"My son is different. He's destined to be wealthy—one day he'll be a big boss.

"Cindy, we're sisters. Let me give you some advice—while you're still young, hurry up and have another baby. Otherwise, that little thug of yours will wreak havoc in your life. When he beats the two of you crippled, no one will even care."

Judy's mocking voice scraped at my nerves, and my nails dug into my palm.

If she hadn't beaten and scolded Axel every day… If she hadn't forced him to drop out of school in junior high to go work… How would he have ended up wandering the streets, refusing even to return home?

The day Judy killed me was also the day I learned the truth about the baby swap.

The shock of discovering that the child I'd raised for twenty-five years wasn't mine left my mind in chaos. I wanted to confront Judy, question the hospital director, and find Phillip for answers.

But more than anything, I wanted to find Axel—my real son, whom Judy had abused for so many years.

I never got the chance. Before I could reach him, I died beneath Judy's van.

Her mocking tone now made my husband roll up his sleeves, ready to rush forward and hit her.

My parents jumped in to stop him.

My brother-in-law, Ronald Atkins, wasn't pleased either. He snorted.

"Judy was just joking. Why are you reacting like this? Having relatives like you is what's embarrassing—"

He didn't finish his sentence. My husband's temper flared, and he punched him square in the face. He was lifting his fist for another blow when I grabbed his arm.

"Let it go, Nate."

With this second chance at life, all I wanted was to properly make up for my poor son. As for Judy, I'd deal with her eventually—but there was no rush.

That night, we completed the transfer to another hospital. While packing up in the hospital room, I overheard whispers from behind the curtain next door.

My sister tried to lower her voice, but her excitement was impossible to hide.

"I've been reborn. My son, Phillip, will become a big boss in the future."

At first, the others didn't believe her. But as she described everything vividly, they were green with envy. After all, who wouldn't be tempted by the idea of living in a luxurious villa and becoming effortlessly wealthy?

My parents took turns holding Phillip, calling him their sweet, precious grandson.

Ronald slapped his thigh in delight, grinning so wide his face could barely contain it.

"That's my boy. He has a bright future."

But when the topic shifted to me, Judy's expression turned smug.

"Cindy's son will grow up to become a street thug."

My father frowned. "Then we should keep our distance from them. It'll be trouble if he clings to us."

My mother quickly chimed in, "When Phillip grows older, let's send him to a good school. We can't let him be influenced by Cindy's son."

Standing outside the curtain, I heard every word clearly.

Did she really believe Phillip became a CEO because of his own abilities?

In my previous life, I'd already been suspicious. How could two honest, hardworking people like Nate and me give birth to someone as cold and self-centered as Phillip?

He didn't acknowledge Judy as his birth mother—but if not for the fact that I controlled most of the company's shares, he wouldn't have treated me well either. Forget villas and world tours.

But I welcomed the distance between us. The farther away, the better.

Hearing them still whispering behind the curtain, I tossed the lukewarm bowl of soup straight inside.

I didn't bother to look at their shocked faces as I turned and walked out of the room.

And this was only the first gift I planned to give Judy.

With the experience I'd gained over the years in my previous life, my career took off. Promotions came one after another, and I navigated the company with ease.

Outside of work, every spare moment went into being with Axel.

In my previous life, under the abuse and oppression of Judy's entire family, Axel had picked up smoking and drinking at a young age. He got into fights at school, constantly clashing with others.

Judy never reflected on herself. She cursed him daily, calling him useless trash that could never amount to anything.

By the time he hit puberty, he had become withdrawn and volatile, refusing to obey her at all. He stayed out all hours of the day and night.

But who could blame him? When a home gives you nothing but coldness, you look for warmth wherever you can find it—even in the company of street punks.

I never asked my son to become someone extraordinary. I only ever wanted him to grow up happy and carefree.

This life, with Nate and me protecting him, Axel didn't carry the turbulence of his past life. At a glance, he was no different from any other well-loved child.

His personality was still a little like his father's—quiet and distant.

Maybe because I spent the most time with him, he always seemed cooler around others, but deeply attached to me. He often tugged at me to take him out to play or clung to me while I helped him with homework.

This weekend, as usual, I took him to the mall to buy clothes.

While looking into the mirror, he suddenly lifted his head.

"Mom… I don't know why, but sometimes it feels like this life is too good to be real. Last night, I had a dream. I dreamed you and Dad were gone, and a woman tied me to a chair and hit me. I bit her, and she slapped me.

"It was just a dream, but… it felt real, like something that actually happened."

His round eyes widened with confusion.

I stroked his hair, my voice soft.

"It was a dream; let it go. If you have nightmares again, come find me or your dad. Don't keep it to yourself."

He was still a child after all. He nodded, clutching the new clothes, and his smile returned.

While he went into the fitting room to change, I glanced across a few racks of clothing—and froze when I saw Phillip.

In the last life, raised by my husband and me, Phillip lived like a prince—clothed in the best, treated with affection, and a life filled with comfort.

This time, he lived with Judy and her family. Though they weren't nearly as wealthy, judging by his clothes, they hadn't let him suffer either.

He held Ronald's hand, and beside him stood not my sister, Judy, but a younger, prettier woman. The three of them walked together, laughing, looking every bit like a picture-perfect family.

Through the row of clothing, his still-boyish voice carried clearly.

"Kelly, my dad is handsome and gentle, and he really likes you. Can you be my mom? I promise to be really good."

The pretty girl laughed, amused.

"And what about your mom?"

Phillip paused a while before saying, "My mom is ugly and mean. She makes me study every day. She's nothing like you."

Ronald stood only a few meters away, playing on his phone. He didn't react at all—as if he didn't hear, or worse, didn't care. Every so often, he looked up with a pleased little grin. There was not the slightest hint of discomfort at hearing his son insult his wife.

And somewhere at home, my foolish sister was probably making dinner for this ungrateful father and son.

Seeing Phillip act like this didn't surprise me. In our last life, he had done the exact same thing.

Nate ran a boxing gym in the city, where a few young women worked as receptionists. Back then, a few sweet words from those girls were enough to make Phillip forget who he was. He not only beat and cursed me at home, but even humiliated me in public, saying I was old and worn out, that he wanted a pretty lady to be his mother.

This life, in a different family, Phillip was still the same ungrateful creature. And Ronald—clearly—wasn't resisting temptation much either.

I withdrew my gaze, took out my phone, and quietly snapped a few intimate photos of Ronald with the young girl.

When Axel came out of the fitting room, I was just about to take his hand and leave when a sharp, furious scream rang out, "I'll kill you, you homewrecker!"