Reborn

Blood would not stop trickling out of my body. I was tormented until my body was bent out of shape, yet Melanie only watched in cold indifference.

But God decided to give me a second chance at life. I noticed the smug look on my sister's face, and I snickered.

She would soon find out that marrying Jonathan would be the first chapter of her nightmare.

I reported for duty and successfully finished my work. My parents finally smiled at me.

The sun was setting. I was writing up the latest report on another homestay. Melanie came into my room, all smiles.

She put a bottle of perfume on my desk. "I haven't congratulated you for getting that job. Here's to a smooth career."

I looked at her and put on a smile. "Thanks. I'll use this."

A smile of disdain curled her lips, then she left my room.

I stared at her. That perfume was no ordinary gift. It was part of her scheme. The fire would happen in three days. That perfume was spiked with sleep-inducing components.

Once I got into the homestay, I talked to the person in charge. "Hi, something smells charred in the room. Can you get someone to check it?"

The person in charge did not waste any time. Lives were at stake here. The technician came and conducted a thorough check. The wires in the fridge's pipes were too old. Shocked, he said, "The circuit's nearly bust! You're lucky you found this early. It's summer, and electricity usage's through the roof. This could've been a fire hazard!"

Everyone inhaled sharply. Soon, the incident brought the homestay's owner into the picture. Joseph Quigley.

Joseph was a famous entrepreneur in Imperia's elite circle. He got rich doing real estate and was in the right place to invest in new energy. Thanks to his vision and ambition, he made his way to the top three richest men in the country.

He launched an investigation and found out this was one of his competitors' dirty tricks. When his competitor found out he was working on another round of funding for his company, they tried to start a scandal with the ruined circuit. That would hurt his reputation.

Joseph handed the evidence over to his lawyers. His competitor was struck down with the hammer of justice.

I was going to go back to my room, but Joseph stopped me, "Thank you, Ms. Yvonne. I was in the penthouse. If you hadn't noticed the faulty circuit, this whole place would've taken me down with it in a fire."

He was smiling wryly. I paused for a moment as memory hit me. Yes, an entrepreneur was hurt in the fire in my previous life.

I wasn't expecting to save another life along with mine, but here we were. I smiled at him. "Don't mention it, Mr. Quigley. Glad you're safe. This place is famous nationwide. I'm honored to be of help."

Joseph was looking at me with gratitude and approval. He was going to say something, but a voice interrupted him. From behind, someone demanded, "How are you safe, Yvonne?"

Melanie was standing right behind me, and her eyes went wide with disbelief. She blinked for a moment and snapped out of it.

The woman looked at Joseph and put on a look of concern. Fake. "They told me something's wrong with this place! I was so worried about you! Are you alright?"

Joseph sized Melanie up. Calmly, he said, "She's fine, and we're saved thanks to her. I need to thank her properly."

That turned Melanie's expression into an ugly palette. She held back the jealousy that was oozing out of her eyes, and she forced a smile. "Mr. Quigley, I've heard of you. You're famous. Hi, I'm her sister, Melanie Shaw. I'll be holding a birthday party in a few days. Would you care to join us?"

Invitation Accepted

Joseph glanced at me and nodded at Melanie. The circuit was repaired, and he had something else to tend to. He hopped into a car and drove off.

Melanie saw him off, her eyes blazing with jealousy and rage. This was not what she had in mind. I was not supposed to survive the fire, let alone get to know a business legend. If looks could kill, I'd be dead.

I met her gaze. The woman was a spoiled princess who waited for everyone to tend to her every single need. The last time we met was a few days ago. Now she had circles under her eyes. Running a steakhouse was killing her.

Calmly, I asked, "So, to what do I owe the pleasure, Melanie? What do you want?"

Fury possessed her, and her eyes went red. She was going to say something, but her phone rang. She checked it out. Her employees.

A drunk customer was causing a scene at the shop, and they needed her to handle them. "You're useless! I didn't hire you people to stand around! Fine. Fine. I'm coming back!" she roared at her employees.

She hung up in a huff and drove off, but before that, she made sure she shot me a look filled with venom and hatred.

Melanie's birthday party came up soon enough.

Our father was proudly showing off Melanie in the hall. "She's a good daughter. The girl took over her grandmother's steakhouse just to spend more time with me. I couldn't be prouder."

Then, a commotion rippled through the hall. The guests were staring at the newcomer at the entrance in shock. Discussion filled the air.

"That's the legendary Joseph Quigley!"

"Yeah! What's he doing here?"

"They say he lives a low-profile life. Not even the reporters could get a clear photo of him!"

"How'd the Shaws hook up with Quigley Group?"

Joseph scanned the place elegantly and walked up to me. "It's been a while, Eve. How's work?"

