When I saw my best friend tending to the elderly man upstairs with such diligence in washing his clothes, cooking his meals, feeding him medicine, and giving him massages, I immediately knew that she had been reborn, too.

In my previous life, my best friend and I shared an apartment. We were often awakened in the middle of the night by the old man’s cough from upstairs.

When I went up to check on him, I learned that his legs were paralyzed, and he had no children or family.

Out of sympathy, I decided to care for him. I brought him his daily meals and gave him massages.

A month later, out of the blue, the old man mysteriously handed me a bank card and said, “There’s eight million here. It’s my reward to you.”

With that money, I immediately went and paid off my father’s medical bills.

Later, the old man went even further and transferred the ownership of the apartment that we were renting to me. He told me, “When your father is discharged, move in together. That way, I’ll have someone to keep me company, too!”

When my best friend learned of this, however, she went ballistic. During the few days I was having trouble sleeping, she had secretly spiked my water with a lethal dose of sleeping pills. She watched as I died in agony.

After my death, my boyfriend, posing as my fiancé, cut off my father’s medical bills and took away the old man’s bank card.

Meanwhile, my best friend spread slanderous rumors among the neighbors, claiming the old man gave me money because I had sold myself to him.

Half a year later, the two got married and paid in full for a luxury apartment in the city centre.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on that very day when the old man upstairs was coughing uncontrollably.

The soundproofing in our high-rise apartment was awful. The old man’s coughing and wailing occasionally drifted straight into the room where I shared with my roommate, Quinn Lott.

I pushed myself up slightly, but Quinn pushed me back down onto the bed the next second.

She shot me a sharp, wary glare. “What are you doing? Don’t move!”

Right after, she swiftly slipped on her shoes, threw on a coat, and walked out the door without looking back.

The heavy slam of the door jolted me awake.

Watching Quinn move with such fluid precision, I was certain she had been reborn, too.

Half an hour later, Quinn returned, looking disheveled. Pinching her nose, she stuffed a reeking bundle of clothes into the washing machine.

She then pulled out disinfectant wipes and scrubbed her fingers vigorously.

As if sensing my gaze, she slowly lifted her head, her eyes brimming with undisguised hatred toward me.

“You were woken up by the coughing, too, weren’t you?”

She casually tossed the used wipes into the trash and added, “Too bad you were a step too late.

“In this lifetime, all the riches and luxury belong to me!”

I blinked at her in confusion. “Quinny, what are you talking about?”

She swallowed awkwardly and tentatively asked, “The old man upstairs was coughing so badly. Did you not hear it?”

“I heard him.”

She snorted, full of contempt. “You’re such a saint. Have you already decided to take care of him?”

I shook my head. “I can barely manage my own life. Where would I find the energy to take care of someone else?”

With those words, Quinn exhaled in relief.

When she spoke again, her tone had softened considerably. “You’d better keep your word!

“Anyway, I’m the one taking care of this old man now. Don’t you dare think about stealing my credit!”

She practically snarled the last sentence through clenched teeth.

I smiled calmly. “Don’t worry. I absolutely won’t.”

As the saying went, “There is no greater deed than saving a life.” This old man, however, was no ordinary person!

The fool that Quinn was only saw the money the elderly man gave me, completely overlooking my sacrifices!

In my last life, moved by compassion at the sight of the old man’s lonely plight, I’d immediately decided to carve out time to take care of him.

When Quinn found out, she had taunted me every day. “Who knew I had a saint among my friends!

“What can you even gain from all your running around? I bet it’s just the old man’s pair of urine-soaked pants!”

Though her disdainful glances embarrassed me, I had never regretted caring for the old man.

Of course, it was of my own volition, and not because I wanted anything from him in return.

Unexpectedly, a month later, the old man whose legs were paralyzed suddenly regained the ability to stand.

He was overjoyed, laughing and saying it was all thanks to me.

I was happy for him from the bottom of my heart, though I never imagined the devastating news that would follow.

