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Chapter 2

Author: The Sign
I watched them with cold indifference and remembered how the girl had been renamed "Jessica McKinley" in my previous life. She had won the trust of both the Montgomery and McKinley families with her innocent facade.

However, for some unknown reason, she always looked victimized whenever I spoke to her. This would inevitably lead to lectures from all the adults.

When I chose to ignore her and avoid interaction, she would cry in front of the elders and say, "Does Nana hate me? Why does she always ignore me when I try to talk to her? Did I do something wrong?"

She played the part of the pitiful victim perfectly. Thanks to her, my previously ordinary but fulfilling teenage years had vanished. They were replaced by years of "colorful" experiences.

While they were distracted, I quickly sent messages to everyone in my family. I noticed Jessica's gaze lingering on me, and I caught a flash of jealousy in her eyes.

"Nana, I didn't mean to be here. I just woke up here... I don't know how..." As she spoke, she began to cry again.

I cut her off impatiently. "We're not much older than you. You should ask an adult for help instead of us. Besides, I'm an only child, so don't bother using that trick on me. I won't want another sibling."

"Nathan, make your own decision. I don't have time to waste," I stated firmly.

Nathan hesitated before saying, "Let's take her home. My family will adopt her."

Since the driver picking us up was from my family, he needed my permission to bring her along. I agreed readily, "Sure!"

As Nathan was about to help Jessica into the car, I pulled out my phone and suggested, "Let's call the police."

The girl suddenly rushed over and grabbed my phone. She noticed Nathan's puzzled expression and quickly explained, "I-I'm just scared that... What if my family abandoned me?"

I gave her a knowing smirk as I had the driver retrieve my phone from her.

"Luna, maybe we should…" Nathan seemed hesitant. His words trailed off.

Feigning confusion, I asked, "What's wrong? Isn't this how we should handle such situations? You'll need to follow proper procedures for adoption."

I continued, "Do you know how many girls and children are harmed each year? If you just take her home like this, what about her family? What if they're looking for her?"

Nathan wavered as he was aware of the recent child disappearances in the area. Finally, he agreed and said through gritted teeth, "Fine. Let's go!"

I had already messaged the McKinley family elders, and they arrived shortly after we did. Nathan's mother, Courtney Stamos, asked worriedly, "What happened? What's going on? Weren't you just heading home from school?"

Her gaze eventually settled on Jessica, and she blurted out, "Who is this?"

We had just finished filing a report. During the entire process, Jessica claimed to know nothing and provided zero leads.

Nathan quickly explained the situation and declared, "Mom, let's take Jessie in until we find her family."

Nathan even suggested to the police that she stay with them temporarily until they had leads. The police needed time to investigate, so Jessica once again became a "temporary resident" of the McKinley family.

I stayed out of their discussions completely. From what I knew, they had not found any leads about her family even by the time I got married in my previous life. My parents had also helped with the search, but the investigation mysteriously fizzled out.

This time around, she still became Jessica McKinley. To help her adjust, Nathan threw a welcome party. He invited our entire class and their close family friends.

Our relationship was not as strained yet at this point. Nathan invited me three times, and each time I turned him down, saying I was busy preparing for competitions.

On the last day, as I was leaving, he complained, "Nana, Jessie is so sweet, but why is Joe always so rude? He throws a tantrum at home every day, and Jessie is too scared to leave her room."

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    My hand froze for a moment as I worked on my materials. I suddenly remembered Joseph McKinley. He was just 13 years old and had always been close to me.As a premature baby, Joseph had been coddled endlessly by the McKinley family elders, which turned him into an arrogant, unruly troublemaker. Yet, his cleverness and mischief only made the elders dote on him even more.It was only natural for Joseph to act out when a mysterious sister suddenly appeared in their home, especially given Jessica's questionable intentions.Joseph had always been on my side in my previous life, eventually straining his relationships with the McKinley family elders because of Jessica. Since I had already finished preparing for my competition, I figured it would not hurt to check out the party.The party was quite an event. It was filled with classmates, celebrities, and unfamiliar faces from outside our social circle. Unsurprisingly, most were there for the drama.The Montgomery and McKinley families had

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    Due to the long-standing relationship between our families, the McKinley family had long ago prepared a private lounge just for me.I felt drowsy after staying up late the previous night and decided I would head home soon, especially since seeing Joseph hold his ground today put me at ease. After some time, footsteps echoed from outside the door. Someone knocked and called out, "Nana, are you in there?" Without waiting for a response, they opened the door, feigning surprise at seeing me."I'm so sorry, Nana. I thought no one was here. Nathan saw I was tired and told me to rest, but I didn't know you were here," Jessica explained. She was already slipping into her pitiful act. Her eyes shimmered as if she was about to cry.I scoffed. "Don't call me Nana. Did you miss the nameplate on the door? And what's with the whining?" Jessica bit her lip and glanced at me timidly. "Ms. Montgomery, why do you hate me? I just... Nathan said I could go into any room in the house. I only cam

