Naomi stood aside, feigning a smile. "Zoey, I really envy you as a special education teacher. You can take care of him so easily, unlike me, who gets exhausted after just a short while."

Madeline clicked her tongue and looked at her daughter with pity.

Bennett was a child with autism. In the previous life, due to my identity as a special education teacher, taking care of him became my duty. Later, when Naomi got pregnant with her second child, Bennett became my full responsibility.

Bennett looked sullen after being pulled by Madeline, as if he was about to explode.

He had a severe violent tendency and could even beat someone to the point of a concussion.

Johnson's numb face suddenly showed anger as he stood in front of me. "I've said it before, Zoey is going to work. How does it look if she keeps taking Bennett with her?"

Madeline glared. "Why not?" Then she looked at me expectantly. "Zoey, what do you think?"

In the previous life, I was my husband's unreliable partner. Every time he protected me, I would betray him, foolishly thinking I was considering the bigger picture.

This time around, I would not repeat the same mistakes.

I pushed the backpack away. "Mom, I really can't take him. I'm going to teach, not to play. Bennett keeps me so busy that I can't get anything done, and my colleagues have a lot of complaints."

Johnson looked up at me in surprise.

Naomi pouted and shook my arm. "Oh come on, you don't rely on your colleagues for your salary. What does it matter if you offend them?"

In the previous life, I was too soft-hearted and was used by her until my death.

In the mirror beside us, her rosy face contrasted sharply with my haggard appearance.

I knocked her hand away. "But if this continues, I'll definitely lose my job."

"After all, our new house relies on Johnson and me to pay the mortgage. I can't afford to lose my income."

After Johnson and I got married, we fully paid for a small one-bedroom apartment. But in my previous life, blinded by naivety, I followed Madeline's suggestion to sell our one-bedroom apartment and used the money as a down payment for a four-bedroom house, living together with Madeline and Naomi's family.

Since none of them worked, Johnson and I paid the mortgage.

Madeline said she was afraid Naomi would feel uncomfortable living and strongly insisted on putting Naomi's name on the property deed.