Chapter 2

"Chloe, your father is a monster..."

"If it weren't for you, I would have left him a long time ago."

My mother's familiar voice echoed in my ears.

I gasped, my eyes flying open. I saw my mother sitting on the edge of my bed, tears streaming down her face.

Hearing the exact same words from my past life, I finally realized—I had been reborn.

"My life has been so miserable..."

She held my hand, her tears falling onto my skin.

Just like in my past life, her act was incredibly convincing.

This time, I didn't rush to comfort her. I just quietly wiped her tears off my hand.

"Mom," I said softly, "Dad... can really be too much sometimes."

Sensing that she had found an outlet, she cried even harder.

"He doesn't care about this family! He keeps all the money to himself! He makes us live like beggars!"

"Last week, I told him I wanted a new dress, and he screamed at me like I was trash!"

I listened quietly, mocking her in my mind.

Last week?

Last week, Dad literally bought her a gold necklace. She had bragged about it to her poker friends, claiming she bought it with her own secret savings.

"And yesterday!" She sniffled. "I just wanted to have a steak, and he threw his fork, calling me wasteful!"

Yesterday, Dad was away on a business trip and didn't get home until midnight.

I reached out and gently patted her back.

"Mom, don't make yourself sick over this."

She immediately grabbed my hand like a lifeline.

"You understand me! Only you understand me!"

Her tears flowed on command. Her acting was flawless.

"I can't live like this for another day! If it weren't for you, I would have..."

She stopped abruptly, her eyes secretly scanning my face to see my reaction.

In my past life, I had fallen for it. I had said:

"If it weren't for me, you would have divorced him, right? I'm so sorry you had to suffer for me, Mom..."

I thought it was a warm moment of mother-daughter bonding. But she immediately twisted my words and painted me as the ungrateful daughter who tried to break up her parents' marriage.

In this life, I would never make the same mistake.

"Mom," I interrupted her, my voice remaining calm and gentle. "This is between you and Dad. You are both adults. Whatever you choose to do, it's your decision."

My mother froze. Her crying stopped instantly.

A flash of confusion crossed her face. She clearly hadn't expected this response.

In my past life, I would have already been raging alongside her.

"Chloe, what... what do you mean by that? Isn't Mom doing all of this for you?"

"For me?" I looked at her, my eyes calm. "Mom, I'm an adult now. Your happiness shouldn't be tied to me."

My mother's eyes began to dart around.

She let go of my hand and hurriedly wiped her tears.

"Are you... are you tired of me? Do you think I'm annoying?"

"No," I shook my head. "I just think this is a marital issue. As your daughter, it's not appropriate for me to interfere."

Look at her.

She didn't want a divorce at all.

She just needed the "sacrificing for my child" excuse to gain sympathy, making all her complaints and demands seem justified.

I sneered inwardly and spoke slowly.

"Mom, I'm a bit tired."

My mother froze, staring at me as if trying to figure out if I was lying.

She opened her mouth, wanting to say more.

But I beat her to it. I lay down and turned my back to her.

"Mom, you should get some rest too."

It was quiet behind me for a moment.

Finally, I heard her stand up and walk toward the door.

"Fine. Go to sleep then."

By midnight, there was no sound outside. I finally relaxed, thinking she didn't suspect anything.

But the next second, a faint voice coming from the crack of the door made my blood run cold.

My mother was sneaking around in the kitchen, making a phone call. Her voice was filled with an excitement she couldn't hide.

"Don't worry, she didn't suspect a thing... Wait for my next move."