After Rebirth, I Hope She Finds a Rich Husband Soon

I had no idea what Chloe said to Nina when they went outside, but when they came back, Nina’s eyes were red and swollen from crying. She sat alone in the corner, silent and withdrawn.

When it was time for dinner, Nina approached the table. Chloe, as if she couldn’t stand seeing her daughter at peace, started scolding her again.

“The elders are already at the table, and you’re only coming now? Should I send a grand procession to invite you over?

“What kind of manners did your father and I teach you at home? How can you have so little respect? What have you even learned in school? Is this how your teachers teach you?”

My sister-in-law grabbed hold of this opportunity to magnify Nina’s every flaw, making her feel like crawling into a hole.

Nina stood there with her head down, her shoulders trembling, biting her lip so hard she didn’t dare to cry aloud.

Seeing her in such a humiliated state gave me a perverse sense of satisfaction.

I turned away, focusing on my meal, ignoring the fleeting look of resentment in Nina’s eyes.

After Chloe had finished berating her, she dragged Nina back to her seat to eat. The other relatives exchanged glances, pretending nothing unpleasant had happened, and continued to eat together as if all was harmonious.

My mother’s cooking was always exceptional, especially her signature herb-butter poached lobster. As soon as it hit the table, it was gone in a flash.

Chloe gave one to her son, while Nina looked on longingly. “Mom, can I have a small piece, please?” she asked.

“What for? Your brother’s growing, and he needs it more than you,” Chloe snapped.

Nina’s eyes filled with tears, but her mother didn’t care. In fact, she even slapped Nina’s outstretched hand, leaving a red mark.

A small smile played at my lips. The scene was playing out exactly as it had in the past.

In my last life, I had reacted very differently to this. I’d flipped the table in front of everyone and told Nina, “If you can’t get something, destroy it. If you can’t eat the lobster, then no one else should either.”

Back then, I nearly got beaten to death by my mother for my outburst, but I never regretted it.

“Mom, let me explain – Nina’s just too timid because of Chloe’s strict parenting. Sometimes, you need extreme methods to fix it.”

Human nature is odd. If you ask someone politely to open the window, they might refuse. But if you kick down the door, they’ll agree to the window.

It was the same with Nina’s personality. Chloe had such a tight grip on her, with impossibly high expectations, that Nina had to “rebel” a little to make her mother back off and reach a more reasonable middle ground.

Back then, I genuinely thought I was helping Nina, but I forgot one important truth – children are like blank canvases, and it’s their parents who paint the first strokes.

By the time Nina reached middle school, she had already been molded by my Chloe’s overbearing ways. I couldn’t correct that.