Chapter 3

My life would change completely.

In a different way.

"Lucas, what did your sister tell you?"

He had just started first grade and was dejected as he returned the broken water gun to someone else.

I was very stern: "Lucas, apologize."

Lucas was very unwilling, even looking at me with some hatred.

But I didn't back down. With my height advantage and adult presence, I forced him to finally speak up.

I went to his classmate, gritted my teeth, and took out all the pocket money I had saved from selling bottles.

"I'm sorry, we'll buy you a new one."

I patted the chubby kid's head and said softly:

"Sister will buy you candy. Please forgive Lucas, and can you play with him in the future?"

The chubby kid hesitated but nodded.

Lucas grumbled unhappily:

"Who cares about playing with them."

This little brat.

With Mom as a strong negative influence.

I spent five whole years and still couldn't correct many of Lucas's bad habits.

When I first started educating him, I encountered many obstacles.

Lucas and I agreed that if he made a mistake, he would have to eat bitter melon.

Every time I forced it to his mouth, Lucas would scream and yell, attracting Mom.

But he never dared to say it was my fault.

Before he was three years old, I had imprinted in his DNA that he must absolutely obey his sister's words.

Just like a baby elephant tied with a rope, even when it grows up and can easily break free from the rope.

It doesn't have this awareness, and I don't allow such things to happen.

Over these five years, I constantly reminded myself.

Never let Lucas become like he was in my previous life.

On the way home, I remained silent.

Lucas glanced at my expression.

"Sis, the backpack is so heavy."

After Mom discovered that I could teach Lucas to speak, she very reluctantly handed him over to me to take care of.

But she still constantly reminded him, instilling the idea that everything of his sister's belonged to him, and that his sister was just a lowly girl.

But she acted too late.

When it comes to brainwashing, how could an ignorant illiterate like her compare to me?

The child I had already set on the right path couldn't be ruined by her again.

Seeing that I wasn't responding to him, Lucas became anxious and ran in front of me.

"Sis, I was wrong. Don't be angry. Don't make me eat bitter melon."

If it were Mom, she would definitely say:

"It's all those little bastards' fault. My darling is always right. Mom will buy you cake, and we won't play with them anymore."

I looked at him coldly.

"What did you do wrong?"

"I shouldn't have snatched the toy from Chubby just because they wouldn't play with me."

I gave him a light tap on the head and said sternly:

"Remember this, be kind to others, and also—"

I suddenly raised my voice:

"Never be greedy for things that don't belong to you, do you hear me!"

In my previous life, Lucas ended up in trouble because he was greedy for enjoyment and too vain.

After Lucas became sensible, I rarely scolded him harshly anymore.

He was startled by me and stood at attention, trembling as he repeated:

"Don't be greedy for things that don't belong to me."

"I remember, Sis."

As time passed, Lucas entered middle school.

One night, Dad came home drunk again.

He often did this, so at home, Mom was the one who called the shots.

"I and some friends... are planning to... open a brick factory," I heard Dad say as I was going to get water for washing feet.

My hand shook, and some water splashed onto my shoes.

This brick factory was my lifelong nightmare.

Dad was fooled and lost everything.

From that moment on, I fell into another hell.

"You're a woman, what money could you possibly spend?"

"Hurry up and give me five thousand dollars. Didn't you earn quite a bit? What's wrong with contributing to the family?"

"What do you mean you have no money? You're just selfish, watching your parents starve outside while you eat and drink well."

"Your brother is in a relationship. Buy him a house."

"If you don't help your brother pay off his debts, you're ruining his life!"

From age fifteen to thirty-five, I supported these bloodsuckers for twenty whole years.

They clung to me tightly, sucking the marrow from my bones, draining every drop of my blood.

During those twenty dark years.

They were happy, enjoying themselves.

With vicious smiles, they watched me struggle desperately in the quagmire.

I trembled all over, my face pale, as the long-absent feeling of panic engulfed me.

Lucas passed by: "Sis, what's wrong?"

I suddenly came to my senses, as if grasping at a lifeline.

"Lucas, Dad's business will fail. Mom listens to you the most, quickly stop them."

Lucas listened to me very well, and there was another reason—

I could "predict" things.

Over the years, I had foreseen many big and small family matters in advance, so Lucas had a mysterious reverence for me.

Lucas frowned: "Sis, how should I say this? They won't listen to me about this kind of thing."

I dragged him into the room.

"Lucas, listen, Dad will not only lose everything, but he'll also end up with a crippled leg."

I was almost hysterical: "Go quickly, use whatever method you can."

"We must not let Dad get involved in this!"

My expression was too ferocious, scaring Lucas stiff, but he had no choice but to go.

I slid down against the door, covered in cold sweat.