My aunt has one leg amputated after getting into an accident. It's at this time that her beloved daughter chooses to leave the country. From that day onward, I care for my aunt like she's my own mother. We spend 15 years together.

She's grateful for my care and promises she'll leave all her money to me after her death. However, my cousin returns to the country when my aunt is on the brink of death.

My aunt goes back on her word and gives my cousin everything. She only gives me 50 thousand dollars as compensation for my "caretaking services".

I've spent 15 years on her only to get 50 thousand dollars—it's such an insult.

I'm so stunned by this that I trip and fall into a river. I drown.

When I open my eyes, I've been taken back 15 years in time…

"Paisley Clark, I've always known you only took care of me all these years because of my inheritance. You never actually cared about me.

"You've lived in my house for years without paying a single cent in rent, and now, you want me to give you money?

"Let me tell you this—my money is mine to do with as I please. Even if I decide to throw it all away, you won't get a penny. Cam is my daughter, my own flesh and blood. So what if I decide to leave it all to her?

"Take this 50,000 dollars as my compensation for you, and get out of my face. From now on, we owe each other nothing!"

When I walked out of the hospital, my aunt, Leah Clark's words kept ringing in my ears.

I had taken care of her for 15 years. I never once complained about the hardship or exhaustion that I faced every day.

I even worked while supporting her for those 15 years. I never got married, never had children, and wasted the best years of my life.

It wasn't because I didn't have feelings or couldn't fall in love. It was because I was afraid. I was afraid that if I started my own family, I'd end up neglecting her or putting her second.

Yet none of that mattered to Aunt Leah. To her, it was only natural that I made these sacrifices. I deserved to be judged if I didn't.

Then there was my cousin—her "precious" daughter, Camila Simpson. The year Aunt Leah lost her leg, Camila took off for an exchange program overseas and stayed there for 15 years.

She never spent a single day caring for her.

But now, Camila was back. All it took was a few tears, a kneeling apology, and suddenly, Aunt Leah decided her daughter was the only one who truly mattered.

If I hadn't stumbled upon that revised will while cleaning the house, I would've still believed Aunt Leah's promises. I'd still foolishly think that she'd leave her house to me.

The worst part came when I confronted her at the hospital, asking her about her decision. She lashed out at me instead of giving me an explanation and told me to leave.

She even pulled out a bank card with 50,000 dollars in it and threw it in my face. Just like that, 15 years of my life were reduced to a single 50,000-dollar bank card.

That's barely 10,000 dollars every three years. Anyone hearing this would probably think I was some wandering vagrant.

Not to mention, I wasn't some nobody 15 years ago. I had graduated from a top university and even landed offers from major companies.

If not for Aunt Leah begging me to stay by her side and urging me to take a simple job nearby, I wouldn't have ended up as a cashier at a supermarket.

I stormed out of the hospital, feeling furious and disoriented. Without even realizing it, I wandered to the riverbank nearby.

At first, I just wanted to clear my head. But the railing along the river was so old and unstable that it broke the moment I leaned on it.

The area was quiet. It was the kind of place that only came alive at night.

I couldn't swim, and there was no one around to help. So, I slowly closed my eyes and allowed myself to sink.

My whole life flashed before me as the water pulled me under. I didn't feel angry—just pathetic and pitiful. I had wasted my life because I was chained by family obligations and the promise of a house.

I thought everything I earned should go toward securing a home for myself. That was why I willingly gave up my ambitions and stayed with Aunt Leah, serving her like a maid.

In the end, it was all for nothing.

I had been so naive, thinking greed and loyalty wouldn't betray me. But they did, and I was then left with nothing but regret. If there's a next life, I swore I'd never repeat the same mistakes.

With that thought, I let myself sink deeper into the water.

But when I opened my eyes again, I found myself sitting in a lecture hall. I was surrounded by my college roommates.

Some of them were playing on their phones under the desk. Some were napping with their heads on books, and others were chatting with their boyfriends.

