Beranda / Rebirth Cerita Pendek / Reborn and Freed: It's Your Turn Now / Bab 1 - Bab 9

Semua Bab Reborn and Freed: It's Your Turn Now: Bab 1 - Bab 9

9 Bab

Chapter 1

I was reborn and sent back to the day I had a blind date with the guy who used to bully me.Outside the familiar high-end restaurant, I raised my hand to shield my eyes from the glaring sun while slowly adjusting to my surroundings.Afterward, the bully sat across from me. Even though he was dressed to impress, the sleazy look in his eyes gave him away.His name was Willem Leigh. We had gone to the same high school.Mom was present too. She sat next to me, chatting away happily with him.When Willem started bragging about his two houses and three cars, Mom's smile grew even wider. With such a catch, she was practically ready to seal the deal on my behalf.Mom noticed my silence and called my name several times, but I was lost in the joy of my second chance at life.Suddenly, a hand slid over from the side to clasp mine and gave it a little squeeze.The disgusting sensation snapped me right back to reality. Instinctively, I grabbed the glass of water on the table and threw it at

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Chapter 2

Mom flew into a rage, shocked that I dared to defy her so openly. Her composure was gone, and she raised her hand to slap me.Meanwhile, Willem stood off to the side, watching the drama unfold.Honestly, he was already annoyed by my stunt. If I hadn't been somewhat good-looking, he probably would've left by now.However, I wasn't the Zara from my past life—the pushover they knew.I grabbed Mom's hand and yanked it away. A cold smile tugged at the corners of my lips as I calmly said, "Give it up. I'm not marrying him."Without waiting for a response, I picked up my bag and walked out.Mom collapsed back into her chair and started hurling curses at my retreating figure."I spent years busting my back to put you through college, and now that you've got a job, you think you can talk back to me? I say one thing, and you've got ten smartass replies! What a curse! To think I raised an ungrateful brat like you!"Her words nearly made me laugh out of sheer disbelief.How did she even h

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Chapter 3

I snapped out of my thoughts and exhaled a long, heavy breath. The memories from my past life clung to my mind and refused to fade.Back then, I had foolishly longed for some shred of motherly love from Mom. But now, I knew better. I would never make that mistake again.I had already moved out that very night and rented a new place. For extra caution, I'd also gotten a new phone number.If I was not mistaken, Jake would be getting chased by loan sharks any day now.Jake had always been aimless. After getting into a fight with a classmate, he had dropped out of high school. For years after, he had lazed around at home and relied on Mom to take care of him.Dad had died years ago in a factory accident, and after much fuss, Mom had managed to get a hefty settlement from the company.That money should have been enough for her and Jake to live modestly for most of their lives. However, Jake had never been the type to sit still.He'd fallen into gambling, and soon enough, he'd drained

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Chapter 4

After I finished middle school, Mom had wanted me to drop out and get a job. I had to swear I wouldn't use a single penny of hers before she reluctantly allowed me to continue my education.Throughout high school and college, I had earned my own living expenses by working part-time.Even after I started working full-time, she would still regularly ask me for money. Over the years, I'd given her more than 100 grand. How dare she claim I was the one draining the family's savings?Some of the bystanders who were clueless about the truth started murmuring their judgment.Fueled by anger, I ignored their stares and retorted, "I'd love to know exactly how I drained the family's savings. After middle school, you wanted me to drop out. I earned my own way through high school and college without taking a dime from you."But Jake? He attended private schools throughout middle and high school. That wasn't cheap, was it? And let's not forget, since I started working, I've given you over 100

