After Rebirth, I Let His Adopted Sister Destroy Him

On New Year's Eve, I'd just taken antibiotics for a high fever when my husband dragged me to the family reunion dinner. As everyone raised their glasses, I explained that I couldn't drink alcohol after taking the medication.

That's when my husband's adopted sister poured me a glass of what looked like juice.

"Here, Queenie Simmonsjust toast with this instead."

Under my husband's watchful gaze, I downed the drink in one gulp.

The moment I finished, she let out a cold laugh.

"I mixed half a glass of liquor into that. See? You're perfectly fine. You were just looking for an excuse to snub our family, weren't you? Too bad for youI don't let anyone get away with that."

My heart raced. I couldn't breathe. I spent three days in the hospital having my stomach pumped, hovering between life and death.

To "apologize," she offered to take care of me during my recovery. When I had a video conference with a business partner, I specifically asked her not to disturb me.

Halfway through the meeting, she barged into my room blasting music from a portable speaker, dancing like she was at a street fair.

The client terminated our partnership on the spot. The company lost tens of millions. I lost my job.

When I confronted her, she didn't even flinch.

"This is my brother's house. Why can't I go wherever I want? You think you can boss me around? I don't let anyone get away with that."

My husband made her apologize. For his sake, I let it go. When she offered to cook for me, I reminded her to turn off the gas when she was doneotherwise it could be dangerous.

She got me drunk. Then she turned on the gas valve and locked me in the kitchen.

"Trying to tell me what to do? I don't let anyone get away with that."

I suffocated to death on that kitchen floor.

When I opened my eyes again, it was the Lantern Festival.

"Queenie, dinner's ready! Come eat!"

That voice. I knew that voice.

The realization hit me like ice waterI had been reborn.

Corinne Swanson stood at the door, calling me with that same sweet persistence.

Before I could gather my thoughts, my husband Calvin Swanson nudged my arm.

"Queenie, Corinne's talking to you. Are you deaf?"

I found my voice quickly.

"I have a cold and fever. I'm not eating."

The next second, Corinne pushed the door open and walked in, a box of antibiotics in her hand.

"I bought these just for you. Take them and come eateveryone's waiting. It's the Lantern Festival! The whole family has to eat together."

In my past life, I hadn't wanted to upset anyone. I'd taken the antibiotics and followed her to dinner like an obedient fool.

When the family raised their glasses, I'd explained that I couldn't drink alcohol after taking medication.

Corinne had poured me a glass of "juice."

"Just toast with this instead."

I'd downed it without a second thought. And she'd smiledthat triumphant, venomous smile.

"I mixed half a glass of liquor into that. See? You're perfectly fine. You just wanted to snub our family and show us who's boss. Too badI don't let anyone get away with that."

Three days in the ICU. Stomach pumped. Clinging to life by a thread.

The memory made my whole body tremble with rage.

Corinne stared at me, her voice dripping with false concern.

"Take your medicine, Queenie. Unless... you're deliberately trying to avoid eating with us?"

Calvin shot me an impatient look.

"It's a holiday. Can you stop making everything difficult? What's the big deal about having dinner?"

I closed my fingers around the medicine box.

"I'll take it before bed. Let's go eat first."

Corinne's expression shifted instantly to wounded innocence, her eyes wide and glistening.

"Do you hate me, Queenie? I went out of my way to buy that medicine for you, and you won't even take it. Did I do something wrong? Just tell meI'll change, I promise."

Seeing Corinne's aggrieved expression, Calvin's heart ached for her.

"Queenie, Corinne bought this medicine out of the goodness of her heart. Don't be so ungratefuljust take it and come eat."

I popped a pill from the blister pack and washed it down with water. A flash of triumph flickered across Corinne's eyes.

"Queenie, now that you've taken your medicine, come join us for dinner."

I watched her slip out the door.

Then I grabbed Calvin before he could follow.

"Calvin, the flu's been going around everywhere lately. We traveled all day, and now I'm coming down with a fever. Maybe you should take some cephalosporin toojust to be safe."

He considered this, decided it made sense, and swallowed a pill with water.

The moment he left, I spat the pill into the trash, rinsed my mouth three times, and only then went to dinner.

At the table, Corinne raised her glass.

"Here's to the new yearmay our family grow closer and more prosperous. Let's all drink to that!"

Everyone lifted their glasses.

I spoke up quickly. "I can't drink alcohol."

The corner of Corinne's mouth curved upwardexactly as it had in my previous lifeand she poured me a glass of juice.

"Then have this instead, Queenie. Juice in place of wine."

Calvin, remembering the cephalosporin he'd just taken, poured himself juice as well.

"I'll do the same."

I watched him drain his glass in one gulp.

