Chapter 2

“What?”

Bart coughed. He was glaring at me so hard that his face was turning red.

“You useless nothing! This is the Ward family we’re talking about! Do you know how hard it is for anyone to get close to them?”

Harriet slapped me. She looked furious.

“Why did I ever adopt such a stupid person? Get out of here! If you don’t make the Ward family change their mind about you, don’t you dare come home!”

My face stung so badly that it felt like it was going numb. I closed my eyes and turned to head to my room. There, I collected my bone needles and amulets and prepared to leave.

“Hold on, leave those things behind!”

I frowned. “These are mine!”

Cynthia tugged Harriet’s arm, her expression wronged. “Mom, I won’t be able to cure Matthew without that set of needles and those amulets! If he can’t have children, I won’t become Mrs. Ward! Tell Lil not to be so selfish!”

Harriet’s expression immediately turned stern. “You little wretch, how dare you act out? You can’t ruin Cynthia’s chances of marriage just because your engagement fell through! Give those back!”

I shook my head. “It’s pointless. She won’t be able to use these. Furthermore, she won’t be able to cure Matthew.”

Cynthia instantly started crying. “Why can’t I cure him? You’re only jealous! You don’t want me to cure him! I understand you hate me, but Mom and Dad raised you for twenty years. How can you ruin our family’s future?”

Bart immediately panicked. He viciously kicked me away.

“How could you be so selfish? It’s just a set of useless needles! Give it to Cynthia if she wants it! If she cures Matthew, the Ward family will owe her a debt. Our whole family will have a bright future!”

I clutched my painful tummy. I shook my head stubbornly, still holding onto my things. “I won’t give them to her!”

“Foolish girl!” Bart waved, summoning several bodyguards. “Take those things from her and teach her a lesson!”

The bodyguards rushed at me. They attacked me in a flurry of kicks and punches. Despite the pain, I held onto my bag of things tightly. It was only when one of the bodyguards landed a kick to my head that he was able to snatch it away.

Cynthia looked triumphant as she looked at the gleaming bone needles. “Thanks, Lil. I’ll use them well.”

The needles were made from the bones of seven serpent-kin, and they were a treasure passed down through generations of serpent-kin. I could not lose them!

My head was bleeding, but my expression was cold and set. “You’d better give them back. They’re not items you can use.”

Cynthia chuckled. “Don’t think so highly of yourself. I’ve been going with you to work at the hospital for the past few months. I’ve learned all your treatment methods! It’s pointless to be resentful. Matt likes me. I won’t let you come between us!”

A vicious look flashed in Cynthia’s eyes.

She shot a pointed look at the bodyguards, and they dragged me into the basement. I was on the brink of death. In my dazed confusion, I suddenly smelled the acrid scent of smoke.

Something was burning!

Cynthia wanted to burn me alive!

I covered my mouth and nose and tried to escape, but the door was locked tight and would not budge. I laughed bitterly to myself. I never imagined that this second chance would end with me dying faster than in the previous timeline.

But Cynthia would never get what she wanted. She and Matthew would both die horribly! I leaned against the wall and closed my eyes. Suddenly, I heard a loud cry from beyond the door.

“Get out of the way!”