Chapter 1 Rebirth

"Get up, you lazy girl! Do you even know what time it is? You're acting like a pig!" Bridget Foster's voice rang out like an alarm clock, loud enough to give anyone a headache, even before six o'clock.

Elinor Fernan groggily opened her eyes, lying in bed as she took in the strange yet familiar surroundings. It took her a moment to remember where she was.

She turned her head to look at the calendar hanging on the wall beside her bed, where a bright red circle marked the date.

It was... April of 1990, thirty years ago?

Could it be that she had been reborn?

Elinor felt a shiver run through her body, disbelief washing over her. Yet the reality around her confirmed that this was all true.

She thought she had put an end to her painful, failed life, only to find that fate had given her a second chance.

This year, Elinor was eighteen, preparing for the college entrance exam.

Just the thought of the exam made her heart tighten, and she instinctively clenched the blanket, a cold sweat breaking out across her skin.

The college entrance exam was the turning point of her life. In her past life, her tragic fate began with that very exam, and she couldn't afford to walk down that same path again.

Bridget Foster and Sylvia Fernan-she wouldn't let either of them get away with it!

The sound of Bridget's cursing continued from the doorway, like a death knell. A cold glint flashed in Elinor's eyes as she tied her hair back and reached for the door, pulling it open.

A familiar face came into view, and Sylvia almost couldn't resist the urge to rush over and confront her.

Bridget Foster noticed she was up and impatiently urged, "What are you standing there like a fool for? Hurry up and make breakfast! Can't you see it's already six o'clock? Your sister has to go to school soon."

Sylvia Fernan had to go to school too, didn't she?

Classes started at eight, and every day at six, Elinor Fernan had to wake up to prepare breakfast for the whole family. Meanwhile, Sylvia could sleep until seven, and after breakfast, Joshua Scott would ride her to school. During this time, Bridget would supervise Elinor to make sure she washed the dishes properly. If she didn't do a good job, she would face a scolding at best, or a beating at worst. So, ever since she started school, Elinor had been late almost every day.

If it weren't for her excellent grades, consistently ranking first in her class, her homeroom teacher would have lost patience with her long ago.

Elinor Fernan coldly replied, "I don't have time. If you want to eat, make it yourself."

Bridget Foster's expression immediately darkened, her tone turning hostile. "What did you say?"

"I said, if you want to eat, make it yourself." Elinor frowned, her impatience clearly evident.

"What are we supposed to eat if you don't cook?

Are you just going to let us starve?"

Bridget Foster's anger flared up, her sharp voice piercing through the air like a needle.

Elinor Fernan shot her a cold glance. "I won't be cooking anymore."

In her past life, she had been foolish, allowing them to exploit her for years. But now, she wasn't going to be a doormat any longer. If they thought they could make her work like a mule, they were dreaming.

"What?" Bridget Foster stared at her in disbelief, momentarily thinking she had misheard. "What did you just say?"

Her voice rose even higher this time.

Elinor Fernan replied indifferently, "I said I won't be cooking anymore. If you want to eat, you can cook for yourselves."

"Elinor Fernan!" Bridget Foster's shrill voice exploded in her ears. "You ungrateful little brat! I'm your mother! You eat my food and drink my drinks, and when I ask you to cook, you better do it!"

Elinor Fernan let out a cold laugh. This was Bridget Foster for you-if she didn't get her way, she immediately resorted to insults. Yesterday, Joshua Scott was on duty, and today it was just her, Bridget, and Sylvia Fernan at home. That was why Bridget felt bold enough to speak to her like this.

"So you still remember that you're my mom? I thought I wasn't your biological child," Elinor Fernan said with a chilling smile, a grin that made Bridget Foster feel uneasy.

Elinor had been cooking in the kitchen since she was barely five, standing on a stool to reach the counter while Sylvia Fernan was busy deciding which new dress to wear the next day.

Why did she have to work herself to the bone while they could so easily take advantage of her?

In her past life, Bridget had always felt resentful about her mother's favoritism, but she endured it silently.

It wasn't until later that her struggling restaurant was reported for using illegal ingredients, leading to her sixteen-year prison sentence. The person who reported her was none other than Bridget Foster, and that was when she learned the truth.

She wasn't Bridget Foster's daughter at all; she was merely a foster child of the Su family. For some reason, her biological parents had entrusted her to the Su family, who publicly claimed she was a twin sister to Sylvia Fernan.

Eventually, when her real parents came looking for her, Bridget Foster pulled strings to have Sylvia Fernan take her place, transforming into a wealthy young lady overnight. Fearing that Bridget might stand in Sylvia's way, she orchestrated the scheme to have her imprisoned.

At that moment, her entire life had already been ruined. But Bridget Foster and her gang wouldn't let her go. They bribed people in prison to torment her relentlessly, ultimately leading to her death in that cold cell.

It wasn't until her final moments that she truly regretted everything. She regretted not seeing through their true colors sooner, regretted allowing herself to be bullied for so many years without standing up for herself, which ultimately led to her being tortured to death.

As she closed her eyes for the last time, her mind was filled with thoughts of revenge. If heaven granted her another chance, she vowed she would never let anyone bully her again.

She would repay every grudge, every offense! Those who wronged her would pay dearly!

Perhaps heaven truly heard her regrets, as it gave her a chance to start over, bringing her back to a time before everything went wrong.

"Say that again!" Elinor Fernan, who had always been timid, usually listened to whatever Bridget Foster said, even if it made her unhappy. But today, her words struck Bridget like a dagger.

"It doesn't matter how many times I say it," Elinor replied firmly, showing none of her usual cowardice.

"You little beast, is this how you speak to me?" Bridget's face was a mask of undisguised disgust. Looking at that face, Elinor couldn't help but wonder how she had managed to deceive herself into believing in the mother-daughter bond while facing it every day in her past life.

It was utterly ridiculous.

Bridget Foster was furious. She raised her hand to slap Elinor Fernan, but Elinor quickly sidestepped just in time.

"You little brat, you think you can just get away with this? How dare you dodge!" Bridget's face turned a deep shade of anger as she reached out to strike again.

"If you hit me, why shouldn't I dodge?" Elinor shot back, not backing down.

Hearing this, Bridget's face turned an even darker shade of purple, and just as she was about to explode, a gentle voice interrupted, "Mom, Elinor, what's going on?"

Sylvia Fernan came down the stairs in a light pink nightgown, rubbing her eyes with a confused expression. "Are you two fighting?"

Elinor couldn't help but smirk. This was her dear sister, Sylvia Fernan.