After successfully completing the mission, I returned to my original world. I woke up from a coma. My children, now grown, were gathered around my hospital bed. My husband pulled me into a tight embrace. My parents and mother-in-law were crying tears of joy. Just as I was about to dismiss the System and choose to stay in my world, a woman who looked almost identical to me pushed the door open. My son and daughter rushed to her, clinging to her affectionately and calling her "Mommy." Everyone looked at me, their faces a mask of awkwardness. The woman shot me a triumphant smirk. I put the System on hold. "I need to reconsider whether I want to stay here." 1 My children clutched Claire’s skirt, their eyes wary as they stared at me. It was as if I were some kind of monster. I clenched the thin hospital blanket, a sharp pain blooming in my chest. My husband, Liam, squeezed my shoulder, his grip tightening. I looked around at the others. Just moments before, they had been chattering excitedly about installing a new emergency alert system on my phone. Clearly, they hadn't expected Claire to walk in. "Eliza," my mother began, her voice strained with embarrassment, "Claire has been taking care of us while you were... unconscious. We were going to introduce you two properly when we got home." My mother-in-law chimed in. "Yes, and now that you're awake, you two should get along. Don't cause any trouble for us, alright?" Claire smiled and walked toward my bed, her eyes glinting with a challenge. I remained silent, telling the System in my mind, "I'll give you my answer in a couple of days." The System sighed softly and went quiet in my head. Seeing that I was ignoring her, Claire's eyes reddened. A tear traced a path down her cheek as she forced a pitiful smile. "I was being too impulsive. It's only natural for my sister to hate me. I should go..." She didn't give anyone a chance to react, turning and walking out. My mother-in-law stamped her foot in frustration and hurried after her. Liam instinctively stood up to follow, but his eyes met mine and he froze, sinking back into his chair. He wrapped his arms around me, holding me tight. "Don't overthink this," he whispered, just as he always used to. "You're the only one for me." My daughter, Chloe, ran out after Claire. My son, Leo, shot me a look of pure hatred before slamming the door so hard the walls shook. I didn't understand. My two adorable little babies... how had they turned into this? Seeing my silence, my parents excused themselves to handle my discharge papers. Soon, I was being wheeled out of the hospital. But as the car pulled away, I realized we weren't heading home. "Dad," I asked, a knot of unease tightening in my stomach. "If I remember correctly, this isn't the way home." My father's hands tightened on the steering wheel. He forced a laugh. "Our Eliza's memory is as sharp as ever." He took a long, winding route, eventually pulling up to our house. I hadn't understood his strange detour, but the moment I stepped inside, it all became brutally clear. The large family portrait that used to hang in the entryway was gone. In its place was a new one—of them, with Claire. I stared at the photo, stunned, then rushed upstairs and threw open the door to my old bedroom. Of course. Claire had taken over my room, redecorating it completely. It was now unrecognizable. My chest heaved. Through the doorway, I could see her, sitting on my bed, reading a bedtime story to my son. A bitter, mocking laugh escaped my lips. For five years, I had worked tirelessly, completing every mission the System threw at me, all for this moment—to be reunited with my family. And now I knew the truth. There was no place for me here anymore. "You were going to take me somewhere else at first, weren't you?" I stared at the man who had once been my doting father. He looked away, unable to meet my eyes. "I'll get a room ready for you right now, Eliza. This will always be your home." As he spoke, Claire's eyes welled up with tears again. She silently stood up and started gathering her things. But Leo stopped her. When no one was looking, he launched himself at me, shoving me to the ground. He grabbed whatever he could find and started throwing it at me, screaming. "You came back and now you're bullying my mommy! You're a bad woman!" "Get out!" "Get out of my house!" I stared at the snarling, unfamiliar child in front of me, completely frozen. 