Reborn: I Won't Change Her Fate Anymore

My parents want my sister, Rachael Booth, to marry rich so badly they try to talk her into dropping out of high school during her senior year. I do everything I can to stop them. "Mom, Dad, women can take care of themselves these days. Besides, wealthy families care about education too!" They back down because of my words. But later, Rachael never marries into money. Instead, she falls for a hooligan in college and ends up in an abusive marriage. Mom screams at me, "This is all your fault, you jinx! If we hadn't listened to you, Rachael would be living the high life right now!" Dad is just as furious. "You just want to ruin her life, don't you? You just can't stand to see your sister happy!" Rachael buys into their narrative completely, genuinely believing I am the one who ruined her future. One night, she kills me with a knife. When I open my eyes, I realize I'm right back to the day Mom is trying to convince Rachael to give up on college. Chapter 1 "Mom, I don't want to get married. I want to go to college and make something of myself." "You know nothing! For a woman, finding a husband is all that matters!" A familiar sob echoed in my ears, followed closely by the sharp crack of a slap. I forced my eyes open just in time to see Mom striking my sister Rachael Booth across the face. It was the exact same scene I had witnessed in my previous life. Dad was puffing on his pipe nearby. Noticing me staring, he rapped the pipe hard against my forehead and snapped, "What are you staring at? Help us convince your sister. Nowadays, nothing beats marrying well. You're already a lost cause. Do you want Rachael to end up ruined like you?" His words turned everyone's attention toward me, and my heart missed a beat. Grandma frowned in mild disapproval. Her wrinkled face was filled with worry. "Selena, you're the educated one here. Talk some sense into your parents. Who forces their child to drop out of school just to get married? What will people say about them?" My mind raced back to the answer I had given in my last life. Back then, I'd believed Rachael should stay in school. After all, relying on yourself was always better than relying on someone else. But the moment those words left my mouth, I was slapped. This time, Mom moved even faster. She smacked the back of my head and sneered. "What's the point of asking her? She failed to land a good husband herself, so of course she doesn't want to see Rachael succeed. "Listen, it's the Hesters who are looking for a daughter-in-law. Mrs. Hester explicitly said that a woman's virtue lies in her lack of ambition. She only took a liking to Rachael because she's pretty and looks like she can bear children." Mom held her head high, acting as if this were some grand achievement. Even the protesting Rachael fell silent, and Grandma's resolve began to waver. After all, the Hester family was one of the wealthiest families in the entire state. Forget marrying into the family, even just landing a job with them was considered a jackpot. I understood my family's hesitation perfectly. They were waiting for me to speak, so that whether Rachael married or not, they could pin the blame on me. All because I was just the adopted daughter. Rachael's anger vanished, and she grabbed my hand. "I'll do whatever Selena says. She's working now and knows how the world works." Mom and Dad glared at me instantly, their eyes threatening to beat me to death if I dared say a single wrong word. My legs went weak out of habit, but I forced myself to stand tall. "Rachael, you're lucky to have this opportunity. I'm happy for you. Just listen to Mom. She'd never hurt you." I chose a completely different answer from my last life. Mom let out a sigh of relief and actually gave me a rare smile. Dad also patted the spot where he had struck me and smiled warmly. "See? I knew Selena was sensible and wouldn't talk nonsense. Don't take what happened earlier to heart. We were just worried Rachael might choose the wrong path." They put on their hypocritical smiles again, playing the part of a loving family perfectly. I fought down the wave of nausea rising in my stomach as memories of their true nature from my previous life flooded back. Back then, Mom had preached the exact same nonsense. She'd treated marrying into the Hester family like a divine blessing and snapped at anyone who disagreed. And I had been the fool who stuck my neck out. I hadn't wanted Rachael to be trapped in this backwater valley forever, so I had tried to reason with Mom and Dad from every angle. Chapter 2 I had said, "Mom, Dad, women can take care of themselves these days. Besides, wealthy families care about education too." Those words had made Dad hesitate. He knew better than anyone the perks of a respectable job in this day and age. Grandma, who was already against the idea, immediately threw her arms around Rachael, coddling her. "Did you hear that? Selena said education is the only way out. Don't you dare ruin my granddaughter's life!" At that time, Mom had given me a dark, unreadable look, silently cursing me for sticking my nose where it didn't belong. And while Grandma had spoken up for me, every single word she said was a reminder that this was my idea. If anything went wrong in the future, the blame would fall entirely on me. With half the family opposed, the idea of making Rachel drop out of school was put on hold. I was genuinely happy for her, and I secretly handed over all my savings to her. "Rachael, you have to get out of this place. Make something of yourself!" But instead of studying, she ended up falling for a deadbeat hooligan. By the time we found out, Rachael was already pregnant. Unable to face the public humiliation, Mom and Dad rushed through a wedding and married her off. The guy had no job and lived off his parents. He wasn't a college student at all, just a thug drifting around the area where they met. Rachael threw a few fits when she realized she'd been deceived, but it only earned her brutal beatings. Living miles away, we couldn't protect her. She endured