Chapter 1

New Year's—right in front of all my relatives—I opened the gift the spoiled brat had prepared for me.

But I never expected that inside was a hungry carnivorous plant.

The moment I lifted the lid, it lunged at my face.

My entire face was corroded by the strong acid, my features melting away completely. Yet my relatives pulled out my oxygen tube.

"My child is just mischievous. You're an adult—did you really have to open a gift from a child?"

"You deserve to be disfigured!"

"Women are just money pits anyway. Your mother should thank me for saving her money!"

The spoiled brat made faces at me, watching as I died from suffocation.

When I opened my eyes again, I shoved the gift into the child's mother's arms.

"Something this wonderful should obviously go to his own mother!"

After being blown to pieces by the carnivorous plant gift box the spoiled brat sent me, I could only lie in the ICU ward, breathing only through a hole cut in my face.

But the culprit was singing and dancing in front of me, celebrating.

"Ugly freak! Your face is even uglier now!"

"I knew this gift was perfect for you!"

The child's parent glared at me. "How did our family end up with such an unlucky relative like you?"

"It's just a superficial injury, isn't it? You had to cry and come to the hospital—you've ruined my child's reputation with all this drama!"

From her tone, it was as if I were the one who'd done something wrong.

But I'd been blown up by her child to the point where I couldn't even take care of myself, yet not only did this family refuse to apologize or compensate me, they actually came to blame me!

"My child is just mischievous, and you're an adult. Didn't you know not to open a gift from a child?"

My father's sister, Gwen, nagged endlessly, then reached out and yanked off my oxygen tube.

"Bad luck. You deserve to be disfigured!"

"Women are just money pits. Your mother should thank me for saving her money!"

Instantly, I lost consciousness.

But when I opened my eyes again, I'd returned to the night of New Year's Eve dinner.

The burning sensation on my face was completely gone. In my hands I held a heavy box.

"This is a gift I specially prepared for you."

"I've wanted to give it to you for so long. Perfect timing with the New Year."

The spoiled brat wore a cunning smile, urging me: "Hurry up and open it!"

My heart sank. "No need. You can keep it for yourselves."

"Maya, how can you be so rude?"

Gwen immediately lost her temper. "This is the child's sincere gift. Don't be ungrateful!"

She pointed right at my nose, her tone growing increasingly bitter. "Today you're accepting this gift whether you like it or not!"

I couldn't help but laugh coldly to myself.

Accept it and my head would get blown off, wouldn't it?

This was a gift I couldn't afford to accept.

Before I could speak, my cousin Victoria spoke up for me. "It's just a gift. If Maya doesn't want to accept it, why are you forcing her?"

"Who the hell do you think you are?"

Gwen went off like a lit firecracker, furious.

"This is a gift my son carefully prepared. Not accepting it means disrespecting our family!"

"Especially my son—if you dare look down on what he makes, believe me, I'll make you pay!"

After being cursed out by her, I wasn't angry at all. Instead, I laughed it off.

"Since it's your son's precious gift, of course it should go to his closest family member. You should keep it for yourselves."

I shoved the box into Gwen's arms.

The spoiled brat immediately stomped his feet in anger and slammed the box back into my arms.

"I'm giving it to YOU!"