2 Everyone was shocked by Leo's outburst. Liam grabbed his arm, his brow furrowed in anger. "Leo! What do you think you're doing?" But Leo just sobbed, continuing to scream at me. The commotion woke Chloe, who started crying loudly. Claire held her, tears streaming down her own face. "Stop it, everyone, please stop! It's all my fault. I'll leave, okay? I'll just leave!" She made a move to walk out. That's when my mother spoke, her voice sharp. "Everyone, be quiet!" She turned to Claire. "Claire, you're not going anywhere. You can keep this room." My breath hitched. I looked at my mother, who was now frowning at me. "Eliza, I'll have the entire third floor cleared out for you tomorrow. For tonight, you can sleep in the guest room." She sighed. "Just let's have some peace and quiet." Her words brought back a distant memory. I was a little girl, asking her, "Mommy, this is the master bedroom. Why don't you and Daddy sleep here? Why is it my room?" Back then, my mother had hugged me, her smile full of warmth. "Because this room holds all our best wishes for you, my sweet girl. We want our Eliza to be happy forever." Thinking of that, the tears I'd been holding back finally broke free. I turned my head, quickly wiping them away before walking out of the room. My mother opened her mouth as if to say something, but then closed it again. Back in the guest room, I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow and letting out all the sobs I had suppressed. Suddenly, a warm embrace enveloped me. Liam pressed a gentle kiss to my forehead, stroking my hair. "What are we going to do if your eyes are all swollen tomorrow, honey?" he murmured, sighing. I looked up at him through tear-filled eyes. He smiled softly. I don't know how long I cried, but eventually, his shirt was soaked through with my tears. Embarrassed, I rubbed my eyes. "You should go take a shower." Liam hugged me tightly one last time before grabbing his phone and heading into the bathroom. I expected him to be quick. He usually took less than ten minutes. But this time, the sound of the water went on and on, until I drifted off to sleep. I was woken later by the soft click of the door. I opened my eyes and saw Liam’s phone, which he'd left on the pillow next to me, light up. Claire's name flashed on the screen. "Waiting for you. ;) " My heart skipped a beat. I grabbed the phone, my hands trembling, but when I tried to unlock it, the password was wrong. Liam's password had always been my birthday. Now... I tried my birthday again, then his, then the kids'. Nothing worked. Then I remembered the birthday he had saved in Claire's contact information. I typed it in. The phone unlocked. A cold dread washed over me. I opened their chat history. In the hour that Liam had been in the bathroom, he had been on a video call with Claire. The phone slipped from my grasp. I bit my lip so hard I tasted blood, willing myself not to cry. After a long moment, I got up and walked to Claire's room. The door was ajar. Through the crack, I saw Claire's arm linked with Liam's. She was smiling, leaning in to give him a tender kiss. And Liam... he wrapped his arm around her waist and kissed her back, with even more passion. 3 I stood outside the door, forcing myself to watch the scene unfold. It was a form of self-torture. I stayed there until my legs gave out and I slid to the floor. A soft noise from the kitchen drew my attention. I turned to see my seven-year-old daughter, Chloe, standing on a stool, clumsily stirring something in a pot. Worried she might get hurt, I went over to her. She was muttering to herself. "Mommy doesn't like cilantro, no onions..." She carefully lifted the pot off the stove like a little adult, and for a moment, my heart softened. But when she turned and saw me, her expression soured. "What are you doing here, you mean woman?" Her words hit me like a punch to the gut. The "Mommy" she was talking about was Claire. My lips trembled. "Chloe, I'm your mother. How could you..." "You're not my mother!" she screamed. She shoved me aside and carried the hot soup towards Claire's room. I stumbled back, my spine slamming into the sharp corner of the counter. The pain was excruciating. I found myself back at Claire’s door. Chloe was carefully blowing on a spoonful of soup before offering it to Claire. Claire praised her with a smile, and Liam pulled Chloe into his lap, chuckling. "Our little Chloe knows how to take care of her mommy better than her brother does." I stood in the hallway, an unwanted ghost watching a happy family that wasn't mine. My eyes burned with unshed tears. I turned and walked away. The next morning, Liam woke me with his customary good-morning kiss. I turned my head, avoiding it. He paused, then took my hand and led me to the dining table. But my seat was gone. Claire was sitting in my usual spot, a smug smile on her face. Liam looked flustered for a moment before guiding me to his own chair. "Uh..." The housekeeper, Mrs. Gable, spoke up hesitantly. "I didn't prepare a portion for Miss Claire..." Everyone froze. My mother looked confused. "Claire, didn't you tell her?" "Oh!" Claire exclaimed, feigning surprise. "I... I slept so late last night, and I was in such a rush this morning, I completely forgot to tell Mrs. Gable... I can give my portion to Eliza..." My mother-in-law placed a hand on hers. "You sit