In a desolate small town in Cambodia.
In a dimly lit dungeon, Olivia Pendleton was bound to a chair with chains, her body covered with countless whip and knife wounds. Isabella Whitmore had used every torture she could think of on her, watching her suffer, yet not allowing her to die.
Now, Isabella looked down and sneered, “The famous Olivia Pendleton, ace assassin, has come to this, hasn’tshe?”
She picked up a dagger from the table and severed the tendons in Olivia’s right hand.
"Ouch!” Olivia screamed, gasping for breath, stammering, “Why? Why... are you doing this?”
“Because you’re nothing but a lowly servant, a mere tool of the Abyss Group. Dominic Ashcroft is mine! This is what you get for seducing my man!”
Isabella viciously stabbed the dagger into Olivia’s thigh, twisting it. Olivia’s leg instantly became a bloody mess.
“I’ll tell you, Dominic and I will be engaged soon, and your influence in the Abyss will be uprooted by me. You, a nameless orphan picked up from nowhere, will be forgotten!” Isabella spat.
“That won’t happen, Dominic won’t allow it!” Olivia shook her head.
Isabella’s henchmen threw a teenage boy into the dungeon. It was Little Mike, Olivia’s younger brother, whom she had raised. Isabella shot him in the leg, and Olivia screamed, “No! No! Leave him alone!”
“Kneel! Kneel and beg me!” Isabella commanded.
Olivia fell to her knees with a thud, heavily kowtowing, “Miss Whitmore, I’m sorry! I was delusional. I’m not worthy of Mr. Ashcroft! Please spare my brother!”
Isabella laughed heartily, and then—
“Bang—" A gunshot pierced Little Mike’s head.
“No! Isabella Whitmore! I’ll kill you! I’ll kill you!” Olivia cried in despair.
“Heh, kill me?” Isabella scoffed.
“Bang!” Another shot, hitting Olivia’s chest.
Olivia fell helplessly, hearing Isabella’s distant voice, “Want revenge? Maybe in your next life! Slash her face and throw her into the jungle to feed the wolves!”
She felt the cold blade across her face, then was tossed into the forest like trash. In Cambodia’s complex terrain, no one would come to save her.
In this life, she deserved to die miserably for trusting a man. But if there was a next life, she would find Isabella Whitmore and grind her to dust!
“Hisss—" Her head ached so much. Olivia sat up, holding her head, finding herself in what looked like a hospital room. Struggling to sit up, she felt as if she weighed a ton. Finally, she made it to the bathroom and screamed at the sight of the woman in the mirror.
"Ah———" The face in the mirror was still hers, but what was with this swollen, swine-like face? She pinched the flesh on her stomach; she must weigh at least 150 pounds.
She found the medical record by the bedside, clearly reading: Aurora Pendleton, 18 years old, female, concussion.
Damn! Who was Aurora Pendleton??
Memories belonging to Aurora Pendleton flooded her mind. The least favored daughter of the Pendleton family, weak and sickly since childhood, poor grades, neglected by her father Sebastian Pendleton, stepmother Madeline, brother Maxwell, and sisters Evelyn and Sophia. In short, unloved by her father, uncherished by her mother, despised by her grandfather, and self-abandoned, weak, and incompetent.
Olivia sighed deeply. Being reborn into such a body was indeed frustrating. The Olivia Pendleton of her previous life was proud and stunning, an ace assassin with an impeccable body and explosive figure.
Even that version of herself was killed miserably in Cambodia by Isabella. Now, as this chubby high school student, how could she compete with Isabella?
Olivia found a phone and searched online for the Abyss Group. The news of Dominic Ashcroft and Isabella Whitmore’s engagement was the headline. Isabella stood shyly beside Dominic, who smiled and said, “I will naturally protect the one I love...” The media praised them as a match made in heaven.
Ha! A match made in heaven!
Dominic had promised her that the mission in Cambodia would be her last, and he would remove her from the Abyss assassins and stay with her forever.
But what happened?
Her movements in Cambodia were known to Isabella, who tortured her to death, while Dominic turned around and got engaged to Isabella.
Olivia clenched her fists. Dominic Ashcroft! Isabella Whitmore! Since I’m reborn, I will come for you!
Killing my brother! Severing my tendons! Ruining my face!
One by one, I will repay you as Aurora Pendleton!
Starting now, I will make Aurora Pendleton rise from the Pendleton family!
---
During Aurora’s hospital stay, no one came to visit her, and she was happy to have some peace. She asked the doctor for a full-body checkup.
In her memories, Aurora was always taking handfuls of pills, feeling groggy all day, her body weak and flabby. She wanted to change and needed to know what was wrong with her body.
The results of the examination showed that Aurora was very healthy. Apart from a concussion from accidentally rolling down the stairs, there was nothing wrong with her body.
What were all those random pills she had been taking before?
When Aurora was discharged, only a driver from the Pendleton family came to pick her up. She was panting and sweating just from walking down the stairs. As someone who once had abs, she was not used to having so much fat on her body. Even the driver looked at her disdainfully.
