The day my fiancé, Mark, and I were talking about setting a wedding date, my sister Chloe threw a wrench in the works. She announced she wanted him too. I refused to back down. So, she went up to the rooftop, crying, threatening to jump. But then she actually slipped and fell. She died with her eyes wide open, unable to rest in peace. Because of that, my parents grew to hate me, blaming and criticizing me at every turn. Mark said cruelly, "You were so cold to your own sister. Serves you right to know what it feels like to be treated coldly." "Otherwise," he’d add, "my poor Chloe... imagine how desperate she must have felt." He teamed up with my parents, determined to ruin me, all to avenge my dead sister. Eventually, I died in a hospital bed. Then, I opened my eyes. I was back right when Chloe had just stepped onto that rooftop ledge. 1 "Hannah, if you don't do exactly what I say, I'll jump right off here!" "And if Mom and Dad find out you drove me to this, they'll never forgive you!" The harsh wind whipped across the rooftop, and Chloe’s face swam into view. This… this wasn’t right! I looked around wildly. This wasn't the hospital. There was no familiar smell of antiseptic, and my body didn't ache with the sickness that had consumed me. Seeing Chloe standing there, a triumphant look flickering in her eyes despite the tears, I realized with a shock—I was reborn. Reborn to a time before Chloe died, when there was still a chance to change things. In my past life, it was because Chloe died that Mom and Dad became unbelievably harsh with me. They screamed that I’d deliberately caused her death, that if it wasn't for me, she'd still be alive. They even said since my sister was dead, I should die too. They hurled the ugliest words at me, looking at me like I was their mortal enemy. But they never cut me off completely—they still needed my money, after all. I used to think their grief was just overwhelming, that one day they'd calm down and remember I was their daughter too, someone who needed love and care. But all I got was falling gravely ill, lying in bed, and facing their disgust. They pinched every penny, refusing to spend a dime on my hospital stay. Right before I died, they tricked me into giving them my bank card PIN, cleaned out my account, and then told the doctors to stop treatment. I died alone and filled with despair in that hospital bed. My only thought before the end was: if only I could do it all over again. And somehow, miraculously, I was. Looking at Chloe’s smug, tear-streaked face, I slowly smiled. "You want Mark, don't you? Fine. You can have him." 2 Not long after I said that, my parents came running onto the rooftop, Mark helping them along. They stumbled, looking terrified and disheveled. Mom rushed forward and clung to Chloe. "Oh, honey, how could you joke about your own life like this? You scared us half to death!" Chloe expertly wiped her eyes and buried her face in Mom's shoulder, her voice thick with tears. "Mommy, I was so scared." I rolled my eyes. Just as I was about to speak, my stepfather slapped me hard across the face. He glared at me furiously. "Look what you've done! Would Chloe be threatening her own life if it wasn't for you? I just don't understand what could possibly be more important to you than your sister's life!" So, I'm just supposed to stand by and watch her take everything from me? I pressed a hand to my stinging cheek, saying nothing. In my past life, I might have furiously tried to explain, but… what was the point? I'd already spent a lifetime learning that my mother and stepfather didn't love me. Did fairness or justice matter to them? No. Only their precious Chloe mattered. Ignoring Chloe's victorious smirk, I turned to leave. But I’d only taken a few steps when a hand grabbed my arm, stopping me. Mark stared at me, his eyes dark. "What happened? What did you possibly do to make Chloe suddenly want to kill herself?" His accusatory tone almost made me laugh out loud. "Mark, you're so worried about her. Why don't you just marry her then?" Mark’s brow furrowed tightly. "You know I'm not kidding around, Hannah." Of course, I knew he wasn't kidding. Chloe was in trouble, and he, my fiancé, was more frantic than anyone. Anyone could see there was something going on between them. It’s just a shame it took me so long in my last life to realize it. For a moment, I flashed back to those lonely days dying in the hospital bed. Mark visited me every day. He'd sit by my bed, his voice soft, but his words were like ice picks. "Hannah, you were so cold to your own sister. Serves you right to know what it feels like to be treated coldly." "Otherwise, my Chloe… imagine how desperate she must have felt." "No wonder even your parents abandoned you, Hannah. You're just cruel to the core." I blinked hard, forcing back the wave of overwhelming hatred that surged in my eyes. When I looked up again, my eyes were red-rimmed. "Mark," I said, my voice clear despite the emotion. "Given everything… let's call off the engagement." 3 This time, I chose to give them what they seemingly wanted, but now Mark wasn’t happy. He stared at me, annoyed, clearly confused by my sudden change of heart. "I just said a few things to you, and now you suddenly want to break off the engagement? Do you think this is some kind of joke?" We’d been together for five years, our relationship had been stable. If Chloe hadn't interfered, who knows how things might have turned out. So, I could understand his reaction, on some level. But having seen his true colors in my last life, even looking at him now made me feel sick. I pulled my arm away from his grasp. "It's my engagement. I'll end it if I want to, and nobody can force me otherwise." "Besides, you don't know, do you?" I met his angry gaze. "The reason Chloe was on that roof wanting to die... it was you, not me." "She was willing to risk her life for you. Clearly, she feels very deeply for you. As a good big sister, naturally, I have to grant her wish." I watched