Chapter 3

They left without looking back.

Not long after they were gone, a rescue worker came over with a lollipop, trying to cheer me up. "Hey, sweetheart, don't cry. How about I take you to the camp?"

There was no response.

Sensing that something was wrong, the rescue worker turned me over. The moment she saw my ashen face, she went pale.

Her hands trembling, she reached down to check my pulse.

"Captain, quick! This kid isn't breathing!" she screamed in panic.

And just like that, my life came to an end. My soul drifted back to my parents.

When they learned that Bryan had only suffered a few minor injuries, they breathed a sigh of relief. But they were still frowning.

"I can't believe Renee is so selfish!" Mom grumbled. "She actually tried to take the ambulance spot from Bryan. Could that old man really have been right? Did she do it on purpose?"

Dad remained silent.

In my previous life, I had tried to explain why Bryan and I had swapped clothes. But at Bryan's funeral, a psychic pointed at me and claimed, "This girl has been reborn! She swapped clothes with her brother on purpose so she could have your love all to herself!"

Back then, Mom and Dad had dismissed him as a crackpot. But now that they had been reborn themselves, they began to wonder if the psychic had been right.

"If that's true, she's a monster!" Mom snapped. "I won't let her hurt Bryan again. I need to make arrangements to protect our assets from her!"

Dad sighed. "Aren't you being a bit paranoid? She treated us well in our past life."

"She's only nice to us because she felt guilty over Bryan's death. Tell me honestly. Who matters more to you, your daughter or your son?"

Dad pressed his lips together and said nothing. His answer was obvious.

Just then, Mom's phone rang. It was the rescue team calling.

Both my parents' expressions changed.

I felt a strange sense of anticipation. Soon, they would find out that I was dead. Without me weighing them down, they would probably be thrilled.

Mom picked up her phone, and my heart tightened.

But just as she was about to answer, Bryan suddenly began to cry. "Mom, don't go! Don't save Renee and leave me behind!"

Mom's expression softened. She immediately put down the phone and pulled him into a tight embrace. "Don't cry, Bryan. You're the one I love most. We don't need Renee. Nobody wants her!"

I stared blankly at them and felt a sharp pain in my heart that no longer beat.

When the call went unanswered, the rescue team sent a message instead.

Mom saw my name and tossed the phone aside in annoyance. "Look at her. She's become so calculating after being reborn. She even had the rescue team call us just to compete with Bryan for our attention."

I couldn't help but laugh bitterly and mumbled, "I don't have to compete for your attention anymore, Mom. I'm already dead. Now you can give all your love to Bryan."

…

A week later, Mom and Dad happily brought Bryan home from the hospital.

"Renee, we're home!" Mom called out, but there was no answer.

Grandma came out, her eyes red from crying. "Stop calling. Renee isn't coming back."

Mom froze for a second, then rushed into my bedroom.

When she saw that it was empty, she scoffed. "Unbelievable! She's getting more and more spoiled. Running away just because we scolded her? Fine by me! That's one less burden to deal with. Now, I can give Bryan all my attention!"

Grandma hurried over and tried to stop her. "Enough. She hasn't been gone long. How do you think she'll feel if she hears you say that?"

Mom sneered, growing even angrier. "I want her to hear it! She's just an ungrateful brat! I wouldn't shed a single tear even if she died!"

Dad stepped in, taking Mom's side. "She's right, Mom. Renee has been out of line lately. A tough lesson will do her good."

Grandma opened her mouth as if she wanted to say something, but in the end, she only shook her head in disappointment and walked away.

Mom was convinced I'd crawl back home within a few days. But a whole week passed, and there was still no sign of me.