I agreed, but what awaited me were some thugs from school.
They bound my hands, ripped my clothes off, and recorded it all. The ordeal lasted an eternity, or so it felt. I was left feeling like I’d been run over by a fleet of trucks, completely wrecked.
They told me their real target was Ashley, and I was just a decoy.
At the hospital, I told my parents what happened. My dad slapped me, saying I went there on my own, that I was asking for it, hanging with the wrong people, and trying to take Ashley down with me.
They never came to the hospital again, acting like I didn’t exist.
When Ashley started university, I saw a photo of her happy family on Instagram and jumped off the rooftop, filled with resentment.
I wanted to see my parents‘ regret, but I was let down again.
They didn’t even collect my ashes.
At that moment, Ashley called.
Without hesitation, I hung up and turned off my phone.
I wondered what would happen to Ashley without me saving. her.
At night, my mom couldn’t reach Ashley, and my brother was going to look for her.
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At dinner, my uncle said, “She didn’t do well on her exams, so she’s too embarrassed to dine with us, right? But Grace is really something. She’s the first in our family to get into Nydoalind University.”
My dad brought out his home–brewed wine and looked around. Not spotting Ashley, he asked, “Is Ashley still not back?”
My uncle continued, “You guys don’t appreciate your own daughter. You’ve barely talked to Grace since she’s been home, always thinking about the adopted one.”
My mom avoided my gaze. My dad was in a sour mood, especially with the jab at his adopted daughter. My brother put on his jacket. “I’ll go to find Ashley.”
But before he left, my dad got a call from the hospital about Ashley’s accident.
The pain I suffered in my last life had finally come to her.
She was in the hospital with a swollen and bruised face.
The doctor said she was badly injured. She might never have kids.
My mother was a wreck, leaning on my brother, and my dad looked like he had aged years overnight.
In my previous life, when they looked at me, I could see how much they loathed me. I was dirt to them, and they thought I’d tarnished the Parrish family.
In this life, the tables turned. They’d give anything to be the ones in Ashley’s place. My mom got Ashley in a tight hug,
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feeling the guilt eat away at her.
Ashley cried in her arms, “I called Grace for help, but she didn’t answer. Did I do something wrong? Does she want me to die?”
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the daughter who’d made it into Nydoalind University.
My brother sneered, “You think this will make Mom and Dad stop blaming you? Grace, why have you become so heartless?”
My mom’s eyes were filled with tears. “We raised you all these years, and this is how you repay us? With a piece of paper? Are you really trying to sever ties? Don’t you see us as your family anymore?”
Ashley suddenly lost it, shoving my mom aside. “You’re all horrible! I’m done with you. I’m going to find my real parents. Mom and Dad, I’ve been treated so badly.”
My mom held Ashley close, crying her heart out after hearing this.
My brother’s grip on my hand was tight, his voice full of rage. “Is this what you wanted? Look at what you’ve done to Ashley!”
My dad’s eyes were ice cold as he stared at us. Then he
grabbed the agreement and signed it with a flourish. “You’re out of here. Ashley’s all we’ve got now!”
My mom was shell–shocked, but with Ashley wailing in her arms, she clung to Ashley, trying to soothe away the pain. I scooped up the paper and walked out, not once looking back.
I never expected my folks to go for it, but Ashley’s nudge was the game–changer.
I managed classes and part–time jobs throughout my four years in college.
After I graduated from Nydoalind University, Liam started his
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own game company and offered me a job as a plot planner, but I said no.
Instead, I scored a great reporter job at Capital Central Station, traveling nationwide to cover stories.
In Mideway City, I ran into an old high school friend who told me my parents had been looking for me, and my brother had passed away.
H
Ashley, their adopted girl, hooked up with a real bad guy during her extra year in high school. After they split, he showed up to make trouble.
My brother stepped in to shield Ashley and got hurt, but she locked the door, ignoring his cries for help. He bled to death because of her.
It wasn’t until after my brother’s funeral that my parents got the full picture of Ashley’s thug ex. He’d crossed the wrong people, and she’d been used as payback.
Ashley tried to drag me into her mess, calling for me to be her fall guy, but I didn’t bite. Losing my brother sent my mom over the edge.
Eventually, Ashley got kicked out and her ex dragged her into some shady dealings.
My dad was juggling work and looking after my mom. He had a lot on his plate, and that was when he thought of me, the one he’d left behind. But I had no intention of meeting them.
Both my past self and my brother in this life suffered because of them. I used to feel small because I never got the love I
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needed from mom and dad.
It drove me to the edge.
I’d been through death once, and I was square with them.
From now on, it was just me, Grace, going solo. I wasn’t anybody’s kid anymore.
