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Chapter 3

Author: Perfect Timing
Owen came over, grinning while cradling the dress and necklace in his arms. "Emma, why don't you let me hang on to these for now, huh?"

Elena didn't care much for the dress, but seeing the gold heart pendant in his hands made her burst into tears on the spot.

"Uncle Owen, that's mine."

He crouched, his hand reaching for her shoulder. I yanked her back before he could touch her.

"Fine, fine. If you like them so much, take them. Didn't you say you couldn't even spare a minute for Elena's birthday? What's next? Will you be too busy for dinner too?"

The moment I gave in, Owen's eagerness flared. He couldn't wait to turn the gold into cash, and the whole brother-sister act he put on with me vanished.

"I've got business to take care of. Just wait, Emma. When I make it big, you and Herman won't ever have to lift a finger again. I'll send you money every single day."

I watched him walk away, a slow smile spreading across my face.

I couldn't tell when Owen first started turning into a freak. Back when Elena and I were staying at Mom and Dad's, I caught him more than once sneaking off to the bathroom with Elena's clothes.

When he came out, the stains on them sent a jolt of terror through me. I never imagined he'd turn into that kind of man. After that, I never took Elena back to Mom and Dad's again.

I knew he'd do something vile with that dress. That was the only reason I forced myself to choke down my disgust and call him over.

After Owen left, I gathered Elena into my arms and held her tight. Deep down, I swore I'd guard my own home, no matter the cost.

As for the Reids, they could rot and fester in the mud, for all I cared. Owen and Alex were the family's golden boys. I couldn't wait to see the expression on Mom's and Dad's faces once their fortunes flipped.

After soothing Elena, I left her at home with the TV and hurried out to have a tailor make her an identical dress. Then, I filmed Elena in the dress and sent the video to Sabrina.

Her reply came as a voice note. She was absolutely brimming with delight. "She looks gorgeous! Elena really is a little princess!"

I pulled up the security feed on my phone.

Whenever Jerome or Sabrina wanted something, Mom would come to me, insisting she was broke. That was how I ended up paying for security cameras to be installed in Mom and Dad's house.

After they were installed, I hardly ever bothered to check the feed. Anyway, I figured it wasn't a crime to watch the feed. It was Mom and Dad's house, after all. Besides, I was the one who had paid for them.

On the screen, Sabrina twirled with her hands thrown up, giddy with excitement. Alex sat hunched, swallowed by misery. His gloved hands couldn't stop scratching his own skin.

Mom and Dad turned to Alex, their hearts aching. "Is this really going to work? Why is Alex still suffering so much?"

Sabrina smiled and bent down to plant a big kiss on Alex. "Don't worry, sweetheart. Elena's about to carry this burden for you. Get some sleep now. Our family will get better day by day. Once Elena is gone, you'll be fine."

Pity lingered in Mom's eyes, but seeing Alex in agony, she set her jaw and said, "Let her die. At worst, Emma can bear another child. Let it be my sin against Elena. I'll pay that debt when I die."

I nearly puked listening to them. I never expected Mom to show such obvious favoritism for sons. Was Elena's life worth less than nothing?

This time, I longed to see which of them would be left with the rotten fate in the end.

Sabrina snapped, annoyed, "Another child? Give me a break. Emma spoils Elena rotten and won't even open her wallet for Alex. The last time I asked her to buy him a hundred-thousand-dollar piano, she refused.

"She'd be better off not having kids at all. The Reids' money should go to Alex. He's the one who'll make the family proud. And don't get me started. Owen came by last week and swiped a bottle of fine vintage wine. That was from the Linskeys. Keep babying him, and I won't tolerate it."

I was smiling at the feed when Elena's scream split the air, high and piercing. It came from her room.
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  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 11

    "What's wrong, Sabrina? Don't you like the gift I gave you? Your son behaves more like Owen now. Lucky you. Owen's my mother's golden boy. Between Jerome, me, and him, it's Owen she holds closest to her heart."The moment those words left my mouth, Sabrina went feral, thrashing like she'd tear me apart if she could. But right now, she couldn't so much as lift a finger, let alone throw her whole body into it.I pulled the telescoping rod from my pocket, snapped it open, and shoved the blunt end against Sabrina's throat. "You and Alex are rotten to the core. How dare you go after Elena?""You bitch! Owen and Alex are both Reids. You'd harm your own brother and your nephew. May you suffer and die for what you've done!"I drove the rod harder. She gagged, a ragged sound erupting from her."The one who should be suffering and dying is you. You never even thanked me for getting you such a fine son. Look at how insolent you're being."Then, I called Herman in, "Babe, didn't you say the

