She Turned Our Family Into NPCs

Suzy was the only normal person in our family. While our father drank himself into oblivion, our mother gambled away everything, and I descended into mental illness, she sacrificed everything to pay our debts and keep us alive. She even found the best doctors to treat me. We all carried a lifetime of guilt for dragging her down. Then she became engaged to the heir of the most powerful family in the country. Only after I died in a psychiatric hospital did I uncover the horrifying truth. Suzy had been chosen by a system. My father's alcoholism, my mother's gambling addiction, and even my mental illness were never accidents. They had been carefully engineered to create the perfect tragic backstory for her, shaping her into the resilient, selfless heroine. We were nothing more than disposable tools in her mission, used until we had served our purpose and then discarded. Chapter 1 I died. A psychotic episode drove me to self-harm, and it killed me. Just yesterday, I had been actively cooperating with my treatment. The doctor had even said I'd recover soon and be discharged from the hospital. But now I was dead. I couldn't accept it because my self-harm hadn't been voluntary. In that moment, it felt as though an outside force had taken control of my body. No matter how hard I struggled, I couldn't resist. The sharpened toothbrush plunged straight into my carotid artery, and the resulting blood loss killed me. I wasn't even a medical professional. How could I have struck such a precise spot with that kind of accuracy? If I was dead, what would happen to my little sister? Suzy Hilton was still so young. Dad would probably go back to abusing her whenever he got drunk, and Mom would keep pressuring her for money. Maybe my worry for Suzy was too strong to let me move on. After I died, my soul lingered instead of passing on and drifted to her side. She wasn't at work. She was inside an extravagant mansion. It was so luxurious that even if Mom somehow won every gambling bet for the rest of her life, she'd never be able to afford a place like this. I was dumbfounded. Before I could figure out why Suzy was here, I heard her speak. "System, is everything taken care of?" "The arrangements have been completed. The host's older sister died from self-inflicted injuries during a psychotic episode at 10:00 a.m. And the host's parents died in a gas explosion at 12:00 p.m." The mechanical voice echoed through the room, and my soul froze. Mom and Dad were dead too. That meant Suzy was all alone in this world. Even though our parents had changed after I turned 10, they'd once loved and cared for us when we were little. Hearing they were dead still hurt, even as a soul. At that moment, all I could think about was Suzy. I rushed to her side. I thought that even as a ghost, I could still comfort her. To my shock, there wasn't a trace of sadness on her face. Instead, the corners of her lips lifted into a smile. "Good job." For a moment, I wondered if I had misheard her. My little sister, who had always protected us, had heard about our deaths without showing the slightest hint of grief. Instead, she looked happy. No, more than happy. My resilient, unyielding little sister was beaming with excitement. I heard her tell the system that all of us, her tools, had finally been written out. Her mission would soon be complete. She would finally be able to marry the heir of the most powerful family in the city. No one would ever hold her back again. I was completely stunned. She kept talking to the system about all the hardships she had endured over the years. With every sentence, my heart grew colder. I had always wondered why Dad, who had barely touched alcohol when I was young, had suddenly become a heavy drinker during Suzy's high school years. I had wondered why Mom, who had hated gambling her entire life, had suddenly become addicted to it during those same years. And I had always been bright and hardworking. Every teacher said I had what it took to get into one of the country's top universities. But during my second year of high school, I had suddenly been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. So this was the truth. Everything had happened only to create opportunities for Suzy. It was all so she could appear beside the city's elite heir as a fragile yet resilient girl who needed protecting. We had only ever been tools assigned to her by the system. But why? Why did our lives have to be sacrificed for her wealth and luxury? We could have lived ordinary, happy lives. Chapter 2 The overwhelming resentment inside me made me want to tear Suzy apart. However, I was only a soul. Aside from passing straight through her body, there was nothing I could do. An aged, weathered voice echoed around me. "You can exchange your soul for one chance to start over." Without a second thought, I agreed. I had to stop Suzy from turning our entire family into tools for her mission. My wonderful parents didn't deserve an ending like that. … When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back in my bedroom during my second year of high school. I knew it without a doubt because the certificates on the wall were still there, untouched. This was the year I had been diagnosed with a severe mental illness. Whenever my condition flared