The Woman Who Took Back Her Life

However, Marcus's roar at that moment was somewhat awkward.

He stormed over, full of anger, but froze in place.

The group of people, each holding several yuan bills, were grinning at me like a bunch of fools, almost ready to call me "sis."

Before leaving, the lead guy even waved and called out to me.

"Hey, beautiful, if you ever need anything, just call me. I'm always available!"

Marcus was completely stunned.

Of course, he was stunned.

Because this was not what he had expected.

According to the events of my past life, I should have been trembling in fear, crying and begging for mercy from this group of "thugs."

Then Marcus would have swooped in like a hero, chased them off single-handedly, and gently squatted in front of me with a warm smile, saying, "It's alright, little girl."

In my past life, I was overwhelmed by the shock and joy of suddenly falling in love, my heart racing with excitement, feeling like that moment had sealed my happiness for the rest of my life.

But now, I felt like I had just eaten shit.

— This ordinary, dark-skinned, nearly my height double-crosser.

How could I have ever liked him?

I raised an eyebrow and deliberately said, "Are you with them too? I’m out of money now, so why don’t you go ask them for a cut?"

Marcus's face turned pale.

I ignored him and grabbed Tessa, walking away.

The farther I walked, the more certain I felt.

Since Elena Vance is back, I’ll sort everything out, one step at a time.

Those who’ve been secretly plotting against me? I’ll drag them all into the light.

I still remember, just before I lost consciousness in my past life, someone whispered in my ear.

"This girl was cursed."

Yes, I was indeed cursed.

Even though I had fallen head over heels for Marcus in my past life, I wasn’t some na?ve, inexperienced fool. I knew what love was, and I wasn’t easily swayed by fleeting emotions.

But later, I became more and more obsessed with Marcus, unable to imagine life without him. I even endured his mistreatment willingly.

That wasn’t something I would ever do.

The only explanation is that someone had interfered with my feelings.

I stood anxiously by the roadside, waiting for a taxi, when Tessa suddenly spoke up beside me.

"Elena, you really weren’t scared at all?"

Her voice was still trembling slightly, clearly shaken by what had just happened.

I reassured her, "It's a lawful society. As long as money can solve the problem, there's nothing to fear. Don’t think about it anymore, okay?"

After a pause, Tessa added, "But I think… the guy who came up behind us didn’t seem like he was with them... From his expression, he looked really concerned for us, like he wanted to help. And don’t you think... he was pretty handsome?"

I suddenly turned to look at Tessa.

Her flawless face held a clear, pure gaze.

But there was also a hint of something… something unsettling that caught me off guard.

Maybe my expression scared her, because the hint of suspicion quickly faded, and she flashed a sweet, typical smile.

"Oh my gosh, I’m such a fangirl. I get all distracted when I see a handsome guy. Elena, you can’t laugh at me."

I tugged at the corner of my mouth, my heart sinking like a stone.

Suddenly, I remembered—

I never go to bars. It was Tessa who suggested we go, wanting to experience the fun of a bar on her birthday, so I decided to join her.

In my past life, when I met that group of "thugs," it was already very late—around 2 or 3 AM, after Tessa and I had been at the bar for hours.

But this time, even though I had left early, they were still there.

And Tessa’s trip to the bathroom right before we left...

And her intentional defense of Marcus just now.

The night breeze brushed my face, and at that moment, I didn’t even dare to turn and look at my once best friend.

Tessa, could you have...

Been involved in the plan to destroy my life?

When I got home, it was still before midnight...

I punched in the passcode and went inside. With so much on my mind, I didn’t bother calling for any maids.

I was about to head upstairs to freshen up when I heard rustling noises coming from the garden downstairs.

It was my stepmother, Selene Cross.

"How could this fail?" Her voice sounded frazzled. "Wasn’t everything arranged?"

"Did she really just leave like that?"

"She thought you were with them? Idiot, if you can’t even handle this, how the hell are you gonna make any money?"

"Next time? When will that be, huh? Fine, we’ll discuss it and let you know."

I caught two crucial words—"we" and "discuss."

The people conspiring against me, the ones who cursed me, weren’t just Selene.

I rushed back to my room and started scribbling a list of people who might have plotted my downfall.

Selene, Tessa...

As I wrote down Tessa’s name, I still couldn’t help but feel a pang of pain.

I looked up, only to freeze.

On the desk was a family photo.

My dad, Selene, me, and...

My half-sister, Lydia Cross.

In my past life, she had been the one whispering in my ear, convincing me that Marcus was a perfect man, even teaching me how to get my parents to accept him if I just went ahead and made it happen.

Since she thought Marcus was such a great catch,

Then I’ll make sure to make her happy.

I hope they live happily ever after.