My fiancé and my own brother hated me for ten years. They were convinced I’d bullied their precious little innocent. And at my engagement party, they exposed my supposed crimes to the world. “She’s a disgrace, a bully who tormented her classmates!” In the live-streamed video, the innocent girl smiled through tears: “I’ve forgiven her. Looking back, I’ve long since moved past it.” She became an overnight sensation. I, on the other hand, was vilified, attacked with acid by extreme fans, and in despair, I dragged her down with me. When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my senior year of high school. The innocent girl was pouring water over her head, smiling as she asked, “Have you thought about how you’re going to apologize to me?” I snapped. Grabbing her by the hair, I dragged her into the restroom and shoved her head into the toilet. “Let me show you what real bullying looks like.” “Such a filthy mouth. Remember to wash it clean before you go tattling.” 1 My last memory of my previous life. The agonizing, near-fatal pain of concentrated acid splashing into my eyes. Enduring immense agony, I found Daisy, shielded behind my brother, through my blurring vision. Then I grabbed a cake knife, charged, and plunged it into her chest. “Let’s go to hell together!” … My eyes snapped open again. The unusually clear sight before me left me stunned for a couple of seconds. Until I saw Daisy, much younger, not far away. She was wearing a faded school uniform, twisting open a faucet, and pouring water over her own head. As the water streamed down, she smiled and asked, “Who do you think they’ll believe, me or you?” It hit me then. This was the day. The beginning of my being branded a bully in my past life. Seeing me standing there, frozen, Daisy’s smile widened. “Have you thought about how you’re going to apologize to me, Miss Fancy Pants? —Ah!” Old grudges and fresh fury surged. I lunged, seized her by the hair, and dragged her into the restroom. Amidst her sudden, shrill shriek, I shoved her entire face into the toilet. “You think a little cold water is enough to pin this on me? Come on, I’ll personally teach you what real bullying means.” Daisy thrashed wildly, her arms flailing like windmills, but she couldn’t escape my grip. Her face buried in the murky water, she could only gurgle out muffled sounds. “Eleanor, let me go… gurgle… retch—” I threw my head back and laughed. “Such a filthy mouth! Remember to wash it clean before you go tattling later!” Whether this was a do-over or a post-mortem hallucation. It didn’t matter. I was completely, utterly insane. 2 In my past life, I died on the most triumphant day of my life. That day, I’d won my third Best Actress award, dressed in a haute couture gown, standing on a grand, live-streamed engagement stage with my childhood sweetheart, Evan. Then he announced to everyone, “I will never marry a despicable bully who tormented classmates in high school.” As I stared in disbelief. Daisy emerged from the audience. Her eyes glistening with tears, she looked up and smiled. “Eleanor, do you remember me? Daisy, the girl you bullied for ten years.” “You probably never imagined I’d stand here, equal to you, one day.” “But it’s alright, I don’t blame you anymore.” “Looking back, I’ve long since moved past it.” The live broadcast instantly made her a sensation. Before I could even react, a swarm of reporters, arranged by my brother and Evan, rushed in and surrounded me. “Miss Moreau, is it true you still maintain your habit of bullying newcomers on set?” “Someone photographed you visiting a gynecologist recently. Was it due to a dirty disease from your promiscuous private life?” An extremist fan burst through the crowd and hurled acid onto my face. “Bitch, just die!” The liquid splashed, bringing an overwhelming, searing pain to my face. My vision never cleared again. From heaven to hell, in an instant. 3 Snapping back to reality, I released my grip. Daisy lay on the ground, gasping for breath. Her innocent, pure face was streaked with grime. I couldn’t help but laugh out loud. “Cry, throw a fit, then go tell the whole world I bullied you with that face—go on!” My voice rose sharply at the end. Remembering the searing pain of my face being dissolved by acid in my past life, I stomped on her face twice more with all my might. Only then did I turn and leave. Downstairs, my classmate, Sarah, was waiting for me. “Gym class started ages ago, what were you doing upstairs?” I said nonchalantly, “Oh, just bullied the new kid a bit.” She turned, shocked. “What?!” I replied, “As Mark Twain said, when the whole world thinks you’re a bully, you might as well be one.” “Mark Twain… said that…?” “It’s not important.” As we walked towards the sports field, we ran straight into Evan. He wasn’t in my class. But everyone in school knew he was Eleanor Moreau’ childhood boyfriend. Evan’s gaze skimmed my face, then subtly, almost imperceptibly, landed behind me. “Ellie, why are you so late? By the way, I heard there’s a new transfer student in your class?” In my past life, every time Daisy slandered me. He would always tell me to apologize to her, to just move past it. He seemed to be on my side. But in reality, a few