After my brother-in-law died, we adopted his daughter. My niece, naturally sensitive, always felt we treated her worse than our own son. She spread rumors that we’d only taken her in to get our hands on her father’s inheritance. My husband, blinded by familial love, never held it against her. My son and I bent over backward to accommodate her. But our kindness only fed her audacity. She conspired with outsiders to burn our whole family alive and seize our assets. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day we adopted her. Watching her put on a show, wailing about how she couldn’t bear to leave her home, I turned and walked away. “Good,” I said. “Because I don’t want you, either.” 1 Before I died, I watched my husband get bludgeoned to death. My niece, Chloe, said that since Mark was her uncle, she’d grant him a quick end. My son, Richard, and I weren’t so lucky. Chloe ordered a group of thugs to hold Richard down, systematically crushing his dignity. I knelt on the floor, my pleas useless. I tried to lunge at her, to take her down with me, but my neck and limbs were bound by iron chains. I was helpless. I could only watch as the people I loved were tortured to death. And my sweet, adopted niece stood by, giggling at the show. Her voice was laced with venom as she accused me. “When I was little, you wouldn't even buy me a new dress. No money? Then you shouldn't have adopted me.” “You bought your son a house for his wedding. Where did that money come from? You must have stolen my dad’s inheritance.” “People who favor boys over girls all deserve to die!” she shrieked. “You can argue your case in hell!” My mouth was full of blood. I couldn't form a single word of defense. My last memory was of the fire, an all-consuming inferno that turned everything to ash. The hatred was a living thing inside me. I never should have let my compassion get the better of me. I never should have adopted Chloe. I nurtured a viper that destroyed my family’s happiness. I never expected to open my eyes again, back on the very day we took her in. 2 A small girl was curled into a ball in the corner, sobbing so hard she could barely breathe. A chill crept up from the soles of my feet. Chloe. The events of the past few weeks came rushing back in a disorienting flood. My brother-in-law had died in a car accident not long ago. When his wife heard the news, she grabbed their newborn son, took what little money they had left, and ran. My husband, Mark, his eyes red-rimmed, had tugged at my sleeve. He adored his younger brother and wanted to step up, to hold their shattered family together. He hadn’t slept a wink the night before. After the funeral, Chloe was the only one left. Our in-laws had passed away years ago. Chloe’s maternal relatives hadn’t even shown up for the funeral, making it clear they wanted nothing to do with her. If we didn’t take her, young Chloe would be sent to an orphanage. Mark, remembering the years he and his brother had depended on each other, swore an oath to raise Chloe as his own. In my last life, I had readily agreed. I never imagined I was inviting a wolf into our home. According to our previous discussion, this was my cue to step forward and officially agree to the adoption. The other relatives would then offer their performative praise. “Chloe is crying so hard, it seems she doesn’t want to come live with us. In that case, let’s just forget it.” I watched coolly as the little girl’s eyes widened in disbelief. A cold smile touched my lips. So, you want to play a part? Her father’s household had been a bastion of misogyny. Chloe had been forced to do chores from the moment she could walk, and she hated it. And now she was pretending she couldn’t bear to leave? As if our home were some kind of dungeon. The relatives exchanged uneasy glances. Those who knew the real story were just enjoying the drama. Chloe’s face flushed with shame. My husband, Mark, was too embarrassed to contradict me. He tugged at my collar so hard it choked me. I swatted his hand away impatiently. “We just bought a house in town,” I said, my voice cold. “Taking on another child will be a serious financial strain. How about this? You can all pitch in.” Who would want to pay to raise someone else’s child? They were all working-class people, living paycheck to paycheck. They had no extra money. They were happy to be the good guys, to morally pressure us, but not to actually do anything. My blunt words stripped away their masks of decency. They glared at me with righteous condemnation. My son, Richard, old enough to read the room, blushed beet-red and said nothing. Mark couldn't take it anymore. “Honey,” he whispered, mortified. “We already agreed on this!” “She’s just a little girl. It’s just one more plate at the table. I’ll work more overtime, I’ll earn more. I promise it won’t affect your and Richard’s quality of life.” His words opened the floodgates. The very people who wouldn’t lift a finger to help now chimed in to persuade me. “A daughter is so sweet! You have a son, so you’ll have one of each. It’s a perfect set! So many people would kill for that kind of blessing!” “If it’s such a blessing, why don’t you take it?” I shot back. The woman who’d spoken also had only a son. It’s easy to talk when you have no skin in the game. Seeing I was resolute, the others backed off, not wanting to get drawn in. Just then, Chloe finally stopped crying. She stood before me, nervously twisting the hem of her shirt. “Auntie,” she mumbled, her lower lip trembling, “I want to come live with you. I won’t cost much. I can do chores. I won’t take any of my cousin’s things…” Her little speech softened the hearts of everyone in the room. Everyone but me. I knew her true face. “I don’t want to adopt you,” I said, my voice hard. “Can you understand plain English?” “I don’t want anyone sharing my son’s affection. I didn’t even have a second child for that reason. Richard is about to start middle school. I don’t have the extra energy.” “Since no one else wants to take her, let’s just send her to the orphanage.” Mark saw the unyielding look in my eyes and buried his head in his hands, squatting in despair. Chloe’s face was pale. She stood there, speechless. After more bickering, no one stepped up. In the end, Chloe was sent to the orphanage. 