Chapter 1

In my past life, I toiled away at the Lincoln family and treated my in-laws like they were a king and a queen. I also gave my stepson the best education possible and helped him get into a renowned college.

Yet, I later ended up dead on the street. My stepson said, "You're not my mother. You'll never be her!"

He breaks my legs, kicks me out of the house, and watches as I starve to death. It's only after my death that I find out he's the illegitimate son of my husband and his true love!

When I open my eyes again, I'm back to the day my husband, Simon Lincoln, brings my stepson home.

Chapter 1

"Eunice, I've completed all the paperwork and brought him home," Simon Lincoln said as he guided a boy who appeared to be around ten years old toward me.

"Come on, this is your mom from now on," he encouraged the child.

The word 'mom' hit me like a bolt of lightning. My whole body shuddered, and I nearly dropped the water glass in my hand. I quickly looked up toward the source of the voice and met a pair of eyes as dark as night.

Simon was holding Owen Lincoln's hand while giving me a warm, affectionate smile. A wave of nausea suddenly washed over me, and I gulped down several mouthfuls of cold water until my stomach began to cramp uncomfortably before I finally set the glass down.

"Eunice, are you alright?" Simon's voice was filled with concern, his eyes brimming with worry.

Every gesture he made was thoughtful, as if I were his entire world. Since our marriage, he had always put me first and accommodated my every need.

Even when I could not bear children, he took the blame and told everyone it was his problem. Yet, this seemingly perfect husband would eventually conspire with his stepson to take my life.

"Dad, does Mom not like me?" Owen's words jolted me back to reality—it was just like my previous life.

At first, I truly believed Simon could not have children. However, I accidentally discovered my medical reports in his drawer—I was the one who could not bear children.

I looked at Simon, feeling guilty for letting him shoulder the blame and criticism from others all these years.

Having witnessed everything, Owen claimed I was deliberately ignoring him and did not like him. This resentment persisted until the day he drove me out of the house.

"No, she doesn't dislike you. She's just overwhelmed with joy," Simon quickly responded.

I walked over to Owen and crouched beside him, fighting my disgust as I gently patted his head. "Yes, your dad is right. I don't dislike you at all. I love you very much," I said, assuring him.

Owen looked at me skeptically before asking, "Really?"

I nodded firmly. "Of course it's true."

Simon smiled contentedly. "This is perfect. We finally have a son, and my parents will be relieved too. Eunice, why don't we invite them to stay with us?"

I agreed without hesitation. After all, family should stay together. Or suffer together.

Simon's parents arrived incredibly fast the next morning. His mother, Irene Truman, made herself comfortable on the couch and beckoned Owen over. "Come here, my precious grandson. Oh, aren't you just adorable?"

Owen snuggled into Irene's embrace, appearing perfectly well-behaved. However, no one knew that Owen had developed a pretty nasty personality under the influence of Simon's former flame, Yuna Grover.

Chapter 2

I had given Owen the best of everything in my previous life because I did not want him to feel burdened. However, what I thought was care and love became chains of restraint in his eyes.

His gaze toward me gradually shifted from genuine gratitude to indifference, and eventually to hatred. Of course, Simon's parents and Simon himself played their part in fostering that transformation.

I decided to step back in this life. Whatever Owen became would have nothing to do with me, Eunice Campbell.

During dinner time, Simon guided me to the kitchen, urging me to start preparing the meal. I turned to look at Owen and said, "What's the rush? We haven't even asked Owen what he'd like to eat yet."

Simon smacked his forehead as realization hit him. "You're right! I completely forgot about that. Owen, what would you like to eat? Tell us, and we'll make it for you."

A knowing smile played on my lips. What did he like to eat? Of course, I knew exactly what he wanted.

Sure enough, Owen spoke up timidly the next second. "Dad, can I have some fried chicken and a burger?"

"That's just junk food," Irene chimed in, her tone firm yet caring. "Why don't you let your mom make you some homemade pot roast instead?"

I immediately removed my apron and said, "Mom, let Owen eat what he wants. Besides, how can you say they aren't nutritious? The chicken patty is still made with real chicken, after all."