words from him solidified my guilt as a bully. At that thought, I unexpectedly raised my hand and slapped him. “?!” Sarah, beside me, was stunned again. Evan’s expression remained unchanged, though his eyes momentarily hardened. Then he acted as if nothing had happened. He leaned down intimately, rubbing his cheek against mine. “What’s wrong, Ellie? Are you in a bad mood?” 4 In my past life, I didn't know until much later. When Evan was a child, his mother abandoned him at an amusement park, and he spent some time in an orphanage. There, he met a cheerful, bright little girl. She slept in the same bed as him and gave him a piece of candy. She was the only light in his life. That light was Daisy. And on her very first day transferring to our school, Evan recognized her. He had always believed Daisy’s claims that I bullied her, hating me to the core. Yet, constrained by his status as an illegitimate child, he had to endure and curry favor with me. Because he needed to secure his position in the family through marriage to me. At this thought, I said, “Let’s break up.” His pupils suddenly constricted. “…Why? Give me a reason, Ellie.” I pulled out a tissue, wiping my cheek where he’d touched it, stroke by stroke. “I don’t want to date a mistress’s son. It feels dirty. Is that reason enough?” 5 After I left, Sarah cautiously asked if I was possessed. Her question didn’t surprise me in the least. Because in high school, I had loved Evan so openly and intensely. Every day after school, I’d wait to walk home with him, baking cookies until my hands were scratched and cut, then smiling sweetly as I brought them to him. My favoritism was so obvious, the whole world knew. But now, it was different. The Eleanor Moreau who had just started her senior year was dead. The person standing here now was Eleanor Moreau, reborn from the ashes! 6 Daisy didn’t reappear all day. I knew her face was her most prized asset. She wouldn’t make a move unless she could fully leverage it. I waited patiently. Soon, it was Saturday, my eighteenth birthday. My parents had said they’d host a grand dinner to celebrate my coming of age. But then something urgent came up at their company, and they had to arrive late. Under the glittering crystal chandeliers. I, dressed in a bespoke cocktail dress, descended the spiral staircase into the living room. From afar, I saw my brother, Victor Moreau. He was impeccably dressed in a suit, his face impassive, calling out to me. “Eleanor, come here.” I walked over. Pretending not to see Evan’s shadowed gaze behind him, nor Daisy, who looked on the verge of tears. I smiled sweetly. “What is it, brother? Did you prepare a gift for me?” Victor looked at me with cold eyes for a moment, then spoke. “Bullying classmates, insulting friends, Eleanor. Is this what the Moreau family taught you?” His voice hadn’t softened in the slightest. Suddenly, all the guests’ eyes in the room turned our way. “What are you talking about, brother? I don’t understand.” I looked at Daisy, tilting my head. “Who did I insult, and when did I bully a classmate? I don’t even know her.” “It’s too late to deny it now. You made a mistake, and you’ll pay the price.” “Since Mom and Dad aren’t here today, I’ll discipline you on their behalf.” With that, Victor took a ruler from a nearby display cabinet. Looking at me, he stated each word sternly. “Kneel.” 7 In the vast ballroom, countless eyes watched, eager for a show. “What? Bullying a classmate? The Moreau daughter does things like that?” “Oh, raised in luxury, it’s normal for her to resent others being better.” “Good thing her brother is fair and not protective.” Under Daisy’s smug and defiant gaze, I straightened my back. Smiling, I unleashed a torrent of sarcasm. “What rubbish are you spewing, brother? Anyone who knows you would think you’re Victor Moreau; anyone who doesn’t would think some ghost from the old days possessed you.” “I only kneel for my ancestors.” I cocked my head, scrutinizing him from head to toe, then smirked nastily. “How about this: you go jump off a building right now, and I’ll immediately kneel and bow three times to send you off.” Victor’s face instantly darkened. Behind him, Daisy feigned concern. “Eleanor, I know you don’t like me, but it’s one thing to pick on me, how can you speak to your own brother like that?” Her eyes widened, tears welling up, deliberately putting on a childish, innocent expression. Evan, seeing this, showed a flicker of obscure darkness in his eyes. Then he spoke softly. “Ellie, if you’ve made a mistake, just admit it and apologize. There’s no need to—” I also widened my eyes, feigning distress. “Excuse me, I don’t understand dog barks. Could you please repeat that in human language?” “Enough!” Victor snapped. “Eleanor Moreau, as a young woman, do you have no sense of decency? Who taught you to speak like that, full of vulgarity and without manners?” He was still the same, refusing to believe anything I said. Instead, he would, with strong prejudice, nail me to the pillar of shame again and again. I tugged at the corner of my mouth, mimicking his cold sneer. “Mom and Dad are busy, no time to manage me. Who do you think taught me?” “Of course, it was you, my dearest brother.” 