  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 10

    The next time Mom's eyes lingered on Alex, something shifted inside her. He was young and brimming with life. She felt as though Owen's soul was woven into him.As time wore on, warts crept steadily across his neck. He stayed away from home for longer and longer stretches, and debt collectors were hammering at their door with growing insistence.Sabrina began thinking of ways to straighten Alex out.One day, when Alex returned home, she tried to grab his phone and lock him inside, desperate to keep him from slipping out again. But Alex, quick to anger and brutal, shoved her so hard that she hit the floor. Her skirt flew up from the fall.Something dark flickered in him. As he hovered, about to cross an even filthier line, Sabrina suddenly caught a glimpse of Owen in his face. Terror flooded her, and she fought back with everything she had.Her resistance only thrilled him more. Desperate, she snatched up the nearest object, ready to smash it across his head.That was when Mom app

  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 9

    At Owen's funeral, Mom's eyes were rimmed red as she turned to me. "Emma, tell me, am I paying for my sins?"I kept my expression impassive, though inside, I felt as cold as ice.In my last life, when Elena died, Mom had only murmured a few words about how sorry she felt for her. And in the end, she even joined the others to kill me.Once the funeral was over, Mom went home.But Owen's last words had taken root, gnawing at her. Now that Owen was gone, she clung desperately to Alex.Even if it was Sabrina who killed Owen, Mom would never cut Alex loose. He was her only grandson, after all.Sabrina kept denying that she was the one who had switched Owen's and Alex's fates. She swore up and down she'd never go after someone like Owen. How could she ever wish for Alex to have his fate?A part of Mom believed her, but she still had her doubts. Carrying the weight of Owen's loss, she simply went on with her life.Meanwhile, Alex was quietly slipping into something monstrous. He began

  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 8

    Herman and I were on our way home when he asked, "Are you upset?"I shook my head. "You know, in my last life, Elena was eaten away by the condition. I held her in my arms, and whenever I touched her, her skin would peel off with blood. She was too weak to even cry. "She just lay there like a kitten, whimpering until she stopped breathing. And you and I… We didn't have a good ending either. It was all the Reids' doing. Tell me, does our family have to carry this curse in every lifetime?"Herman tightened his grip on my hand. "All I want is for our family to be safe. Whatever you decide, I'll stand by you."Owen's condition worsened quickly. Just like Elena in my last life, his body broke out in festering sores.Mom spent everything she had, bringing in the country's best experts in immunology and dermatology, but none of them could uncover the cause.To make matters worse, Owen was diagnosed with syphilis and other diseases. The warts on his body kept multiplying. Then, one day,

  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 7

    The instant Sabrina caught Owen's voice, her mood curdled, and her brows pulled into a hard knot. "Great, the freeloader's back!"Mom, however, adored Owen and Alex more than anyone. She bustled over to the door, eager to let him in. But the moment she saw him, she went still.Owen stood there, wearing a mask. His eyes had puffed into narrow slits, and his forehead was flushed with a fierce red."What on earth happened to you? Did you eat something you're allergic to?"Owen collapsed against Mom, sobbing. "I don't know what's wrong. My skin started itching in the middle of the night, and the second I scratched, it split open. Mom, please, you have to take me to the hospital."Mom's heart nearly shattered. "How could this happen all of a sudden? Oh, my sweetie, what's happening to you?"Panicked, she fumbled with her phone and called me.I muted the security feed and answered."Emma, you need to come home right now. Owen's sick. We have to get him to the hospital."As if I'd ev

  • Reborn and Relentless: She's Going Down   Chapter 6

    By the time I hurried back to the hospital, Elena's fever had finally broken. She was herself again, sitting in a chair in the children's ward while swinging her legs. She sipped on the yogurt drink Herman had brought.The moment she spotted me, she hopped down and threw out her arms, asking to be held. It wasn't until I pulled her close that the weight in my chest finally lifted.Herman and I decided to move up the immigration plans we had already made. We packed up, returned home, and contacted an agent to have our property in the country sold without delay.It was far too dangerous to let Elena stay in the country. Who knew what else Sabrina might try to pull on her?That evening, I pulled up the security feed from Mom and Dad's place. Just as we had expected, Alex was starting to recover.Sabrina held him close, pressing a few kisses to his cheek. "Mr. Hackett really is something. Alex's skin looks better with each passing day."Her mention of the mystic almost made me laugh

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