I once fell for my best friend's manipulation, imposing a life of frugality on Vivian, my daughter, until she reached a breaking point.

After a chance to start over, I realized my mistake.

Vivian, with a hint of fear, pointed at an expensive and exquisite dress and said, "Mom, can I just look at it?"

I responded with a generous wave of my hand, "Buy it! And get ten more like it!"

1

Miranda and I had been best friends for years. We went through the ups and downs of love, home-buying, and parenthood together, even though our divorces were just a year apart.

Though we weren't family by blood, we were the closest of kin.

Just a year after I gave birth to Vivian, I discovered my husband's infidelity.

So, I filed for divorce and took sole custody of Vivian.

Miranda often advised me, "You shouldn't dress children too finely or provide them with too many luxuries.

"Otherwise, they'll grow up thinking the world is a perfect place. When they finally face reality, they'll be ill-prepared for the hardships and setbacks."

She kept repeating her so-called wisdom in child-rearing. I took her words to heart and followed her advice. Even though I was the CEO of a company, I still gave Vivian the most basic of necessities.

Before she turned eight, Vivian had never tasted a cupcake; before she turned eighteen, she had never worn a proper dress. When she first got her period, Vivian asked me to buy her sanitary pads.

Upon hearing this, Miranda rushed over from next door. "Sanitary pads are a woman's biggest expense. Give her one a day at most, no more."

I nodded and rationed Vivian's sanitary pads.

She was only allowed one per day.

One day, she came home crying. I didn't know what was wrong. She cried and rushed into her room.

Noticing she stood in the room without sitting down, I was puzzled. "Vivian, why are you standing all the time?"

"Mom, can you give me an extra pad each day?"

Vivian hung her head low, her voice barely above a whisper as if she had done something wrong.

Upon closer inspection, I saw a dried patch of blood on her clothes, which shocked me.

I couldn't imagine how she had made her way home. My heart ached terribly.

I decided then and there to stop being so strict with her.

After all, money was no object for me.

I increased her allowance to three times what it had been!

Before long, Vivian's complexion improved significantly, and she became more outgoing.

Even Miranda, who lived next door, noticed that.

She came over and said to me, "You can't spoil Vivian like this. You need to teach her that making money is not easy and how hard work can be. Spend when necessary, but save where you can."

I understood the principle, but seeing Vivian so happy now made me feel much better.

I started to question Miranda's words, but she was my best friend, and she wouldn't steer me wrong. She raised her daughter, Elise, the same way. So, I lowered Vivian's standard of living again.

This continued until her eighteenth birthday celebration when a few friends came over to celebrate. They were shocked to see her in worn-out clothes, her face covered in acne and blackheads, her hair withered and dry from using low-quality shampoo.

Her friends were astonished.

"Vivian, your home is so luxurious, but how come you live like you're poorer than I am?"

"Vivian, it's your coming-of-age ceremony. Why are you dressed like this?"

Miranda quickly covered for her.

"You young ones don't understand. You have to learn to endure hardships to strengthen your character."

After her friends left, Vivian opened the window, climbed onto the balcony, and softly called to me, "Mom..."

I responded casually, then turned around to see her half out the window.

It terrified me. "Get down immediately!"

"Mom, you just don't love me, right? Our family is wealthy, yet you treat me like a pet. You must hate me, so I should leave."

A tear slid down her face, and she jumped without hesitation. I couldn't find my breath, feeling like my neck was being tightly gripped. My mind went blank until the police arrived downstairs after someone called them.

The police questioned me about Vivian's death. I stammered, "I have no idea."

The police didn't mince words.

"You're a CEO, living in such a high-end apartment, yet your daughter has been wearing tattered clothes and even had her sanitary pads rationed."

Feeling as if my backbone had been struck, I wailed uncontrollably.

"I never intended for it to be like this. I never thought it would turn out this way."

At Vivian's funeral, I couldn't stop crying, and Miranda comforted me.

"Stop crying. Vivian just didn't have what it takes to handle stress. My daughter Elise would never do something like this. The problem lies with Vivian, not you. You could always have another child."

I was immersed in pain, and her words turned all my pain into a raging fire, burning away my sanity.

I grabbed Miranda by the neck.

"You can't say that!"

I beat her black and blue, and she called the police on me. The court found me guilty of assault, and I was imprisoned.

In reality, she just didn't love her child but often manipulated me on how to "love" my child.

When I opened my eyes again, I found that I had been reborn, back to when Vivian was going to kindergarten.

Seeing Vivian walking towards me with innocence and cuteness, calling me "Mom", I was overwhelmed with emotion, hugged her, and wept.

This feeling of rediscovery was indescribable.

Even if it was a dream, I hoped it never ended, giving me a chance to make things right.

The doorbell rang. I opened the door and saw Miranda.

She said with a smile, "Vivian and Elise are both old enough for kindergarten. I've chosen a few that are cheap. They're a bit far away and not very safe. but children should endure hardships, right?"

In my previous life, I chose the same cheap and distant kindergarten under her persuasion.

After school, Vivian had to take a two-hour ride to get home, greatly reducing the time I could spend with her.

I shook my head lightly. "I'll choose a kindergarten nearby."

She didn't expect that I wouldn't just follow her advice this time.

Her expression darkened slightly. "I've done my research. Are you sure you won't listen to me?"

"I've also done my research. Although the kindergarten I chose is a bit expensive, the conditions are excellent and will provide Vivian with the best early education."

Seeing my determination, she decided to compromise.

"Alright, then I'll have Elise go to the same kindergarten as Vivian."

I knew she insisted on both girls attending the same kindergarten because she wanted to take advantage of my private driver to take Elise as well.

That afternoon, many movers came and went to my house.

Miranda was surprised and asked, "Elena, what are you doing?"

"I've bought a lot of nutritional supplements for Vivian."

Vivian was a natural beauty, but in my previous life, I raised her to be an ugly duckling.

"Why bother? Children are like grass; a little water is enough to keep them alive."

Miranda curled her lips slightly, and I ignored her.

She continued talking, "Elise is really unreasonable. The kindergarten offers a free dinner, but she refuses to eat it, insisting on having chicken nuggets that costs tens of dollars after school. What a waste of money!"

I offered a faint smile, choosing not to interfere.

She continued, grinding her teeth, "I was so angry I scolded her. She cried and promised that she would eat plenty of the free meals at kindergarten."

With a self-satisfied air, she said, "That's the right attitude!"

I scoffed inwardly. Miranda treated raising children like an investment focused on cost-effectiveness, always suppressing Elise's true needs. A child growing up this way would surely become sensitive and insecure.

My relationship with Miranda gradually grew distant. I began to deliberately avoid her. We transitioned from being close friends to just ordinary neighbors.

Vivian's personality was vastly different from her previous life.

She was lively and cheerful with delicate skin. I regularly took her for grooming. She never suffered from the appearance anxiety that other teenagers did.

She always stood out in a crowd, exuding confidence and optimism.

I also had a sweet dilemma—to watch over Vivian and prevent her from falling into early romance.

Vivian was just too adorable.

In contrast to Vivian, Elise next door had dull skin, and her once bright eyes had lost their luster.

Her eye sockets were sunken as if she were seriously ill, but Miranda seemed oblivious.