Rebirth

Scarlett inhaled sharply followed by a violent coughing fit. She felt so cold.

'Is it winter in hell?' She thought.

Scarlett's eyes shot open to the sight of a muddy puddle. She could feel cold air pass through her nostrils, causing her chest to rise and fall.

She squirmed from the rough, uncomfortable surface she was lying on and realized she had feeling in all of her body.

Although her vision was blurred by the incessant drops of water in her face, she caught sight of her hands and wriggled her fingers.

She was alive. How was that possible? Didn't she just die after being hit by a car?

Slowly, Scarlett stood up from the muddy ground. It was pouring heavily, a cold gust of wind hit her body causing her to shiver uncontrollably.

"Where am I?" She thought aloud and immediately saw the Welsh's Residence.

In an instant, bad memories came flooding back.

This situation was from five years ago. She had offended her ex-fiance, James Welsh, and was made by her parents to kneel outside his house and beg till he forgave her otherwise they would stop funding Cherry's school fees and other important expenses.

Scarlett gritted her teeth at the memory. Her parents sent her out to kneel for hours late in the night, not caring that it was pouring heavily.

She remembered she had passed out multiple times in the bad weather and James hadn't even acknowledged her presence nor forgiven her, she eventually slept in the dirt.

By the time she had gone home the next day, she had huge blisters on her knees and came down with a terrible cold. Even after seeing her in such a pitiful state, Scarlett's father and stepmother still hounded her for not being able to get James' forgiveness.

Scarlett clenched her fists. Now that she is back to five years ago she would never fall for their schemes. She would make to pay them back for everything she's suffered in her past life.

Her jade necklace glowed subtly.

Scarlett's head pounded as vast modern medical knowledge poured into her brain in great detail. She could understand them as though she's practiced medicine for thousands of years.

At the end of it, she saw a faint vision of her mother and tried reaching out to her but she disappeared.

She touched the necklace her mother had pressed into her hands on her deathbed, making her promise to never take off.

She didn't understand what was happening but she knew it was her late mom's blessing to her. This new warmth strengthened her resolve.

Under the rain, Scarlett made her way home. On the way, she bought some cold medicine just in case.

In the living room of the Watson's private Villa, Natasha spoke innocently, as she enjoyed a cup of hot chocolate, "Dad, maybe we should call Scarlett back, it must be freezing out there."

"She is still young and naive, I'm sure she had been very stressed when she insulted him. I'm sure James won't really cancel our engagement, he's just bluffing." She pretended to be concerned but deliberately reminded Edward of Scarlett's offense. 

Beatrice scoffed, "Tch, Scarlett is barely a few months younger than you, and already has a bastard child of a gigolo, how is she young and naive? Natasha, you are too kind."

With the two women fanning the flames, Edward naturally only got angrier, "That Vixen, not only insulted James by calling him a dirty cheat and refusing to give her blessings on your engagement party, she had insulted you too. Yet you speak up for her? If only she is half as sensible as you, she wouldn't be in this situation!"

"But dad, the party must have been triggering for Scarlett. You know she was once engaged to James, and although she denies it I'm sure she still loves him. It must have been too hurtful to see him engaged with another woman."

"It's only a small matter, how can Scarlett hold it against both of you for so long? Her heart is too vicious. You made a small mistake as it's impossible to stop true love but she used it as an excuse to shame this family by rendezvousing with a gigolo for nine months and popping out a baby! What a slut!" Beatrice spat ruthlessly.

Edward frowned even deeper.

"But-"

"Stop speaking up for her! Natasha, you might be soft-hearted but I'm not, Scarlett isn't coming back here until she receives James's forgiveness!" He huffed with furrowed eyebrows.

Natasha's future marriage into the Welsh's household was extremely important to him. Being in-laws with a wealthy family like the Welshes would drastically improve his reputation in the business world.

Who cares if James was involved with Scarlett first? As long as he was getting married to one of his daughters, it was a win. He won't let that immature brat ruin this for him.

Relaxing her back on the couch, no one noticed Natasha's smile while she sipped from her mug. Scarlett was really in for it this time.

What a dumb bitch!

She only needed to flaunt her engagement ring in front of Scarlett a few times before she snapped and threw a tantrum in front of everyone at the engagement party.

Her brash behavior in front of so many important business guests greatly embarrassed Edward so he had Scarlett locked up in her room for the rest of the day as punishment.

