Beauty's Rebirth: Take Control Of Destiny

In a luxurious villa, under the soft glow of the light, a handsome man was holding an enchanting woman in his arms.

"I've missed you so much!"

The woman's soft body was draped over the strapping young man. He was clearly basking in the woman's flattery. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the feeling, while his large hands slowly wandered on her body.

"I've missed you too, Tia!"

he said, kissing her passionately and hugging her tighter.

"Jerry, when can we tell my sister? I can wait, but the baby in my belly can't wait for too long."

"Crash!"

The sound of glass smashing on the ground appeared to come from the door. Irene An stared incredulously at the two people, who were wrapped in each other's arms. Her big eyes brimmed with tears and she couldn't keep her voice from trembling.

"Wha... What are you doing? Tia, he is my fiance...your brother-in-law!"

Tia An, who was leaning against Jerry Zuo's chest, sobbed loudly. She looked at Jerry Zuo dolefully with tears streaking her beautiful face. Yet, she didn't appear to be guilty or embarrassed about being caught. On the contrary, she looked like she was the victim.

"What fiance? I have never agreed to this engagement! Our mothers made a promise to each other when we were not even born. Don't expect me to honor that promise. We are in the 21st century now. I have never even liked you, let alone marry you!"

Irene An felt like her heart had been stabbed by a knife when she saw the disgust in Jerry Zuo's eyes. She clutched her chest tightly and walked into the room on shaky feet.

"No, don't say that. Our relationship is fine all this while, isn't it? And we, we have already..."

"What? Slept with each other? You came to me. I had no reason to refuse it. So it's your fault," he snapped.

Irene An's face turned pale. She couldn't believe what she was hearing. Could this cold, cruel man be the same gentle, considerate man she had fallen in love with?

"I never loved you. I only love Tia," he declared, looking at Irene An as if she was his enemy.

Then he turned to comfort Tia An by stroking her arm. He felt sorry for her and the love in his eyes was undisguised, which only made Irene An feel worse.

"Oh, Jerry!"

Tia An was so thrilled by his gesture that she clung to him desperately and shot a look of triumph at Irene An.

"Irene, I'm sorry. I'm pregnant, so I..."

Tia apologized. Her delicate body trembled as though she was frightened.

"Why did you tell her? Let's go. I don't want her ill-feelings to affect our baby."

Jerry held Tia's arm carefully to help her stand up. His eyes were full of love and adoration.

Watching them leave hand-in-hand, Irene's world came crashing down. She crumbled on to the ground helplessly, struggling to accept the reality in front of her.

"So, Irene! Does it hurt?"

Tia asked in a snarky tone. Irene turned around and saw her evil expression.

"What?"

"I just wanted to tell you the truth. I have been with Jerry for a long time. Our first time together was on his 16th birthday."

Something exploded in Irene's head.

Wasn't that the same year that she had gone to live with the Zuo family? 'Oh my god! I am so stupid! I believed I was the only woman in Jerry's life as we were engaged.'

"And there's more! Do you know why we didn't tell you the truth all this time? You had the shares of the An family, and you also looked after him like a maid. Thanks to you, we could be carefree!"

Irene couldn't take in any more of the venom spewing out of Tia's vile mouth.

Tia's words kept echoing in her mind. A few days ago, on Jerry's birthday, she had done something that she never knew would be her undoing. She had transferred all her shares to him as a birthday gift.

Irene stumbled out of the villa, tears streaming down her face. Her chest felt like a hollow shell. She felt numb.

"Ah!"

The sound of screeching brakes rang in her ears. She had been knocked over and felt a sharp pain. Something warm flowed out of her body. Everything in front of her was dark, and Irene fell into darkness.

"Irene, this is Mrs. Lydia. She will be your new mother from now on."

Irene, who was only five years old, looked up at her father, Tom An, innocently. He was standing in front of her with a woman who was twenty-eight years old.

"Hello, Irene. Look, this is your sister, Tia. She is half a year younger than you! We are all one family now. I think that Irene will be a good sister. Am I right, Irene?"

