Rain poured heavily from the dark sky, hitting the hospital windows again and again, as if it was trying to break through the glass and drown everything inside. The night felt unusually cold, the kind of cold that slowly crept into the bones and made it hard to breathe.
Lin Xue stood outside the hospital room, her hand trembling slightly as it hovered over the door handle. Her heart was beating fast, almost painfully, as if it was warning her not to go inside and see what she already feared.
The corridor smelled of medicine and cleaning liquid, sharp and clean, but beneath that was another scent—soft, sweet, and familiar.
Her breath caught.
She knew that scent.
It was the perfume she had carefully chosen and gifted to her sister on her birthday, something she had picked with so much care because she wanted her sister to be happy.
Her fingers slowly tightened around the handle.
A strange uneasiness rose in her chest, growing heavier with every second.
Something was wrong.
Very wrong.
She could still leave right now, turn around, and pretend she had never come here. She could pretend she never heard anything and go back to her normal life, even if it was all a lie.
But then—
a soft laugh came from inside the room.
It was gentle, close, and far too intimate.
Her heart dropped.
"…She really has no idea?" her sister's voice came, light and amused, as if she was talking about something entertaining.
Lin Xue froze where she stood.
Another voice followed, one she knew better than anyone else.
"Lin Xue?" her fiancé said with a low chuckle. "She's too blind to notice anything."
The word blind hit her like a slap across the face.
Her fingers curled tightly, her nails digging into her palm, yet she didn't feel the pain at all.
"…Once everything is transferred, there's no need to keep her alive," her sister said casually, as if she was talking about throwing something away.
Lin Xue's breathing stopped for a moment.
Alive?
What did that even mean?
Before she could fully understand, the man replied in a calm and steady voice, "Of course. After we get the insurance and inheritance, her death will solve everything."
Her death.
Not leaving her.
Not breaking up.
But killing her.
For a moment, everything around her went completely silent, as if the world itself had stopped moving.
Even the sound of rain disappeared.
Her hand moved on its own.
The door slammed open loudly, breaking the silence inside.
Both of them turned in shock.
"Xue—?!" the man stood up quickly, his face turning pale.
Her sister looked surprised for a brief moment, but then her expression changed into a calm and cold smile, as if nothing mattered anymore.
Lin Xue stepped inside slowly, each step feeling heavier than the last, yet her face showed nothing—no anger, no sadness, only a quiet emptiness.
"Go on," she said in a low voice. "Why did you stop?"
The room fell silent again.
The man avoided her gaze, clearly uncomfortable, but her sister simply laughed as if this situation amused her.
"Well, since you heard everything," she said while walking closer and holding his arm, "there's no need to hide anymore."
The action was deliberate and cruel.
Lin Xue looked at them, at the man she had loved for five years and the sister she had trusted all her life, and something inside her began to crack.
Her lips trembled slightly.
"…Why?" she asked softly.
Her voice shook, even though she tried to stay calm.
Even now, a small part of her still hoped he would deny it, that he would say it was all a misunderstanding and that none of this was real.
The man frowned, clearly annoyed by her question.
"Why?" he repeated. "Because you were useful. That's all."
The answer was simple.
But it destroyed everything.
Her sister smiled sweetly, almost kindly.
"You really thought he loved you?" she said. "You were just convenient."
Lin Xue felt her chest tighten painfully.
"But don't worry," her sister continued in a light tone, "you helped us a lot. The company, the money, the connections… everything will belong to me soon."
Lin Xue stared at her, unable to believe what she was hearing.
"You… are my sister…" she whispered.
Her sister tilted her head slightly and replied without hesitation, "So?"
That single word cut deeper than anything else.
Something inside Lin Xue broke completely, but still she didn't cry, didn't shout, and didn't fight back.
Because deep down, she already knew.
She had seen the signs long ago.
She just didn't want to believe them.
She remembered the late-night calls he would hide, the way her sister suddenly became closer to him, and the small lies that never quite made sense.
She had noticed everything.
But she chose to ignore it.
Because she trusted them.
Because she loved them.
She thought of the job she had rejected for him, a dream she had worked so hard to achieve, and how easily she had given it up without hesitation.
She thought of her friends, the ones she slowly stopped meeting because he didn't like them, until she was left with no one but him.
She thought of the long nights she stayed awake, helping him build his career, believing that one day they would share that success together.
Everything she gave.
Everything she sacrificed.
All for people who never saw her as anything more than a tool.