As soon as I finished speaking, Owen ran over to me. He exclaimed, "Mom, you're the best!"

Chapter 3

Jack Lincoln's face darkened instantly as he spoke with bitter sarcasm, "Simon, I don't think you invited us to the city to enjoy family time—you just wanted to upset your mother and me!

"You've been married for so many years without any kids, and now that you've finally adopted one, you're not even raising him properly. What exactly are you trying to do?"

Irene quickly chimed in, "Exactly! I guess you just can't truly love a child who isn't your own blood."

Simon furrowed his brow and retorted, "Mom, Dad, how many times do I have to tell you? Our inability to have children isn't Eunice's fault—it's mine!"

He stormed into the bedroom and returned moments later with a hospital diagnosis report. His parents glanced at it briefly before quickly turning away, unwilling to look at it again. Then, they mumbled incoherently, unable to form a proper response.

In my previous life, Simon's act had completely fooled me. It was also why I spent 30 years slaving away for his family like a devoted servant.

I let out a cold snort and ignored the three of them. Instead, I handed my phone to Owen. "Don't listen to your grandparents' nonsense, Owen. Order whatever you want. I have money, and I'll pay for it."

Owen was still young and could not distinguish right from wrong. He only knew to bond with whoever showed him kindness. Since he yearned for this kind of affection, I would give it to him.

After placing his order, Owen thoughtfully asked his grandparents if they wanted anything. Irene shook her head with a sour expression and said, "I wouldn't eat that unhealthy junk. If you want to eat it, that's your choice."

She added sternly, "This food has no nutritional value. You can only have it this once, understood?"

Owen pressed his lips together and remained silent as he looked at Irene. I observed their interaction, noting that they did not behave like people meeting for the first time.

Perhaps they had met several times behind my back. Then again, I would not be surprised. In my previous life, I had been deceived by Simon for far too long, which was why I had missed even these small but telling signs.

Chapter 4

When the delivery arrived, Owen eagerly grabbed a large piece of fried chicken and started devouring it. Irene looked at the food in his hands with obvious distaste before placing a piece of her homemade pot roast on his plate.

"Sweetie, try my pot roast. It's definitely better than whatever you're eating," Irene said.

However, to her surprise, Owen was not interested. He pushed the plate back toward Irene and stated, "No thanks, Grandma. You can eat it yourself."

Irene pushed the plate back in front of Owen. "Owen, please just try a little bit. I picked out the best pieces, especially for you."

Owen continued munching on his fried chicken, not even bothering to respond.

Jack chimed in from the side, "Your grandma worked so hard in the heat just to prepare this dish. Yet, this is how she's thanked..."

Simon stood up abruptly and snatched the chicken from Owen's hands. "You will finish this pot roast!"

Owen licked his lips and looked up at Simon with teary eyes. He wanted to protest but was too scared to speak up in the face of his father's anger.

I smiled slightly as I took the plate from Simon's hands. "Why are you raising your voice at the child? Can't we discuss things calmly? If Owen doesn't want to eat it, why force him?"

Simon's parents stared at me in shock. They had always known me as someone who rarely ordered takeout. After all, I had previously lectured them about how many delivery restaurants were unsanitary and sold pre-made dishes.

Moreover, I especially criticized fast food joints, warning them about their questionable kitchen conditions. Clearly, they had not expected this complete reversal in my attitude.

Owen happily resumed eating his chicken and smiled at me. "Mom, you're the best."

Was this enough? No—the best was yet to come.

Chapter 5

After the fried chicken incident, Simon's parents strictly prohibited Owen from eating any more "unhealthy food". The dinner table was now filled with traditional home-cooked meals like pot roast, meatloaf, and baked fish every night.

During mealtimes, Owen would force himself to eat while frowning at his plate. However, I had secretly stocked his room with kid-friendly snacks.

At 2:00 am, we would sneak to the stairwell for midnight feasts. I would wait until Owen finished before going back to bed.

"Owen, this is our secret. You can't tell anyone else," I whispered.

