The Phoenix Kiln, Rebirth in the Flames

The ancestral Phoenix Kiln suddenly exploded.

Priceless porcelain, worth a fortune, was on the verge of being destroyed.

My husband blocked everyone from helping, all for the sake of waiting for his sister-in-law, Vivian Moore.

He wanted her to use her new technique to save the day and become the official successor of the Montgomery family kiln.

But the man arriving today was Dante Sterling, the wealthiest man in the country.

Last time a studio delayed a delivery, he had a century-old kiln filled in and turned into a golf course.

If we failed today, not only would the twenty families in this village lose their livelihoods, but they would also be crushed by over a billion dollars in penalties.

In my previous life, I stayed up all night using a secret family formula to rebuild the kiln.

I adjusted the fire vents with my bare hands in front of thousand-degree heat and earned Dante Sterling's respect.

But because of that, Vivian fell into a deep depression and turned to alcohol.

At the victory banquet, my husband and the villagers got me drunk and tricked me into the kiln chamber.

"After my brother died, developing new technology was Vivian's life goal, yet you were so competitive that you stole all the credit. You didn't give her any chance to live."

"Since your hands are already ruined anyway, you can use your life to atone for your sins against Vivian!"

The kiln door was locked from the outside, and I carbonized in the high heat in total despair.

They all became millionaires because of the priceless porcelain I had burned my life to create.

I opened my eyes again to the sound of the familiar kiln alarm.

1.

Flames licked at my hands, and my skin curled and carbonized in the thousand-degree heat.

I pounded on the kiln door frantically, leaving ten bloody streaks on the red-hot metal.

"You stole the credit because you were too competitive, making Vivian depressed and even suicidal. This is what you owe her."

My husband Caleb's voice came through the thick door, sounding terrifyingly calm.

As he spoke, he pushed the temperature controller to the highest setting.

The heat wave swallowed me instantly.

In the final moment before my consciousness faded, I heard Vivian's triumphant laughter and the cheers of the villagers.

"Oh my God! It sold for ten million! It's a record-breaking piece!"

"BeepDBeepDBeepD"

A sharp alarm pierced my eardrums.

I snapped my eyes open.

The ancestral Phoenix Kiln was cracking, and the spiderweb-like fractures on the walls were exactly the same as in my previous life.

I had actually been reborn.

I was back on the day of the Heritage Craft Exhibition, the day everything started to go wrong.

"Elena! What are you standing there for? Go get Vivian!"

Caleb's roar pulled me back to reality.

He was directing the villagers to plug the cracks with wet rags.

"Hurry to the warehouse and check the spare firebricks!"

In my last life, this was the moment I ran to the warehouse.

Only then did I discover that all the spare bricks had been sabotaged, forcing me to use the secret formula and burn my hands.

This time, I wasn't going to walk the same path.

"Caleb, it'll be too late by the time Vivian gets here."

Before I could finish, Caleb's face darkened.

"What the hell are you saying! Do you know how long Vivian prepared for today? This is her only reason for living!"

"Elena, I'm begging you."

He lowered his voice, but there wasn't a hint of sincerity in his eyes.

"Just let Vivian handle it this time. She has nothing else. She just needs the status of being the Heritage Successor."

I shook his hand off, my stomach churning with disgust.

It was still the same old excuse.

"Vivian has already developed a new technology. She's just waiting to use it after this failure to create a world-record piece. When that happens, everyone will be a multi-millionaire."

His voice was just loud enough for the surrounding craftsmen to hear.

"Caleb is right, let's wait for Vivian!"

"Yeah, Elena, your old family methods are way too outdated."

I clenched my fists so hard my nails dug into my palms.

The pain reminded me that this wasn't a dream; I really was back.

In the last life, Caleb used the dream of becoming millionaires to turn all the craftsmen into his accomplices.

"Do you have any idea what Dante Sterling will do if this exhibition fails?"

"Last time a studio missed a deadline, he turned their kiln into a golf course! If we fail, twenty families here will be on the hook for over a billion dollars in damages!"

