My in-laws turned to look at me as well.

I placed a hand on my stomach, my expression a mixture of lingering fear and grievance.

"Dad, Mom, Calvin and I have been trying for a baby lately. I haven't had my period in a month, so I thought I might be pregnant. Pregnant women can't take cephalosporins, so I made myself throw up the medicine. Unless... you wanted something to happen to me and the baby too?"

The moment she heard this, my mother-in-law rushed to support me.

"Queenie, why didn't you say so? Sit down, quickly—you mustn't upset the baby. This could be our grandchild!"

I dabbed at nonexistent tears in the corners of my eyes.

"Mom, Dad... are you angry with me?"

My mother-in-law shook her head vigorously.

"Of course not! You did the right thing. That baby in your belly is the Swanson family's treasure. Of course we need to be careful."

The corner of my mouth curved slightly. Even if my in-laws wanted to blame me, they wouldn't dare say another word now that I might be pregnant.

In the end, they could only direct all their fury at Corinne.

It wasn't until Corinne borrowed from loan sharks to pay Calvin's surgery and hospital bills that my in-laws' expressions softened somewhat.

When Calvin woke up and saw Corinne crying and looking aggrieved, he sighed.

"Let it go. Corinne didn't mean to do it. Mom, Dad, don't blame her anymore."

My in-laws regarded Corinne coldly but said nothing more.

Three months later, Calvin was discharged from the hospital. Corinne approached me with an apologetic expression.

"Queenie, I'm the reason Calvin was hospitalized. Let me come stay with you and take care of you both—to make up for what I did."

I was about to refuse when Calvin grabbed my arm.

"Let her come. Otherwise she'll never forgive herself."

I could only nod in reluctant agreement.

Three days later, Calvin told me excitedly that he'd passed the written portion of the civil service exam. However, due to a sudden flu outbreak, the interview had been moved up to this afternoon.

Just then, Corinne walked in.

"What's going on? You two look so happy."

In my previous life, I'd been in the bedroom negotiating a partnership deal. I'd specifically told Corinne not to disturb me. But right in the middle of my call, she'd barged in carrying a speaker and started doing square dancing.

The partner cancelled the deal. The company lost tens of millions. I was fired.

When I confronted her about it, she'd said without a shred of remorse: "This is my brother's house. Why can't I go wherever I want? You were just trying to put me in my place, weren't you? Well, I specialize in dealing with people like you who don't know their place."

And Calvin had shrugged it off completely. "If the deal fell through, that's because you weren't good enough. Why are you blaming Corinne? Just find another job."

Now I wanted to see—if Corinne ruined Calvin's chance at passing the exam, would he still be so indifferent?

I narrowed my eyes slightly and smiled.

"Don't come into our room this afternoon. There's something important for work."

Something malicious flickered in Corinne's eyes. She nodded.

That afternoon, Calvin was halfway through his interview when Corinne kicked the door open, speaker blasting, and launched into a folk dance routine.

Seconds later, the interviewer's voice came through Calvin's computer:

"Interview failed."

Calvin shot to his feet and roared at Corinne.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The moment Corinne saw it was Calvin, she shut off the speaker.

"Calvin? I thought—where's Queenie?"

I closed my laptop, having just finished a call about the baby, and stepped out of the adjacent room.

"Right here. Corinne, didn't I tell you not to come into our room? Today was Calvin's civil service interview."

Calvin clutched his throbbing head.

"Are you deaf, Corinne? Do you understand what you just did? I've aged out—this was my last chance to take the exam. Because of you, years of work just went down the drain."

Corinne's expression turned panicked.

"Calvin, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Queenie didn't explain it clearly."

I laughed in disbelief.

"Corinne, you're a college student now. Can you not understand plain English? I told you I had something important today and asked you not to come into the room. But you barged in anyway—with a speaker, dancing."

Corinne burst into tears.

"I really didn't mean to! If I'd known it was you, I never would have done it."

Calvin looked at her sobbing face with growing impatience.

"Corinne, is crying the only thing you know how to do?"

That evening, Corinne somehow managed to coax him back into a good mood.

"Calvin, I'll make your favorite braised fish tonight—to make up for what I did."

When I stepped out of my room, I caught a whiff of gas. In my previous life, I had specifically reminded Corinne to turn off the gas after cooking to prevent poisoning.

She had smiled and agreed. But during dinner, she deliberately got me drunk, then locked me in the kitchen with the gas running. I died of gas poisoning.

She had stood outside the door, gloating.

"Trying to tell me what to do? I specialize in putting people like you in their place."

I swallowed my hatred. Looking at Calvin, something occurred to me. I turned to Corinne.

"Corinne, remember to turn off the gas when you're done cooking."

She nodded. "I know, Queenie."

That night, Corinne tried to ply me with alcohol again.

"Queenie, I've caused you both so much trouble these past few days. I hope you don't hold it against me. Let me toast you."

I didn't move. Corinne's face fell, a wounded look creeping in.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Calvin tugged my arm. "Just drink it. Don't upset her."

I pulled out a pregnancy test.

"It's not that I don't want to drink, Corinne. I can't."

Before, I had mentioned I might be pregnant, but the test came back negative. My in-laws had berated me for getting their hopes up. Calvin kept staring at my stomach, calling me useless. But now, seeing the positive test, excitement flooded his face.

"Right, she can't drink. I'll drink with you instead, Corinne."

Corinne stared at my belly. A flash of hatred flickered in her eyes.

About fifteen minutes later, she turned to me.

"Queenie, I made you some soup earlier but forgot to bring it out. I twisted my ankle just now—could you go get it for me?"

I nodded and started to rise, then paused as if remembering something.

"Oh, Corinne—you've taken such good care of us lately. I bought you a piece of jewelry from Goldsmith's. It's on my vanity. Why don't you go grab it?"

Her eyes lit up. But as she headed toward my room, she made sure to remind me: "The soup will get cold if you wait too long. Hurry and bring it out."

I nodded. Once she disappeared into my room, I clutched my stomach.

"Calvin, can you get the soup? My stomach hurts—I need to check on something in the bathroom."

I rushed off before he could respond. Calvin turned and walked into the kitchen.

Through the crack in the bathroom door, I watched Corinne sprint to the kitchen entrance and lock the door behind him.

A few minutes later, a deafening boom erupted from the kitchen.

Neighbors came running.

"What happened?"

"Sounded like a gas explosion!"

Corinne's face was a mask of innocence and false concern.

"I don't know! I asked Queenie to get the soup—how did it suddenly explode? Oh, Queenie, please be okay!"

I stepped out of the bathroom.

"What are you talking about, Corinne? Why wouldn't I be okay?"

She froze the moment she saw me.

"Queenie, weren't you the one who went to the kitchen? If it wasn't you in there, then who was it?"

I feigned panic as I spoke. "I had a stomachache, so I asked Calvin to get the soup instead. That explosion just now—please don't tell me something happened to my husband?"