Chapter 2

I was reborn at age 33, when Andrew was still alive and our family was still relatively well-off.

Defying fate isn't easy. That afternoon, I almost couldn't make it out of my apartment complex.

A dark mass of people knelt below my building. About a hundred children in school uniforms, holding banners.

"Alice, we need you."

"Alice, don't abandon us."

Kneeling at the very front was Martha.

She held a megaphone, crying out tearfully:

"Alice, you said you'd support me through college. Have you forgotten?"

Beside them stood countless reporters, all their cameras aimed at the window of my apartment.

The moment I stepped out of my building, I heard a crying shout—

"Alice!"

Martha crawled forward on her knees several steps, then threw herself at me, wrapping her arms around my legs.

"Alice, please don't abandon us! You said we were your children! You said you'd support us forever!"

Her tears smeared across my pants, ice-cold.

Behind her, those 100 children all started crying in unison. The sound was deafening.

Security guards tried to intervene but were blocked by reporters.

All around me, cameras and phone lenses everywhere.

Some were livestreaming, some were wiping away tears, and others whispered: "So pitiful. How can this woman be so heartless?"

I looked down at Martha.

This face was exactly the same as in my past life.

In my past life, she also knelt before me like this, crying, saying she would take care of me in my old age.

Then when I was dying, she told the camera: "Everyone does things with ulterior motives."

I reached out and peeled her fingers off my pants one by one.

"Alice!" She clung desperately.

I peeled off the last finger. I crouched down, looking straight into her eyes.

"Martha, how old are you now?"

She paused: "Seventeen."

"Seventeen." I nodded. "That's not young anymore."

I paused, then said word by word:

"Everyone does things with ulterior motives. What you're after now—you don't have to say it. I can guess."

Her face froze.

I stood up, walked around Martha, and moved forward.

Behind me, Martha suddenly burst into loud sobs: "Alice! You can't do this! You promised us! You can't go back on your word!"

Those children all cried along with her, even louder than before.

Someone started chanting: "Alice, come back! Alice, come back!"

Phone cameras followed me, comments flooding in.

"What kind of person is this? So many children kneeling and she won't even look back?"

"Too cold-blooded. I used to like her posts!"

"Ten houses and she won't donate even one. I knew her charity was fake all along!"

"Alice, can you sleep at night?"

Reporters' cameras were practically in my face, mouths opening and closing, all asking why I stopped the support.

Seeing no way to avoid them, I simply stopped and greeted the reporters openly.

"Yes, I've decided to stop the sponsorships."

"As for the reason, it's my private matter. I won't discuss it here."

"But I believe there are more good people in this world than bad. Like all of you—you could easily take over supporting these children."

"You're all so kind. I believe that even without me, these children will definitely be able to complete their education successfully, right?"

I smiled as I looked at these seemingly kind and righteous people.

Seeing me redirect the conversation, the reporters immediately fell silent, no longer daring to press me with questions.

I seized the opportunity to push through the reporters and quickly made my way to the complex entrance.

A car was parked by the roadside. The window rolled down—it was Andrew.