After the party, Edward ordered Scarlett to the Welsh's Residence to beg for forgiveness because of the way James started giving him the cold shoulder after her outburst. She's been out for three hours now.

Scarlett's sharp voice startled the room's occupants, "I'm so grateful you are worried about me Natasha. I'm back now." Her words dripped with sarcasm.

Natasha almost spilled the piping hot drink on her body.

She stared at Scarlett's dripping wet body, "Why are you here?" She blurted without thinking.

"What do you mean Natasha? You don't want me here?" Scarlett smirked.

"No… I.." Before Natasha could think of a proper reply Beatrice cut in sharply.

"My daughter," She feigned motherliness, "You just came back and you are already picking on your sister. Have you no shame? To think she has been pleading for your sake all these while just to get this in return, tsk!"

"Who is your daughter and who is her sister? I don't have a mother or sister like you both!" Setting eyes on these two devils in human skin once again made her very mad but she restrained herself.

With good planning, one day, she would take her pound of flesh!

"Edward, did you hear your daughter's words? I told you she would never completely accept me. I've tried so hard… oh…" Beatrice pretends to be hurt.

"Scarlett, you problem child, apologize to your mother right now!" Edward commanded.

Scarlett looked laid-back, "I only have one mother and she is dead!"

"Mom, Dad, Scarlett, please stop fighting." Natasha's soft voice arose in the commotion.

"Scarlett, you must be cold and exhausted, after attempting dad's demands. How about you rest up and let a maid prepare some tea to save up some energy so you can try again tomorrow." She intoned with concern, dragging the focus to Scarlett's offense again.

"I saved you a lot of cake from the party. It's your favorite flavor, Banana. Let me get it for you." Natasha said with a sweet smile.

The word 'attempting'' stuck with Edwards, "Scarlett, did James accept your apology?"

"Yes, he has forgiven me." Scarlett replied in a heartbeat.

Edward sighed with relief however Natasha wasn't convinced. It was impossible that James let her off the hook so easily. He always strove for a chance to humiliate Scarlett.

"Scarlett, you don't have to lie. If you couldn't do it, I'm sure dad will pardon you."

Edward's brows furrowed. He couldn't trust Scarlett's words too easily, this deceitful woman could be lying through her teeth.

"Are you calling me a liar? Were you there to see when it happened to know if I was forgiven or not?"

"Don't misunderstand me." Natasha glanced at Edward with a pitiful expression, "It's just that if this issue isn't settled properly it might stifle our relationship with the Welshes."

"Scarlett, if you are lying you better confess right now and go back. There is a limit to my patience. I have no time to play games with you."

Scarlett gritted her teeth in anger and frustration. This man dissects and tests her words, never believing them, but supports Natasha's simplest speculations instantly.

Now she completely believes Beatrice's confession. There was no way Edward regarded her as his daughter. As a man she's known all her life as her dad, it hurt deeply to find out the truth.

Beatrice's nagging voice came next, "Why are some of your hair white, Scarlett? Don't tell me you've been sitting in a salon all this while and not really at the Welsh's mansion."

Scarlett knew nothing about any white hair; she held a few strands and most of them were indeed pure white. She had never dyed her red hair before. Scarlett was convinced this was the jade's doing.

"Scarlett, you always go to the salon with me, why did you do it secretly this time? Don't you like my company anymore?" Natasha looked wronged.

An ample chance to destroy her hair some more, gone to waste!

"Scarlett, you despicable woman, do you take this as a joke? Get out of my house right now and don't come back till James accepts your apology! " Edward fumed.

"Dad, wait. It's a misunderstanding! I was never at a salon. I passed by a construction site while coming back and got mixed with some white paint. You can touch my hair to confirm." Scarlett blurted out the first things she could think of.

No one dared to verify as they didn't touch her dirty hair, afraid to get germs on themselves.

Luckily the mud Scarlett woke up on covered most of her hair and its whiteness was hardly visible, so her story seemed very plausible.

"That still doesn't prove anything. You might have been somewhere else whiling away time before coming back home." Beatrice refused to back down.

This witch! Scarlett cursed in her mind.

"Don't worry everyone, please stop arguing," Natasha said softly.

"I think I have a solution that would quell any doubts. I'm going to call and ask James, right now." 

'Hmph! Scarlett, don't think you can escape today!' She hissed within.

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