Corinne let out a cold laugh.

"You know, Queenie, I put half a glass of liquor in that juice. And look at youperfectly fine. Seems to me you just wanted to disrespect our family. Show us who's boss on your first visit. Too bad for you, I know exactly how to handle people like that."

Calvin's face went rigid. "You put alcohol in the juice?" His voice rose to a shout. "You can't drink alcohol after taking cephalosporindon't you know that?"

Corinne clutched his arm, her voice turning soft and wounded. "But Calvin, she was trying to humiliate us! If I don't put her in her place now, I'll never survive in this family. Besides, she's obviously fine"

I was fine. Calvin, on the other hand, looked like he was about to die.

He clutched his chest, his breathing ragged and shallow, and collapsed.

The color drained from Corinne's face. Panic seized her. "Calvin! What's wrong?"

Her parents scrambled around him, calling his name over and over.

I pressed down the smile threatening to break across my face and forced urgency into my voice. "Oh noCalvin took cephalosporin before dinner, and then he drank the spiked juice! We need to get him to the hospital now. Any longer and it could be fatal!"

At that, her mother frantically called for an ambulance.

In the end, Calvin spent three days and three nights in the hospital having his stomach pumpedthe exact same ordeal I'd suffered in my previous life. Every moment of agony I'd endured, now his to experience.

Outside the emergency room, her mother slapped Corinne across the face.

"You worthless girl! Why would you put alcohol in the juice? Were you trying to kill my son?"

Her father kicked Corinne so hard she stumbled. "If anything happens to him, I will never forgive you."

My lips curved slightly. In my previous life, when I was the one hospitalized, Calvin and his parents had urged me to let it go. Corinne didn't mean it. Don't make a fuss. Funny how the knife only hurts when it cuts your own flesh.

A vicious glint flashed in Corinne's eyes. Suddenly, she turned on me.

"Queeniewhy did you make my brother take cephalosporin? You did this on purpose, didn't you? You wanted to hurt him!"

I laughed in disbelief. My voice went cold. "Corinne, how was I supposed to know you'd spike the drinks? Why would I want to hurt Calvin? He's my husband."

Even if, deep down, I wanted nothing more than to watch him dieI still had to keep up appearances.

Corinne's voice rose again, sharp with accusation. "Then why are you fine? You took cephalosporin too!"

My in-laws turned to look at me as well.

I placed a hand on my stomach, my expression a mixture of lingering fear and grievance.

"Dad, Mom, Calvin and I have been trying for a baby lately. I haven't had my period in a month, so I thought I might be pregnant. Pregnant women can't take cephalosporins, so I made myself throw up the medicine. Unless... you wanted something to happen to me and the baby too?"

The moment she heard this, my mother-in-law rushed to support me.

"Queenie, why didn't you say so? Sit down, quicklyyou mustn't upset the baby. This could be our grandchild!"

I dabbed at nonexistent tears in the corners of my eyes.

"Mom, Dad... are you angry with me?"

My mother-in-law shook her head vigorously.

"Of course not! You did the right thing. That baby in your belly is the Swanson family's treasure. Of course we need to be careful."

The corner of my mouth curved slightly. Even if my in-laws wanted to blame me, they wouldn't dare say another word now that I might be pregnant.

In the end, they could only direct all their fury at Corinne.

It wasn't until Corinne borrowed from loan sharks to pay Calvin's surgery and hospital bills that my in-laws' expressions softened somewhat.

When Calvin woke up and saw Corinne crying and looking aggrieved, he sighed.

"Let it go. Corinne didn't mean to do it. Mom, Dad, don't blame her anymore."

My in-laws regarded Corinne coldly but said nothing more.

Three months later, Calvin was discharged from the hospital. Corinne approached me with an apologetic expression.

"Queenie, I'm the reason Calvin was hospitalized. Let me come stay with you and take care of you bothto make up for what I did."

I was about to refuse when Calvin grabbed my arm.

"Let her come. Otherwise she'll never forgive herself."

I could only nod in reluctant agreement.

Three days later, Calvin told me excitedly that he'd passed the written portion of the civil service exam. However, due to a sudden flu outbreak, the interview had been moved up to this afternoon.

Just then, Corinne walked in.

"What's going on? You two look so happy."

In my previous life, I'd been in the bedroom negotiating a partnership deal. I'd specifically told Corinne not to disturb me. But right in the middle of my call, she'd barged in carrying a speaker and started doing square dancing.

The partner cancelled the deal. The company lost tens of millions. I was fired.

When I confronted her about it, she'd said without a shred of remorse: "This is my brother's house. Why can't I go wherever I want? You were just trying to put me in my place, weren't you? Well, I specialize in dealing with people like you who don't know their place."