3 The gossip spread like wildfire. From that day on, I was the cold-blooded monster in the eyes of our friends and family. The woman who couldn’t even tolerate a little girl. If Chloe had been a normal child, I honestly would have done it without hesitation. My last life was proof of that. But being soft on others is being cruel to yourself. I honored the bonds of family, and in return, I lost my entire family. Wasn’t that enough? It was more than enough. And besides, in this life, Chloe hadn’t done anything to me yet. By not holding her future crimes against her, I was already being generous. I couldn’t tell anyone about my premonitions, so I had to endure the rumors in silence. Let them talk. As long as I could protect my family, I was willing to bear it. I thought the matter was settled. Mark could visit her on holidays if he wanted. Then, two months later, I came home from work, happy, carrying a burger and a new toy for my son. In my past life, Chloe’s possessiveness had consumed so much of my attention. My son had become quiet and withdrawn from my neglect. In this life, I was determined to make it up to him. But when I opened the door, I saw Chloe, sprawled on the sofa as if she owned the place. My son was sitting beside her, diligently doing his homework while she poked him in the head. “What are you doing?!” The words shot out of me. Everyone in the room jumped. Chloe immediately shrank back, a picture of pathetic misery. Mark emerged from the kitchen, holding a spatula, a sheepish grin on his face. Not wanting to scare Richard, I calmed myself, gave him his things, and sent him to his room. Then I dragged Mark into the kitchen. “Are you insane? We agreed to send her to the orphanage. What is this?” “Anna, you have no idea how pitiful she is…” Mark said, wiping his face, his voice choked with emotion. From his tale, I pieced together Chloe’s life at the orphanage. The food was bland and scarce. The teachers were mean and always yelling. The older kids made her wash their feet and threatened to make her drink the dirty water if she didn’t do it right… I almost laughed out loud. It sounded wonderful. Mark shot me a strange look and sighed, saying he just couldn’t bear to watch her suffer. “She’s so young! She doesn’t understand anything. To have no parents and be bullied on top of that… as her uncle, I just couldn’t stand by…” “So you got soft and brought her home? We all agreed! And what about our son? Have you even considered his feelings?” I tried to reason with him, to convince him to take her back. I wasn’t made of stone. The orphanage I’d chosen for her was a good one. It was strict, but it had no history of bullying. The director was an acquaintance of my family, a kind woman. And besides, Chloe was no pushover. In my last life, I’d never once seen her get the short end of the stick. You couldn’t just take a child’s word for it. Children don’t just talk. They lie. But this time, Mark had made up his mind. “Honey, please! Just until she’s eighteen, okay?” “Mom, she’s so pitiful. Let her stay! I can buy fewer clothes, eat fewer snacks.” Richard had appeared at the doorway. He was pleading for Chloe. And the culprit herself was hiding behind him, looking like a frightened little mouse. I could ignore Mark. But Richard was my bottom line. I didn’t want to disappoint him. After a long internal struggle, I agreed to let Chloe stay. At least if she was here, I could keep an eye on her. If I let her go, with her vindictive nature, there was no telling what she might do to get revenge. Even so, I warned Mark in advance: the first sign of trouble, and she was out. The three of them jumped for joy. I suppressed my revulsion and laid out the terms to Chloe. “You can stay, but we need to get a few things straight first.” Chloe, her eyes shining with unconcealed delight, nodded blankly. 4 Since we were officially adopting Chloe, there were things to be done. I went to the orphanage myself to handle the paperwork, asked the director about Chloe’s behavior, and got copies of some security footage. The director was diplomatic, but her frustration was clear. Chloe had been determined to leave. She made no effort to get along with the other children and seemed to deliberately provoke them. The moment a teacher tried to reprimand her, she would burst into tears, causing chaos. The orphanage was more than happy to be rid of this hot potato, though they were too polite to say so. As I was leaving, a teacher pulled me aside and warned me discreetly. Chloe was a selfish child, she said. I shouldn't waste my kindness. Someone had said the same thing to me in my last life. I had dismissed it, thinking, she’s just a child, what harm could she do? Hearing it again now, I froze for a second, then thanked her profusely. I didn’t tell Mark about this warning. He was too careless and wouldn’t believe it unless he saw it with his own eyes. When I returned from the orphanage, we held a grand adoption banquet. Chloe, shedding the worn, dirty clothes she usually wore, was dressed in a princess gown. She held her head high, trying to look as if she belonged in it. I saw it all but said nothing. The banquet began, and Mark, on behalf of our family, gave a welcoming speech. “Chloe, from now on, you are my daughter, just like Richard. Whatever he has, you will have too.” “Think of this as your own home. Your auntie has a sharp tongue but a soft heart, hehe.” His face was flushed, his voice full of drunken cheer. He’d been taking a lot of flak from the relatives for not adopting his brother’s daughter. He’d been bottling it up, and today, he could finally let it all out. The relatives who had previously criticized us now wore satisfied smiles, nodding proudly as if they were the ones making the sacrifice. Just as the atmosphere reached its peak, I spoke, my voice cutting through the warmth. “Chloe’s father passed away suddenly. Her mother ran off with the rest of the money, leaving a mountain of debt. After selling the house to pay it off, there was only twenty thousand left…” “Today, with all of you as witnesses, this money will be given entirely to Chloe. We won’t touch a single cent.” Chloe’s face turned red with excitement. I didn’t give her a card. I gave her cash, stack by stack, so everyone could see it clearly, to prevent any accusations later. This move caught Mark completely off guard. He leaned over and whispered his disapproval. “Why are you talking about money? Chloe is still so young. How is she supposed to feel comfortable in our home now?” “Even with family, finances should be clear,” I retorted, rolling my eyes and pushing his face away. “What needs to be said, needs to be said.”
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