Take Revenge on My Family

On New Year's Day, my biased parents brought my adopted sister home and insisted that I must give up my room for her.

"My room's tiny and cramped. Let her take the one next door," I refused.

My sister thought I was bullying her and fainted on the spot.

My parents hated me for it. They cursed me, even, saying that I would die without peace.

But in this life, I opened my eyes and found myself back on New Year's Eve.

Back to when My parents brought my sister over and asked for my opinion.

I curled my lips into a smile. "Your room is better and bigger. Why not let her have that one?"

In this life, it was all about returning the favor-an eye for an eye.

I was fifteen on this New Year's Eve. And this night would mark the turning point of my life.

Tonight, Irene would walk through our front door and become part of the family.

The living room, which should've been full of warmth and the festive spirit, was silent. My parents had taken my younger brother with them to pick her up.

Suddenly, the shrill ring of the phone cut through the stillness.

"Zoe, we're a bit busy over here. Just grab something to eat on your own," my father said.

His voice held a mix of joy and distraction. On the other end of the line, laughter and cheerful chatter echoed in the background. They were sharing a reunion dinner with Irene, doing everything they could to make her feel at home. They even had her call them Mom and Dad, eager to show her how welcome and loved she was.

"Alright," I replied.

But the call had already been cut off before I could finish the word.

I looked at the cold dishes laid out on the dining table and fell into a flood of memories.

The past surged back like a tide.

Irene Flower was the child of a distant relative on my father's side. Sickly since birth, with a fragile heart, and hardly any love from her own family.

After her parents died in an accident, mine-out of sympathy and a sense of duty-decided to take her in.

Gloria Flowers was her original name, but to give her a fresh start, my parents renamed her Irene on this symbolic day, hoping she would live a peaceful life.

But back then, I didn't understand their well-meaning intentions. All I knew was to fight with her for the little affection in our home. And I lost, again and again.

Every time we clashed, my parents scolded me, "You're too spoiled. You know Irene isn't in good health. Can't you be a little more understanding?"

Right, just because Irene was frail and sickly, I was supposed to give in to her in everything, even handing over the love from our parents that rightfully belonged to me.

In the end, I lost everything, even my place in this family.

And perhaps my parents never even realized that I was actually three months younger than Irene.

In a daze, I fell asleep on the couch. I didn't wake up until the blinding light flooded the room.

It was nearly midnight when my parents returned home, their hands full of New Year's gifts and groceries. They were accompanied not just by my younger brother, but also by a teenage girl.

"This is Irene. From now on, she's your older sister," my father said, his face beaming with joy. "Irene, this is Zoe."

"Good evening, Zoe! Uncle and Auntie have mentioned you so often. I've been looking forward to meeting you," Irene greeted me with a warm smile. I, however, was in no mood to respond. I gave a nod, cold and silent.

That alone was enough to draw my father's disapproval.

"What kind of attitude is that? Irene is coming to our home for the first time and you're being this rude? Haven't we taught you basic manners?" he scolded.

That excessive favoritism made it feel like even being cold was a crime.

"I'm going back to my room," I said.

The moment the words left my mouth, my father's scolding followed closely behind.

"Who are you showing that face to? Don't you have any respect for your elders? No sense of family at all!"

My mother tried to step in and calm things down, but he cut her off sharply.

"No one's to say a word to her tonight. Let her reflect on her attitude by herself," he said.

Then, his tone softened as he turned to Irene. "Come on, forget about her. Irene, let's stay up and welcome the New Year together. May you stay healthy always."

A flicker of awkwardness crossed Irene's face. "I don't think that's appropriate. Zoe is the real part of this family. I'm just an outsider..."

"Oh, sweetheart, you're too thoughtful. Hearing that breaks my heart," my mother said gently. Even my brother chimed in, "Right, we all hope Irene can stay healthy forever."

In my last life, I was trapped in a losing battle with Irene. I let it consume me. I neglected my studies and only got into an average second-tier university.

Because of the high tuition, and because my parents were saving up to send Irene abroad, they never fully supported me financially.

Even with part-time jobs, I barely scraped by. In the end, I had no choice but to drop out.

But now, fate has given me another chance.

In this life, I would devote myself entirely to my studies and become strong, strong enough to gain the independence I needed to break free from this lopsided family.

Just as I opened my textbook to start reviewing, a knock came from the door.

I opened it. Of course, it was Irene.

She tried to act friendly. "Zoe, let's stay up and welcome the New Year together. Uncle and Auntie said we're one family now..."

"Go away."

I shut the door in her face without hesitation.

From outside came her hurt voice, "Uncle, Auntie, please don't be angry. It was my fault. I just wanted to feel the warmth of a family, even though it doesn't belong to me. I should go back to the orphanage... that's where I truly belong."

My mother quickly reassured her, "This is your home now. You don't need to go anywhere. Just stay here, okay?"

The next moment, the door was thrown open with a loud bang. My father stood there, his face contorted with fury.

"You've truly disappointed us. Just look at yourself! Apologize to Irene right now!"