He looked at me with gratitude in his eyes. "Mom, you're so nice. You're way nicer than Dad, Grandma, and Grandpa."

Under my secret feeding operation, Owen gained about 30 pounds in just two months.

Irene was pleased with herself, saying, "See, Owen? Grandma's cooking is the most nutritious, isn't it? Just listen to me and stay away from that junk food."

This became our unspoken secret. In this life, I had successfully created an image of the "caring mother" in Owen's eyes.

Unlike my previous life, he no longer rejected me, but I knew the road ahead was long. Nonetheless, I could be patient.

Since fate had given me a second chance, I was determined to witness the downfall of the Lincoln family. However, during this time, I discovered one of Simon's secrets.

Just like in my previous life, Simon kept my infertility test results in the bedroom nightstand drawer. But this time, I found more than just my medical records.

In a hidden compartment of the nightstand, I discovered a hospital bill with Simon's name on it. It was from the men's urology department, indicating that Simon had gotten a vasectomy. This also explained why he could so readily admit the fertility problems were his fault.

As a result, I seriously doubted the truth about my supposed infertility. The next morning, I made an excuse to go to the hospital for a complete physical examination.

After receiving my results, I finally understood that Simon's family had plotted this. I threw the test results in a hospital trash can and acted as if nothing had happened.

When I reached our front door, I heard intense arguing from inside. I paused to listen—Irene had discovered the snacks I had hidden in Owen's room.

"So this is why you hate eating the meals at home? I slave away in the kitchen making different meals daily, and you're hiding in your room eating junk food! Owen, how could you do this to me?" Irene's voice was choked with emotion.

I savored the taste of what I had experienced in my previous life, but this was nowhere near enough.

Jack joined in, playing good cop to her bad cop. "Owen, you need to listen to us. You're still growing and shouldn't eat so much of this stuff."

Sadly, Owen had always been stubborn, and he certainly wouldn't listen to Simon's parents. Sure enough, he stood his ground defiantly.

"I like eating these things, and you can't stop me! You're not my parents, so what right do you have to control me?"

Irene lost her temper and slapped Owen across the face.

Her action completely enraged him, and he shoved her hard. "You old hag, why did you hit me?"

After watching enough of this drama unfold, I slowly took out my keys and opened the door. As soon as Owen saw me, he ran over, crying, "Mom, she hit me!"

Chapter 6

I gently touched his cheek with concern. Then, I turned to Irene, sounding upset as I asked, "Mom, how could you hit Owen? He's just a child. How could you strike him so hard?"

Irene stood with her hands on her hips, speaking angrily, "What do you know? I'm doing this for his own good! Look at him—he's gained over 50 pounds in such a short time!

"He's still a kid, but he's already about 150 pounds! From today on, he's not getting any more snacks!"

Jack suddenly seemed to realize something. "We never gave Owen any allowance money. You're the one who bought him all these snacks, aren't you?"

I ignored him and took a cold water bottle from the fridge to press against Owen's cheek. Only after the swelling started to go down did I let out a sigh of relief.

Jack became even more furious at my silence and rolled up his sleeves like he was ready to take matters into his own hands. "Fine! If Simon won't, I'll teach you a lesson myself!"

But before he could take a step, he froze in place. Owen had jumped in front of me, arms spread wide, shielding me. His small frame was trembling, but he stood his ground and shouted, "You're not allowed to bully Mom!"

My heart leaped with joy as I struggled to suppress a smile. Owen had completely taken my side now; in the future, he would become my sharpest weapon against his own family.

I blinked my eyes, forcing out a few tears, and pulled Owen back. "Mom, Dad, if you want to blame someone, blame me.

"But please don't be angry with Owen. I admit I bought him all these snacks, but I didn't mean any harm. I just saw that he enjoyed them, so I bought him more."

"It's my fault for not monitoring his weight," I continued with a remorseful tone. "How about this—starting today, I'll help Owen begin a weight loss program."

Simon's parents' expressions finally softened somewhat. Not wanting to make the situation worse, Irene suggested, "Fine. From now on, take Owen jogging with you after dinner."