"Psh!"

Caleb waved his hand dismissively. "With Vivian here, what's there to fear?"

"Just wait and see. After today, we'll all be filthy rich!"

I let out a cold laugh and turned to leave.

But Caleb grabbed me and dragged me into the breakroom.

"Keep an eye on her."

The door was slammed shut.

The smell of mold and dust in the air made it hard for me to breathe.

My asthma was starting to flare up.

I threw myself at the door, pounding on it. "Let me out!"

A cold laugh came from outside.

"Elena, save your strength. Caleb said we can let you out once Vivian succeeds."

My hand trembled as I reached into my pocket, only to remember that Caleb had "accidentally" crushed my inhaler earlier.

"Help... me..."

Hurried footsteps sounded outside the door.

"Vivian! You're finally here!"

The villagers' voices were filled with flattery. "We've been waiting for you!"

Through the crack in the door, I saw a look of tenderness on Caleb's face that I had never seen before.

He pulled out a handkerchief and carefully wiped the sweat from Vivian's forehead.

His obsessed gaze was nauseating.

"It's okay, there's still time."

Vivian thanked him softly. "Caleb, I don't know what I'd do without you."

"Don't worry. The position of the Montgomery Kiln successor belongs to you and no one else."

Caleb pounded his chest in a guarantee.

Listening to this conversation, a cold smirk played on my lips.

Vivian's so-called "new technology" was just a theft of my research, and it had never actually worked.

They were all going to go down in flames.

2.

In my last life, Dante Sterling had been furious because everyone was busy trying to save the kiln.

He had even called in a thousand bodyguards to hold us accountable.

I was the one who risked my life while the kiln was collapsing to rebuild the walls overnight.

Under the scorching heat, the flesh on my hands had been torn and bloodied.

Dante was satisfied enough to sign a long-term contract, and the whole village cheered.

It wasn't until I was swallowed by the flames that I finally understood.

They didn't care about my sacrifice; they only cared about how much profit I could bring them.

In this life, I would never help them again.

Without my help, I wanted to see how they would turn things around.

The breakroom door was suddenly pushed open.

"Elena, why are you locked in here?" Vivian pretended to be shocked and hurried over to support me.

"Here, take your medicine first." She pulled a bottle of asthma medication from her bag and held it to my lips.

I stared at her perfectly made-up face, and my stomach turned.

For thirty years, she had used this fake persona to play the role of the "sweet sister-in-law."

And I was always the difficult, stubborn, and old-fashioned "relic."

"Vivian, you're too kind, even carrying medicine for her."

"She just has a mental problem!"

Caleb stood at the door glaring at me, but he immediately forced a flattering smile when Vivian looked his way.

Vivian gave him a playful, scolding look.

Looking at his pathetic, fawning behavior, I suddenly found it hilarious.

For thirty years, he had been arrogant in front of me, yet he acted like a lapdog for Vivian.

"Elena, don't blame him."

Vivian turned back to me, her voice gentle.

"He's doing this for everyone. The new technology I developed can increase the value of the porcelain tenfold. Everyone in the village will live a good life then."

The surrounding craftsmen nodded one after another.

Their eyes were full of gratitude as they looked at Vivian, as if she were some kind of savior.

"Please don't worry. I won't take all the credit. Once we sell the pieces, everyone gets a cut!"

Vivian looked down at me with pitying eyes.

Just then, Dante Sterling's secretary arrived in a hurry.

"Mr. Sterling is arriving at the site now. How much longer are you going to stall?"

Everyone's expression changed instantly.

Caleb immediately piled on the smiles. "Right away! Right away!"

They scrambled outside, terrified of wasting a second and angering Dante.

Before leaving, Vivian didn't forget to give me a "thoughtful" instruction. "Elena, you rest well. Don't worry, I've got this."

I turned my head away and snorted.

You've got this?

Then you can wait to take the fall for everything.

They all ran toward the Phoenix Kiln.