I smiled. "It's going well, Mr. Quigley. Thanks for asking."

My parents stopped showing off Melanie and approached us in a hurry. My father was staring at Joseph, then he stood up straighter and said with total politeness, "Hello, Mr. Quigley. I'm Yvonne's father. I didn't realize you were coming. Sorry if the reception's not up to your standards."

Joseph smiled. "Hello, Mr. Shaw. I had a little accident at my homestay a few days ago. Thanks to Yvonne, we managed to avert a crisis. I'm here to talk about her future at my company. You don't get talent like her every day. I'd love for her to work for me."

My mother's eyes were wide as saucers. She could not believe a legendary man would pay attention to me.

My father froze up like a statue. Then, he simpered.

"Oh, she's honored that you're paying her any attention at all. And this is my eldest, Melanie. She's always been the smarter one. And a lot less problematic than her sister. If she can work for you, she'll create a lot more value!"

I was listening to the whole exchange, and my heart sank lower with every word. Melanie was always the golden child. My father always thought she was better than me.

Joseph looked at Melanie for a moment. Calmly, he said, "I heard she got into a fight with her customer a few days ago, and the cops were involved. I dabble in F&B myself, so here's a word of advice for Melanie. F&B's first priority is peaceful resolution and customer satisfaction. You have a lot to learn."

Melanie looked awkward and humiliated. She held her hand up to the wound on her face stiffly.

That day, a woman stormed right into the steakhouse like someone ready to fight. Melanie argued with the customer right away, and the argument turned into a fight. Of course. A princess who'd been spoiled her whole life would never understand that the customer was always right.

Awkward

My parents put on sheepish smiles and changed the subject. Joseph did not stay long.

Not too long after he was gone, Melanie approached me, the hem of her dress raised. "Seems like I underestimated you. I did not expect you to hook up with a man like Joseph so soon."

I refused to waste my time arguing with her. "Happy birthday, Melanie. It's getting late, and I have to leave."

Melanie darted ahead and grabbed my hand. "But it matters not. You saw the exchange. Dad and Mom love me the most, no matter what you do. You're nothing but a piece of useless trash in our family!"

Her nails were digging into my flesh. The pain was starting to throb, so I pulled my hand free, but she took the momentum and fell back down.

Our parents noticed the commotion. Worried, they hurried over. "Melanie, what happened?"

Melanie held her ankle. With tearful eyes, she looked at her mother. "Yvonne pushed me. I don't know why she did that! She said she'd come after me now that she has Mr. Quigley's support! I'm scared…"

My parents' eyes bulged. Furious, they grabbed everything they could and hurled all of them at me. I covered my face with my hands, but the sharp edges of the barrage cut my arm. My father had thrown a fork at me.

If I hadn't moved fast, that fork would've found itself buried in my eye.

Yet my father was jabbing a finger at me. His voice was trembling. "You bastard! You think you can do anything just because you hooked up with a rich man? You do not get to trample over my house! Get out of my sight, and never come back unless I say you can!"

I was kicked out of the hall. I grabbed my phone and checked the calendar. It wouldn't be too long until Melanie met Jonathan now. All I had to do was wait.

And then I joined the Quigley Group officially. I worked and studied hard just to level up and be a better version of myself.

…

One day, when I was going through the sheets, a push notification rang out from my phone. The headline read, 'Shocking news! The long-lost heir of Landton Group finally found!'

I put my phone down and thought, 'Yeah, guess Melanie's marrying Jonathan soon.'

And my guess was right. Two weeks later, Melanie posted something on her social media. 'Until death do us part, Mr. Landton.' The picture was their marriage license and photos. One was a gentleman, while the other was a sweet lady. Both had happy smiles on their faces.

The Landton Group's official website made an announcement about their heir's marriage soon.

The media's attention was caught. All news outlets couldn't wait to report on the matter. Everyone was wondering who the lucky lady was. Some insiders told them that Melanie and Jonathan had been dating before Jonathan was taken back into the fold.

Their love story became the talk of the town.

It was their wedding day. I got a message from Melanie. 'You're useless and pathetic, Yvonne. I thought I'd let you attend my wedding, since you never had the chance to go overseas. I wanted to broaden your horizon, but Dad and Mom refused to let you attend. They said you'd embarrass them.' She laughed. 'I pity you.'

'I'm now the wife of Landton Group's heir. You can have the best grades this universe has. You can get the best job you can find, but so what? You're nothing but a poor, insignificant insect. You will live under my shadow forever! When I get home, I'll tell Dad and Mom to disown you right away! You'll be a homeless bitch!'

The message only made me smile.

I thought, 'I hope you can still be so smug after tonight, dear sister.'