Lydia Xiao put on a great show of being the perfect wife and mother. She held Tia's hand and walked up to her, pretending to be a caring, loving mother. She reached out to pat her head, but Irene dodged it with a frown.

Her father was very angry with her reaction. From that day on, he gradually began distancing himself from her and instead, he started getting closer to Tia. He doted on her and showed more concern for his step-daughter than his real daughter.

The mother and daughter had schemed to take away everything from her-her father, her family, and, now, even her fiance step by step! The five years of hard work turned out to be a joke in the end.

'Lydia, Tia, Jerry, I will die before I let you be happy,' Irene promised herself.

Her head was throbbing and her entire body felt like it was being crushed by a huge stone. The pain was overwhelming. Even moving her fingers was painful at this moment.

"Ouch!"

"Irene, wake up!"

Came a choked voice through sobs. Irene opened her eyes in surprise.

She looked at the white ceiling and the white curtains, and the smell of disinfectant filled her nostrils. She was dumbfounded.

'What's going on? Shouldn't I be dead after being run over by that car? Could I have survived such a serious injury?'

"Irene, what's wrong with you? Answer me!"

Hearing the woman's hysterical voice, Irene turned her head and her gaze landed on the woman near her.

Irene almost fell off the bed.

The woman in front of her was none other than her mother, Jessica Lin!

Irene was baffled. She scratched her head, trying hard to recollect. 'If my memory serves me right, when I was 16 years old, I was sent away to Jerry's house as his fiance. Mommy had a big quarrel with me at the time because she objected to it. What's more, when I was living with the Zuo family, I had a car accident. Mommy had come to see me, and I had vented on her.' Her mother had been so heartbroken that it affected her health. She was taken back to America by Irene's grandmother and, since then, they had lost contact with each other.

"Irene, are you still mad at me? Please let me explain. I really didn't know that your daddy would be so heartless as to send you off to the Zuo family even before you finished high school! And the whole thing about your engagement to Jerry was just a joke between me and Aunt Zuo. It was not a serious agreement. I did not agree to you having a relationship with Jerry. Everything was decided by your father, that heartless man! Irene, my child, don't scare me! I have already lost everything. If I lose you again, I really don't know how I will survive! Irene! Say something,"

Jessica wailed. She was afraid that Irene wouldn't believe her, so she kept explaining as she wiped the tears off her face.

Her mother's familiar voice did little to soothe Irene as she was still reeling from the pain of her broken heart. She had caught Tia, whom she once regarded as her biological sister, making out with her fiance, Jerry. Despite the grief, she had no choice but to believe this surreal moment she was in.

No wonder it all felt familiar. Wasn't this how it happened when she was 16 years old? How did the clock turn back? Was this all just a dream or a reality? Was it because God pitied her and gave her a chance to restart her life by transporting her back to the year when she was 16?

It was inconceivable but she had to believe it. She wanted to believe it!

"Mommy?" Irene choked out the word in between sobs.

It was the first time that she had called Jessica 'Mommy' after she divorced Tom. It took her a long time to react.

"Irene, did you...did you just call me, Mommy?" Tears of joy welled up in Jessica's eyes.

Feeling warm inside in spite of the pain, Irene stretched out her bandaged arm with difficulty.

Jessica quickly held Irene's arm so that Irene wouldn't have to exert too much.

"Don't move! You have multiple fractures. The painkillers haven't worn off yet so you won't feel the pain right now. But you will feel the pain as soon as the effect wears off! Besides, your bones are still healing. Be careful not to disrupt the healing process!"

Jessica said with concern, holding her daughter's arm carefully, as if it was the most precious treasure in the world.

It was not until this moment that Irene realized that the person who cared about her the most was not her backstabbing sister, or the man who fooled her with his sweet words and then cheated on her, but it was her mother, her only family.

She recalled that in her previous life she was not loved by her father after he remarried. His family only comprised Lydia and Tia and there was no place for her. But back then, Tia was like an angel, who cared about her and accompanied her everywhere. Irene used to think that Tia was her only family in the world. And her uncaring parents were responsible for all her misfortunes.