two years of that abuse until she couldn't take it anymore and ran back home. As Mom held her precious daughter, her eyes burned with a hatred so intense it felt like it could pierce right through me. "This is all your fault, you jinx! If we hadn't listened to you, Rachael would be living the high life right now!" Dad kicked me to the ground without a shred of hesitation. "You just want to ruin her life, don't you? You just can't stand to see your sister happy!" "You wicked girl! My poor Rachael!" Grandma wailed at the top of her lungs, but her tears weren't for me. Her heart ached for Rachael, and she had completely forgotten that she had opposed the idea as well. The blame lay solely on me. Ignoring the throbbing pain, I banged my head against the floor over and over, begging for forgiveness. I didn't dare say a single negative word about Rachael. Even though I knew that this was the consequence of her own failure to study, I had to take the blame, or Mom and Dad would literally beat me to death. Seeing me submit so easily only fueled Mom's rage. She took my compliance as a guilty confession. She and Dad tied me up in the woodshed, shoved a rag into my mouth, and beat me up. Grandma, too frail to do much, just struck me repeatedly with a broom. The nightmare didn't end until nightfall. As I lay on the dirt floor, barely catching my breath, Rachael walked in under the moonlight. The knife in her hand reflected a chilling gleam. Before I could react, she drove the blade into me. As my eyes widened in bitter disbelief, her final curse echoed in my ears. "It's all your fault, you jinx. You ruined my life." When my blood splattered across her face, I saw Rachael clearly for the very first time. Her expression was utterly monstrous. "What are you standing around daydreaming for? Just because you said a few nice words doesn't mean you get out of cooking, you lazy brat." Mom's kick to my backside snapped me out of my thoughts. She scoffed at my hesitation. I nodded obediently, hurrying into the kitchen. Now that the family was in full agreement, they would be discussing how to pull Rachael out of school. It was better that I wasn't there anyway. The more I knew, the sooner I'd die. Because I had been given a second chance, I felt exceptionally cheerful. I even walked over to the market to buy a nice cut of meat. Since Rachael was dropping out, I didn't need to save money for her anymore. Besides, she was a total ungrateful leech. I'd rather throw my money down the drain than give her another dime. The neighborhood ladies noticed my good mood along the way and called out to greet me, asking how Rachael was doing in school. She had been the village's bright hope for college. But now, that road was completely blocked. I looked up, feigning an innocent, timid curiosity. "Mrs. Murray, what kind of people are the Hesters, exactly?" Village women love nothing more than gossip. Swapping rumors about who was doing what was their favorite way to pass the time. Hearing my question, Mrs. Murray quickly leaned in closer and pulled me over to the side. Chapter 3 Mrs. Murray said, "You must have heard that the Hesters are looking for a wife. Listen, you're about to graduate, so don't get fooled. Their heir already has a girlfriend. It's just that his mom is old-fashioned and refuses to accept her. "She insists on getting a woman from the countryside, claiming they're easier to manage and better for bearing children. Isn't it obvious she just wants someone she can bully? Mark my words, she won't win against her own son anyway." Her words cleared up all my doubts. Pushing aside my thoughts, I quickly offered a few compliments and hurried home. Mom probably knew about this as well. But she was so used to getting her way that she assumed the Hesters would be no different. Otherwise, she wouldn't have picked Rachael to marry into that family. She would have picked me. Because in this house, I was the most expendable person. Having figured everything out, I forced down the bitterness in my chest, put on a smile, and walked through the front gate. The moment I stepped inside, a mug came flying straight at my face. It hit me square in the forehead, and blood instantly began to trickle down. I didn't try to dodge. I just carelessly wiped the blood away and gritted my teeth. "Dad, Mom, what's wrong?" "You useless brat! We told you to make dinner, and you've been running around all day? Don't think going to college means you're independent now. Listen carefully, you're going to slave away for this family for the rest of your life!" Mom glared at me with raised eyebrows. The only reason I had been allowed to go to college in the first place was because the villagers had convinced them. They told my parents that an education would increase my value and allow me to bring more money home. Only then did Mom and Dad reluctantly drop the idea of marrying me off. But over the years, they never stopped thinking about how to squeeze every bit of value from me or how to sell me off for a good price at the earliest opportunity. I couldn't get angry. I couldn't repeat the mistakes of my last life. I repeated this to myself like a mantra as I held up the meat in my hand. "Dad, Mom, Grandma, since we had good news today, I went out to get a nice cut of meat for us to celebrate!" At the sight of food, Mom's anger vanished, and she gave a dismissive grunt. Dad hurried over to pick up the mug and offered a warm smile. "Selena, you've always been such a good daughter." That smile sent a shiver down my spine. It was always the same—Mom and Dad playing good cop, bad cop. But in reality, Dad was a wolf in sheep's clothing. In my previous life, he was the one who had dismembered my body without blinking, then threw the pieces into a cement mixer to build the woodshed wall. The terror of him was etched into my very soul, making my scalp crawl. Yet, I kept my composure and walked into the kitchen to cook. As I washed the vegetables, tears splashed onto the leaves. Only then did I realize my face was already soaked. By the time dinner was