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    I looked at them with an innocent expression and shrugged. Nathan let out a relieved sigh and said, "See, Jessie? This must be a misunderstanding. Nana isn't the type to bully others."Jessica's face turned sour with anger. A cold glint flashed across her eyes for just a moment. She could not understand why Nathan was still taking my side after what had happened. Nathan scooped her up into his arms and said, "Come on, Jessie. I'll take you to the hospital."After that, I turned and left. This party was a disaster, and she only had herself to blame for ruining it.Jessica was too impatient. In the future, there might come a time when Nathan doubted me, but for now? There was no way a girl he had known for a few days could shake the bond we had shared since birth....On my way home after the competition, my mind wandered. By this time in my previous life, Jessica had already been enrolled in school. But now, she had yet to be officially adopted and did not meet the international

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    I didn't rush to leave. Instead, I thoughtfully sent the video to the police. Though it only showed their profiles, it provided enough evidence to work with. Hence, I waited patiently for a few minutes before heading home. I knew this drama would soon come to an end....Later that evening, both families gathered for dinner. Jessica must have layered on a ridiculous amount of makeup because there was not a trace of the redness from earlier. Even though the room was warm, she insisted on wearing long sleeves. She was clearly trying to hide the marks.I had to admire her effort—running between two fronts like that could not have been easy."Nana, I heard your competition just wrapped up! Another first-place finish, I bet?" Courtney exclaimed with playful envy.She added, "The Montgomery family is so lucky! Why couldn't I have had a daughter like you instead of two rowdy boys?"Mom replied, "Don't say that! You've got Jessie now, and she's such a sweet girl. Nana's so independent th

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    They quickly pulled apart, both looking embarrassed. I pressed on, "So, what's this? Why are you two being so close, but Joe and I can't hang out without it being a problem?"Who are these 'others' you're talking about? Who's going to gossip?" Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act. "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively and showed her no courtesy. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both just scheming together!"Feeling cornered, Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act and mumbled, "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both shameless, plain and simple!"Jessica's eyes welled up with tears. "Joe, why have you become like Nana? Why are you alw

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    Both of Nathan's parents were home, which was rare, and it struck me as odd. I glanced around and asked, "Mrs. McKinley, where's Joe?"I had told him earlier that I would come to see him, so he should not be gone.Courtney, who had been on the phone, looked unusually anxious. "Nana, I can't get in touch with him. After his class today, he said a friend invited him to play basketball just outside the neighborhood. "Since it was nearby, he didn't bring the driver. But now it's dark, and he hasn't come back. Where could he be?"I tried to suppress the growing dread in my chest. Outside the neighborhood?Without thinking, I turned sharply and grabbed Jessica by the throat. My gaze was cold and piercing like ice. I asked, "Where's Joe?"Everyone froze in shock at my sudden move. Courtney stared at me in disbelief and exclaimed, "Nana, what are you doing? What's the meaning of this?" I did not respond, but I caught the flash of satisfaction in Jessica's eyes. Meanwhile, Nathan's exp

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    I turned to Courtney and said, "That's right, we should ask Jessie. After joining the McKinley family, she discovered Joe wasn't as easily manipulated as Nathan, so she messaged her parents about eliminating him.""That's impossible!" Jessie screamed hysterically. "You're making this up because you're jealous of my relationship with Nathan!" She could not bear the thought of returning to her old life of constant moving and abuse."What would I be jealous of? Of you faking smiles every day? Or your constant lies?" I sneered. "Jessie, you're truly pathetic."Just then, my phone vibrated. I answered it and heard Joe's cheerful voice. "Nana, are you at my house? Are my parents there? Can you tell them I'll be home soon?"Courtney nodded repeatedly. Her voice was trembling with relief. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy that you're coming home!"Looking at the still-defiant Jessie, I stated coldly, "Jessie, Joe is perfectly safe, and your biological parents have been arrested. Stop trying

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    I turned to Courtney and said, "That's right, we should ask Jessie. After joining the McKinley family, she discovered Joe wasn't as easily manipulated as Nathan, so she messaged her parents about eliminating him.""That's impossible!" Jessie screamed hysterically. "You're making this up because you're jealous of my relationship with Nathan!" She could not bear the thought of returning to her old life of constant moving and abuse."What would I be jealous of? Of you faking smiles every day? Or your constant lies?" I sneered. "Jessie, you're truly pathetic."Just then, my phone vibrated. I answered it and heard Joe's cheerful voice. "Nana, are you at my house? Are my parents there? Can you tell them I'll be home soon?"Courtney nodded repeatedly. Her voice was trembling with relief. "Thank goodness! I'm so happy that you're coming home!"Looking at the still-defiant Jessie, I stated coldly, "Jessie, Joe is perfectly safe, and your biological parents have been arrested. Stop trying