up, my grades plummeted. Those certificates that had once filled me with pride became a constant source of frustration that year. Every time I had an episode, I'd tear another one from the wall: First Prize, Grand Prize, National Math Olympiad Award, and so on. The wall that had once been covered with certificates was eventually stripped bare by my own hands. I went from being one of the top students in the advanced class to someone who never even took the college entrance exam because everyone believed I was insane. In my previous life, I'd always been overwhelmed by guilt toward Suzy. I hated myself. I hated having a mental illness. I hated becoming a burden to her. But now, as I looked at the wall covered with certificates, only one thought remained. I should have had a brilliant future. A mechanical voice echoed inside my head. "Congratulations, host. You've successfully bound to the Mission System." Although I had never heard Suzy's system in my previous life, I knew the instant it spoke that it was hers. Sure enough, the very next second, the system introduced my target. It was Jonathan Hayes, the owner of the mansion where Suzy had lived in my previous life. At that moment, my emotions became indescribably complicated. "In order to help the host complete the mission as quickly as possible, you may alter your family according to the target's preferences." The system displayed the message in a friendly prompt. As I stared at those words, my heart ached with every beat. Even now, I could hardly believe what I was seeing. The tragedy that had destroyed my family in my previous life had begun with nothing more than a single sentence from the system. You may alter your family according to the target's preferences. The system didn't provide many details. It only explained that Jonathan disliked people with perfect backgrounds. Someone resilient and self-reliant would be more likely to awaken his protective instincts. "Can I choose not to change my family?" I asked the system. I wasn't Suzy. I could never use such despicable methods against my own family the way she had. "You may. As long as the host successfully captures the heart of the city's elite heir and completes the mission. Friendly reminder, failure to complete the mission will result in the host being permanently erased by the system." I finally understood how the system worked, and I understood my situation. In other words, as long as I found another way to complete the mission, the system wouldn't interfere with my family's fate. With ten years ahead of me, I'd have more than enough time to try countless solutions. But if my memories were correct, the tragedy that had destroyed my family in my previous life would start now. Suzy hadn't hesitated for even a second before choosing to sacrifice our family. Was she really my sister? Even wild animals wouldn't treat their own family this way. My chest burned with rage. I couldn't suppress it, no matter how hard I tried. I wanted to see Suzy. I wanted to know whether that innocent, adorable girl on the surface was actually a monster in disguise. What I didn't expect was that the moment I stepped out of my room, I saw Suzy standing in the corner, quietly shouting in anger. Chapter 3 "System! Get your ass out here! In my previous life, didn't you show up around this time? Now you're hiding from me, huh? Do you even want me to complete your mission anymore?" Suzy growled under her breath. This version of Suzy was nothing like the obedient, well-behaved girl I remembered. Maybe there was no point questioning it anymore. A person's true nature was often obvious from the way they spoke. Still, one thing puzzled me. Logically, the system had already bound itself to me and was pushing me to pursue Jonathan. Suzy shouldn't have known it even existed. So why was she talking to it as though it were standing right in front of her? "Host, because your soul's resentment was too strong in your previous life, the mission was forcibly terminated. The main system had no choice but to reset everything and start over. "Because of that, I switched hosts. However, since she was the chosen target in your previous life, her memories couldn't be erased. In a sense, she also returned with memories of her past life." After hearing the system's explanation, I finally understood. I pressed my lips together and said nothing. My parents spotted me and froze for a moment before hurrying over. "Abby, why are you still standing here instead of going to bed? It's so late." Seeing them safe and unharmed made my eyes sting with tears. They were still all right. Dad hadn't become the sloppy man who reeked of alcohol after years of drinking. He still looked like the neat, capable middle-aged man I remembered. Mom hadn't developed dark circles or a gambling addiction after countless nights at the tables. Right now, she was still the stunning biracial beauty she had always been. Mom noticed something was wrong and pulled me into her arms. "What's wrong, sweetheart? We were just checking on you. Are you upset?" She reached out, ready to see if I was all right. The moment she came closer, I wrapped my arms around her. I was going to protect my parents no matter what. What happened in my previous life would never happen again. "Nothing. I just wanted to hug you