Tranquility

: Making Money

Because of my refusal, Beatrice locked herself in her room and cried bitterly. My dad glared at me fiercely, as if I were their enemy.

My mom passed by me, deliberately scolding me loudly, "Now that you've grown independent and ruthless, it seems you've forgotten all the years of care and support you've received. It's truly unfortunate to have nurtured someone like you who hides your true nature and aims to block your sister's path to success."

If this had happened in my previous life, I would have felt miserable and guilty, and I would have given up the opportunity to go to school.

Unfortunately, the previous Lily, who had no boundaries when it came to accommodating them, was gone.

I returned to my room in silence, listening to the commotion outside.

My dad knocked on Beatrice's door and comforted her, "Darling daughter, don't be sad. I promise you that we'll do our best to secure your opportunity to go to college, alright?"

My mom also tried to soothe her, "Sweetie, don't compare yourself to Lily. What would you like to eat? I will make it for you, okay?"

Beatrice's response was, "What's the point of eating when I can't even go to school?"

Dad and Mom coaxed Beatrice at her door with food for a long time before finally getting her to come out.

They didn’t prepare or leave any food for me even after they were done eating.

I touched my empty stomach and quietly planned my future. I was sure my parents wouldn't provide me with tuition fees, so if I wanted to attend college, I had to work and save up enough money for the first semester during the summer break.

As for living expenses, I could take on part-time jobs, and if I had enough time, I could even work two jobs. This way, I could save up for the tuition fees for the following semesters.

I entered the realm of dreams with boundless anticipation for the future.

In the middle of the night, I heard noises from the next room.

I knew that Beatrice had sneaked out to call her online boyfriend.

I opened the window slightly, and Beatrice's voice drifted in intermittently.

"I don't know what's gotten into my sister. It's like she's become a different person. Our parents wanted her to study another year, but she insists on going to that lousy university this year."

I listened silently.

Her voice became sharper, "This is infuriating; she's actually competing with me."

A man's voice came from her phone, " Don't get upset, my dear. If she's not using your parents' money, just let her go to college. You're still their favorite princess, you know."

Beatrice, feeling wronged, bit her lip. "If she goes to work, she can give me more pocket money, and then we can go out together."

The man continued to console Beatrice, "It's okay, dear. Today, my parents mentioned that they will be selling their house soon. When that happens, I can take you to whenever you want to go…”

"They are going to sell their house? Is it true?"

Beatrice's voice suddenly rose, filled with joy.

I chuckled softly and closed the window gently.

Beatrice's boyfriend was in his thirties, yet he idled around without doing anything productive. The story about selling the family house was just a lie fabricated to lure young girls into sleeping with him. His only redeeming quality might be his mediocre talent for drawing.

In the past life, approximately a year later, the short video industry started booming. Beatrice used the money I had earned through hard work to hire someone to improve Shawn Kaur's artwork and hired professional photographers for editing. Through a series of actions and Shawn's moderately attractive appearance, she turned him into a brooding artist. Shawn soon gained popularity.

As Shawn gained fame, he became arrogant and reckless, even causing a hit-and-run accident. In order to keep him out of jail, Beatrice moved all the money from my account. During that period, I was in the hospital, disoriented.

When the moment came to settle the hospital bill, I was shocked to find that my card had no funds left. I angrily called Beatrice, but she said, " Sis, I consulted with the doctor, and they said your illness can't be cured even with money. Why go through unnecessary suffering?"

She cried as she continued, "Sis, you have no idea how heartless those people are. It was just a minor accident, but they're demanding twenty thousand dollars for a settlement. Otherwise, Shawn will go to jail.

"Sis, I have no choice. I beg you, please save Shawn!"

Because my hospital expenses had been diverted, I was discharged soon after.

Not long after that, I passed away at home, and Beatrice didn't show any remorse. She told our parents, "Sis had mentioned before she passed away that her illness couldn't be treated, so instead of wasting money in the hospital, she wanted me to have it.

"Mom, Dad, you're aware of Shawn's current popularity. His monthly salary is comparable to our past annual income. I can't let him get ruined in this situation."

Our parents seemed convinced and no longer questioned the cause of my death. Meanwhile, Shawn's scandal didn't escalate because the incident happened at night, and with a substantial settlement, the victims didn't pursue it further.

His short video career continued to flourish.

Beatrice seized the opportunity to market their relationship, and their commercial value soared. They took on advertisements, appeared on TV shows, and made a significant amount of money. I listened to their voices outside the window, envisioning their bright future, and clenched my teeth in frustration.

Just you wait, in this new lease on life, I'll ensure that both of you face the consequences you deserve.

There was a supermarket near my house that needed cashiers, so I went for an interview the next day. The owner initially wanted to hire cashiers who could commit for a long term, but when he learned about my circumstances, he made a special exception and hired me.

One of the main reasons I chose this supermarket was that it was located next to the postal express service. I was afraid that Beatrice might tamper with my acceptance letter, so I wanted to take precautions.

After working at the supermarket for a month, I got to know the employees at the nearby postal express service. I confided in one of them, sharing a secret plan: if my acceptance letter arrived, he should discreetly deliver it to me, and I'd treat him to drinks.

In our small town, people were well aware of each other's affairs. The employee likely deduced the situation as soon as he heard my name, and he willingly agreed to help me.

My hunch was correct. One day, as I was cleaning the cashier counter, Beatrice walked in confidently. She placed a file folder in front of me and said, "Take a look, sis. This is my acceptance letter from my college. Read it carefully, as this might be the last time in your life that you see an acceptance letter for college.

"Our parents will never agree to let you go to college. Give up on that dream," she continued. "Oh, speaking of which, my dear sister who got into a prestigious university, where is your acceptance letter? Let's take a look and compare it to mine."

I replied calmly, "It probably hasn't arrived yet. When it does, I'll show it to you."

Beatrice was taken aback and left in a huff.

Later, a coworker informed me that Beatrice had sneaked into the employee break room and searched through my locker.

She came up empty-handed and left in frustration. I observed her departure, quietly applauding my intelligence. I understood that Beatrice wouldn't be easily deceived by my words alone; she required visual proof of my acceptance letter before relenting. Fortunately, I had concealed it well in advance.

After that, Beatrice came looking for me several times, but she never found my acceptance letter. She assumed that I had failed to get into that prestigious university.

During the summer break, I worked long hours, and my parents thought I was earning money for Beatrice's tuition. They also didn't come across my acceptance letter, thinking that I had given up as well.

Two days before the school year began, I left for work just like any other day. However, what I had actually done was buy a train ticket and travel straight to the city where my university was situated.

Interestingly, my university was right next to Beatrice's university. However, Beatrice didn't care about that. Her only goal in coming to Houston was to be with Shawn.

I heard that on the day of registration, Shawn showed up outside the school with disheveled hair, a cigarette in his mouth, and his motorcycle, attracting the attention of many onlookers.

Beatrice, seeing several girls sneakily eyeing her boyfriend, felt a sense of vanity and satisfaction. She happily rushed towards Shawn and embraced him tightly.

I didn't care about Beatrice and her boyfriend; my main focus was on earning money. I had used all the money I earned during the summer to pay for my tuition, and in order to survive, I had to make money during any free time I had.