To teach our daughter about being grateful my husband and I often bought her to volunteer at a nearby orphanage when we had time.

There was one little girl there, who was born with a disability that left her unable to walk, which made my daughter pity her so much for her hard life.

So, she begged us to buy the girl a lot of new clothes. We did, of course and brought the gifts to her.

However, something unexpected happened. As soon as she put on the new clothes, she grabbed my hand tightly and refused to let go.

“Auntie,” she said pitifully, “Cassie wants to be your daughter too … Will you adopt me? I promise I’ll be a good girl.”

My husband and daughter kept persuading me and eventually, I caved and agreed to the adoption.

However, I had never dreamt that just a week later, our daughter fell from the balcony and died instantly.

Not long after, my husband and I were in a car accident and we never made it out alive.

After death, our adopted daughter inherited everything we owned.

As my soul drifted above, I watched in horror as she stood up from her wheelchair with ease and with a wicked grin twisting her face she tore our family portrait into pieces and laughed.

“It’s all mine now," she said.

The next moment, I opened my eyes, I back on the very day we decided to adopt her.

This time, I yanked my hand away from hers the second she reached out.

——

“Auntie, this dress is so pretty. I’ve never had new clothes before. I love it! Thank you, Auntie. Thank you, Uncle. You’re both such kind people!”

“Auntie,” she added quickly, her voice trembling, “Cassie wants to be your daughter too. The other kids at the orphanage bully me because both of my legs are disabled.… Please take Cassie with you. I swear I’ll be obedient. I’ll do anything to repay you, I’ll work like a horse or a cow if I have to!”

As she spoke, Cassandra Smith began to slide off her wheelchair and tried to kneel before us.

My husband, Aaron Jackson hurriedly reached out to stop her, his face filled with compassion.

“It’s okay, sweetie. As long as you like the dress," he said, "Do the kids here bully you? That’s awful. I thought the director seemed like a decent person, how could this happen?”

Our daughter’s eyes turned red with sympathy. She looked at me with a soft, pleading gaze and asked, “Mom, can we take her home? I’d really love to have a little sister to play with.”

When the soft familiar voice rang out, it pulled me straight out of my memories from my past life.

I had been reborn, precisely on the very day we adopted Cassandra.

In my previous life, she had used her disability to win our sympathy. Every time we visited the orphanage for charity, she made sure to be front and center, playing the part of the pitiful, lonely child.

We adopted her because we wanted to set a good example for our daughter. Aaron and I always had soft hearts so we could not resist her request.

As a result, we adopted Cassandra and took her home.

One thing I had never dreamed of, this act of kindness caused our family of three to be killed.

As soon as our demise, Cassandra stood tall. She was okay, without any sign of disability in sight.

Now I realized it had all been a lie. She had been faking her disability the whole time, manipulating everyone with her performance.

Aaron and I had been nothing but fools in her little game.

However, not this time. I would not let history repeat itself.

I turned cold and spoke firmly, “We don’t have any extra space at home. Adopting you isn’t possible. The orphanage receives plenty of donations from kind people. You’ll be taken care of and you won’t suffer.”

My husband looked at me, confused. It was as if I had suddenly become a different person.

“Honey, what’s going on? Cassie was just speaking from the heart. Why are you getting so upset?”

This made my daughter so scared that she tugged on her sleeve. Her eyes were full of worry and sadness.

Then she said, “Mom, this isn’t like you at all. You always said we should help others when they’re in trouble. That good people get rewarded. Cassie is a pitiful. Can’t we take her home?”

Despite their pleading, I held firm. “No. If you want to visit her, I’ll bring you here every week to do volunteer work." I told her. "However, I will not bring her home.”

“Ella, you’re our only daughter. Our one and only. You get all of our love and care. Are you really ready to share your parents’ attention with someone else?” I asked.

My daughter was still young, but after thinking it over, she slowly began to understand where I was coming from.

“Whatever you say, Mommy.”

I finally let out a breath of relief.

At that very moment, Cassandra's reddened. She struggled to wheel herself closer to us.

She pleaded, “Auntie… life here is worse than you think. The donations from kind people are limited. I was born disabled so I can’t fight with the others for food or supplies. The director prefers healthy kids because they have a better chance of being adopted. No one here really cares about me!”

“All these years, you’re the only ones who ever talked to me … whoever bought me things. If you don’t take me home today, you might never see me again …” she continued.

“I’m begging you, Auntie. I know your family is doing well. So, adding one more person to raise won’t be a burden. I’ll work for you as a nanny. I’ll take care of your daughter. I’ll clean, I’ll cook—I’ll do anything. I don’t mind suffering …”

Her voice trembled, her expression pitiful, but her calculating eyes sent a chill down my spine. I instinctively stepped back and pulled my daughter closer.

“I already said no and I meant it. Our home isn’t some charity hotel. We worked hard to get where we are and it didn’t fall from the sky. Helping you is kindness, but not helping you doesn’t make us bad people. Just because we have money doesn’t mean we’re obligated to spend it on strangers. I’m no saint.”

“Besides, we’ll be back every week and I’ll give you five seventy-five dollars for your own expenses. That should be enough for you to get by. So don’t push your luck.”

Without waiting for her reaction, I turned around and walked out while taking my daughter with me.

Aaron also followed me behind. 

Although he didn’t understand why I was acting this way, as always, he supported me without question.

While he went to get the car, my daughter and I stood outside in the sunlight.

However, even with the warmth on my skin, I could feel a cold, poisonous gaze piercing my back. So, I turned around to look.

Cassandra was staring at us from the orphanage window. Her face changed in an instant, from venomous to pleading and pitiful.