And Calvin had shrugged it off completely. "If the deal fell through, that's because you weren't good enough. Why are you blaming Corinne? Just find another job."

Now I wanted to seeif Corinne ruined Calvin's chance at passing the exam, would he still be so indifferent?

I narrowed my eyes slightly and smiled.

"Don't come into our room this afternoon. There's something important for work."

Something malicious flickered in Corinne's eyes. She nodded.

That afternoon, Calvin was halfway through his interview when Corinne kicked the door open, speaker blasting, and launched into a folk dance routine.

Seconds later, the interviewer's voice came through Calvin's computer:

"Interview failed."

Calvin shot to his feet and roared at Corinne.

"What the hell are you doing?!"

The moment Corinne saw it was Calvin, she shut off the speaker.

"Calvin? I thoughtwhere's Queenie?"

I closed my laptop, having just finished a call about the baby, and stepped out of the adjacent room.

"Right here. Corinne, didn't I tell you not to come into our room? Today was Calvin's civil service interview."

Calvin clutched his throbbing head.

"Are you deaf, Corinne? Do you understand what you just did? I've aged outthis was my last chance to take the exam. Because of you, years of work just went down the drain."

Corinne's expression turned panicked.

"Calvin, I'm sorry, I didn't know! Queenie didn't explain it clearly."

I laughed in disbelief.

"Corinne, you're a college student now. Can you not understand plain English? I told you I had something important today and asked you not to come into the room. But you barged in anywaywith a speaker, dancing."

Corinne burst into tears.

"I really didn't mean to! If I'd known it was you, I never would have done it."

Calvin looked at her sobbing face with growing impatience.

"Corinne, is crying the only thing you know how to do?"

That evening, Corinne somehow managed to coax him back into a good mood.

"Calvin, I'll make your favorite braised fish tonightto make up for what I did."

When I stepped out of my room, I caught a whiff of gas. In my previous life, I had specifically reminded Corinne to turn off the gas after cooking to prevent poisoning.

She had smiled and agreed. But during dinner, she deliberately got me drunk, then locked me in the kitchen with the gas running. I died of gas poisoning.

She had stood outside the door, gloating.

"Trying to tell me what to do? I specialize in putting people like you in their place."

I swallowed my hatred. Looking at Calvin, something occurred to me. I turned to Corinne.

"Corinne, remember to turn off the gas when you're done cooking."

She nodded. "I know, Queenie."

That night, Corinne tried to ply me with alcohol again.

"Queenie, I've caused you both so much trouble these past few days. I hope you don't hold it against me. Let me toast you."

I didn't move. Corinne's face fell, a wounded look creeping in.

"Are you still mad at me?"

Calvin tugged my arm. "Just drink it. Don't upset her."

I pulled out a pregnancy test.

"It's not that I don't want to drink, Corinne. I can't."

Before, I had mentioned I might be pregnant, but the test came back negative. My in-laws had berated me for getting their hopes up. Calvin kept staring at my stomach, calling me useless. But now, seeing the positive test, excitement flooded his face.

"Right, she can't drink. I'll drink with you instead, Corinne."

Corinne stared at my belly. A flash of hatred flickered in her eyes.

About fifteen minutes later, she turned to me.

"Queenie, I made you some soup earlier but forgot to bring it out. I twisted my ankle just nowcould you go get it for me?"

I nodded and started to rise, then paused as if remembering something.

"Oh, Corinneyou've taken such good care of us lately. I bought you a piece of jewelry from Goldsmith's. It's on my vanity. Why don't you go grab it?"

Her eyes lit up. But as she headed toward my room, she made sure to remind me: "The soup will get cold if you wait too long. Hurry and bring it out."

I nodded. Once she disappeared into my room, I clutched my stomach.

"Calvin, can you get the soup? My stomach hurtsI need to check on something in the bathroom."

I rushed off before he could respond. Calvin turned and walked into the kitchen.

Through the crack in the bathroom door, I watched Corinne sprint to the kitchen entrance and lock the door behind him.

A few minutes later, a deafening boom erupted from the kitchen.

Neighbors came running.

"What happened?"

"Sounded like a gas explosion!"

Corinne's face was a mask of innocence and false concern.

"I don't know! I asked Queenie to get the souphow did it suddenly explode? Oh, Queenie, please be okay!"

I stepped out of the bathroom.

"What are you talking about, Corinne? Why wouldn't I be okay?"

She froze the moment she saw me.

"Queenie, weren't you the one who went to the kitchen? If it wasn't you in there, then who was it?"

I feigned panic as I spoke. "I had a stomachache, so I asked Calvin to get the soup instead. That explosion just nowplease don't tell me something happened to my husband?"