All Chapters of Raising a Snake? Not Again: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

11 Chapters

Chapter 1

In my past life, I gave everything to Peter. Raised him like my own. Gave up my career. Burned through my entire inheritance to buy him a full-floor apartment and fund his marriage.And in the end? I died freezing in a rotting shack, licking dirty water off the floor just to stay alive.Meanwhile, Peter was warm and comfortable in the home I bought—taking care of his real mother. My husband's true love.I closed my eyes that day, refusing to accept it.So cold. So thirsty.***Peter was getting married.And a wedding meant big expenses—residence, car, a permanent move to the city.Housing prices were insane, but Peter had never settled for less. His fiancée, Lily, was just as demanding. They wanted a huge high-rise downtown, and they wanted it paid in full. No mortgage. No compromises. The price? Eight figures.When Peter finally came to me, eyes pleading, I hesitated. In all these years, it was the first time he had ever begged."Mom, how am I supposed to face Lily if I take

Chapter 2

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

My face burned. "Stuart said he'd pay it back... And Peter's getting married. I'll have more free time now. Worst case, I'll find a job."My friend didn't look convinced, but in the end, she lent me the money.Mumbling a quick thanks, I took it straight to Peter's new place—only to find a stranger there.Lily, usually so distant, was all smiles, chatting warmly with the woman.I'd met Lily's mother before. This wasn't her.Unease crawled up my spine.The woman patted Lily's hand, beaming. "Good, good. You're just like a daughter to me. If Peter ever gives you trouble, I'll make sure he behaves."Peter strolled out, his voice light, playful. "Mom, who's really your kid here?"I froze.The woman... looked just like Peter.A chill shot through me.***That day, I snapped. I screamed, demanded answers.Stuart rushed over—but instead of explaining, he shielded the woman behind him, his eyes cold with disgust.And Peter—the boy I raised, the son I gave everything to—stood besid

Chapter 3

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

Peter had known all along. To him, that woman was his real mom.I screamed. Cursed. Sobbed like a madwoman.Stuart just looked at me with disgust.Peter frowned—and walked away.And that woman...Her gaze burned into me, cold and condescending. Like she was looking at something pathetic. Something beneath her.I shattered.***I thought I'd frozen to death in that shack.But when I opened my eyes, I was wrapped in a warm, clean coat. My legs moved. My hands were pale and smooth. Strangers passing by glanced at me with admiration.Dazed, I wandered for what felt like hours before it finally hit me—I had been reborn.What day is it?Heart pounding, I yanked open my bag, fingers shaking so badly I split a nail. Didn't care. My eyes locked onto the phone screen.[December 29, 2002.]I stared at the numbers. Then, out of nowhere, laughter bubbled up. Tears followed.If the street weren't so empty, people would've thought I'd lost my mind.This was the day I found Peter.December 29—the day

Chapter 4

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

I caught the careful probe in his tone and let out a quiet laugh. A nasty little idea popped into my head.Forcing down my hatred, I softened my voice, layering in just the right amount of concern. "Me? I'm at the hospital... I'll be home later, don't wait for dinner... Oh, my phone's dying—ah, the doctor's calling. Gotta go!"I hung up without hesitation and shut off my phone, picturing the sheer panic on his face.He must've thought I found Peter and rushed Peter to the hospital.I suddenly realized how well I knew him. No way would he go back to where he left the kid—too risky. What if I had called the cops? What if officers were already there, looking for the baby's parents? If he showed up, how would he explain it?But as long as I didn't bring Peter home, he wouldn't be able to relax, either.It was the dead of winter.And when I finally strolled in, empty-handed, watching him squirm in uncertainty?That thought alone was delicious.***I stayed out until eight, finally leaving t

Chapter 5

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

"Oh, right. The hospital," I said, lifting my hand and gently touching the bandages. "I split my nail after work, so I stopped by to get it checked. Doctor said I need to keep it wrapped for three days or it might get infected."Total exaggeration. It was barely a crack—didn't even bleed. The doctor had looked at me like I was nuts when I asked for a bandage.But who cared? From now on, even the smallest part of me was worth more than all of them combined.Stuart's face darkened. "When did you go to the hospital?"I tilted my head, all innocent. "Oh, when I was near Quinte Mall. That's when I saw your message. I rushed to grab my phone, and—snap—nail split. So I just turned around and went straight to the hospital. Why?"Not a single lie. Stuart had messaged me earlier, telling me to hurry home—hoping I'd bring Peter with me. And now, that same message had become my perfect cover.How ironic.His face was beyond grim. Quinte Mall was just a road away from where he'd dumped Peter

