The moment Chloe Vance showed up asking me to take her in, I heard a strange voice: 【I can't believe I actually got reborn back to my high school days. If I get her to adopt me early this time, she'll definitely give me the company eventually.】 【Old witch, if you don't give me the company, I'll make sure you die in another car crash!】 I froze, looking at the pitiful, innocent-looking girl in front of me. My heart sank. Young lady, if what you're thinking is true, then I won't be holding back. 1. I was on stage, presenting at my company's new product launch. Suddenly, the main doors burst open. A girl, dressed deliberately plainly, almost like she was wearing rags, rushed in, dodging the security guards trying to stop her. Weaving through the throng of reporters, she threw herself at my feet, wailing dramatically. "Aunt Eliza, my mother, Brenda Evans... she's dead! I'm an orphan now! I have nowhere to go!" I was completely baffled. I quickly helped the girl up, trying to understand what was happening. Leaning against me, the girl turned to face all the reporters and spoke first. "My mom was Brenda Evans. She was Eliza Hayes'—Aunt Eliza's—good friend for many years." "Right after they finished school, it was my mom who helped Aunt Eliza find her first job, found her a place to live." "They were around the same age and quickly became best friends, sharing everything." "Later, Aunt Eliza became successful, started her own company. My mom got married and had me. They drifted apart a bit after that." After explaining the history to the reporters, the girl turned back to me, her face streaked with tears. "Even though they saw less of each other, my mom never forgot you. She always talked about you." "Now... she died unexpectedly. I had to bring you to see her one last time, to fulfill her final wish!" Buried memories resurfaced as the girl spoke. I pictured Brenda, strong-willed and determined. The girl who always looked out for me like a little sister... she... she was dead? The realization hit me like a ton of bricks. I started trembling uncontrollably. Clutching this girl, who looked so much like a young Brenda—maybe seventy percent resemblance—my heart ached. "What... what happened? How did your mom die? Where is she now?" "She died in an accident yesterday... She's in the next city over, in her rented room..." Supporting the girl, I was about to get up, ready to go with her to see her mother one last time. Suddenly, an ethereal, yet eerily familiar voice whispered right beside me. 【Seriously? Is this woman nuts? That corpse is disgusting. Why drag me back there?】 【I came here so you'd adopt me straight away, not take me back to look at a dead body!】 2. My eyes widened in disbelief. I stared straight ahead. The girl was sobbing, looking back at me, her eyes tear-filled, her face flushed. Her mouth wasn't moving, but that strange, familiar voice continued. 【What are you staring at, old witch? My acting is flawless. You think someone as sharp as you can see through it?】 【If you know what's good for you, just check me into a five-star hotel and go deal with the body yourself. Stop being a nuisance!】 The voice stopped. The girl's legs suddenly gave way, and she slumped back onto the floor. "Aunt Eliza... after Mom died... I had to handle everything myself. I'm just... so tired now..." My eyes narrowed. My expression hardened. That ethereal, familiar voice... the girl's dramatic performance... There was no mistake. That voice was her inner thoughts. Corpse... disgusting... old witch... nuisance. What she said and did on the outside, and what she thought on the inside, were complete opposites! Ignoring her act, I pulled her up firmly and led her out of the conference hall. Speeding towards the neighboring city, I stared out the window. The car was silent. No one spoke, but the voice in my ear was non-stop. 【Why's the driver going so fast? Trying to race to the afterlife? Guess you miss the feeling of dying in that car crash last time, huh?】 【Seriously, this old witch is impossible to figure out. Suddenly flips like that, treating me like her mortal enemy. What an idiot!】 【Having to put on an act and beg her to adopt me while looking at that sour face... it makes me sick, like I've swallowed a fly!】 【But hey, at least I got reborn back to high school. If she adopts me now, builds that bond, the old witch will definitely give me the company later...】 The entire drive, the girl—Chloe—her inner voice chattered on, filling me in on the whole story. Chloe Vance. She had been reborn. 