Chapter 1

"Congratulations! You can come in tomorrow to complete your onboarding."

The HR representative was still chattering away on the other end of the phone when I, Selena White, checked the time in disbelief. It was only then that it sank in. I had actually been reborn.

"That's amazing! This foreign company is notoriously hard to get into. You owe me dinner tonight. We have to celebrate!" my best friend, Karen Lane, said happily, looping her arm through mine.

She was right. The company was well-known internationally and offered excellent benefits. I had gone through five rounds of interviews and prepared endlessly before finally getting the offer. Yet, I couldn't feel happy at all.

In my previous life, the moment I told my family the news, their expressions changed before I could even tell them how happy I was. They accused me of being greedy and said I had no shame, refusing to let me take the job.

Faced with an opportunity I had fought so hard for, I decided to slip out anyway. I never expected my younger brother, David White, to go to the office, cause a scene, and drag me back home. I ended up getting fired because of that.

Now that the chance had returned to me, there was no way I was letting it slip through my fingers again. With that in mind, I spoke up at once.

"I've got something to take care of today, so I need to head back first. About my new job, don't let it slip to anyone, especially my family. I want to surprise them."

Seeing how serious I was, Karen understood immediately and agreed without hesitation.

After we parted, I went straight home.

The moment I stepped inside, David walked over and asked, "So? Did you find a new job? How long have you been unemployed now? You can't just live off Mom and Dad forever."

I let out a cold laugh. "I've only been unemployed for two weeks, and you're already calling me a freeloader?

"You spent two whole years after graduating from college sitting at home playing games and living off Mom and Dad's retirement pensions. So tell me, who's the freeloader?"

After graduating, David couldn't find a job. He spent two years at home playing video games and only started working at a game company last year.

He was left speechless by my words. Just then, Mom walked over.

"Mom! Did you hear what she said to me? Why does she have to talk like that?" David complained.

Mom had always prided herself on being fair, never favoring one child over the other. Just as I assumed this time would be no different, I heard a voice I knew all too well.