Chapter 4

I sincerely hoped Zack would stay with Yvonne.

However, after school, Zack cornered me.

He rode his bike in front of me and whistled crudely: "Olivia, looking pretty today. Where are you off to all dressed up?"

I stepped back, feeling disgusted.

I knew Zack's true nature all too well.

He was a complete scumbag through and through.

In the world of scumbags, the one they couldn't have was always the most enticing.

In my past life, that person was my sister.

Now it had become me.

Gritting my teeth, I tried to dodge around him: "I'm going to work. Get out of my way."

I'd recently started a part-time job as a cashier at a supermarket, wanting to save up some capital for myself.

The boss was very kind. Seeing me in an ill-fitting school uniform with pants that were too short, he even gave me some of his daughter's clothes to wear.

The light blue cardigan and white skirt made me look much prettier than usual.

But now it had attracted Zack's attention.

He leered at me, moving closer.

"Work? I've got a job for you right here. Want to try it?"

As he spoke, he tried to press his body against mine.

Fighting back nausea, I silently reached into my bag, gripping the scissors I kept for self-defense.

But before I could pull out the scissors, a figure rushed out from the side.

She shoved me away hard, planting herself protectively in front of Zack: "Olivia Quinn, what are you doing rubbing up on Zack?"

Her voice was loud as she pointed her finger in my face: "You're trying to seduce your own sister's fiancé. Have you no shame?"

Zack stood off to the side, rubbing his nose and playing along: "I was just riding by and happened to run into Olivia. She wouldn't let me leave."

Hearing this, Yvonne became even more enraged.

"Olivia Quinn, you just won't give up, will you? Have you looked in a mirror? How could you possibly be good enough for Zack?

"I'm marrying Zack in this life no matter what. If you dare try to seduce him again, I swear I'll have Mom and Dad sell you off to the mountains!"

With that, Yvonne grabbed Zack's hand and stormed off.

But clearly, she was still uneasy.

That night when I got home, I found my room had been ransacked.

The metal box where I kept my savings had been found and was lying open in the middle of the room.

Inside had been the wages I'd saved from my supermarket job. Now the box was empty, and Yvonne was holding the cash in her hand.

Yvonne looked at me smugly, waving the bills in one hand while pointing at my nose with the other, her long nails nearly scratching my face.

"So this is Olivia Quinn's secret stash.

"She's always out and about these days, turns out she's been sleeping with the supermarket boss for money.

"I saw the boss give her cash with my own eyes, and even buy her new clothes."

Yvonne gestured at the cardigan and skirt I was wearing, her lip curled in disgust.

"Tsk tsk, now everyone probably knows our family has produced a homewrecker."

Before I could say anything, my father rushed over, his face dark with anger, and slapped me hard across the face.

My mother cried nearby, complaining: "The fortune teller said this girl would bring bad luck from the start. I took so many abortion pills but just couldn't get rid of her. Now look, she's completely ruined our family's reputation..."

My parents were always like this.

They unconditionally favored my sister.

Yvonne could do no wrong in their eyes.

Meanwhile, I had been labeled an ill-fated child by a master even as a fetus. Not long after I was born, my father's business went bankrupt.

So everything I did was wrong in their eyes.

Now, my father confiscated all the money I had saved and started whipping me with his belt.

Yvonne's lips curved in a triumphant smile, but her voice took on a tearful tone as she stood to the side, fanning the flames.

"Olivia, don't blame Dad for hitting you so hard.

"If he doesn't teach you a harsh lesson, you'll never learn.

"Girls need to value themselves. Please don't ever try to earn that kind of dirty money again."

Finally, I passed out from the intense pain.

When I woke up, I was lying in the yard. My parents had taken Yvonne out shopping.

Yvonne was getting engaged soon, so they wanted to buy her a nice dress.

Meanwhile, I had lost all my savings and didn't even have medicine for my injuries.

I struggled to my feet and stumbled out of the yard.

The neighboring yard belonged to my cousin. Only my cousin's wife Wendy was outside doing laundry.

She was startled to see me so weak I could barely speak.

"Olivia? My goodness, what happened to you?"

Wendy dropped the clothes and came over to help me up, her hand coming away bloody.

"Wait here, I'll get you some medicine."

I lay on the empty ground in the yard, looking up at the sky.

The moon was bright, but there were always dark corners of the world it couldn't reach.

Wendy was applying medicine to my wounds.

"How could your parents be so cruel? No matter what, you're still their own daughter..." Wendy wiped away tears.

She was a kindhearted person with a difficult life. Barely literate, she had to quit school in third grade to help with housework and care for her younger brother.

Later, her father sold her to my cousin to raise money for her brother's bride price.

Now she was tenderly treating my wounds, while I touched her arm, also covered in scars.

My cousin often beat her.

In my past life, Wendy had died before she even turned 30.

After a long silence, I suddenly spoke up: "Wendy, do you have any savings of your own?"

Wendy hesitated for a moment.

"Don't worry, I won't tell my cousin."

She relaxed a bit: "I have 2,000 yuan. Why?

"Is it because you need money for school and your family won't give it to you?

"If so, you can have it. Education is important, girls should go to school."

My nose stung as I forced back tears.

At life's most bitter moments, the unfortunate try their best to offer each other a bit of sweetness.

I said softly: "That's not it, Wendy. I don't need you to support me - I want to help you make money.

"I can turn your 2,000 yuan into 20,000, even 200,000..."

Wendy burst out laughing.

She clearly didn't believe me, and humored me like a child: "Alright, you just take this 2,000 for school. When you graduate college you can pay me back. We're family, I'm not going to charge you interest or anything."

I said nothing, gazing at the endless night sky.

In my past life, I had made my fortune too late. By the time I returned home, Wendy had already died of depression.

This life, I was determined to help her.

And in doing so, help myself.

Sister, you're too foolish.

Given the chance to travel back in time, all you can think about is snatching a man.

Meanwhile, my mind is filled with stock ticker symbols.

Do you even realize what kind of golden opportunity you've given me?

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