Chapter 2

In the reception room of the adoption agency, Chloe held Lily tightly, laughing like a psychopath.

"Audrey, look at this. It's my turn to hit the jackpot in this life."

Her eyes practically shone with greed as she spoke.

I knew that look all too well. It was the exact same look she had when she pushed me off that high-rise building in our past life.

Greedy, maniacal, and ruthless.

I didn't say a word. I just stared at Lily in her arms.

The little girl was as skinny as a beanpole, her face pale, her eyes filled with fear.

She curled up in Chloe’s arms like a terrified, wounded little animal.

But Chloe didn't care about the child's terror. She was too busy gloating.

"Audrey, do you know? I dreamed about it. Lily is my lucky charm!"

"Her random doodles will become a massive, global brand! She is going to make me a billionaire!"

Her voice shook with pure excitement.

Looking at her, I found it hilarious.

In our past life, when I adopted Lily, Chloe had hugged Mia with the exact same excitement before walking away.

Back then, she told me, "Audrey, Mia is so pretty and sweet. She’s definitely going to bring me good luck."

And what was the result?

Mia’s biological parents tracked her down, blackmailing Chloe with false accusations of "child abuse."

Chloe's business went under, and she completely lost her mind.

In the end, she pushed me off that roof. Right before I fell, she was still cursing, "Why was your daughter a lucky charm while mine was a jinx? It’s not fair!"

Not fair?

I clutched my chest. The dull, agonizing pain of the fall felt as if it had happened just yesterday.

Falling from the twenty-third floor, the sound of my bones shattering was still crystal clear.

I remembered it was raining that day. Cold rain mixed with my blood ran into my eyes.

I looked up and saw Chloe standing on the edge of the roof, her face twisted like a demon.

"It's all your fault! Everything is because of you!"

She shrieked, then turned and walked away.

She didn't even give me a second glance.

When I died, Lily was in Europe hosting her art exhibition.

She had no idea that the mother who raised her for over ten years had been murdered by her own aunt.

"Audrey? Audrey, are you even listening to me?"

Chloe's sharp voice dragged me back to reality.

She had already signed the adoption papers and was getting ready to leave with Lily.

"I'm leaving now. Have fun taking care of Mia," she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

Mia stood in the corner, her eyes red and puffy.

She had been crying the entire time because Chloe had suddenly changed her mind and rejected her.

The caseworker, Mrs. Gable, was still trying to reason with her. "Ms. Chloe, you clearly agreed to adopt Mia earlier..."

"I changed my mind, okay?"

Chloe cut her off impatiently.

"Lily suits me better. It's none of your business."

She turned and walked out without looking back.

Lily struggled slightly in her arms, trying to look back at Mia.

Chloe pushed Lily’s head down. "Don't look. From now on, you're my daughter. She has nothing to do with you."

I heard Lily whimpering quietly.

It was a tiny, fragile sound, like a hurt kitten.

I closed my eyes.

In our past life, when Lily first came to my home, she cried just like that.

She hated talking. She would always curl up in a corner and draw by herself.

I was dirt poor back then, living in a damp basement, unable to even afford an air conditioner.

In the sweltering heat of summer, I would buy her popsicles and sit with her in the hallway just to catch a breeze.

While she drew, I would read books beside her.

We barely spoke, but we found peace in each other's company.

Later, a gallery owner noticed her art and bought one of her paintings for five thousand dollars.

I cried tears of joy, and so did she.

We hugged each other and cried like two fools.

After that, her paintings sold for higher and higher prices, eventually turning into a massive franchise.

I went from a simple office worker to a self-made billionaire.

I bought her a mansion, sent her to the best schools, and gave her the finest life possible.

I thought we would be happy forever.

Until Chloe pushed me off that building.

"Audrey..."

Mia's timid voice pulled me out of my thoughts.

She looked up at me, her eyes overflowing with tears.

"That lady didn't want me... Are you going to leave me behind, too?"

I looked at her.

In our past life, when Chloe adopted her, she had looked just as pitiful.

Chloe spoiled her rotten, buying her the most expensive designer clothes and sending her to elite private schools.

But Chloe didn't know that Mia had already been brainwashed by her horrible biological parents.

Those parents were absolute human trash.

They had abandoned Mia at the agency on child welfare records specifically so they could track her down after she was adopted and blackmail the wealthy adoptive family.

They taught Mia how to play victim, how to win sympathy, and how to milk every penny out of her adoptive mother.

In our past life, the moment Chloe’s business started taking off, they showed up.

They claimed Chloe was abusing Mia, threatening to sue her and demanding massive payouts.

To keep things quiet, Chloe paid them a fortune.

But they only got greedier, demanding more money again and again.

Eventually, Chloe's business was dragged down to bankruptcy, and she had a mental breakdown.

She blamed all her failures on me.

She blamed my daughter for being a lucky charm, and hers for being a curse.

She believed I had stolen her luck and ruined her life.

And that was why she killed me.

I gently patted Mia’s head.

"I will take you home," I said.

Mia’s eyes lit up for a second, then quickly dimmed.

"But... that lady said I’m a jinx..." she whispered, her voice barely audible.

I smiled gently.

"She doesn't know anything. A child's future is never decided by their nature. It's decided by the person who raises them."

I finalized the adoption paperwork for Mia and walked out of the agency with her.

As we left, I glanced back.

Chloe was happily putting Lily into her car, a smug, victorious smile plastered across her face.