Arriving at the Pendleton villa, Aurora walked in to find her stepmother, Madeline, sipping tea in the living room. Sophia, the fourth daughter of the Pendleton family, was flipping through a magazine. Seeing Aurora return, all sweaty and disheveled, she frowned and said disdainfully, “You fat slob, disgusting.”
Aurora ignored her and headed upstairs.
“Stop!” Sophia yelled. ”You slob, have you no manners? Don’t you know to greet your mother when you come home?”
“Mother? Whose mother?” Aurora replied.
“Of course, my mother. Your mother is long dead, you unwanted slob! A lowly wretch born of a mother but not raised by one!” Sophia taunted.
Unwanted, lowly wretch—Isabella had said those words to her too. She never knew who her parents were or why she grew up in the Abyss Group. She couldn’t deal with Isabella now, but was she supposed to let this little brat, Sophia, bully her too?
“Slap!” Aurora slapped her, her own palm jiggling from the force. Aurora sighed inwardly; she really needed to lose weight.
“You dare hit me? You think you can hit me?” Sophia said incredulously, covering her face. The old Aurora was bullied by everyone. Sophia had beaten her up many times, and she never even dared to cry out loud. How did she dare to hit her today?
“Why wouldn’t I dare to hit you? By age, I’m your older sister. By birth, I’m a legitimate daughter of the Pendleton family. You, if not for your mother’s affair, would be nothing but an illegitimate child. What right do you have to be arrogant in the Pendleton house?” Aurora said, word by word.
Sophia was stunned. Aurora had always been dazed, like an autistic person. When had she ever dared to stand tall and speak such a long speech?
Sophia immediately ran crying to Madeline’s arms, sobbing, “Mom, look at Aurora, she dared to hit me...”
Madeline looked at her youngest daughter’s face, a bright red hand print on it, and stood up, saying, ”Aurora, you were wrong to do this. How could you hit your sister like that?”
“Sister? My mother only gave birth to me. I never knew I had a sister,” Aurora said.
"Aurora, don’t go too far. You have no right to speak in this house! If this gets to your grandfather, it won’t look good for anyone!” Madeline Pendleton said angrily.
“Fine, you want to take this to Grandpa, I’m with you all the way. Let’s see what Dad thinks when he comes back and finds out you’re making a big fuss over a small matter between siblings,” Aurora said.
Madeline hesitated. The old Pendleton had always been dissatisfied with her, the mistress who had taken the place of his daughter-in-law, and Sebastian had repeatedly warned her not to bother the old man. After all, the power of the Pendleton Group was still in the old Pendleton’s hands.
Seeing Madeline silent, Aurorasaid, “Since you don’t plan to disturb Grandpa for now, I’ll go back to my room.”
Without waiting for Madeline’s reply, she went upstairs, completely unlike her previous obedient self.
Sophia was still crying. She had been the apple of her parents’ eye since childhood and had never suffered any grievances. Aurora dared to slap her? She would never let Aurora off!
Madeline, feeling sorry for her daughter, could only say, “Wait for your father to come back, and let him deal with her!”
Sophia finally relented.
Aurora returned to her room, gathered all the random pills, and put them in a bag, planning to have them tested at the hospital later. Right now, losing weight was the top priority! Aurora was 5 feet 8 inches tall, similar to her height as Olivia Pendleton, but while Olivia weighed only around 90 pounds, this body weighed 150 pounds. With this weight, let alone training, even daily travel was inconvenient. Aurora took out her notebook and quickly devised a weight loss plan for herself, including daily diet and exercise. This was the winter vacation of her senior year, and she had two months off. She had to lose weight as quickly as possible so she could enter high society and gradually get closer to Isabella Whitmore. At dinner, Aurora ate only an apple and then went out for a run. After running a kilometer, she was already panting. She couldn’t believe it; she used to be able to run ten kilometers with weights! When she returned home that night, Sebastian Pendleton was waiting in
Unbeknownst to them, half a month had passed, and the old man's birthday was fast approaching. Aurora had managed to reduce her weight to 120 pounds. Although still slightly chubby, she looked quite slender and shapely, especially with the added muscle from her recent exercise.Aurora walked to the ancestral home behind the villa, where generations of Pendletons had lived. The old man resided in the ancestral home, while the newer villa in front was occupied only by Sebastian's family.The old man was astonished by Aurora's transformation. She had been so plump before that it was almost unseemly, but in just over twenty days, she had slimmed down so much.Not only had her figure improved, but her eyes were no longer weak as before. The lively and spirited young girl before him was really his granddaughter?Aurora approached with a beaming smile, asking, "What do you think, Grandpa? Can I attend your birthday feast?"The old man had almost forgotten the joy he felt when Aurora was born.