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Chapter 5

Yes, Willem had AIDS.His entire family had kept it a secret from me until it was discovered during a prenatal exam.We were supposed to do a premarital health check, but Mom had rushed the wedding so she could get her hands on the money.And so, the health check had been conveniently brushed aside by Willem's family.I had been furious when I threw the test report in Willem's face, but he hadn't cared at all. He had clearly known about his condition all along.In shock and anger, I had called Mom for help. But her response had been chillingly indifferent."So what if you have it? Whether you live a few years less or more, what difference does it make?"When I had demanded a divorce from Willem later, he hadn't hesitated to beat me."Divorce?" he had spat. "I spent over a hundred grand to marry you, and just the other day your mom asked for another ten grand! If you want a divorce, have her return all the money first!"It was only then that I had realized Mom had taken more mo

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Chapter 6

"Zara, please help me! I can't take it anymore!"It was Mom.She continued in desperation, "They're not human! Willem beats me every time something doesn't go his way. I really can't bear it anymore! Please, come help me!"I sneered. The satisfaction I felt at that moment was immense.In my previous life, when I was being abused, I had called Mom for help too. But she had dismissed it nonchalantly and said, "It's normal for couples to fight. Stop bothering me."Later, when my prenatal exam revealed I had contracted AIDS, I had wanted a divorce.However, they had locked me up. I had managed to escape when they weren't paying attention, using the little money I had left to stay in a small hotel.Then, Willem had told Mom the next day that I had run away. He had used money to manipulate her into finding me.Mom had called me, pretending to care and asking where I was. When she sensed my guard was up, she had softened her tone and offered to bring me some food to show her concern.

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Chapter 7

Jake had been holed up at the bar for days. He had seen Mom's calls but, not wanting to hear any nagging, had hung up. Eventually, when her calls became relentless, he simply turned off his phone.Truth be told, he harbored a grudge against Mom. If she hadn't made a scene at my company, Cici and Alice wouldn't have discovered his issues, and his engagement would still be intact.The more Jake thought about it, the angrier he became.He downed drink after drink until he was utterly wasted. In the end, he couldn't even remember how he had ended up in a room with the help of a girl he didn't know.That night, Jake had no idea disaster was looming just around the corner.The next day, his head throbbed heavily. He awoke to find the girl had vanished, leaving behind only the reminders of the wild night they had spent together.When Jake noticed her absence, he felt a surge of pride, believing his looks had captivated her.Soon enough, he dismissed the one-night stand from his mind. B

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Chapter 8

Then Mom rambled on about trivial matters.Amid her meaningless chatter, she became anxious when she saw that I hadn't touched the coffee. She subtly urged me to stay hydrated for my health.With a knowing smile, I said the sunlight was too bright and asked her to close the curtains behind. She eagerly obliged, rising to pull the drapes shut. Finally, I took a small sip under her watchful gaze.A look of relief washed over Mom as she held my hand and got to her point."You won't believe it. Your brother has been swindled in an investment and now owes 100 grand! That guy said if he doesn't pay it back, he'll send him to jail."Tears welled in her eyes, and she played the emotional card. "Jake's only in his early 20s. He has so much ahead of him! He's your brother. You can't just sit back and watch him go to jail!"I understood all too well but feigned ignorance. "And?"If memory served me right, after Cici died during childbirth, Jake had gotten another girl pregnant and ended up

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Chapter 9

Meanwhile, Jake grew anxious when Mom's reply never came. He took a cab to the restaurant.When he entered the private room, he found her collapsed on the floor and rushed to shake her awake.She stirred slowly, still dazed. Jake urgently asked her if the plan had succeeded. But suddenly, she began to scream frantically, "He has AIDS! Oh, my god! He has AIDS!"Mom shook Jake's shoulders violently, her voice filled with madness.Finally, Jake slapped her to quiet her down. It seemed to snap her back to reality, and she clung to him, weeping. "Willem has AIDS!"After a moment of reflection, she began laughing hysterically. "No wonder! He refused to let me look at the pregnancy test results because of that!"Jake realized that their plan had likely failed. However, her words sparked a calculation in his eyes.Yes, he would use the pregnancy test results to blackmail Willem.Jake contacted Willem, planning to leverage this information to extract 100 grand from him. However, Willem

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