Irene's whole world was distorted in those years. She cut all ties with her family, and put herself in the care of the Zuo family, which was full of lies and hypocrisy.

No wonder Jerry hated her so much back then, but after the car accident, he had suddenly become very gentle, perhaps because of Tia.

"Ah! Isn't that Aunt Jessica? How come you are here?"

Tia was wearing an aqua blue dress and white high-heeled shoes made in Italy. She looked dainty and posh like the daughter of an eminent family. Although she looked good, she couldn't hide her inherent tackiness, which was evident from the gaudy sapphire bracelet on her wrist.

Tia liked luxury, but in order to create the image of affluence, she resorted to decking herself up in way too much jewelry than necessary.

Other people didn't know this, but Irene knew very well how Tia's mind worked. It was because she had naively tried very hard at being a good sister and wife. When she was living with Tia and Jerry in the villa, she had assumed the role of a nanny.

Jessica's expression became cold at once. She wiped her tears, fussed over Irene's quilt, and glanced at Tia indifferently.

Tia ignored her expression and calmly walked towards Irene's bed. She immediately held her hand, and her face was full of fake concern and worry. If Irene hadn't been familiar with Tia's hypocritical nature, she would have been stupid enough to fall for her act.

"Irene, are you okay? I was scared to death! When Jerry found out about your accident, he was very worried. He has asked for leave from school!"

said Tia with a worried frown. Seeing Tia's antics, Irene felt sick in her stomach and wanted to vomit.

'Hah! Jerry worries about me? It was more likely for the sun to rise from the West.'

Irene tried her best to conceal her hatred. She simply gazed back at Tia innocently. Compared to Irene, who was the legitimate daughter of the An family, Tia was more favored and spoiled. So Irene knew this was not the right time to expose her.

"Really? How come he's worried about me? I thought he hated me! If he hadn't been so angry with me, I wouldn't have run out and nor would the accident have occurred!"

asked Irene, gently raising her gauze-covered hand to wipe her tears. 'Two can play the same game,' she thought to herself.

"Ah! It hurts! Mommy, it hurts so much!" Irene sobbed miserably.

Tia was completely stunned. She didn't expect Irene to behave so childishly.

She didn't realize that Irene was pretending. She could never imagine her stupid, innocent sister to be conniving.

"Aww! Irene, why are you crying? I will teach that wretched Jerry a good lesson later!"

It was Joan Zhao, Jerry's mother, who had just walked in. She looked at Irene anxiously with guilt and pity written across her face.

Irene was happy to see Joan Zhao.

When she was all alone in a strange family, Joan Zhao had been like a mother to her. She patiently taught Irene everything and genuinely cared for her without any vested interests.

Irene knew that Joan was kind-hearted, so she mentioned her injury to ensure punishment for Jerry.

"Joan, it's probably not the time to talk about this right now, but your son doesn't like Irene. Just look at my daughter. And love can't be forced, can it? It's better to end this now rather than see them unhappy in the future."

Jessica appealed to Joan with tears in her eyes. She stroked Irene's gaunt face with her trembling hands.

Joan was unhappy to hear this. She liked Irene, who was a quiet but sensible girl, from the bottom of her heart.

"We can't do that! Honestly, Jerry is a good boy, but he is a little stubborn and doesn't like to be controlled. And Irene is adorable. I'm sure he will be nice to her henceforth! And I will treat Irene like my daughter. So, Jessica, this marriage... "

pleaded Joan, clutching Jessica's hand. The look of sincerity in her eyes almost melted her heart.

Admittedly, she was touched by Joan's words, but she couldn't change her decision as Irene's fate was at stake.

"Aunt Zuo, I'm sorry! I, I can't marry him. Although I don't hold a place in Daddy's heart, I still have my Mommy. I'm not a wild child with nobody to look out for me or love me!"

Before the car accident, Irene had stormed out of Jerry's house after his nasty comments hurt her deeply, leaving no hope for reconciliation.