But I turned around without hesitation and ran in the opposite direction.

"Elena! Where are you going?"

Caleb turned back and shouted at me, his tone frantic.

I ignored him and kept moving.

"Mr. Sterling doesn't have time to wait for you!"

The secretary's cold voice cut him off. "Keep wasting time, and the contract is void!"

Caleb bit his lip and ultimately chose to follow Vivian.

I watched their retreating figures, a cold smirk touching my lips.

This time, I wasn't going to stop them from destroying themselves.

I wanted to watch them suffer the consequences with my own eyes.

I turned and walked away from the kiln area.

My fingers quickly tapped a number into my old burner phone.

"Hello? Lee?"

"Find something for your sister Elena. And make it fast."

3.

When I arrived at the Phoenix Kiln site, everyone was gathered around the kiln door.

They were staring intently at the sealed iron entrance.

Vivian was using a trembling hand to wipe the sweat from her brow.

"Open the kiln!"

She announced, her voice shaking.

As the door slowly opened, a pungent, burnt smell wafted out.

Everyone craned their necks to look inside.

The porcelain within was completely deformed and cracked.

The glaze was muddy and dull, looking like a pile of charred garbage.

"This... this is impossible..."

Vivian stumbled back a few steps, her face as pale as a sheet.

Caleb rushed forward to catch her.

"Vivian, don't panic. There must be some mistake."

The secretary walked over with a cold face.

"Mr. Sterling's car has reached the village entrance. If this is your so-called 'masterpiece,' I don't think we have anything left to discuss."

She scanned the crowd with a freezing gaze.

"Get your penalty money ready. It's 1.38 billion dollars."

Caleb shook violently and suddenly turned toward me.

"Elena! Where were you just now? Did you sabotage this?"

Before I could even open my mouth, Vivian suddenly grabbed Caleb's arm.

"Wait!"

She tried to remain calm as she addressed the crowd. "Don't forget, there's another batch of porcelain being fired in the other kiln. Those are the backups made with the traditional process."

Caleb's eyes lit up.

"Yes! Elena's kiln! Quick, go open that one!"

"No!"

I shouted sternly. "That batch isn't ready to be opened yet!"

"Slap!"

A resounding slap landed on my face.

Caleb's distorted face was inches away from mine. "You bitch! Look at what time it is! Do you want to kill the whole village?"

The craftsmen's gazes pierced me like knives.

"Elena, you're too selfish!"

"If we can't deliver the goods, you're driving the whole village to their graves!"

"Exactly! You heartless old hag!"

Even the young apprentices started shouting.

Vivian suddenly began to sob. "It's all my fault... I'm just too useless."

She raised her tear-filled eyes.

"Elena, I know you hate me for taking your position, but this is not the time to be petty!"

"Caleb!"

I stared straight into his eyes. "Do you remember what your father said on his deathbed ten years ago? This kiln mustD"

"Shut up!"

Caleb interrupted me in a rage. "Stop using my father to pressure me! I'm the head of this family now!"

He waved his hand aggressively. "Tie her up! Open the kiln!"

Several villagers immediately pounced on me and grabbed my arms.

Being older now, I couldn't break free.

"You can't open it! The temperature isn't right, and it will ruin everything!"

But no one listened.

The rough hemp rope dug deep into my wrists.

I watched helplessly as they rushed toward the kiln I cherished the most.

This was the family heirloom my father-in-law had personally entrusted to me, carrying the blood and sweat of three generations.

Just as they were about to pull the door open.

I suddenly summoned all my strength and kicked a young man named Tom in the knee.

I broke free from their grip and rolled in front of the kiln door.

"Nobody touches this kiln!"

"Unless you step over my dead body!"

The crowd fell into a commotion.

Just then, a set of steady footsteps approached from a distance.

Dante Sterling, dressed in a sharp suit, walked over slowly with dozens of black-clad bodyguards behind him.

He scanned the messy scene, his gaze finally landing on the pile of charred porcelain.

A cold smirk appeared on his face.