My father had been in a car accident and was hospitalized.

As if sensing my distress, the old man handed me a bank card. “I’m just an old man on my own. I’m broke as a joke, and all I have is money.

“You’ve taken care of me for so long. I have nothing to repay you with. You definitely must take the money!”

That wasn’t all. That evening, the old man knocked on my door and placed a key in my palm.

He pointed at the apartment my best friend and I were renting. “You’re a good kid. This place is mine too, but soon, it will be yours!

“I had someone prepare the transfer papers this afternoon. All you need to do is sign!

“From now on, this is your home! When your father gets discharged, just bring him over to live here!”

I was so overwhelmed with emotions that I forgot to refuse. By the time I came back to my senses, the old man had already left.

Upon hearing this, Quinn turned beet-red with rage. “How could that old man be so generous with you?

“Did you sleep with him?

“Heather Hepburn, you disgust me!”

No matter how good my temper was, faced with such blatant slander, I couldn’t help but argue with her.

I never imagined from then on, she would hold a grudge against me; one so deadly that she would eventually poison me to death.

Only after my death did I learn that Quinn and my boyfriend, Hansen Lecter, were high school classmates who had always been involved in some ambiguous relationship.

A notification chimed in, yanking me back to the present.

I unlocked my phone to see a payment request from my boyfriend.

“Hurry up and pay! I’m starving!

“Or we’re breaking up!”

My eyes couldn’t help but widen at the figure on the bill.

“You’re eating seven hundred bucks' worth of barbecue all by yourself?

“Can you even finish all that?”

The voice notes were barely sent when Hansen’s call came through.

“What is it to you whether I can finish them?

“Hurry up and pay! Can’t you see the clock counting down on the screen? Quick! Otherwise, I’ll have to start the order all over again!”

I had him on the speaker, so when I looked up, I was met with Quinn’s smug face.

She was reapplying her makeup. “I’m heading out later. Don’t lock the door.”

I nodded, then said into the phone, “What did you just say?

“We’re breaking up if I don’t pay?”

There was a slight hesitation before Hansen raised his voice to reply, “Yes!

“Damn it! If you’re not paying for me, then we break up! Right now!”

Despite his yelling, I replied calmly, “Then, let’s break up. Remember to pay me back the thirty thousand dollars you owe me.

“You have one day. Otherwise, I’ll see you in court.”

I hung up right after and muted his messages.

Having witnessed what had just transpired, Quinn was dumbfounded. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“Did I hear it right? You actually broke up with Hansen?

“Are you out of your mind?

“With your qualifications, shouldn’t you be thanking the heavens that someone like Hansen is willing to be with you? Yet you dare to break up with him?”

Quinn grew more agitated as she talked, repeatedly jabbing my shoulder.

I resolutely pushed her arm away and said, “If you think he’s so great, then you date him!”

I then asked her as I held out my hand to her, “Or, perhaps, you’d like to help and pay off his debt?”

With gritted teeth, Quinn glanced at her phone.

A few minutes later, she came back, storming right in after shoving my bedroom door open.

“Give me your payment code!

“It’s just thirty grand, isn’t it?

“I’ll pay for him!”

Upon hearing this, I was overjoyed and scrambled to the foot of the bed and quickly pulled up my payment code.

The notification sound of a successful transfer chimed and echoed in the room.

Quinn looked genuinely pained at giving that money away.

“There’s your money. From now on, you and Hansen have nothing to do with each other anymore!

“You are forbidden from ever pestering him!”

I nodded frantically and said, “Sure, no problem.”

Pestering him? Just thinking about what those two did to me in my previous life made my teeth grind in rage. I wished for nothing more than for them to stay far, far away from me!

Frankly, I hadn’t held out much hope for the thirty thousand dollars. After all, I knew exactly what kind of person Hansen was.

He was all about keeping up appearances, so living beyond his means had become second nature to him.

After we got together, everything he ate or drank was all paid for by me.