"Yes, I'm the least favored third daughter, so I ended up locked in my room. What about you? Why are you out here alone?" Aurora said, rummaging through the bushes."The banquet was a snooze-fest, so I came out for some fresh air," Heath replied."I find it boring too, but if I don't go, Grandpa will never let me attend any other events," Aurora said, her voice tinged with helplessness."Why won't he let you attend?" Heath asked, feeling a bit nosy. He usually wasn't this chatty, but today, he found this girl far more interesting than anyone else at the banquet."You saw it, right? My figure isn't great, I'm too chubby, and not well-liked. I'd bring shame to the Pendleton family," Aurora explained."Chubby? I think you're just right," Heath said, recalling the soft feeling of the girl in his arms, like a small animal."I'll tell you, they all look down on me, but once I lose weight, you'll see that I'm actually quite good-looking!" Aurora declared confidently."Oh? So confident?" Heath
Aurora was momentarily stunned, not quite understanding the sudden toast.Evelyn's eyes widened as she watched, entranced by the elegant man's charming gesture. Unfortunately, the one sitting beside him was that silly girl, Aurora!Grandpa laughed and said, "Silly girl! What are you staring at? Heath is greeting you!"Aurora hurriedly picked up the glass of juice from the table, saying, "I'm not feeling well, Mr. Fairbank. You don't mind if I drink juice instead, do you?"She wasn't feeling unwell; she was just on a diet, refusing to drink alcohol. Ideally, she wouldn't even drink juice, just plain water.Evelyn watched her with a cold sneer. Doesn’t she know who Heath Fairbank is? Aurora was trying to fob him off with juice!Even Grandpa seemed a bit nervous. Heath Fairbank, the heir of the Fairbank family, was known for his unpredictable temperament. If he were to become angry over a glass of juice, it would be a difficult situation to handle.Under everyone's watchful eyes, Heath ra
After the dinner, while the two were eating, Heath's phone rang. He apologized and picked it up. Aurora faintly heard something about the Whitmore family from the phone.She immediately listened carefully. Heath seemed not to care if she heard anything and said to the other end of the phone, "Have our people pull back; I'm going back now."Heath hung up, and Aurora tentatively asked, "Are you collaborating with the Whitmore family?"Heath glanced at her and nodded. Aurora asked again, "The Whitmore family from the United States?"Heath laughed, "Little girl, you know about the American Whitmore family?""I'm an adult now, about to go to college, not little anymore," Aurora retorted."Then wait until you're in college to worry about these things. I have something to do, so I have to go back to the company. I'll treat you to hot pot another day," Heath said, standing up to leave.Aurora panicked. This was her first chance to get close to information about the Whitmore family since her re
Thirty million was nothing more than a drop in the bucket to Heath."Container 226 at Dock One on the East Coast of M City, USA," Aurora replied."Thanks!" Heath responded.Though it was a clear-cut deal involving money and goods, Heath's simple "thanks" suddenly reminded Aurora of the time she fell from the second-floor window, only to be caught firmly by Heath.So, almost as if possessed, she asked, "Will you be leading the operation yourself?""Perhaps." Heath's reply was brief."There are nine of them. Three snipers on the perimeter, four disguised as dock workers patrolling, and two guarding the container outside," Aurora replied.She knew all of the Abyss's operational patterns. It was a ten-man team, and with Jasper gone, only nine remained. She knew the Abyss's combat strength and, subconsciously, didn't want Heath to get hurt.Heath looked at the information on the screen, deep in thought. This didn't seem like a killer who sold information but more like a sentimental woman."
When the knocking sound came from outside the bathroom, Aurora snapped back to reality and asked, "What's going on?""Miss Aurora, I've left some fresh clothes for you at the door. Mr. Fairbank said you can rest here tonight, and we'll be leaving," Kieran said."Alright, thank him for me," Aurora replied.The sound outside quickly faded.Aurora went to the bathroom door, where two shopping bags were placed on the floor. She opened them to find a pink long dress, probably worth tens of thousands, and a set of new underwear, surprisingly in her exact size.Aurora blushed a little, opened the other bag, and found a pair of new sneakers.She took these items back to the bathroom, changed out of her torn and ragged clothes, and threw away her dirty shoes, putting on the new ones.Heath was very considerate; the length of the skirt just covered the bruises on her legs, and the three-quarter sleeves hid the knife wound on her arm. Only her face, slightly red and swollen, still looked unnatura
After Aurora left, Sophia was still immersed in fear. She ran back to the villa, tears streaming down her face, and burst into Madeline's room."Mom, Mom, you must teach Aurora a lesson!" Sophia cried, her tears falling like rain, making Madeline's heart ache."Sophia, come here, don't cry. Tell Mom what that wicked girl did to you this time?" Madeline helped her daughter up and asked.Sophia, sobbing and stammering, told her mother about the plan to bully Aurora, saying, "She threatened me, saying she'll take everything important from me, that I won't be the Pendleton family's young lady anymore, and she'll take Ethan away. Mom, I can't live without Ethan!""That little wretch! How dare she! Sophia, don't be afraid, Mom's here, she won't take anything away!" Madeline comforted.How could she tolerate her precious daughter being bullied like this by that lowly girl?Madeline thought for a moment and asked, "You just said that Aurora admitted she's been disgraced?"Sophia, still sobbing