Rebirth: I'll Ruin My Martyr Mother

Mom's little act of playing the generous patron with money that wasn't hers was nothing new to me.I had seen it all in my previous life. Still, when she stood at the podium and announced that my financial aid would be given to someone else, I was still taken aback by her sheer audacity.The entire class stared at me in surprise and admiration, but the instant she finished speaking, I got to my feet. "Who said I was withdrawing my financial aid application?"She had deliberately announced it to the whole class before asking me, hoping to pressure me into accepting it.Too bad for her. What was mine was mine, and no one was going to take it away.Her fingers paused on the page of her textbook, and anger ignited in her eyes. "What did you say?"I raised my voice so everyone could hear. "I said I'm not withdrawing my application! I already told you that in your office, and every teacher there heard me!"She hurled her thick math textbook at me. I didn't flinch. I was

The next morning, during homeroom, Mom went out of her way to commend my "selfless generosity," then put on a whole show about picking which student would get my prize money.Surrounded by a sea of raised hands, Mom's forehead began to glisten with sweat.Myra and I shared a brief look before we both looked away at the same moment.I could hear her soft snicker. She'd always known who Mom really was, and this wasn't just a way to embarrass Mom in front of everyone—it was also a dig at me.Mom looked down at her papers, pretending to be guilty, and when she lifted her head again, her eyes lit up as if she'd just found the perfect way out. She flashed a bright smile and announced, "In that case, we'll award the prize money to Myra. Anne's generosity is truly admirable, and I'd like to thank her on Myra's behalf as well… Myra, would you come up and accept it?"Myra walked to the front with a sweet smile on her face. As she passed my desk, she let out a scoff and whispered just lo

Myra's expression shifted as she raised the club.But before she could swing, a deafening bang rattled the door."Myra! Open up! Something has happened!"Startled, Myra's face drained of color. She cast the club aside, gave my side a sharp kick, and pulled the door open. She glared at Mr. Robinson, who was gasping for air."What's with all the fuss? What happened?"The police behind him took everything in right away. My eyes were drawn to the male officer standing behind Myra. He looked strangely familiar for some reason.But before he could speak, Mr. Robinson stepped in, wrapped an arm around Myra, and guided her away from the livestream.As he turned away, he gave me a long, unreadable look while a female officer helped me to my feet.The female officer was probably in her 40s. When she saw the bruises on my body beneath my uniform, she gently rubbed my head with a pained expression. "What kind of monster could do something like this to a child..."The male officer,

The day of the competition came quickly. When Mom saw me standing among the team members, her warm expression dissolved instantly, giving way to the simmering fury of someone who knew she had been deceived.She grabbed my arm and dragged me into a blind spot beside the bus. "I thought you said you weren't coming! Who gave you an application form?"She stared intently at the paper in my hand. I smiled and unfolded the crumpled sheet. It wasn't a competition form—it was my early admission letter.I had received it weeks earlier, long before Myra withdrew from school.Knowing Mom would find a way to sabotage it, I had asked Mr. Robinson to keep it safe for me. In hindsight, that precaution had been essential. Now that the Davises had cut ties with Myra, Mr. Robinson had no reason to keep siding with Mom.I offered her a calm smile. "My early admission came through a few days ago. Since I don't have much left to do at school, I asked Mr. Robinson if I could join the compet

Arya and I won first place in the first round of the science competition with our energy-efficient drone. As we came off the stage, Mom marched right up and slapped me across the face in front of everyone watching.The host was momentarily stunned, but he quickly recovered and stepped in, pushing Mom aside. "Ms. Taylor, what on earth are you trying to do?"Mom angrily shoved her phone in front of me.I silently stepped back.Her eyes were bloodshot. She looked like she wanted to kill me with her bare hands. "Anne! Did you do this?" I glanced at the trending post and felt a secret thrill. The PR team Arya had hired was doing their job perfectly. I blinked, putting on my best clueless look."Ms. Taylor, I honestly have no idea what you're talking about."The anonymous post had blown up. After two weeks of keeping a low profile, the Myra scandal was back in the news, and Mom was getting slammed for her favoritism. The Internet was in an uproar, and people were already fl