The Gift and the Ghoul

Several comments under the post were clearly stirring things up:

[This guy has XYY syndrome. His brain’s messed up. You're beautiful and kind. Stay away from your best friend.]

[Isn’t he one of the Gray’s family… Honestly, every time I see her brother, I get creeped out.]

[Why is he even alive? Someone should just take him out!]

The post was going viral, obviously being artificially boosted. Hundreds of comments piled up instantly, all attacking my brother and I.

A few of the comments turned out to be from Zoe’s alternate accounts. The comment threatening to take out my brother was from Zoe’s boyfriend himself.

I trembled with rage.

Miles had shown no signs during prenatal checks. By the time he was born and diagnosed with XYY syndrome, it was already too late.

Even with all his issues, our family had never given up on him.

Yet now, under Zoe and her boyfriend’s influence, he was facing this kind of online abuse.

I looked at the cursed lock pendant and, suddenly, a thought struck me.

Still, I did not know if it was right or wrong. Did I really have the right to decide someone else’s life?

Miles sat on the couch. His eyes were vacant as drool dripped from his mouth. His eyes were set far apart, and his pupils were unusually small, giving him a somewhat unsettling appearance at first glance.

All these years, our family barely let him go out alone. If we could, we would have him chained for safety. Our mother had even quit her job just to stay by his side.

I hesitated for a moment and murmured to myself, “Is this really the right thing to do? If I give you Lucas’ fate, you’ll become normal, but you won’t live past 35… Yet if I leave things as they are, when you grow older…”

In my previous life, Miles lived his entire life with his disability and got mocked wherever he went. He would tremble around strangers and lock himself in his room in anger, leaving himself bruised and bleeding.

Lucas’ fate might not bring wealth, but he would live a peaceful and uneventful life.

Now that I was faced with this choice, I did not know what to do.

Miles, for the first time, said, “Go… Go ahead, Maisie…”

I froze for a moment, suddenly realizing he was actually responding to me.

Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably. Being trapped in that body had to be far more painful than I could imagine. Hence, I solemnly placed the lock pendant on him.

As graduation approached, Zoe had already secretly registered her marriage with Lucas because she did not want to spend money on a wedding banquet.

Two years earlier, Zoe and I came across a fortune teller.

He marveled at my fate, claiming that every aspect of it was full of wealth. He said I would have 30 years of great luck after graduating, with both expected and unexpected income flowing in. I would practically be making money while lying in bed.

Zoe refused to believe him at that time. However, everything he predicted for me came true over the next two years.

She had probably been coveting my fate for a long time.

In my previous life, she stole my wealth and lived in luxury for the rest of her days, while I died a premature death because of her.

This time, it was her turn to pay the price.

I would give her a husband with XYY syndrome and see if she could handle it!

I went to a jewelry store and bought a lock pendant that looked exactly the same, then wore it myself. That finally shut those people up.

Zoe happily took a photo with me and posted it on social media. Her caption clearly carried a hidden meaning: [Good luck stands by my side.]

Lucas commented underneath: [Honey, just wait. I’ll get rich and take care of you! (Thumbs up emoji)]

She replied: [Okay, honey. (tongue-out emoji)]

I was curious to see how exactly they planned to get rich.

…

Just when I thought everything was going smoothly, the same signs from my previous life started appearing. I had a high fever that would not break, my throat was hoarse, and I was bedridden. How could this be happening?!

My anxiety grew each day.

Fate was unpredictable.

If fate had destined me for unexpected wealth, then every time I tripped outside, it would be over a pile of gold!

Still, if I had really swapped fates with Lucas again, then what was the point of my rebirth?

The more I thought about it, the more anxious I became, and there was no one I could confide in.

Meanwhile, Zoe grew annoyed with me after she saw me with the pendant. She even moved out of the dorm and did not bother pretending to be polite anymore.