the anger in his eyes shift to confused suspicion, his whole aggressive posture deflating slightly. "Are you misunderstanding something? Let me explain, it's not what you think. There's nothing going on between Chloe and me." He wanted to explain, but I didn't want to hear it. My parents hadn't gone back downstairs yet, and a small crowd of curious onlookers had gathered. I yelled out loud, "This engagement is off! I'm not marrying him!" My parents reacted instantly and furiously. "What is wrong with you, changing your mind like this? We've already had the engagement party! Do you think you're still three years old?" My gaze shifted to Chloe, and I gave her a small, sharp smile. She instinctively flinched, realizing something was wrong, and quickly tugged at my stepfather's sleeve. "This is our family business, let's talk about it at home." But I wasn't going to let her off that easily. I dropped to my knees right there on the rooftop, wailing dramatically. "My sister is in love with my fiancé! What am I supposed to do? What can I possibly do?" "You all just blame me, but what choice do I have? My sister said if I didn't give him up, she'd jump off this roof! She's my only sister! If she died, what would happen to me?" Murmurs and pointing started among the onlookers. Mark's face went pale. He tried to pull me up, but I smacked his hand away. "Don't touch me! Who knows which hand you touched my sister with!" Mark went even paler. Chloe looked like she was about to burst into tears. "It's not like that..." My parents tried to jump in and defend the situation, but I was lost in my own performance, inconsolable. I started pounding the ground like a madwoman. "Oh God, why is my life so hard? My fiancé is messing around with my sister! How am I supposed to go on?" "I'm a college student, I should have some dignity, but here I am, losing my mind on the ground! Do you think I'd make this up? You all be the judge! My sister threatens to jump, says she has depression... I've always loved my sister, what could I do? I wish I could just die myself, boo hoo hoo..." The next second, my stepfather lost his patience. He grabbed my hair, trying to yank me to my feet. My screams became even more heart-wrenching. The onlookers were practically moved to tears by my performance and rushed forward to stop him. The two groups started arguing fiercely. Thirty minutes later, the police arrived. 4 "This damn kid just wouldn't stop making a scene! Officer, tell me, this was just a family matter, did it really need all this fuss?" Facing the police officer's questions, my stepfather forced an awkward smile, trying to explain what happened. "Really, it was just a little spat between sisters, nothing serious happened." The officer looked at him sternly. "Just because nobody died doesn't mean nothing serious happened. This is your family business, and normally we wouldn't interfere, but hitting your daughter in public? Don't you think that's going too far?" The smile froze on my stepfather's face. He nodded and bowed slightly, mumbling agreement. The moment we were out of earshot, his demeanor changed. "Damn it," he muttered. "Nosy cops, telling me how to discipline my own kid. Got nothing better to do." When we got home and he saw me, remembering the humiliation at the police station, his anger flared up again. I was trying to eat dinner when he grabbed my hair and dragged me away from the table. "You're afraid our family name isn't ruined enough, aren't you? Saying those things in public! How do you expect your sister to face people now? How are we supposed to face people?" I struggled instinctively. He unbuckled his belt and started whipping me with it. Mom just sat at the table, watching coldly. When my eyes met hers, she said flatly, "She's needed to be taught a lesson for a long time. If we don't put her in her place, she'll be walking all over us." I stopped struggling, stunned. There was a time, long ago, when Mom had been kind to me too. My name is Hannah. When I was born, I represented my parents' hopes and love. But my biological father died when I was very young. Later, Mom remarried, bringing me into this new family. That's when my life started going downhill. At first, Mom might have spoken harshly to me in front of others, but in private, she'd secretly be kind. She'd peek in on me late at night, tuck me in. When I got good grades, she'd brave my stepfather's disapproval and cook a meal full of my favorite dishes. But ever since Chloe was born, her attitude towards me soured completely. When I was little, if my stepfather disciplined me, she never would have just sat by and watched like this. Just then, Chloe started sniffling pitifully from the side. "Daddy, please stop hitting her. Even though Hannah spread rumors outside and embarrassed the family, making the neighbors gossip about us, she didn't mean to. I'm partly to blame too." "Besides, if other people find out about this, there will be even more talk. Mom and Dad still have to live here, you know." Before my stepfather could reply, Mom was already stroking Chloe's head lovingly. "You silly child, we're doing this for you. Look at your sister, acting so outrageous, dragging your name through the mud." "You're just too soft-hearted and considerate. With a personality like that, you're bound to get pushed around at work." "Speaking of which," Chloe put down her chopsticks, glancing nervously at me. "I've been looking for a job recently. Mark actually has a position that would suit me, but if I took it, and it made Hannah unhappy—" "What kind of nonsense is that!" Mom interrupted. "You're her own sister! Working at the same place, it's only natural she'd look out for you, right?" "Hannah, did you hear that?" I nodded silently. As I looked up, I saw Chloe hug Mom joyfully, the picture of a happy, harmonious family. A small, secret smile touched my lips. Chloe, let's see if you can actually handle the things you 'receive'.
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