3. In her previous life, Chloe's father died in a construction accident when she was in middle school. Her mother, Brenda, raised her alone, working odd jobs. But the typical story of a child from a poor family maturing early didn't happen with Chloe. She exploited Brenda's guilt over being a single mother, constantly demanding more. Anywhere money was needed, Chloe never held back, never got a part-time job, just held out her hand to Brenda. Even after she started working, she complained her salary wasn't enough to live on. That woman, Brenda, who had been strong her whole life, never imagined the daughter she depended on would exploit her for her own selfish enjoyment. Working multiple jobs a day, she unconditionally funded her vampire daughter's vanity and laziness. Finally, Brenda collapsed from exhaustion and illness. At her worst, Brenda called Chloe, asking her to come back, wanting to see her. But Chloe refused. 【Stupid woman. Has her brain gone soft? I'm not a doctor. What good would calling me back do?】 That was the last call Brenda ever made. She died alone from her illness. Days later, her body was discovered by the landlord, who called Chloe to deal with it. Only then did she show up. Reluctantly, she initially planned to just pay someone to cremate the body and be done with it. But while going through Brenda's belongings, Chloe found my phone number. Checking my profile on social media, she confirmed I was that Eliza Hayes, the moderately famous businesswoman. When Chloe was younger, Brenda had told her stories about escaping her controlling family back home and how her good friend, me, had helped her start a new life. Chloe had always dismissed these as tales of two poor girls helping each other, scoffing at them. But seeing my social media profile, she instantly realized her mother's "good friend" was me. With this connection established, a new idea sparked in her mind: hold a proper funeral for her mother. It would let her contact me and get close to me, and bonus, she could collect funeral donations. A quick buck for Chloe. At the funeral in the previous life, I showed up. My reaction was the same as when I first saw Chloe moments ago – disbelief and grief. Seeing my old friend again, only to find she was gone, leaving behind a daughter who looked so much like her younger self... Feeling guilty for not reconnecting and helping Brenda after I became successful, I agreed to become Chloe's godmother, essentially taking her in. 4. 【Old witch. Never married, all alone. Just me as her goddaughter. And she still won't give me the company right away, saying I don't have experience. So damn picky!】 【Not just stingy, but meddles in everything! Even who I date! Forced me to break up with my true love. Just jealous I had someone, right?】 【One foot in the grave and still won't listen. Forced my hand, had to arrange that car accident to kill you! And it got me killed too, dammit!】 【Thank God fate gave me a second chance. This time, just watch me destroy you!】 Her thoughts stopped just as we arrived. The car pulled over. Chloe took a deep breath, adjusted her expression, and turned to me. "Aunt Eliza... I don't think I can go up. I'm afraid if I see Mom's body... I won't be able to stop crying..." She lowered her head, sniffling pitifully. I let out a long, slow breath, releasing the tension in my chest. Glancing sideways at Chloe, I got out and went upstairs. The apartment door was slightly ajar. Pushing it open, a wave of damp, cold air hit me. The room was dim. Sunlight was a luxury in these low-rent apartments, probably cost extra. It wasn't large, maybe under 300 square feet, crammed with various items, but neatly organized. In this humble setting, Brenda had raised the clean-cut, seemingly refined, but ultimately rotten Chloe. Brenda had given everything she had, but that bottomless pit could never be filled! The room looked like any normal living space; there were no signs of preparations for saying goodbye to the deceased. The only "preparation," I suspected, was the phony mourning outfit Chloe wore for her act! My mood soured further, my expression growing colder. Taking a few steps to the bedside, I saw a very thin person lying there. Almost skin and bones, her hair already half-gray. Her eyes were closed, her features contorted in pain. She was only in her early forties, yet she looked so withered and worn. And... it looked like she had been in extreme pain when she died. My heart clenched violently. I immediately knelt beside her bed. Suddenly, a timid "Aunt Eliza?" came from behind me, followed by that ethereal voice again. 