny.” “Never mind. I guess I’m just not someone people like, and my gifts are trash, always getting rejected.” Hearing this, my roommates immediately felt sorry for her and started scolding me. “Cassidy, this is her heartfelt gesture! How cold-blooded are you to ignore her feelings?!” Chloe cried. “I totally misjudged you! Fine, then we won’t give you presents either.” Ashley chimed in. … I could only say that I appreciated her intention and accepted the gift, but I already had a necklace on. Brittany’s eyes welled up. “Mine is more expensive than yours. Doesn’t it deserve to be around your neck?” Just then, my brother Tyler’s gruff voice boomed from downstairs. “Sis! C-come down!” I suddenly remembered that my family had planned to take me out for a dinner party tonight to celebrate my twenty-second birthday. I used it as an excuse to slip away downstairs. But Brittany followed, grabbing my arm. “Cassidy, just try it on! You’ll definitely love it!” Even though I’d already accepted it, she wouldn’t give up until she’d put it around my neck. Tyler’s eyes widened, and he abruptly shoved Brittany away. “She said she doesn’t want to wear it! Stop bothering her!” Brittany was startled, standing rooted to the spot. I quickly made an excuse that we had to go and pulled my brother away. But I never expected that same night, she’d post my brother on the campus gossip page. The accompanying picture, taken by a passerby, showed her face full of panic when my brother pushed her away. “I was just kindly giving a gift, but her brother yelled at me. Was I really in the wrong?” Below, several comments were clearly instigating trouble. “That guy has XYY Syndrome; there’s something wrong with his head. That girl is sweet and kind; her best friend should stay away from her.” “Isn’t that the Miller guy… honestly, every time I see her brother, he looks terrifying.” “Why are XYY people even alive? They should just be snuffed out!” … The post’s popularity soared, clearly boosted by paid promotion. Hundreds of comments piled up instantly, all attacking me and my brother. I clicked on a few and realized they were Brittany’s alt accounts. And the third comment, the one advocating for strangling XYY people, was from Brittany’s boyfriend, Jason. I trembled with rage. During my mother’s prenatal check-ups, nothing had shown up. It was too late when Tyler was born with XYY Syndrome. Even with all the challenges of his condition, our family had never given up on him. But now, manipulated by Brittany and her boyfriend, he was subjected to this kind of online abuse. I looked at that life-swapping longevity lock and a thought, sudden and chilling, began to form.
But I didn’t know if this thought was right or wrong. Did I really have the right to decide someone else’s life? My brother Tyler sat on the sofa, eyes vacant, drooling. His eyes were wide-set, his pupils small, making him look somewhat unsettling at first glance. For so many years, our family hardly dared to let him out alone. If we could, we would have kept him on a leash. Mom had even quit her job to be by his side constantly. I suddenly hesitated, murmuring, “Is this really the right thing to do?” “If I give Jason Reed’s life to you, you’ll become normal, but you’re also destined not to live past 35…” “But if things stay as they are, when you get older…” In my last life, my brother remained XYY syndrome-affected and intellectually disabled his entire life. He was cursed at every time he went out. Later, he would tremble when he met strangers and would lock himself in his room, hurting himself when he was upset. Jason Reed’s fate, though not bringing wealth, was destined for a peaceful life. Now facing such a choice, I was at a loss. Suddenly, Tyler stammered, “G-good, Sis…” I froze, realizing he was actually responding to me. Tears streamed down my face in an instant. My brother, trapped in that body, must have been suffering even more than I imagined. And so, I solemnly placed that longevity lock on him. As graduation approached, Brittany and Jason had secretly gotten their marriage license because Brittany didn’t want to spend money on a wedding reception. Two years ago, when Brittany and I went to a temple to pray, we coincidentally met a fortune teller. After analyzing our birth details, he marvelled at my fate, saying I was destined for wealth, and after graduation, I would enjoy thirty years of immense fortune. Money, both legitimate and windfalls, would pour in; I’d be swimming in cash without lifting a finger. At the time, Brittany didn’t believe him, but over the next two years, everything the fortune teller predicted for me came true. So, she must have coveted my fate for a long time. In my last life, she took my prosperity, enjoyed a lifetime of luxury, and caused my early death. This life, it was time for her to pay the price. I’d give her a husband with XYY syndrome, and we’d see if she could handle it! I went to a jewelry store and picked out an identical longevity lock to wear myself. That way, those people couldn’t say anything. Brittany happily took a photo with me and posted it on Ins, with a caption hinting at something else: “Bringing fortune home.” And Jason commented below: “Honey, wait till I get rich and take care of you (thumbs up).” She replied: “Okay, hubby (tongue out).” I was very much looking forward to seeing how they would get rich.
Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, I started experiencing the same symptoms as in my last life. A persistent high fever, a hoarse throat, and I was bedridden. How could this be!? I grew more worried each day. Because fate is a fickle thing. If my destiny truly included windfalls, then even if I tripped and fell outside, I’d somehow stumble over gold necklaces! But if I had still swapped lives with Jason this time, what was the point of my rebirth? My heart pounded with increasing panic, but I had no one to confide in. Brittany, once assured that I had the lock, quickly grew tired of me and moved out of the dorm, not even bothering to pretend anymore. She told everyone she met: “I had someone read my fortune, and Cassidy is going to be a magnet for bad luck, sick all the time. I’d advise you all to stay far away from her.” I gritted my teeth, propping up my ailing body, and found the same fortune teller who had read my fate in my last life. After hearing the whole story, the fortune teller said there must be something I hadn’t discovered and told me to go back and search thoroughly. I had no choice. I rummaged through everything she had ever given me, but found nothing. Just as I was despairing, I shook out my pillowcase, and a small paper doll fluttered out. It was drawn to resemble Jason, and on its back, his birth details were written! The fortune teller said, “That’s it! Both the lock and the paper doll work together. And since you touched the lock, the effect was stronger on you. But luckily, you found it early.” A cold sweat broke out over me. That same day, I placed the paper doll under my brother’s pillow and instructed my parents to watch him as he slept. The next day, my fever gradually subsided. This time, I was eager to see how Brittany could enjoy a life of luxury as she did in my last life.
Soon, my brother developed a fever, which terrified my parents. They wanted to rush him to the hospital, but I managed to persuade them otherwise. I told them this fever would soon pass, and they would have a normal son. My parents hesitated, hardly daring to believe. After all, my brother had been intellectually disabled for over twenty years! To keep Brittany from suspecting anything, I continued to feign illness. I SnapChatted her: “Can you bring me lunch?” She didn’t even bother to pretend anymore. “Don’t you have hands? You think people are your mom?” “I thought we were best friends, but why are you treating me like this now that I’m sick?” “Best friends, my ass! I’ve been sick of you for ages! We’re done!” “What did I ever do to you?” The message went out, but it came back with a red exclamation mark. She had blocked me. I immediately screenshotted the chat and posted it on Ins. “My best friend won’t even bring me food when I’m sick and cut off our friendship. Is it wrong for me to feel heartbroken?” Instantly, my Ins comments section buzzed with discussions. “She’s actually like that behind the scenes? No wonder…” “This woman is such a drama queen, two-faced. Who would ever be friends with her?” … Besides that, I received many comforting messages from “little angels.” An hour later, a pounding knock echoed at the door. Brittany, her face full of impatience, opened the door and tossed the meal onto my desk. “There, happy now? You’re so much trouble.” “And I’m telling you, delete that Ins post right now, or I’ll rip your mouth off!” She threw it so hard that the soup and rice spilled across my desk, dripping onto the floor. I captured the scene with my phone and posted it on Ins again. “My best friend intentionally spilled my food on my desk and threatened to rip my mouth off if I kept talking. What should I do?” “Can this friendship even continue?” The comments below piled up, calling her a gangster and giving her the nickname “Mouth Ripper.” She became infamous overnight. Mention her name, and everyone would respond with sarcasm. My phone started ringing off the hook. It was Brittany, furious, spitting mad. She called to reach me. But I expressionlessly hung up and blocked her number. I secretly went to the hospital to check on her boyfriend, Jason, who was still recovering from his initial illness. Brittany was there, clutching her phone tightly. “She’s ruining my reputation!” “That b****! I hate her!” Jason comforted her. “It’s okay, baby. The master said the life swap is in progress. Just a few more days, and I’ll have her fortune. Then we’ll never be short on cash.” “I’ll buy you houses, cars, planes, yachts! Will you still be mad about such small things then?” Brittany was captivated by the pipe dream he was spinning, holding her breath. “Hubby, you have to promise me you’ll love me forever.” “Of course, I will.” A cold laugh echoed in my heart. Too bad their wishes were destined to fall flat. In this world, nothing truly comes for free. After all, every destined gift already has its price marked in the shadows. Soon, Jason was discharged from the hospital. The life swap was a success. They walked hand in hand, ecstatic.
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