Recently, I had been hesitating about breaking up with him, but at the same time, I was worried I wouldn’t get my money back if we did.

Hence, I had been putting it off.

Little did I expect such a perfect opportunity would present itself and fall right into my lap today.

Of course, I couldn’t be happier!

Just before leaving, Quinn suddenly turned around. While arrogantly waving her phone at me, she said, “Oh, right, I haven’t told you this.

“I just got together with Hansen.

“We’ve gone public on Instagram. Don’t forget to drop a like.”

I nodded sweetly. “Then, let me wish you two a lifetime of happiness!”

Not getting the reaction she wanted, Quinn’s face twisted in anger. She slammed my bedroom door shut, muttering curses throughout.

Once she left, I immediately downloaded a house-searching application.

The whole incident with the elderly man in my past life had shaken me to the core. This place had traumatized me, and I didn’t want to stay here for a second longer.

I searched for a new place until three in the morning before finally falling asleep.

At seven o’clock the next morning, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

“Baby, we can now finally be together openly!”

That voice was one that I knew all too well.

Hansen and Quinn were kissing with abandon. The noise was getting louder by the minute.

Helpless and sleep-deprived, I could only stuff my ears with earplugs.

Half an hour later, a phone call silenced the pair instantly.

“Mr. Hess, you’re awake?

“Sure, I’ll be right up. Yup, I’ve bought everything you wanted to eat!

“I even picked up a new massage technique. Can’t wait to help you relax today!

“Just you wait!”

Quinn hung up the phone and immediately got up to leave. Puzzled, Hansen grabbed her arm.

“I haven’t had my fill. Where are you going?

“Taking care of the old man upstairs? Are you mad?”

“Shh… Keep your voice down! I’m doing this for the sake of our future!”

Quinn lowered her voice as she added, “That old man is our money tree!

“You’ll find out soon enough!”

For the rest of the week, I stayed in my office to avoid any more awkwardness.

During those days, I found a place I fancied and took my father for a full physical examination.

Only after the full report came back normal was I completely relieved.

On Monday morning, I took time off work to prepare for the move.

When I returned home to pack, I discovered that my bedroom had been completely taken over by Quinn.

She had piled all her stuff on my bed.

Furious, I kicked her bedroom door open, and I was greeted with the sight of the two of them going at it.

Upon seeing me, the two of them slowly put their clothes back on.

Minutes later, Quinn appeared right before me, sending me a step back in shock.

In merely a few days, she had aged more than a decade.

The wrinkles at the corners of her eyes were pronounced, and even worse was a sour, rancid odor coming from her person.

It smelled like… the old man upstairs.

“What are you here for?”

Ignoring my horror, Quinn shoved me and said, “I just asked you a question. Playing dead now?”

“You have the nerve to ask me why I’m here?” I said as I clenched my fists.

“I’m a tenant for this place, too! I paid rent!

“Why can’t I come here?”

Right then, Hansen smugly flung a document at my face.

“Open your damn eyes and see whose place this really is!”

I quickly lowered my head and realized it was a property transfer agreement.

No wonder!

That was why Quinn aged so drastically!

It was because she had gotten the old man’s property.

With a cigarette hanging lazily between his lips, Hansen said, “Can you even read?”

Quinn slid onto his lap, and for a fleeting moment, I noticed the flicker of disgust in Hansen’s eyes when he looked at Quinn.

“I demand you get out of my house immediately, Heather Hepburn! Right now!

“Otherwise, I’ll call the cops and report you for trespassing.

“I won’t have a problem with them keeping you locked up for a couple of days.”

I shook my head as I said, “Regardless of who’s the owner, I’ve rented it for a year. And I’ve only lived here for three months.

“According to the contract, as the landlord, you should compensate me.”

Hansen snorted. “No money for that. Well, if you want to stay, then go ahead!”

Quinn, however, looked tense as she watched me and Hansen.

Finally, through gritted teeth, she said, “Fine, I’ll pay you.

“Once you get the money, you’re out of here!”