Chapter 1

After I moved into the house my parents bought me, the electric bill hit $100,000 in a month!

My parents emptied their retirement fund to buy me a house, despite my brother's objections.

I moved in with joy. But one month later, my phone showed an electric bill of $100,000!

I rushed to the power company to check the statement. The clerk looked at it and shook her head.

"Ma'am, your electric bill is legitimate. There's no fraud."

To investigate, I removed every appliance from the house. I even charged my phone at work.

But the second month's bill came out at $100,000 again!

I'd only been working a few months. I couldn't possibly pay this astronomical bill.

Under pressure from collections, my parents borrowed from loan sharks to pay for me.

I wanted to sell the house, but word about the electric bill had spread. No one would buy it.

The bills kept piling up. I pulled the main breaker, not daring to use any electricity.

But the third month's bill came out at $100,000! I nearly fainted.

My brother didn't believe me. He called me ungrateful, accusing me of using fake electric bills to scam our parents' hard-earned money.

My parents were completely disappointed in me. They kicked me out to fend for myself.

Within months, I owed millions of dollars in predatory loans. In the end, I was beaten to death.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day my parents bought the house.

......

Dad smiled as he handed me the new house keys, his eyes full of affection.

"Hazel, what are you thinking about? Don't tell me you're speechless with emotion?"

"Our Hazel finally has the little house she's been dreaming of. Hurry up and move in to see how it feels!"

The memories of my tragic death flooded back.

I couldn't help shuddering. I quickly refused.

"Dad! Julian got married last month and you just bought him a house."

"Buying one for me this month is too much spending!"

"Why don't we return the house?"

Dad paused, then burst out laughing.

"Silly girl, you think this is grocery shopping? You can't just return it like that."

Mom also laughed. She took the keys from Dad and pressed them into my hand, brooking no argument.

"Hazel, if your brother has one, you must have one too!"

"Being fair to both of you—that's our bottom line. No discussion!"

"Your dad and I have things to do. Go check out your new home first!"

I opened the door with a heavy heart.

The house was fully furnished and very new. I could tell my parents had spent serious money.

They said they wanted to buy the best, so I could move in and enjoy it immediately.

I scanned the entire place. One bedroom, one living room, one kitchen, one bathroom. I carefully checked every room. No high-power appliances.

Even if there were, they couldn't possibly cost $100,000 a month!

I opened my phone and logged into the electric utility system. My mind went blank with shock!

It showed the house had already used 237 kWh.

237 kWh was more than a normal person would use in a month.

But only one hour had passed since I completed the paperwork!

"I don't believe it... why is this happening!"

I frantically searched on my phone, looking for a solution.

Suddenly my eyes lit up!

A news headline read:

Man's Electric Bill Triples—Neighbor Was Stealing Electricity!

Instantly it dawned on me.

Of course.

In my past life, I'd searched every inch of my home and found nothing wrong.

Even after I pulled the breaker, the meter kept spinning at high speed.

If someone had secretly wired into my electrical system, everything would make sense!

I immediately hired the best electrician in the city and asked him to inspect the entire building's wiring.

The master electrician's expression turned serious.

"Miss, inspecting the whole building is no small matter."

"Coordinating with neighbors is very difficult, and the cost will be tens of thousands. Are you sure?"

Looking at the three thousand dollars left in my account, I gritted my teeth and opened a credit card, then took out online loans.

If I didn't spend the money now, I'd spend much more later.

I paid the deposit and coordinated with the neighbors one by one. Then the electrician began the formal inspection.

My heart was in my throat.

After the electrician finished inspecting the last unit, I looked at him expectantly, hoping for a reasonable answer.

But to my surprise, the electrician's face was grave. He sighed.

"Miss, no one is stealing your electricity. It's your own household using it."