Irene's words ruined the glimmer of hope Joan was trying to get from Jessica.

Feeling ashamed, Joan lowered her head. She knew she was in the wrong and couldn't make excuses for it this time.

"Irene, it's not like that..."

Irene struggled to sit up, causing strain on her wound in the process. Immediately, her face turned ashen and she winced in pain.

"What are you doing? Your wounds haven't healed yet. Don't move!"

Jessica gently reprimanded her daughter. Joan also looked worried.

"Marrying into the Zuo family is not the only way for me to be your daughter. If you don't mind, you can be my godmother."

Smiling bitterly through the pain, Irene leaned against her mother.

When Joan realized that both mother and daughter were adamant about breaking off the engagement, she was devastated. Being Jessica's close friend for more than 10 years, she knew that once Jessica made up her mind, no one could change it. What was more, Irene was hurt physically and emotionally this time.

Tia's lips were sealed from the moment Joan had entered the room. She didn't dare to say anything as Joan despised her and her mother ever since Lydia shamelessly swooped in on Jessica's husband. And when Joan learned that Tom didn't care about his daughter as much as he did Tia, it made her even less fond of Tia.

Tia had pinned all her hopes on Jerry. She was desperate to marry into a rich family and get rid of the tag of stepdaughter, which was stuck on her for the past ten years! Now, seeing that Jerry's and Irene's marriage was about to end, she was anxious.

Tia had first laid eyes on Jerry when Tom had sent Irene to the Zuo family house. She was instantly fascinated by the handsome stud.

At that moment, Tia regretted instigating Tom to send Irene to the Zuo family.

Tia told her mother that she didn't want Irene to marry him, but how could Lydia agree? So she had no choice but to let Tia in on her grand scheme.

This arrangement was not what it appeared on the surface. After all, how would Lydia be so kind as to find Irene such a good family?

It turned out that Irene was Tom's only legitimate heir, and she alone held many shares. Lydia was not to be defeated. When she knew that Irene and Jerry were engaged when they were not even born, she began to hatch a plan.

Lydia's goal was to keep Irene away from Tom right from the beginning. Then both mother and daughter would sow dissension between them so that Tom would completely forget the existence of his biological daughter and transfer all the shares and the property to the evil duo.

However, the accident changed all that. Tia had always been vain. When boys tried to flirt with her, she turned her nose up at them. But it was different this time. Tia fell in love with Jerry at first sight and she was certain that he was the one for her. Tia begged her mother to do something to help her win over Jerry. Lydia had to change her strategy and put her mind on Irene and Jerry's marriage. This was the reason behind all the hatred directed at Irene in her previous life.

"Irene, I can't force you. After all, your happiness is at stake. Although I can't be your mother-in-law, I guess the next best thing is to be your godmother,"

said Joan with an affectionate smile.

Irene felt relieved and warmly smiled back.

She glanced at the clock on the wall. There was still five minutes left before Jerry came.

Irene pretended to yawn.

"Irene, you must be sleepy. Take your medicine and sleep well! I'll bring some delicious food for you next time,"

Joan promised and stood up to leave.

Tia, who was standing at the door, panicked when Joan passed her. She was thankful to her mother for training her to pretend to be calm.

"Irene needs to rest now. Get out!"

Jessica had always been straightforward. This was also the reason Tom chose a single mother instead of someone from a famous family when he decided to remarry.

Tia's face fell and she looked at Irene for help.

In her previous life, Irene would have jumped in and protected Tia. But gone was that girl, who was blinded by Tia's lies in her previous life. After her rebirth, Irene had resolved to never do anything to hurt her mother.

She ignored Tia and closed her eyes, pretending to be asleep.

Tia gritted her teeth. How could she find a way to reconcile with her stepsister? She quickly opened her mouth, wanting to wake up Irene.

Before Tia could say anything, a furious Jessica covered her mouth tightly and shoved her out of the ward. Tia was dragged far away from the ward. After making sure that her protests wouldn't reach Irene's ears, Jessica let go of her.