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    They quickly pulled apart, both looking embarrassed. I pressed on, "So, what's this? Why are you two being so close, but Joe and I can't hang out without it being a problem?"Who are these 'others' you're talking about? Who's going to gossip?" Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act. "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively and showed her no courtesy. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both just scheming together!"Feeling cornered, Jessica struggled to respond. She put on her pitiful act and mumbled, "I'm just not used to things here, and I instinctively rely on Nathan. Please don't misunderstand, Nana."Joseph snorted dismissively. "Misunderstand what? What's there to misunderstand between you two? You're both shameless, plain and simple!"Jessica's eyes welled up with tears. "Joe, why have you become like Nana? Why are you alw

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    I didn't rush to leave. Instead, I thoughtfully sent the video to the police. Though it only showed their profiles, it provided enough evidence to work with. Hence, I waited patiently for a few minutes before heading home. I knew this drama would soon come to an end....Later that evening, both families gathered for dinner. Jessica must have layered on a ridiculous amount of makeup because there was not a trace of the redness from earlier. Even though the room was warm, she insisted on wearing long sleeves. She was clearly trying to hide the marks.I had to admire her effort—running between two fronts like that could not have been easy."Nana, I heard your competition just wrapped up! Another first-place finish, I bet?" Courtney exclaimed with playful envy.She added, "The Montgomery family is so lucky! Why couldn't I have had a daughter like you instead of two rowdy boys?"Mom replied, "Don't say that! You've got Jessie now, and she's such a sweet girl. Nana's so independent th

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    I looked at them with an innocent expression and shrugged. Nathan let out a relieved sigh and said, "See, Jessie? This must be a misunderstanding. Nana isn't the type to bully others."Jessica's face turned sour with anger. A cold glint flashed across her eyes for just a moment. She could not understand why Nathan was still taking my side after what had happened. Nathan scooped her up into his arms and said, "Come on, Jessie. I'll take you to the hospital."After that, I turned and left. This party was a disaster, and she only had herself to blame for ruining it.Jessica was too impatient. In the future, there might come a time when Nathan doubted me, but for now? There was no way a girl he had known for a few days could shake the bond we had shared since birth....On my way home after the competition, my mind wandered. By this time in my previous life, Jessica had already been enrolled in school. But now, she had yet to be officially adopted and did not meet the international

  • A Literal Pitiful Act   Chapter 4

    Due to the long-standing relationship between our families, the McKinley family had long ago prepared a private lounge just for me.I felt drowsy after staying up late the previous night and decided I would head home soon, especially since seeing Joseph hold his ground today put me at ease. After some time, footsteps echoed from outside the door. Someone knocked and called out, "Nana, are you in there?" Without waiting for a response, they opened the door, feigning surprise at seeing me."I'm so sorry, Nana. I thought no one was here. Nathan saw I was tired and told me to rest, but I didn't know you were here," Jessica explained. She was already slipping into her pitiful act. Her eyes shimmered as if she was about to cry.I scoffed. "Don't call me Nana. Did you miss the nameplate on the door? And what's with the whining?" Jessica bit her lip and glanced at me timidly. "Ms. Montgomery, why do you hate me? I just... Nathan said I could go into any room in the house. I only cam

  • A Literal Pitiful Act   Chapter 3

    My hand froze for a moment as I worked on my materials. I suddenly remembered Joseph McKinley. He was just 13 years old and had always been close to me.As a premature baby, Joseph had been coddled endlessly by the McKinley family elders, which turned him into an arrogant, unruly troublemaker. Yet, his cleverness and mischief only made the elders dote on him even more.It was only natural for Joseph to act out when a mysterious sister suddenly appeared in their home, especially given Jessica's questionable intentions.Joseph had always been on my side in my previous life, eventually straining his relationships with the McKinley family elders because of Jessica. Since I had already finished preparing for my competition, I figured it would not hurt to check out the party.The party was quite an event. It was filled with classmates, celebrities, and unfamiliar faces from outside our social circle. Unsurprisingly, most were there for the drama.The Montgomery and McKinley families had

  • A Literal Pitiful Act   Chapter 2

    I watched them with cold indifference and remembered how the girl had been renamed "Jessica McKinley" in my previous life. She had won the trust of both the Montgomery and McKinley families with her innocent facade.However, for some unknown reason, she always looked victimized whenever I spoke to her. This would inevitably lead to lectures from all the adults. When I chose to ignore her and avoid interaction, she would cry in front of the elders and say, "Does Nana hate me? Why does she always ignore me when I try to talk to her? Did I do something wrong?"She played the part of the pitiful victim perfectly. Thanks to her, my previously ordinary but fulfilling teenage years had vanished. They were replaced by years of "colorful" experiences. While they were distracted, I quickly sent messages to everyone in my family. I noticed Jessica's gaze lingering on me, and I caught a flash of jealousy in her eyes. "Nana, I didn't mean to be here. I just woke up here... I don't know how.

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