However, I had seen that same expression before. I recognized the hidden cruelty behind her innocent mask. That possessive, determined glint in her eyes chilled me to the bone.

I frowned and quickly ushered my daughter into the car. I was still too scared that cold sweats broke out across my forehead.

Aaron handed me a tissue and he asked in concern, “Are you feeling okay? Are you sick? You’re not acting like yourself today. Cassandra's just a kid so you didn’t have to go that hard on her.”

My daughter also looked at me. There was sadness and confusion on her face as she said, "You look truly terrifying today, Mommy."

I tried so hard to calm down and after I did, I stretched my arm and stroked my soft little head gently.

"Ella, listen. Although doing good deeds is important, you have to know who the person you are helping is. Some people know how to be thankful while the others ... well, they don't know how to do that, instead they might stab you in the back."

Then I said again, "You're still young ... but Ella, I hope someday you'll understand that everything I do is for our family's protection."

Seeing the confusion in Aaron's eyes, I narrated everything that had happened in my last life. However, I framed it as if it were news.

I described how a couple with a kind heart took in a child as their adopted child. However, the child betrayed them. In the end, the child murdered the whole family."

Aaron knitted his brows and said indignantly, "That’s horrible. I shouldn’t have doubted you, You’re right, Honey. I'm sorry.”

"You do have a point though. We must concentrate all our energy on Ella. After all, she is still young and deserves all the energy that we have. As for the others, they're not the concern of our family."

When I heard his support, I could finally lean my head back and close my eyes. However, deep down, an uneasiness still crept into my heart.

Cassandra was just a teenager, but she had already learned how to fake a disability. A person with that kind of scheming mind would not give up so easily.

Especially since our family had caught her notice, would she really let us go without a fight?

Thankfully, Cassandra was already a seventeen-year-old girl right now. Once, she became eighteen years old girl, the orphanage would have to kick her out.

She would also not be eligible for adoption anymore and the threat would finally be gone.

Still … my nerves were strung too tight and as the tension drained away, I drifted into a deep, uneasy sleep.

In my dreams, I was pulled back to my previous life.

The scene of Cassandra's twisted, triumphant smile kept flashing before my eyes.

When I jolted awake in a cold sweat, the car had already arrived downstairs of our building and my daughter had hopped down the car. She was ready to go upstairs.

However, right at that moment, my phone rang. It was from the orphanage director.

“Hello. Mrs. Diana? Sorry to bother you. I just wanted to let you know that Cassandra, the girl you’ve been sponsoring, has been adopted. I thought you should hear it from us directly.”

Since I did not want to know anything about Cassandra, I just told her some brief words and then ended the call.

It looked like she had found another target after I rejected her. I just hoped that my family would not end up the same wretched way as we did in my past life.

At this point, I could not afford to care anymore.

Once we arrived at our home, I helped my daughter to wash up and get to bed. However, when I lay down to sleep, it would not come so easily. I tossed and turned until the clock struck three.

That was when someone started pounding on our front door.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The knocks were so loud and urgent that I sat up in a panic.

Then sounds also stirred Aaron awake. He was already halfway to opening the door when I held him back in a flash.

I pressed my index finger to my lips as a sign for Aaron to stay silent. Then with hurried steps, I went to the door and peeked through the peephole.

That was when I saw Cassandra. Her wide evil eyes looked straight at me from the other side of the peephole.

Fear overtook me and my body went weak. I had to clamp a hand over my mouth to keep myself from screaming.

However, she remained persistent. After she paused for two minutes, at first it came the sobs then the crying.

"Auntie, Uncle. I knew you were in there. Please, save Cassie! …. My adoptive parents have been beating me since they picked me up. I barely escaped with my life!"

"If you don’t help me, I’m going to be caught and die out there! Please, Auntie, Uncle, I'm begging you! Cassie will kneel if that’s what it takes.…”

How the hell did she find my home?

In the flash, Aaron was ready to open the door. Seeing this, I rushed and intercepted his way. 

Then I raised my voice and shouted through the door and said, “Cassandra, it’s already late. Auntie and Uncle need to sleep. The director told us you’ve already been adopted. Legally, we’re not your guardians anymore so we’re not even allowed to take you in. What if your new parents accuse us of kidnapping? We’d be in huge trouble!”

Then I added, "You should go home. We’re sorry, but we can’t help. Ella has school tomorrow, so ... Please, stop shouting.”

Aaron's knitted his brow. He disagreed with my approach.

"Diana Campbell! Cassandra's just a kid! Aren't you being too vigilant towards her? Look at her! It’s impossible for her to walk because her legs are disabled! What terrible thing can she do?"

"After all, it's just for one night anyway. As soon as morning comes, I'll personally take her to the police station. If it fails, I'll find someone to adopt her or send her back to the orphanage."

When Aaron reached for the door again to open it, I pushed him back for two meters and snapped at him, "Think about it! If she really can’t walk, how did she find our apartment? How did she get all the way up to the fifteenth floor? There’s no wheelchair ramp downstairs!”

Aaron froze as my words hit him. He understood what it meant.

Outside the door, Cassandra's shout grew louder and louder and her voice made the neighbors take notice.

She even ripped her clothes and intently exposed bruises that covered her body from being abused. The neighbors were soon talking.

Cassandra ever the actress, whimpered, “I’m an orphan. Uncle and Auntie, you used to help me. However, my adoptive parents beat me. I had no one else to turn to.”

The neighbors started knocking on our door too to assist her.

“Aaron! The poor kid’s in trouble. Just let her in for one night, will you?”