8 In my past life, I was always a mixture of fear and affection for Victor. He was several years older than me, and in my heart, he was always an authoritative brother. When we were little, Mom and Dad were busy with the company, so he was the one who disciplined me. If I made even a small mistake, I'd get my palm smacked with a ruler, or be forbidden to eat. When I brought home a curly-haired stray dog I’d found, he wouldn’t let the housekeeper open the door for me. “It’s filthy. We don’t welcome things like that in this house.” So I sat on the steps outside our house, clutching the puppy, all night long. I was still young then. I always thought that was just his personality, that he couldn't learn the gentle affection other brothers showed their sisters. It wasn't until Daisy appeared. That I realized. My brother did know how to be gentle. It just wasn't for me. I'd seen him in his car, handing Daisy hot milk, ruffling her hair and saying, “Remember to eat three meals a day. If you need more money, I'm here.” I'd also seen Daisy pick up a scrawny stray cat in the rain, while he held an umbrella over her, softly asking, “Do you want to keep it?” When Daisy was drunk and mumbled nonsense, tugging at his shirt, he listened patiently, his eyes full of tenderness. In my past life, I was trapped in a web of deceitful love. Confused why my brother didn't love me, why my fiancé wasn't on my side. Only after living through it again did I finally understand. I was a completely independent individual. I didn't need love to survive. 9 The birthday dinner ultimately didn’t end well. Because as I confronted Victor without backing down, Mom and Dad finally returned. They politely thanked and sent off the numerous guests. Daisy tried to pull her usual victim act with Mom, but Mom cut her off with a smile. “Excuse me, young lady, we handle our family matters ourselves. Please leave.” Daisy choked, giving Victor a tearful glance before turning to leave. Once only Victor and I remained, Dad finally spoke, his voice authoritative. “Alright, now tell me exactly what happened.” Before Victor could speak, I quickly interjected. “A new transfer student arrived at school recently. On her very first day, she went crazy, poured water over her own head, and insisted I was the one who did it, saying I bullied her.” “Later, I found out this person was Daisy, the underprivileged student you’ve been sponsoring, brother.” Victor, who was sitting on the sofa, suddenly looked up at me, his eyes full of shock. Surprised, aren’t you, brother? That your secret affair was discovered by me so early. I pressed my reddened eyes, my voice choked with sobs. “Actually, I don’t blame her. It’s just a birthday, I can just skip it.” “I’m just sad, why don’t you believe me, brother…” It wasn’t as if Daisy was the only one who could play the innocent victim in this world. Amidst my tearful voice, Dad made a final decision. “Alright, no matter who bullied whom, don’t make a fuss anymore.” “If it escalates and gets out, it won’t be good for any of you.” “This matter, ends here.” 10 Back at school, I began overtly bullying Daisy. Pouring ink into her drawer, loudly mocking her when she recited English with an accent. Tearing her physics test into pieces and sprinkling them over her head. “Go on, go tattle again.” I smiled. “Isn’t that what you’re best at?” A piece of shredded paper floated gently from her hair. She looked at me, a flicker of deep-seated malice in her eyes. In the end, she still trembled and cried, apologizing to me. “I’m sorry, I’m so sorry, Eleanor. If I’ve done anything to upset you, I apologize now. I’ll change, alright?” “Your existence upsets me.” I raised an eyebrow, intrigued. “How will you change? Are you going to die right now?” She was speechless, unable to utter a single word. Finally, she could only continue to cry. I realized for the first time how exhilarating it was to be the villain. Of course, she told the teachers. The teacher called me to the office. I tearfully recounted what happened at the birthday dinner, finally pulling out a doctor’s note. “Because of her rumors that day, my brother humiliated me in front of so many people. I cry every time I think about it, even waking up from nightmares.” “I’m still seeing a psychologist and taking medication. The doctor says I have severe depression.” In the end, the teacher had to console me. Everyone could see I disliked Daisy. Sarah was puzzled. “Why are you targeting her so much? Has she done anything bad?” I looked up and smiled at her. “Can’t I just be a bad woman, using my family’s wealth to look down on a new student from a poor background?” “Oh, come on.” She rolled her eyes at me. “If you were like that, why wouldn’t you bully me? My family is much poorer than hers.” “On the very first day we became friends, you bought all my school supplies for three years of high school. Asking me to believe you bully classmates is like asking me to believe I’m Queen Elizabeth.” “I understand that much.” Yes. That much, everyone understood. But my brother and the person I loved, they just didn’t. I curved my lips, but there was no smile in my eyes.
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