Chapter 1

"Kim, I heard you bought a penthouse at Rainville Prime. You have really made something of yourself."

When I heard Aunt Darcy Sterling's familiar voice again, I nearly dropped my phone.

I glanced at the date on the screen and realized that I had been reborn, back to the day my cousin Tessa Boston was supposed to come stay at my place.

Aunt Darcy didn't notice anything off about me and kept talking. "You know Tessa's always adored you. She just started her summer break, so why not let her stay with you for a few days? You're living alone anyway. That place is huge. Isn't it too lonely by yourself? Having Tessa there would liven things up."

She said it as if Tessa coming over was some great favor to me.

Just as I was about to refuse, Tessa's voice came through. "Kim, where do you live? Send me the address. I'll head over today."

The moment I heard her voice, the air around me seemed to turn scorching hot. The sensation of being swallowed by a heat wave, just like before I died in my last life, surged back into my chest.

In my previous life, I had worked for five years, finally paying in full for the most luxurious penthouse in Rainville. Not long after graduating high school, Tessa had said she wanted to stay at my place.

I wanted to turn her down. I had never been fond of Tessa, and her entire family was opportunistic.

Back when we had nothing, holiday visits passed with them scarcely sparing my parents a glance. When Aunt Darcy passed out Christmas gifts, she would intentionally leave me out, insisting that kids from poor families had to mature faster. She said denying me gifts was meant to teach me hardship, so I would be more driven in the future.

After graduating, I joined a publicly traded company and quickly rose through the ranks thanks to my hard work. I also dabbled in investments on the side and earned a good sum.

Suddenly, her family resurfaced, implying that my success was entirely due to their strict upbringing and the pressure they had put on me as a child, and that I owed them something in return.

I acted as if I hadn't heard a single word. That was my plan again this time, but Mom reminded me that they were relatives and it was best not to make things too awkward, lest they think we had grown arrogant with our success.

Without asking me, they sent Tessa straight to my place.

At first, Tessa kept up appearances and seemed well-behaved. However, it didn't take long for her true nature to surface. She played cheesy DJ tracks at full volume through the surround sound system while filming herself singing. I couldn't get a moment of rest.

I warned her several times, but she ignored me. Eventually, she started bringing her high school friends over to throw parties. Neighbors complained about the noise, and I was reported more than once.

My patience ran out, and I told them to keep the noise down. She took it as a personal attack, claiming I was trying to humiliate her in front of her friends. Later, while I was watering plants on the balcony, she locked me out.

My phone was inside, so I couldn't call for help. In the scorching 109.4°F heat, sweat ran down me, leaving my clothes constantly soaked and drying in cycles.

Salt stains spread across the fabric. My throat was so dry that it felt like I had swallowed sand. By noon, my vision blurred, and I slumped against the glass door, begging her to let me back inside.

Instead of helping, she filmed me and sent the video to her group chat, mocking me. "Look at her, playing the victim. Wasn't she so tough on us just a few days ago?"

My consciousness faded. Even the air I breathed felt scorching. I screamed for help again and again until no sound came out. She watched coldly as I was burned alive by the heat on that balcony.

The memory made hatred churn violently in my chest.

I didn't bother making excuses. I refused outright. "Sorry, I'm not letting her stay at my place."

I hung up immediately and collapsed onto the floor, gasping for breath. The central AC blew a steady stream of cool air, gradually chasing away the suffocating heat. I clenched my fists.

This time, I wasn't going to end up trapped in that nightmare again.