Chapter 2

Before leaving, I briefly glimpsed into the room where Kathy had been taken.

The door was ajar, revealing the interior. Clothes belonging to the five guards were strewn across the floor. Kathy lay motionless on the bed.

I made my exit as quietly as possible.

Upon reaching home, my parents rushed to greet me enthusiastically.

Their faces fell when they noticed Kathy wasn't with me. "Julia, where's your sister? Why are you alone?"

Remembering how this family had held me responsible for ruining Kathy's "opportunity" in my previous life and hadn't even bothered to recover my body after I died, I no longer felt obligated to be polite.

"She might have overdone it with the drugs. Mr. Reed is probably still... occupied with her," I said matter-of-factly.

My mother's scowl quickly turned into a satisfied smile. "As expected! Kathy knows how to seize an opportunity, unlike some people—useless and just a drain on resources after twenty years of care!"

My father ignored me completely, immediately telling my mother to prepare a nourishing soup.

"Have it ready for Kathy's return. If she drinks it, she might be able to give Mr. Reed an heir."

Too tired to argue, I collapsed onto the couch to rest.

Just as the soup began to bubble, Kathy stumbled into our home. She was walking awkwardly, her neck marked with bruises and bite marks.

It was obvious she had no idea who she'd actually spent the night with.

As soon as Kathy saw me, she started berating me in front of our parents. She blamed me for not keeping watch, not helping her clean up afterwards, and refusing to buy the drugs she needed for her plan.

My mother's face darkened instantly. Without hesitation, she slapped me across the face.

Her voice rising in anger, "I knew you were worthless! Useless burden! Why did I even bother raising such a leech?"

"Your sister finally got her chance and not only did you refuse to help, but you left her to fend for herself? Money was there for the taking and you couldn't even grab it! You're destined to live in poverty your entire life!"

I touched my stinging cheek, laughing bitterly at her shameless words.

"At least I earn my money through honest work. Unlike some, I'd never sell my body!"

My father's face contorted with rage. He grabbed the ashtray from the coffee table and hurled it at my head.

Blood immediately soaked my clothes, but he didn't even flinch.

Instead, he continued hurling insults at me, "All you ever talk about is work, work! Do you think your paltry wages will be enough to provide any comfort for your mother and me in our old age?"

"You're a complete disgrace! And now you dare to insult your sister? Look at yourself—what kind of trash do you think you are? You're utterly useless!"

"If I'd known you'd turn out like this, I would've sold you off years ago and saved myself the trouble!"

"Marrying you off to some poor nobody for a few thousand in bride price? Do you think I'm running a charity?"

I pressed a wad of tissues against the cut on my forehead, but no matter how hard I tried, the bleeding wouldn't stop.

Disappointment overwhelmed me and I couldn't help but retort, "I'm your daughter, not a piece of meat for people to haggle over! If you're so eager to sell your daughter's body, why not just open a brothel?"

"Every penny I earn comes from my own hard work. What's so wrong with that? If you hated me so much, why did you even bring me into this world?"

For a moment, shock flashed across both my parents' faces.

Just as they were about to lash out again, Kathy interrupted, bragging about herself.

"Don't worry about her. Once I have a baby and marry into the Miles Family, she'll be the one begging for my help, crawling at my feet."

At her words, my parents completely forgot about me. They rushed to Kathy, eager to hear about her "progress."

Kathy blushed, pretending to be shy as she spoke. "You won't believe it. Chester isn't nearly as cold and distant as the rumors suggest. He kept me up all night and I'm still sore all over!"

"It's just that when I woke up, he had already gone. All he left behind was a bank card in the room."

"But considering how many times we did it, I'm certain I'll get pregnant. When that happens, the position of Mrs. Miles is practically guaranteed!"