Chapter 2

Chloe went off to work at the lounge, brimming with joy.

That night, she was brought back in the dead of night, her head wrapped in thick bandages.

Mom and Dad were horrified.

They rushed over, frantic, asking what happened.

She lied and claimed she accidentally walked into a tree, telling them not to worry.

I watched her from a distance, feeling a twisted sense of satisfaction.

Having lived through it, one look at the injury was enough to tell me what had happened.

A customer had smashed a liquor bottle over her head.

Once our parents went back to sleep, Chloe glared at me and hissed under her breath:

"Wipe that smirk off your face! This is only temporary. Soon enough, you'll see just how blessed my life is going to be."

I smiled faintly and went back to my bedroom.

Because soon enough, she wouldn't find herself blessed at all.

She would realize she had walked straight into the fiery pits of hell.

Over the next few days, I found a job suited for me.

I became a copywriter at an advertising agency.

My life was quiet, ordinary, and peaceful.

To others, it might have seemed boring.

To me, it was everything I had ever dreamed of.

Meanwhile, Chloe moved out, claiming it was more convenient for her commute.

Mom and Dad didn't object.

But I knew the real reason: she was constantly covered in bruises and terrified they would find out she was working at a hostess lounge.

A few days later, our WhatsApp family chat exploded.

I had casually dropped a "slip of the tongue" in front of our most gossipy aunt.

Sure enough, that aunt stalked Chloe, snapped photos of her at the lounge, and blasted them into the group chat.

In the photos, Chloe was sitting on a sleazy man's lap, giggling and pouring drinks.

Mom and Dad were furious. They called her instantly, demanding she come home right that second.

The moment Chloe walked through the door, she found the living room packed with relatives.

They immediately swarmed her, spitting insults and calling her shameless.

Dad even grabbed an iron rod and swung it at her.

Watching this play out, memories of my past life flashed before my eyes.

Back then, Chloe had stood by with a smug grin, telling everyone I was a slut and that she had tried to stop me from taking such dirty work, but I refused to listen.

Every lie she uttered made Dad strike me harder.

A cold smile touched my lips.

It was finally time to repay the favor.

"Mom, Dad, Chloe chose to work in that filthy place on her own," I said, putting on a heartbroken expression. "She's dragged our family's name through the mud.

"It won't be long before the whole town finds out. What will people say about us? They'll think you raised a disgrace and that our whole family is rotten!"

Chloe's eyes bulged with rage, and she shrieked at me:

"Maya! Stop stirring the pot, you bitch! I'll fucking kill you!"

I raised my voice, sounding terrified.

"Mom, Dad, look at her! Not only does she refuse to admit she's wrong, but she wants to kill me! I'm her own sister!"

Hearing that, Dad lost his mind and beat her even harder.

The relatives chimed in, hurling endless curses.

Chloe shrieked in agony, glaring at me with eyes full of venom.

"Mom, Dad, stop hitting me! There's a reason I'm working there! I'm going to meet Damian Vance soon, and he's going to spoil me rotten! You'll all live in luxury because of me!"

I furrowed my brows and cut in immediately:

"Damian Vance? Who are you kidding? If you know him, call him over right now! You sell yourself out and then make up ridiculous lies. Do you take Mom and Dad for idiots?"

She hadn't even met Damian Vance yet, so there was no way she could call him.

All she could do was glare daggers at me, wishing she could rip me to shreds.

My words fueled Dad's rage, and the blows rained down even heavier.

A wave of pure vindication washed over me.

After beating her black and blue, Mom and Dad demanded she quit the lounge immediately.

Chloe adamantly refused.

Enraged, Dad gave her another thrashing and kicked her out of the house.

As she dragged her suitcase toward the door, I stood in the doorway, watching her with a half-smile.

Just like she had watched me in our past life.

Gritting her teeth, she spat, "Maya, wipe that smug look off your face. Soon, I'll have you begging on your knees. Just you wait.

"When that day comes, you'll be nothing more than my dog."

I chuckled and slammed the door right in her face.

I didn't care to listen to a dog bark.