Chapter 2

My sister-in-law, Chloe, was proudly showing off her edited photo. "Hey, check this out! Not bad, right?"

This time, I smiled and complimented her skills.

"Cassidy, are you awake? Come on, try the warm milk I just made for you, I even added honey!"

Chloe's sickly sweet voice buzzed in my ear. She held out a cup of milk, her smile innocent and harmless.

"Cassidy? Why aren't you saying anything? You're not really mad at me, are you?"

She leaned closer, her tone disgustingly affectionate. "I just thought you were too stressed last night, so I played a joke on you. Who knew you'd get so scared you'd smash your phone?"

Last night, while I was showering, she secretly used my phone to post a message in my class SnapChat group:

[After being married for so long, I just found out Liam is completely useless in bed. This life of celibacy is killing me. Is there any real man out there who can keep me company?]

Followed by a few suggestive emojis!

By the time I found out, the message couldn't be unsent. The group instantly blew up, relatives' messages flooding the screen. My mother-in-law immediately called, yelling and calling me shameless. My father also texted, accusing me of being disgraceful. I was speechless, unable to defend myself, and in my panic, I dropped and smashed my phone.

And Chloe, watching my pathetic state, laughed wildly, saying, "Cassidy, I was just joking! Why are you taking it so seriously?"

"Why don't you just go explain it in the group yourself? Hahahaha..."

In my previous life, it was her so-called jokes that slowly pushed me to my breaking point!

I took a deep breath, suppressing the urge to strangle her right then and there.

"Of course not," I forced a stiff smile, taking the milk. "Chloe's jokes... why would I be angry?"

"Good!" She immediately beamed, plopping down on my bed and affectionately linking her arm through mine. "Sister-in-law, my AI face-swapping skills are super advanced lately!"

"I could not only put your face on a homeless man, but I could even swap you with any guy in an adult video, and no one would know the difference!"

She giggled, covering her mouth, a cruel glint in her eyes. "Imagine if my brother saw it—he’d totally freak out. Do you think he'd actually believe it?"

"Hahaha, that quiet bore would totally lose his mind, right? That scene would be so funny!"

Funny?

I looked at her twisted smile, my stomach churning. In my previous life, it was this "funny joke" that led to Liam's tragic death and forced me to jump.

"Chloe," I tried to make my voice sound worried, "let's not joke like that. Liam... he's sensitive, he might take it seriously. Plus, Mom and Dad wouldn't approve."

She laughed, sharp and mean."Liam ? That boring loser?"

"Mom and Dad don't care about him anyway! He’s like our family’s ATM—except he doesn’t even charge fees!"

"My mother said Liam is a loser, so spineless he barely makes a peep. If he couldn't make money, they would've kicked him out years ago! Not like me, I'm their sweet little angel."

As she spoke, she flashed a new, expensive bracelet on her wrist. "Look, Mom made him Venmo me his whole bonus so I could buy this bracelet! Isn't it pretty? Don't feel bad for him; he makes money for us to spend!"

Then, as if a brilliant idea struck her, her eyes lit up. "Oh, by the way, Cassidy, I found this super cool place today! I'll take you there this afternoon, okay? It'll totally blow your mind!"

Here it comes.

In my last life, she used the excuse of cheering me up to trick me into going near that underpass where the homeless people gathered. That's where she took the staged photo that would become the base for her AI mischief.

My heart pounded, but I kept my face impassive. "What kind of place? I'm a bit tired today, and your brother is coming home for dinner tonight..."

"Come on, come on!"

She grabbed my arm and shook it, her voice whiny yet forceful. "So what if my brother comes home? Just leave him a note! A guy like him won't die from missing one meal!"

"You've been cooped up at home for days! I promise, this place is so... so 'full of life'! You'll find it really interesting!"

I looked at her, knowing that if I refused, she would only find some other, more extreme way. Better to play along.

"...Okay." I feigned helplessness. "Then wait for me to change."

"Yay!" She jumped up excitedly. "Hurry up, Cassidy! I'll wait downstairs!"

Watching her cheerful back, my eyes turned icy cold.

I walked to the vanity table and took out a tiny, high-definition camera disguised as a button, fastening it to the inside of my collar.