Chapter 6

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

Stuart went on and on about how pitiful the kid was.A nearby nurse nodded. "That's right. I can't imagine what kind of heartless parents would dump a baby in the middle of winter."If he'd been brought in any later, he wouldn't have survived. Even now, his future looks bleak. His throat's so damaged he can't even cry properly—he may never speak."And after burning up with fever for three days... even if he's not brain-damaged, his development will—""Enough!" Stuart snapped, like she'd hit a nerve.Realizing his outburst, he forced a stiff apology before turning to me. "Elaine, I need to talk to you."He wanted to adopt the kid. Said he was too pitiful to be left alone.Then came the real reason—his latest medical report. Low sperm motility. Chances of having kids? Almost zero. This child showing up now? A gift from fate for the two of us.He said...My head buzzed.He'd fed me the same lies in my past life—just dressed up differently.His so-called infertility kept me from

Chapter 7

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

Rosie shot Stuart a quick glance before stammering, "Oh, s-she... she's my friend. We found the baby together."I listened to their pathetic lie, like I was some fool, and suddenly smiled. Turning away, I spoke with deliberate indifference. "Either way, I'm not adopting a mentally impaired kid. A mute? Even worse. Sigh... If he were normal, maybe I'd consider it, raise him like my own. But like this? No chance."At my dismissive words, the woman's hands clenched, veins popping beneath her pale skin.As if I hadn't noticed, I turned and walked off, not giving Stuart a chance to argue or sparing the baby a second glance.In my past life, I'd given Peter everything. He was good-looking, played piano and drew paintings like a prodigy, stacked up awards, and had teachers and classmates wrapped around his finger. The school's golden boy. Their white knight.But this Peter? He might end up mute. Brain-damaged.His perfect future was gone for good.'Peter, this time, your downfall has n

Chapter 8

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

"Busy? You already quit your job. What could you possibly be busy with? I give you two grand a month—isn't that more than enough?" Stuart's voice dripped with entitlement.How ironic.Stuart had always been a cheapskate. In my past life, even Peter's school supplies had come out of my pocket. Now that he didn't have me to leech off, parting with over a third of his measly five-thousand-a-month salary must've hurt. Not a shred of guilt or gratitude toward Rosie for raising his kid.My PI told me Stuart was stashing money for his boss's mother's birthday gift, hoping it'd land him a promotion.To pull it off, he even cut that woman's allowance—from three grand to two. Same as Peter's.I did the math. By the time the birthday rolled around, he'd have close to thirty grand saved up. Probably thought it was a game-changer.Too bad I knew the truth—his boss's wife came from old money. Twenty, thirty grand? Pocket change.In my past life, I'd handed Stuart a hundred grand for the gift,

Chapter 9

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

Phoebe immediately believed my words. "Bastard! You set me up!" Her fear and rage exploded.He didn't stand a chance. She was bigger, stronger. His eyes burned with resentment.I knew exactly where that hatred came from.***Just as I suspected, knowing Peter was her nephew didn't make Rosie any softer on him.Her husband didn't give a damn about some kid that wasn't his. With his silent approval, Phoebe took everything Stuart bought for Peter—and made his life hell.She'd lie about changing his diaper, leave him in filth all night, dump flour in his formula, and scribble 'loser' on his forehead with a marker.Since Peter had lost his voice, no one noticed anything was wrong until he turned pale, visibly struggling. Only then would Rosie panic, rush him to the hospital—while chewing out Phoebe at the same time.Too bad for Peter, that just made Phoebe hate him more. And the worse she treated him, the more he seethed. In his past life, he'd never known humiliation like this. Now

Chapter 10

Raising a Snake? Not Again/Dawn Dusk

Three hundred grand.Stuart couldn't scrape that together even if he sold himself.So, after years of radio silence—ever since I refused to adopt Peter—he finally swallowed his pride and came crawling back.His excuse? He needed money for a "gift" for his boss."If you don't trust me, I'll even write you an IOU!" He tried to sound confident, but his eyes darted, clearly hoping I'd be understanding enough to let it slide.I laughed and tossed the video in his face."Stuart, I'm divorcing you."And not just that—I was taking back every penny he'd spent on Peter and Carmen.Legally, my parents' inheritance was mine alone, including the house we lived in. But our salaries? Marital assets. Meaning in the divorce, we'd split them down the middle.I made a thousand less than him, so I'd even walk away with a little extra. Consider it pain and suffering compensation.Stuart must've felt his whole world caving in.On one side? Benson—a real ex-con with nothing to lose—waiting for his

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