That was how I found out I had returned to 15 years ago!

I was still reeling from the shock and excitement of reliving my life when the hospital called.

The nurse informed me that Aunt Leah had been in a car accident and needed a family member to come and pay the medical fees immediately.

I glanced at the date on my phone. It was the date that was etched in my memory.

I sent a message to Camila without hesitation, asking her to head to the hospital right away. Not stopping there, I also shared the news of Aunt Leah's accident in the family group chat, updating everyone on the situation in real time.

As soon as they heard, my eldest uncle, Randy Clark, along with his wife, Athena Stevens, and daughter, Eden Clark, booked the next flight from another state.

They arrived at the hospital straight from the airport that same night while dragging their suitcases behind them. They didn't even bother stopping at a hotel beforehand.

Everyone finally breathed a sigh of relief once we confirmed Aunt Leah's life wasn't in danger. It was then that someone remembered about Camila.

Uncle Randy looked around the room. When he didn't see her anywhere, he turned to me. "This is a serious situation. Why isn't Cam here yet? Aren't you two from the same school?"

"I sent her messages, but she hasn't responded. I even stepped out earlier to call her, but it kept saying the line was busy. She's probably caught up with something," I explained while holding up my phone.

The screen showed dozens of messages I had sent to Camila, with the first one timestamped 18 hours ago.

Our school wasn't far from the hospital. She would've reached the inpatient ward by now even if she had crawled.

Uncle Randy's frown deepened as he stared at the sea of unread messages on my phone.

Feigning helplessness, I added, "She's been really busy with her studies lately. Maybe she hasn't had time to check her phone."

"Busy with her studies?" Eden snorted. "From what I've seen, she seems to be enjoying herself just fine. She doesn't have time to reply to messages, but she has time to hang out with her friends."

She then held out her phone for everyone to see. The latest post on Camila's social media was a selfie at a barbecue restaurant with her friends, timestamped just eight minutes ago.

None of us—Uncle Randy, Aunt Athena, or I—could see this post. It was clearly because Camila had blocked us from viewing her updates.

Eden, however, had recently followed her on a new account. It was likely one Camila had forgotten to block.

I suggested that Uncle Randy or Aunt Athena try calling her directly. But before I could finish, they both rejected the idea.

"I want to see how long it'll take for her to remember she has a mother," Uncle Randy said coldly.

Aunt Athena and Eden both scoffed. "Her own mother got into an accident, and she's out eating and having fun. Her mother truly raised her for nothing," Aunt Athena muttered disdainfully.

I lowered my head, hiding the satisfaction in my eyes. I already knew Camila had muted my messages and blocked my calls long ago. But the rest of the family didn't know that.

All they could see was that I had tried dozens of times to reach her by sending countless messages and making call after call. She was the one who didn't respond.

One thing was clear to them: Camila simply didn't care about her mother. This was no small matter in the eyes of our elders.

If one of the youngsters behaved this way, what kind of example would it set for the rest of the family?

In the past, Aunt Leah would always excuse her whenever Camila made a mistake. She'd said she was young and immature. I wondered if she could use that excuse again this time.

I returned to school later that night. I requested a leave of absence from my professors and submitted my application for an exchange program.

The next afternoon, Aunt Leah finally woke up after the effects of the anesthesia wore off. Only then did Camila finally show up at the hospital room.

Despite her pain and sorrow, Aunt Leah's face lit up the moment she heard Camila's voice. She smiled warmly at her. "Sweetheart, why aren't you at school studying?

"You've lost weight. Have you been skipping meals because of your studies?

"I've told you before. Your health is the most important thing. If you're short on money, just tell Mom. Don't let yourself suffer."

I knew that it was human nature to be biased. While I was running around paying bills and coordinating her care, Aunt Leah didn't so much as acknowledge my efforts.

Yet, the moment Camila walked through the door, she showered her with concern.