over, Rachael had completely calmed down. She had quickly accepted her new reality as a bride-to-be. Her mind was filled with illusions of a glamorous future. Seeing me working with a bloody gash on my head, she walked over with a look of pity. "Don't be too jealous of me, Selena. After all, I'm the biological daughter here. It's only natural that Mom and Dad look out for me. You really should take better care of your appearance, though. Look at that scar. You'll never find a husband at this rate." Because of our parents' influence, Rachael had always looked down on me. She believed I had been born inferior and was meant to be stepped on. Grandma was overjoyed about the marriage arrangement. She impatiently shoved me aside and eagerly pressed a bundle into Rachael's hands. "These are all the treasures I've been saving. Take them with you, Rachael. No one is going to look down on you." When it came to my education, there was never any money for tuition. But when it came to Rachael getting married, they were terrified she might suffer the slightest slight. I was used to this kind of treatment, but it still stung. They didn't even bother to hide their conversation from me, excitedly discussing the wedding arrangements. I had no idea where they got the confidence to be so thrilled over something that wasn't even a done deal yet. Chapter 4 The next morning, Mom and Dad started getting Rachael ready at the crack of dawn. They had already arranged a meeting with the Hesters and were absolutely determined to seal the deal. For the first time ever, they dragged me along. Rachael tilted her chin up at me. "Selena, you'll never get to live a life of luxury like this, but I don't mind letting you tag along to see what it looks like." Today was Monday. She had completely abandoned the idea of going to school. When the principal called her, she even snapped back arrogantly over the phone. "School is for peasants trying to change their lives. I'm going to marry into a rich family!" The moment Rachael laid eyes on the Hesters' massive estate, she became even more convinced that she had made the right choice. Still, she didn't miss the chance to put me down. "Just look, Selena. Don't touch anything. Otherwise, you could work for the rest of your life and still not be able to pay for it." She was reminding me that she was the one getting married. I kept my head down and stayed silent. So what if they were rich? There was a reason the old sayings warned against marrying outside your social class. I only looked up once we met Mr. and Mrs. Hester. Just as I had expected, their son was nowhere to be seen. A young man influenced by modern ideas would naturally rebel against an arranged marriage. Even if Rachael managed to wed into the family, her life would be a living hell. Besides, going by the timeline of my previous life, he was scheduled to flee the country with his girlfriend in just a few days. Knowing that the less I said, the better, I kept my mouth shut and stayed in the background. Rachael, on the other hand, was paraded around like a piece of merchandise. "Not bad. She looks like she'll bear healthy children with those wide hips. And I heard she made it to high school, so there won't be too much of a communication gap with my son. Let's move forward with the engagement." The moment Mrs. Hester gave her approval, Mom was over the moon. She nudged me hard with her foot, and the whole family immediately bowed in gratitude. In a normal household, a family would wait for suitors to come begging for their daughter's hand. But the way Mom handled this made Racheal seem so desperate that an outsider might have thought she was going to become the mistress rather than the wife. I kept my thoughts to myself, watching them exchange verbal promises. Rachael blushed every now and then, seemingly not caring at all what her future husband looked like or if he even wanted this marriage. On the way back, Mom and Dad kept hammering into me. "We only brought you along to broaden your horizons. Don't even think about competing with Rachael, and don't go running off with the first man you see. We don't expect you to match Rachael's luck, but we raised you all these years. You'd better weigh your options wisely." I feigned a look of deep melancholy and sighed heavily. "Mom, Dad, I've gone to school for so many years, and I still can't marry into a family like that. You can't just care about Rachael." I needed to secure some money quickly, leave this place, and get back to campus. By the time Mom and Dad realized the wedding wasn't happening, it would be too late. Seeing my resentful reaction, Rachael became terrified that I might ruin her chances and began nagging Mom and Dad to send me away. Since I had only taken a few days off anyway, and they wanted to coddle their precious daughter, they readily agreed. And so, after watching them officially withdraw Rachael from school, I boarded a train back to college. Sitting in the train car, I cried my eyes out. This time, I had finally escaped the wolves' den, and I was never going back. Rachael called me every day, bragging about how wealthy the Hesters were and how she would soon have maids to order around. I offered casual responses. One day, my phone rang frantically, followed by an immediate roar of fury. I pulled the receiver away from my ear as Rachael shrieked hysterically, "You bitch! You were the one who talked Mom into making me drop out of school! Now I don't have a diploma, and I can't get married! You wanted to ruin my life!" "You bitch! You knew all along that the Hester guy was going to run away, didn't you? You deliberately pushed Rachael into this mess just to ruin her!" Mom screamed into the phone. She had completely forgotten whose idea this marriage had been in the first place. I lowered my voice and explained in exasperation, "Mom, you were the one who met the Hesters, and you were the one who made Rachael drop out to get married. How can you blame me?" Mom was absolutely beside herself with rage. Even through the phone, I could practically feel her rage.