Guess Who Wins, Again

And just like that, they adopted me.Back at their mansion, I downed a steaming bowl of chochoyotes and called them "Dad" and "Mom."Later, I sent Ruth a text:[Think getting adopted by my dad from the last life means you'll be living the dream?]Her reply came faster than I expected:[Suri, you were reborn too?][Doesn't matter. Jeremy adopted me now.][Before long, your fancy new family will go bankrupt. Just wait—you'll be begging on the streets, haha.]I read her messages and couldn't help but smirk.She had no clue. Jeremy's success? Yeah, that was all me. Without my help, he'd stay a small-town butcher forever.Her little fantasy had already crashed and burned. She just didn't know it yet.But I didn't bother explaining.I'd let the truth hit her later—hard.***The next morning, I said to Benjamin, "Dad, I've always admired you and Carter Corp. Can I visit your company sometime?"His expression didn't change, but I caught the faintest twitch of his brow. He didn't

When I walked out of the restroom, the gasps came quick. Every eye in the room zeroed in on the bruises blooming across my face and hands.Back in class, I reached into my desk for a book—and froze. My fingers hit something sticky.A used pad.Even though I'd given Ruth exactly what she wanted, she wasn't done with me—not even close.Then it got worse. Homework? Gone. Textbooks? Doodled all over with the nastiest insults you could imagine. Random strangers on the street? Whispering, throwing out dirty words as I passed.Finally, one classmate stepped up, her voice shaky. "Suri, this is... too much. Should we tell the teacher? Or, I don't know, the police?"...I turned them all down.It wasn't until the halls were empty, the school eerily quiet, that I climbed up to the rooftop and let out a laugh.Ruth was such an idiot.Sure, she could follow my lead, but she'd never get rich.She might even end up dead.Compared to that, her little pranks? Nothing.***When Ruth shoved

As Ruth's car sped off far enough, I dusted myself off and stood.Chad had been watching. I knew it. Somewhere behind those tinted windows.I couldn't risk being noticed. Not now. Not even for a second.Ruth, clueless as ever—or maybe just too full of herself to care—would never understand this: in my last life, I didn't get any help from someone else introducing me to Chad. I created the opportunity myself to climb my way up.That night, the one that changed everything, I had walked into The Delancey alone, disguised as a server. No backup, no safety net.With a tray in hand, I served drinks at Chad's table. He sat with government officials and high-powered businessmen, all of them radiating power that could crush me if I slipped up.I gritted my teeth and leaned on every scrap of financial knowledge I had, talking fast and sharp to keep the conversation lively and engaging.Every word was a gamble. One wrong move, one misstep, and I was finished. But I couldn't fail—not that n

The alternate route wound through a quiet mountain road, twisting and turning, but it seemed like we'd make it to the exam site just fine.Then my phone rang.It was Ruth.A sharp pang of unease struck me as I answered.Her voice was soft but cutting, dripping with malice. "Suri, listen closely. You didn't go to school in our last life, and you're not going to college in this one either. You'll rot in the mud forever. Even after you're dead, as a ghost, watch me live gloriously!"Before I could respond, George's panicked shout cut in. "The brakes aren't working!"The car was speeding out of control, heading straight for a cliff.My heart pounded. I grabbed the emergency hammer from my bag, smashed the window, and yelled, "Jump!"I threw myself out of the car, hitting the ground hard and rolling. Pain shot through me, but I didn't stop until I was clear of the road.A screech of tires pierced the air as another car skidded to a stop inches from me. If the driver had been any sl

Ruth was livid, demanding Chad punish Irina. But Chad? Completely smitten with Irina. He ignored Ruth's tantrums and shielded Irina like she was untouchable.Then, things got worse. A provincial task force launched an investigation into organized crime, targeting Chad's operation. His men started getting arrested left and right, caught red-handed in their dirty dealings.Ruth panicked, blowing up my phone with calls. I blocked her without a second thought.Why? Because I was the one tipping off the authorities.In my last life, I'd been forced to work as Chad's right-hand woman, dragged into his criminal world. I bided my time, secretly collecting evidence to take him down.But before I could act, Ruth ruined everything—and got me killed in the process.This time, I stayed far out of reach. Chad didn't even know who I was. When his empire crumbled, he had no idea I was the one behind it.As he searched for a traitor, all eyes landed on Ruth.Not long after, she vanished.After