Reclaiming My Stolen Life

1: 1

I got bound to a hyper-aggressive abuse-plot System.

"So what if you've come back, Deborah Henson? Let me tell you, you're destined to lose to me. One shout from me right now and your name is ruined."

【Stand still, don't move. When the System female rival slaps herself, you raise your hand, and everyone will blame you for it.】

Ever since I got bound to this hyper-aggressive System, it's been a small punishment every three days and a big torment every five. Step off its script and the penalty comes down.

"Screw the plot. Being reborn as a doormat heroine is bad enough, but I'm supposed to let them torture me a thousand times over while I treat them like a first love? That's genuinely sick."

My hand cracked across her face. Gayle Henson never expected me to hand myself over like that.

"Sis, I know you don't like me, but why would you hit me? Boo hoo hoo!"

"You're the one who stuck your face out at me. I just did you the favor. If I can't kill you with one, I'll beat you to death."

【Plot deviation warning. Stop now, or the needle punishment begins.】

Needles? What's a few needles compared to getting a kidney cut out at the end?

Whoever makes me unhappy, I make them die—and just like that, my whole body seized and convulsed.

"Aah……"

Hundreds of needles driving into the marrow, the pain sweeping through me all at once.

1

"Sis, I knew you didn't like me. I never thought you hated me this much."

The whole party crowded in to watch the show.

"So she really is the wild bastard back from the sticks. Not a shred of manners, and she has the nerve to bully her own sister."

The System's punishment had left my forehead soaked with sweat, my whole body wrung out. It took everything I had just to get to my feet. But my own father, my own mother, my own brother had eyes only for that dainty little fake heiress with her sugary act. To them I didn't exist at all.

I wiped the sweat from my forehead and, suddenly, I smiled.

"You want to talk to me about manners? The grandmother who took me in died when I was five. I grew up on scraps of charity from the whole village. While you were all living in luxury, I was gnawing on tree bark. Where were you then, Mother dear?"

"When you were throwing her birthday parties and buying her pretty clothes, I had one coarse burlap dress full of patches. Where were you then, Mother?"

"When you were living in your big house, I was in a house that leaked, shaking from the cold. Where were you, Mother?"

Every word an accusation. Cordelia Sawyer went white, backing away, jabbing a finger at me.

"I'm your mother. How dare you speak to me in that tone. You bully your sister and think you're in the right? Get over here and kneel to Gayle. Apologize. Now."

"My mother? And you have the nerve. All you do is protect the fake heiress and bully your own flesh and blood. Making your own daughter kneel and apologize to a fraud—is that what a mother does? Everyone here, you be the judge."

Today was Gayle Henson's birthday party, packed with important people. She was doing all this so everyone would see me as some clueless country girl, so no one could ever challenge her spot as the eldest Henson daughter.

"Shut your mouth. This is a Henson family banquet. As the second Henson daughter, how can you have so little sense of the occasion? Look at your sister—accomplished in music, chess, painting, all of it, a Metropolitan University graduate. And you? I brought you back home, not so you could make a scene."

I rushed right up to him and pointed at the sobbing fake heiress.

"Talk about making a scene—who could top you, Mr. Henson? Ask any father in this room whether he'd let his own daughter suffer like this. You stupid thing."

Someone couldn't hold back a laugh, and it flipped him straight into humiliated rage.

"You are a rebellious daughter. I brought you back, gave you a place to live, clothes to wear, food to eat, and you come home just to spite me?"

"Ha, so you do know you brought me back to enjoy the good life. Then what did you actually do? These clothes she's worn before. This jewelry she didn't want. Even this party was thrown for her. Why haven't you thrown me a homecoming banquet?"

"You don't deserve one!"

A crash rang out.

"I don't deserve one? Then she doesn't get to enjoy her birthday party in peace either."

"This is outrageous. The second daughter has gone mad. Call a doctor to give her a sedative."

【Breaking from your character. Prepare for punishment.】

【The System is telling you one more time: maintain your persona, or next time it's a thousand arrows through the heart.】

I sagged against the floor, all strength gone. A moment ago I'd been standing tall, and now I was a snake with the venom drained out of it.

Seeing this, the security guards rushed to wrench my hands behind my back, my whole face pinned against the floor.

"Drag her over here. She's going to apologize to Gayle properly."

My own mother pointed at me like I was her enemy, and my heart sank to the very bottom.