right there." My father agreed. "You need to eat. You're too thin as it is." I felt invisible, a spectator to their harmonious family dynamic. My hands, hidden at my sides, curled into tight fists. My mother sighed and asked Mrs. Gable to prepare another meal. Then she took my hand and started talking about a welcome-home party. "You're finally awake, so we're throwing a party for you. Liam will take you to pick out a dress later." I gently pulled my hand away, nodding silently. I looked at my mother's face, a question forming in my mind. Do I really want to stay here? 4 At the party, my father was busy introducing Claire to all his business partners and old friends. I started to walk over, but my mother stopped me. "Your father is introducing Claire as his successor," she whispered, giving me a pointed look. "It's better if you don't go over there. We'll give you shares in the company later, you can live off the dividends." I froze. "But you always said I would..." "That was before," she interrupted, her grip on my hand tightening as if to prevent me from causing a scene. "Just be good, Eliza." She led me to a quiet corner, leaving me there in a daze. My attention was suddenly caught by a familiar figure across the room. It was Liam. The same Liam who had promised me he would never drink again was now smiling, downing glass after glass of champagne as he intercepted drinks meant for Claire. He had a bad stomach. I remembered the time he was rushed to the hospital with severe cramps, and I had cried myself sick with worry. He promised me then that he would quit drinking. His friends even teased him for being so whipped. I watched him drink, one glass after another. Soon, his face grew pale, and he clutched his stomach. Forgetting everything else, I rushed to his side and grabbed his arm. "Have you forgotten everything you promised me?" He looked at my worried face, a flicker of guilt and gratitude in his eyes. "I'm sorry, Eliza, I..." "Don't talk." I took a deep breath, not bothering to say goodbye to anyone as I helped him out of the venue. By the time we reached the hospital, he had passed out. The doctor put him on an IV drip. I was about to go pay the bill when Liam grabbed my wrist. "Don't go..." he mumbled. I couldn't help but smile. I leaned down to soothe him, but then he whispered a name that wasn't mine. "Don't go, Claire." In that instant, it felt like I'd been struck by lightning. I stood there, paralyzed, a crushing weight squeezing my heart. I pried his fingers from my wrist, paid the bill, and drove straight home. "Claire is pregnant now. We can't let her get an abortion!" My hand was on the doorknob when I heard my mother-in-law's voice from inside. "Maybe Liam should just divorce Eliza and marry Claire." She was seeking my parents' approval. My mother sighed. "I suppose... If Eliza gets divorced, she'll still have us. But Claire is all alone. It might be for the best if she marries Liam." I couldn't believe what I was hearing. Inside that room, they were deciding my fate in a few casual sentences. I stood there, frozen, until a soft laugh came from behind me. "Eliza, what was the point of you waking up?" I turned to see Claire, a taunting look in her eyes. "In the end, I still replaced you, didn't I?" I forced myself to stand tall. "A replacement is always just a replacement. How long do you think this stolen happiness of yours will last?" My words seemed to strike a nerve. Her face changed. "We'll see whose happiness it is in the end!" she spat back. With that, she grabbed my hand, and with a sudden, violent shove, she threw herself backward. A scream echoed through the hall as she tumbled down the stairs. Blood began to pool between her legs. The conversation inside stopped. The door flew open, and the three of them rushed out to see Claire lying at the bottom of the stairs in a bloody mess. SLAP. My father's hand connected with my cheek, the force of the blow sending me staggering. My mother-in-law shoved me, and I fell to the ground. "What have you done?!" my father roared, pointing a trembling finger at me. I opened my mouth to explain, but they didn't give me the chance. My mother's voice was cold and sharp. "If anything happens to Claire, you don't have to bother coming back to this house ever again!" Tears streamed down my face. I watched my father scoop Claire into his arms and rush her to the car. My mother and mother-in-law followed without giving me a second glance. Something inside me snapped. I don't know how long I sat there as the wind and rain began to whip around me. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "System," I said, my voice hollow. "I don't want to stay here anymore. I want to go back to the mission world." Of course. Here is the remainder of the translation, continuing directly from where the previous part ended.
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