Chapter 2

I didn't know how long I screamed. Only when the old wounds on my palms split open and bled did the door finally open.

When Peter saw my disheveled hair and red, swollen eyes, the worry on his face instantly turned to disgust.

"You've been making a scene since the moment you got back. Can't you give it a rest?"

He shoved me impatiently. I weighed less than eighty-eight pounds, and I crashed to the floor.

Peter froze for a second, then sneered. "Playing the victim again? You want me to let you out of here?"

I'd already seen how heartless he could be, but my heart still trembled.

The brother I used to know would never have spoken to me so sarcastically.

I had transmigrated into this world before I was even born. After our mother died giving birth to me, he was the one who raised me all on his own. He would have given me the best of everything in the world if he could.

When the System told me my mission was to redeem three villains, I attached myself to Luke Hauser and showered him with kindness, and I brought the homeless Jake Bingham home.

Peter never scolded me for any of it. He even told the two of them that they had to spoil me like a little princess.

All of Hendonport knew that you could offend the three of them, but you could never offend Christina Costner.

In my original world, I'd been an orphan. No one had ever spoiled me.

So once I'd completed the mission and made sure they would never turn evil, I stayed in this world.

That was until Peter brought home our father's illegitimate daughter, Piper Costner.

He hugged me and swore, "Christina, Dad's gone, and Piper is our half-sister. We can't just abandon her.

"I promise you, I'll only make sure she doesn't starve. I won't be good to her."

I didn't like it, but I didn't object.

What I never expected was that Piper wouldn't be satisfied with that. I became the thorn in her side.

Once, as Peter was coming downstairs, she spilled hot soup on herself, then knelt in front of him and begged for help. "Help me! Christina wants to ruin my face!"

When Luke was unconscious with a high fever, I stayed by his side all night.

The moment he opened his eyes, Piper pushed me aside and threw herself on him, sobbing, "Luke, you're finally awake! I stayed up with you all night."

When I helped Jake's company through a crisis, Piper waited until he walked by, slapped her own face, and choked out, "Don't worry, Christina. I won't tell Jake that I'm the one who put up the money to save him. You can have all the credit."

Over and over, she framed me and stole the credit for what I'd done, and the three of them grew more and more disappointed in me.

Meanwhile, the way they looked at Piper grew more and more indulgent.

Even on the day Luke married me, resentment was written all over his face.

I couldn't stand how they'd changed. I cried and fought with them, and all I got was a cold reply from Luke.

"Christina, if you can't take it, we can get a divorce."

At the time, I'd just found out I was two months pregnant. I didn't want my child to grow up without a father, so I gave in.

Then I lost the baby.

All my pent-up resentment exploded. I slapped her just once, and it cost me five years of torture worse than death.

The ghostly image of the countdown flashing before my eyes pulled me back to the present.

Six hours left.

I staggered to my feet and met Peter's mocking gaze. My voice was numb.

"I'm not playing the victim. Since none of you like me anyway, sign the divorce papers and a document cutting me out of this family!"

Before I left this world, I wanted nothing more to do with them.

I didn't want to fight anymore either. There was no point.

The moment I finished speaking, there was a loud bang.

Luke stood in the doorway with a dark expression, and Piper stood beside him, her eyes rimmed with red.