It was clear as day to the outsiders watching. I was the one running up and down the hospital halls with the payment slips.

I was the one constantly checking with doctors about Aunt Leah's condition and the details of her care. As her niece, I had acted more like a dutiful daughter than her actual child.

Aunt Leah's favoritism wasn't just disappointing. It was downright shameful.

If the others in this room were hurt, I was sure they'd want someone like me by their side. Not a child who dragged their feet for half a day before finally showing up at the hospital.

Even so, Aunt Leah and Camila seemed oblivious to the subtle shift in the family's attitude toward them.

"Oh, Mom, stop worrying about me! When I heard about your accident, I was so scared that I could barely breathe," Camila said with a dramatic flair.

"If I hadn't been so busy studying and missed my phone notifications, I would've rushed to the hospital immediately to take care of you."

Her words sounded nice, but since walking in, she hadn't even thought to pour her mother a glass of water.

Still, her earnest expression made her performance believable. It was as if she really were some diligent student too consumed with her studies to notice the world around her.

If we hadn't all seen her social media post earlier, we might've fallen for it.

Uncle Randy's expression darkened further. Showing up late was one thing, but lying about it was another. As a teacher, he despised deceit more than anything.

He had already been displeased with Camila. Now, he was starting to feel a quiet disdain.

On the other hand, Aunt Athena wasn't the type to hold back. Unlike Uncle Randy, who could keep his frustrations in check, she went straight to the point.

"You've been in this hospital for hours, and she only just got here? The school isn't far from here, is it?" Aunt Athena said bluntly to Aunt Leah.

"Anyone with half a brain can see where her priorities lie.

"And look at Paisley. She's been running around nonstop. She hasn't even sat down for a sip of water, and you don't have a word of concern for her?

"Yet you're worried about Camila, who hasn't lifted a finger? Are you out of your mind?"

Her words were sharp, but the truth in them made Aunt Leah's face fall. It was only then that Aunt Leah finally looked at me. However, Camila jumped in before she could say a word.

"Well, isn't it her job to take care of my mom?"

"My mom took her in after her father died young. She worked so hard to raise her. What's wrong with asking her to put in some effort now?

"And let's not forget, our family's money doesn't grow on trees. Why should we waste it on someone who freeloads off us?"

Camila crossed her arms as she said this. There was a smug expression on her face as she glared at me with disdain.

I'd heard these words nearly my whole life.

The room immediately fell silent, and all eyes turned to me. What Camila said wasn't wrong—it was the truth.

My parents died in a car accident caused by a drunk driver on their way to my graduation ceremony when I was in my final year of middle school. From that moment on, I became an orphan.

Thankfully, Aunt Leah took me in and gave me a roof over my head.

Of course, living with her meant daily chores—cleaning the house, doing laundry, and cooking meals. Plus, I didn't get pretty clothes or an allowance like Camila did.

Even so, I never felt resentment toward her. I understood that Aunt Leah owed me nothing. Even though I worked hard for her, she gave me a place to stay and the chance to go to school.

That was why, even in my previous life, I didn't hate her after caring for her for 15 years and being dismissed with a mere 50,000 dollars.

I just pitied myself for foolishly hoping to gain something that wasn't mine to begin with. Out of gratitude for what she'd done for me, I never even thought of revenge.

However, I wouldn't blindly devote myself to her care this time around. The bridge between us would stay where it belonged, and our paths would diverge.

Once I started working, I planned to repay Aunt Leah every penny I owed her. But before that, I'd make sure to calculate everything in front of the family to avoid any disputes later on.

I didn't stay silent this time. I nodded and said, "Camila's right. Aunt Leah's kindness to me is something I'll always remember."

Aunt Leah's face lit up with satisfaction upon hearing my response.

Camila, too, raised her chin even higher. She looked as smug as a peacock flaunting its feathers.

But the next moment, I reached into my bag and pulled out a notebook.