My parents’ faces turned ashen. My mother leapt to her feet. “Pack your things!”
My sister didn’t even look up from her sunflower seeds. “Why? What are you packing for?”
“Run! Caleb’s caused such a huge mess—how are we supposed to pay? Even if we sell the house and land, we can’t afford it!” My mother’s voice was nearly hysterical.
But my sister just smirked and pushed her back into her chair.
“Relax, Mom. Not only will we not lose money—we’re about to get rich.”
Both my parents blinked in confusion.
“The owner of that Rolls-Royce is a golden bachelor,” my sister said with confidence. “Once I dress up, apologize, and play the victim a little, he’ll definitely fall in love with me. Then I’ll marry Caleb into a wealthy family too, and we’ll all live a life of luxury.”
My mother’s eyes lit up. “Maris, you really think this will work?”
“Of course it will. I never do anything I’m not sure about.”
My father grinned. “Then we’ll leave it to you, Maris. You’ve got a good head on your shoulders.”
When they finally noticed me standing there, their faces hardened.
My mother stomped over and yanked me by the ear. “All you do is wander around outside all day! You never help your sister take care of her son, never cook, just eat what’s already made! You’ve got some nerve!”
My father chimed in, “You can’t live here for free. You need to pay living expenses. We’re not asking for much—just ten grand.”
I had only been home for three days, yet every morning my mother had me up at dawn to do farm work.
The only reason I didn’t cook was because the one time I did, they said my food was terrible and told me never to touch the stove again.
And as soon as I came home, I handed each of them an envelope with a thousand dollars in cash. How could they say I was freeloading?
But the memory of my previous life still haunted me.
I could still feel the tree bark digging into my back, my sister’s smug face as she and my nephew lit firecrackers and hurled them at me.
The flames caught my down jacket in an instant. I was so terrified I couldn’t even scream at first. My parents and sister just stood there watching with cold expressions, while my nephew jumped up and down, clapping and laughing.
“Great! Burn Auntie to death! Burn Auntie to death!”
The fire spread over my entire body, the pain so intense I thought my skull would split open.
“Mom! Dad! Please—save me! I’m burning alive!”