and Dad," I mumbled. I couldn't tell my parents what had happened in my previous life, so I would have to protect them on my own. "You're all grown up. Why are you still acting like a little kid?" Dad said, but he had already walked over and let me hug him too. Their embrace filled my heart with warmth. My parents had never been wealthy, but before the system twisted their lives, they had loved me deeply. They had always been kind, understanding parents who listened to their child. At that moment, I made up my mind. I would do everything I could to protect them. Meanwhile, Suzy desperately called for the system while plotting how to win Jonathan over. I didn't care about any of that. I was only a sophomore in high school. Without the system, I shouldn't suddenly develop a mental illness. Before anything else, I needed to focus on my studies. Good grades were my only chance at a better future. I threw myself into studying with a renewed sense of urgency, determined to rebuild the knowledge I had lost from my previous life. Even though I had spent the last few years in an unstable mental state, my mind was young and healthy again. If I worked hard enough, I could return to my previous academic level. I barely had time to feel relieved before I discovered something that filled me with rage. It happened on Friday. When I got home from school, I saw Suzy standing in front of Dad with a bottle of hard liquor in her hands. Chapter 4 Suzy put on the perfect innocent act. "Dad, I heard at school that drinking a little hard liquor can help you live longer. I even asked the convenience store owner about it. This brand is the best and most suitable for you, so I used all my pocket money to buy it for you." She sounded like a pure, naive, dutiful daughter. After hearing it was good for his health, she had supposedly spent every cent of her pocket money on it. As she spoke, she uncapped the bottle and poured a glass, clearly intending to get Dad to drink. My parents looked completely bewildered. They probably couldn't understand how alcohol was supposed to strengthen the body. Looking at Suzy, they saw nothing more than an innocent daughter with good intentions. Unfortunately for her, I had already lived through this once. I saw through her scheme immediately. She was trying to change destiny itself. Even without the system, she still wanted to follow the same path, using this stunt to create the image of a resilient, pitiable girl in front of Jonathan. I stepped forward and knocked the glass onto the floor. "Suzy, what are you doing?" The moment I interrupted her, dissatisfaction flashed across her face. Ignoring her expression, I said bluntly, "Suzy, do you even know how harmful alcohol is? Long-term drinking can lead to alcoholism. If you don't even have this basic common sense, then I don't think you need to keep studying. School clearly isn't helping you." My words were merciless. Suzy's expression changed instantly. Anger and grievance filled her face, but my words were so direct and absolute that she couldn't argue back. All she could do was lower her head and cry pitifully. Completely unaware of Suzy's true intentions, Mom immediately disapproved of my reaction. "Abby, even if Suzy didn't express her love the right way, she only did this because she cares about Dad. You can reason with your sister properly. You don't have to be so harsh with her," Mom said seriously. Hearing Mom patiently reason with me made my nose sting. She was such a sensible mother. Yet in my previous life, after Suzy manipulated her through the system, she had become someone who did nothing but gamble and play cards. "Don't cry, Abby. Your mom has a point. You're both grown up now. You need to pay attention to how you speak," Dad said as he hurried over to comfort me. The more they acted this way, the more bitterness welled up inside me. At the same time, my resentment toward Suzy kept growing. Our parents had always treated us equally. They had never favored one of us over the other. I couldn't understand why she had never learned to be grateful or why she treated our entire family as nothing more than tools. Worse still, in my previous life, after completing her mission and preparing to get married, she had ordered the system to erase us completely. She hadn't left us even the slightest chance to survive. All because, once she was married, we would have been a humiliating reminder of her poor, broken family, something that would have lowered her status in the eyes of others. But that tragedy was entirely her own doing. She was the one who had destroyed our family. What right did she have to despise it? Still crying, Suzy walked outside. Mom saw her and immediately followed to comfort her. Dad held my hand and sighed helplessly. "Abby, let's eat out tonight. Just be more careful with your words next time." Just like that, the four of us went out for a walk before having dinner together. ... At the dinner table, Suzy took the initiative to admit her mistake. She put on a pitiful act, saying she had been ignorant and had almost harmed Dad. She looked deeply remorseful. Listening to her performance, I found it nothing but ironic. If Suzy had truly understood that those things were wrong, then our family would never have ended up the way it did in my previous life.