Revenge of the Substitute Daughter

　　Hours later, deep into the night, Eliza's screams pierced the silence of the villa.

　　When I ran to see what was happening, I found a python tightly coiled around Eliza's feet, which were visibly turning blue and purple.

　　Mr. Lloyd blamed the butler for being negligent, wondering how such a large python could have gotten into the house.

　　He scolded everyone, but no one dared to step forward and help Eliza.

　　Eliza, terrified, had wet herself and was trembling all over, looking absolutely ridiculous.

　　Too bad Mia can't see this, I thought, she would have been delighted.

　　Finally, the firefighters arrived and caught the python.

　　It had coiled so tightly that Eliza's ankles were dislocated. She would have trouble walking for a while.

　　After this incident, Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd decided to fire the butler.

　　He pleaded his innocence, saying his whole family depended on his income. Without this job, they'd be destitute, especially since he had a son with leukemia. Losing his income would be a death sentence for his family.

　　He begged Eliza to intercede on his behalf, but she was so humiliated by what had happened that she grew angrier, throwing everything within reach at the butler.

　　Little did she know, the butler was actually her real uncle. He knew all about how she had burned her biological parents to death.

　　Driven to desperation, the butler was about to expose her cruel actions, willing to risk everything.

　　But I interrupted, knowing it wasn't the right time yet.

　　"Dad, Mom, maybe the python was sent by the spirits of the dead. It's not the butler's fault he didn't see it," I said, blinking innocently.

　　Mr. Lloyd, who didn't believe in ghosts, looked displeased with my explanation.

　　He was about to scold me for being superstitious, but I quickly interrupted him.

　　"When I was a child, I heard a story in the village," I began slowly. "It's said that if someone dies unjustly, on the first anniversary of their death, they transform into a large python to seek revenge on their killer." I walked slowly toward Eliza, my voice turning eerie. "Eliza, did you kill someone a year ago, using a particularly vicious method? Is that why this python is here, wrapped around you?"

　　My spooky demeanor and words visibly terrified Eliza. She looked around frantically and couldn't help but scream, "Stay away, stay away!"

　　After all, she was just an eighteen-year-old girl, easily frightened.

　　If only Mr. Lloyd wasn't here, I thought, I could push her further and make her slip up.

　　Mr. Lloyd, seeing how frightened Eliza was, felt sorry for her.

　　He raised his hand and slapped me hard, shouting, "Stop talking nonsense! How could I have a daughter like you?"

　　He raised his hand to slap me again, but Mrs. Lloyd pushed him away.

　　She held my hand tightly and scolded him, "Mia's ignorance is because Ruby didn't let her study. Instead of teaching her properly, you hit her. Are you even her father?"

　　I'm not a cold-hearted person. Mrs. Lloyd's actions touched me.

　　But that didn't mean I would abandon my plans because of her.

　　Mr. Lloyd looked at me, seeming a bit guilty, but said nothing more. He told Eliza to rest and then took Mrs. Lloyd back to the master bedroom.

　　As for the butler, my interference had made Mr. and Mrs. Lloyd temporarily forget about firing him.

　　He gave me a grateful look. I understood that he now owed me a favor, and when the time came, I would call upon him to repay it, adding fuel to the fire.