Chapter 2

I gritted my teeth before forcing a sweet smile on my face. I said, "I'm fine with sleeping in the living room. My parents' photos are placed in the living room, anyway, so I'll pretend they're keeping me company. But…"

I was hesitant to speak. Nancy frowned a little as she looked at me, prodding, "But what?"

I whispered, "Aunt Nancy, I read in a book that you're not supposed to use a dead person's belongings. It's really bad luck! Look, my mom's photo is looking right at you!"

I extended my hand and pointed at the photos of my parents placed next to the TV in the living room.

When Nancy heard that, she looked up to find that she was meeting the gaze of the person in the photo. Startled, she looked like she wasn't interested in the high-end skincare products anymore. She shoved them aside in disdain.

I subtly turned up the corners of my lips, deciding to add more fuel to the fire.

I went to the living room and retrieved the first aid kit stored there. Taking out a tube of ointment meant for skin abscesses, I graciously handed it to Nancy.

I said, "Here, Aunt Nancy. My mom always had skin infections when she was alive. I'm not sure if it can be transmitted via clothing, though. Anyway, this ointment is the one she always uses. It's pretty effective."

"Skin infections?" Nancy frowned deeply as she leaped off the bed in panic, exclaiming, "You brat! Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

With that, she hurriedly grabbed her clothes and ran into the bathroom connected to the master bedroom.

I exited the master bedroom and proceeded to sit on the couch. I stared at my mom's photo.

I said in my mind, "Mom, I'm sorry for lying that you had skin infections. I should've been more respectful of you. Still, I was doing it to protect your belongings. I had no choice.

"Dad, Mom, please protect me as you watch over me from above. I have to protect everything our family has and teach these evil people a lesson for trying to hurt us."

Just then, Amy tossed my school bag and books out of my room, treating them like trash. My stuff crashed heavily onto the floor. "Julia, this room is mine now, so take your garbage with you."

The pink princess-like dress she was wearing was a dress my mom had bought for me. It was an expensive branded item.

As expected, the apple didn't fall far from the tree. Both Amy and her mother had a weird tendency to wear other people's clothes.

"Well, Amy, since all my stuff is garbage to you and you hate me so much, why don't you take off that dress and give it back to me?" I retorted nonchalantly.

Amy instantly had a foul look on her face as she said, "Did you think I'd care? From today onward, you're nothing but my maid, so your things naturally belong to me, too."

"I'm your maid, you say? Who made that decision, you or Uncle Charles? Why don't we go ask him about it?" I retorted. Then, I took her hand and pretended that I was going out to look for Charles.

Amy's expression froze as she silently retracted her hand.

She turned around to go back to her room, but then, she happened to catch sight of my parents' photos in the living room. Stopping in her steps, she said mockingly, "Do you suppose you're the sort of person who brings bad luck, Julia? Were you the reason your parents died when you were only 14?"

My gaze instantly turned cold. I didn't mind them mistreating or bullying me, but I couldn't tolerate them talking bad about my parents, especially when they were taking over my house like robbers!

Just then, I heard the sound of the key turning in the door lock. Calming down, I put on a look of indignation as I said, "That's not impossible. If you're worried that I might bring death and bad luck to you too, I can get Uncle Charles to revoke his guardianship rights."

Charles had just entered the house when he heard me talking about getting his guardianship rights revoked. His expression shifted in anxiety. "Julia, don't listen to Amy. We don't think that at all."

They hadn't gotten their hands on my family's house and the password for the bank cards. Of course, they wouldn't want to have the guardianship rights revoked right now.

Getting the guardianship rights revoked was a clean hit to Charles' critical weakness.