【Shouldn't have come up here to put on a show. This old witch is crazy. What's there to cry about?】 【To suck up to you earlier, I personally pushed her down the stairs. Didn't feel a thing!】 My pupils dilated instantly. I spun around, glaring at Chloe in utter disbelief. Startled by my stare, Chloe took a frightened step back. Before she could react further, I lunged forward and slapped her hard across the face. Animal! Monster! This isn't a person, this is a heartless beast! To stoop so low for personal gain, to murder her own mother for advancement! Despicable! The slap was forceful, sending Chloe's still relatively frail body tumbling backward onto the stairs. The apartment building's stairs were steep and narrow. She rolled, unable to stop, all the way to the bottom landing. I looked down at her from the top, teeth clenched, nails digging deep into my palms. "From today on, you'll stay with me. You'll be my adopted daughter." You wanted to latch onto me, didn't you? Fine, I'll give you that chance! But you better pray, you ungrateful viper, that you're tough enough to survive it! 5. After arranging Brenda's funeral, I officially took Chloe in. When she arrived at my house, still recovering with broken bones from her tumble down the stairs, her eyes instantly lit up. 【Doesn't matter what crazy fit she threw back at the apartment. As long as she adopts me, that's all that counts!】 【Getting adopted five years earlier this time... this fortune is definitely mine for the taking!】 Listening to her thoughts, watching her greedy expression, I remained outwardly calm. Yours for the taking? We'll see if you even live through the next five years. Before Chloe's injuries even fully healed, I arranged for her to transfer schools. Her original high school wasn't bad; Brenda had worked hard to get her in there. But the school I chose wasn't about elevating her status. It was about pushing her into a pit of fire. "Ms. Hayes, she's been enrolled in the junior class at Crestview High, the one notorious for the spoiled, unruly kids from wealthy families," my assistant confirmed. "She starts tomorrow. Also, arrange for someone to follow her discreetly, live-stream everything to me." The next day, Chloe was sent off to school. A live feed appeared on my computer. The moment Chloe stepped into the classroom, a few boys with mischievous grins eyed her up and down. Noticing their stares, Chloe paused, then walked straight up to them. "What are you looking at? Bunch of creeps acting like you've never seen a girl before. Look again and I'll gouge your eyes out!" The previously rowdy classroom fell silent instantly. All eyes turned towards them. The boys who had been smirking at Chloe froze, their expressions turning cold. Undeterred by the attention, Chloe seemed to relish it, scanning the room and announcing loudly. "From now on, in this class, everyone revolves around me! Everyone listens to me!" Watching this, I was slightly surprised. I hadn't expected Chloe to have such an arrogant streak. But then I remembered she was reborn. It made sense. Given her personality, it was entirely plausible she developed this arrogance after I took her in during her previous life. My original plan was just to use her natural tendency to show off to get her taught a lesson. Her providing this level of blatant provocation was an unexpected bonus. Just as I refocused on the screen, things escalated. One boy, clearly unable to stand Chloe's arrogance, cursed and kicked out at her. Caught completely off guard, Chloe took the kick full force. She stumbled backward, crashing into desks and chairs, sending a cascade of clattering noise through the room. After the kick, the boy advanced, stepping hard on Chloe's one good hand. "What was that you said just now? My hearing's not great. Didn't quite catch it." Gritting her teeth, Chloe tried to kick his foot off her hand with her good leg. But lying on the ground versus standing tall – the advantage was clear. The moment Chloe moved, the boy reacted instantly, stomping down again. This time, his foot landed squarely on her good leg. A faint cracking sound, barely audible. Chloe's face immediately contorted in agony. A sharp cry escaped her lips. Shin bones are tough, they don't break easily, but that doesn't mean it doesn't hurt like hell. After that stomp, all the arrogance vanished from Chloe's face. Instead, smiles appeared on the faces of the onlookers. Queen bee? Sorry, kid. Everyone in this class is meaner and more entitled than you.
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