Her chest felt unbearably heavy, but her face remained calm.
Too calm.
"Fine," she said softly.
Just one word.
Then she turned and walked away.
The rain swallowed her the moment she stepped outside, soaking her clothes, her hair, and her skin in seconds, but she didn't care at all.
She walked forward slowly, like someone who had already lost everything that mattered.
The world around her felt distant and blurry, as if she was no longer part of it.
So this was her life.
A lie from beginning to end.
Love was fake.
Family was fake.
Everything—
was a trap.
Her steps slowed as her mind became empty, and for the first time in her life, she didn't know where to go or what to do next.
She felt completely lost.
Footsteps sounded behind her, getting closer.
Then—
"Xue'er, wait."
That familiar voice.
Warm and gentle.
The same voice that once made her feel safe.
She stopped and slowly turned around.
He stood there holding an umbrella, looking at her with concern, just like he always did.
For a brief moment, her heart wavered.
"…Why?" she asked again, her voice weaker now.
He sighed softly and walked closer. "You shouldn't have heard that," he said in a calm tone.
His hand rested on her shoulder, warm and steady, just like before.
But now—
it felt like a lie.
The pain came suddenly.
Sharp, deep, and unbearable.
Lin Xue's eyes widened as she slowly looked down, unable to believe what she was seeing.
A knife was buried deep in her stomach, and blood flowed out quickly, mixing with the rain at her feet.
"…You…" her voice trembled as her body began to shake.
Behind him, her sister walked forward, her face calm and her eyes cold.
"I told you," she said simply. "Keeping you alive would only cause trouble."
The man leaned closer, his voice low and clear.
"I never loved you. Not even once."
Something inside Lin Xue collapsed completely, not all at once, but slowly, like the last piece of her heart finally breaking.
Not even once…
Then what were those five years?
What was I to you?
The knife twisted, and the pain spread through her body like fire.
She gasped as her vision began to blur.
It hurt more than she could handle.
Her legs gave out, and she fell to the ground.
The rain poured over her endlessly as her body grew heavier and her breathing became weaker.
Each breath felt harder than the last.
Am I… dying?
The thought came slowly, followed by a deep fear she had never felt before.
She didn't want to die.
Her fingers moved weakly, trying to hold onto something, but her body refused to listen.
Her vision blurred further, and their faces became unclear as their voices faded away.
Memories flashed through her mind—small moments of laughter, trust, and happiness that now felt meaningless.
Regret filled her chest, heavy and suffocating.
She had seen the truth.
She just refused to accept it.
If only she had chosen herself…
just once.
"Make sure she's dead," her sister's voice echoed faintly.
"She won't survive," the man replied calmly.
So this was how it ended.
Alone.
A tear slipped from her eye as her thoughts slowly faded.
If she had another chance…
she would never love like this again.
She would never trust so easily.
And then—
everything disappeared.
A cold voice echoed in the darkness.
[Host detected…]
[Vital signs: terminated.]
[Cause of death: homicide.]
[Regret level: extreme.]
Lin Xue floated in silence, surrounded by nothing but emptiness, where there was no pain, no sound, and no light.
[Do you wish to return?]
Return?
To that life?
To that pain?
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then something cold rose inside her.
Hatred.
This time, she would not trust.
She would not love.
She would not lose.
"…Yes."
[Revenge path activated.]
[Rebirth confirmed.]
[Time reversing…]
Her eyes snapped open as she took a deep breath, air rushing into her lungs as her heart pounded wildly.
She was alive.
Her gaze slowly moved to the phone beside her, and when she saw the date, her entire body froze.
Five years ago.
Before everything began.
Before the betrayal.
Before her death.
She slowly touched her stomach.
There was no wound.
No blood.
Nothing.
She looked into the mirror and saw a younger version of herself staring back—alive, whole, and untouched by everything that had happened.
Memories rushed through her mind, sharp and clear.
The knife.
The rain.
Their betrayal.
Her death.
Her phone vibrated.
A message appeared.
"Good morning, Xue'er "
Lin Xue stared at the screen for a moment before a slow smile formed on her lips.
Cold.
Empty.
Dangerous.
"Disgusting."
[Mission Activated.]
[Objective: Ruin your fiancé within 30 days.]
Lin Xue stood up slowly, her eyes no longer soft or innocent, but calm and controlled, as if she had become a completely different person.
"Good…" she whispered.
"This time…"
Her fingers tightened slightly.
"I won't lose."
[Welcome back, Host.]
[Revenge begins.]