Chapter 3

Just like before, the Weston family hugged me and cried when we first met.

Emma said the same words:

"I'm sorry, Serena. All these years I've been taking your place. Now that you're back, I should return everything to you."

But this time, I didn't respond. I just looked at her silently.

Her eyes reddened as if I'd wronged her, and she kept apologizing.

The family started to look at me with some resentment.

But I just shook my head pitifully, pointed to my mouth, then my throat.

Red, swollen, and raw.

Their expressions changed immediately, and they called for the family doctor.

After examining me, the doctor said it was a burn—with medication and time, it would heal.

Mom finally relaxed.

But the doctor sighed:

"Miss Serena has many wounds, both old and new. She must have had a very hard life these past years."

Mom started dabbing at her tears with a handkerchief, her voice trembling with guilt and heartache:

"Serena, you've suffered so much. From now on, Mommy won't let anyone hurt you again."

Dad stood beside her, his gaze falling on the crisscrossed scars on my body. He let out a heavy sigh:

"No one will ever bully a Weston again!"

Derek's jaw tightened, a flicker of sympathy in his eyes.

Emma was caught completely off guard by this turn of events.

No one was paying attention to her anymore. She stood frozen in place like an actress who'd had her spotlight stolen.

Then I saw Grandma sitting in her wheelchair, and my nose stung with emotion. I rushed to her side.

In my past life, trying to figure out what had really happened, my spirit followed Emma after I died.

That's when I learned—she never had any allergy to lies at all.

She could hear people's thoughts.

Whenever she sensed someone's words didn't match their thoughts, she'd fake an allergic reaction to gain the family's protection.

The most terrifying part was what I heard her say:

Years ago, Grandma had gotten information about me and was overjoyed, planning to bring me home.

But Emma heard her thoughts. To protect her own position, she'd sicced a large dog on Grandma, causing her to have a stroke from the shock and become vegetative.

And all these years, Grandma's condition never improved because Emma had bribed the servants long ago.

The medicine Grandma drank every night wasn't healing her—it was poison!

All these years, Grandma had watched everything Emma did, unable to do anything, only able to wait helplessly for death.

I pressed my face against Grandma's hand, tears flowing uncontrollably.

Grandma had truly loved me, but in my past life, I couldn't save her. Worse, I was blamed when Emma's bribed servant staged her fall down the stairs, letting her die with her name uncleared!

This time, I would save Grandma no matter what!

Though Grandma couldn't move, her eyes glistened with moisture.

Beside us, Derek looked moved and turned his face away.

Mom and Dad exchanged glances, their eyes filled with comfort.

Only Emma stood in the distance, as if she'd been cast out.

The first battle—I won!

That night, Emma crept into my room with a sinister look:

"Don't celebrate too early. In one month, it's my eighteenth birthday. Dad promised long ago to give me his shares as a coming-of-age gift. The Weston empire will be mine eventually."

One month, huh?

I laughed softly.

I would make sure your eighteenth birthday was one you'd never forget.