"Mr. Sterling!"

The secretary stepped forward. "They've failed."

Dante nodded coldly, and over a thousand bodyguards immediately surrounded the site.

"According to Section 17, Clause 3 of the contract,"

A lawyer wearing gold-rimmed glasses stepped forward. "If the second party fails to deliver qualified exhibits on time, they must pay a penalty of 1.38 billion dollars and compensate for all of the first party's losses."

The scene erupted in chaos.

Some people collapsed to the ground in terror, while others began to curse under their breaths. "It's all because of Caleb and that bitch."

Caleb fell to his knees, his face ashen.

"Mr. Sterling!"

I suddenly raised my voice. "Please give me ten minutes."

4.

Caleb suddenly lunged forward. "Elena! What kind of trick are you trying to pull now?"

"You bitch! You've ruined us all!"

I had just managed to loosen the bloody rope on my wrists when Caleb kicked me hard in the ribs.

I crashed heavily onto the scorching ground near the kiln, and a searing pain shot through my back.

"Mr. Sterling! Let me explain!"

Caleb crawled to Dante Sterling's feet on his knees, pointing his finger at me.

"When everyone was busy saving the dragon kiln, she ran off somewhere else by herself. Everyone saw it!"

"Our ancestral kiln has never had a problem. She must have tampered with it!"

"It wasn't me! I was here!"

I struggled to crawl up, but Caleb grabbed my hair and slapped me so hard my ears rang.

"Still lying!"

His fists began to rain down on me.

Vivian came over with a fake look of concern to "stop" the fight.

"Stop it, Caleb. Elena was probably just confused for a moment."

"Move!"

Caleb shoved her hand away, the murderous look in his eyes intensifying. "If I don't teach this bitch a lesson today, she'll never learn!"

"Ah!"

Suddenly, a pot of boiling water was poured over my hands.

I let out a blood-curdling scream as my hands immediately turned red and blistered.

These were the hands that had raised his children, cooked his soup every night for decades, and cared for him whenever he was sick.

And now, Caleb had... destroyed my hands!

"Let's see you sabotage anything else now!"

Caleb cursed venomously.

The intense pain made my vision go dark, but the faces of my children and grandchildren living abroad flashed in my mind.

I couldn't die!

I would not repeat the tragedy of my last life!

I bit my tongue hard, using the pain to force myself to stay conscious.

Trembling as I propped myself up, I rasped out to Dante Sterling. "Mr. Sterling! I beg you, give me ten minutes!"

"Shut your mouth!"

Caleb went to strike me again.

"This is my kiln!"

I shouted with every ounce of strength I had left. "Vivian's new technology is a total scam! She doesn't even know how to throw clay on a wheel. How could she possibly invent new tech?"

Caleb immediately countered. "Mr. Sterling, Vivian is the most skilled artisan in our village! This woman is just jealous."

"Please, let me hand her over to you to vent your anger. Just give us one more chance!"

"Enough."

Dante Sterling said coldly. "I don't have time for your family drama!"

"You've already cost me billions."

"Prepare the lawsuit filings."

"Mr. Sterling!"

I lunged forward and grabbed his pant leg, my burned hands leaving bloodstains on his expensive trousers.

"The fact that they failed is their business! My work is about to come out of the kiln! I beg you!"

The pain made my whole body shake, but I gritted my teeth and refused to pass out.

"Please! Just ten minutes!"

The secretary's gaze flickered over my graying hair, and a hint of pity crossed her face.

"Mr. Sterling, the exhibition doesn't start for two hours. Ten minutes might be..."

Just then, the kiln alarm suddenly went off.

It was time!

Dante Sterling looked down at my bloodied, mangled hands and gestured to someone behind him.

An older man dressed like a master craftsman stepped out.

"Take her to open the kiln."

As I tried to stand, a booming voice came from the edge of the crowd. "Stop! Everyone move!"

My lawyer squeezed through the crowd, holding a tablet high in the air.

"I have evidence! The kiln was intentionally sabotaged!"

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