After I was reborn, I found myself tethered to a Misery System. Only then did I realize I was the throwaway daughter in a tragic novel. The rule was simple: the more I suffered, the more money I'd get. Just as my parents brought home the daughter of my dad’s fallen army buddy, ready to lay down the new house rules for their adoption, I beat them to it. “I’ve already cleared out my room. Mrs. Gable’s son went off to college and she’s lonely, so I’ll be staying with her for a while.” “All that stuff in there was just cheap junk you got me for my birthdays. I figured Maya wouldn't like it, so I had a junk collector haul it away. It came to $531.20. I sent you the request in the group chat.” “Oh, and you’re probably too busy for the parent-teacher conference next week, so I asked Mr. Henderson, my history teacher, to stand in for you.” “Mr. and Mrs. Henderson have always been so good to me. It wouldn't be a big deal if I started calling them Mom and Dad, right? After all, it’s not like you’re short one daughter now.” My parents’ faces grew darker with every word I spoke. The System shrieked in my head, furious at my laid-back rebellion. But a second later, a different notification chimed. A hundred thousand dollars had been deposited into my account. Well, this wasn't so hard after all. Misery is misery, right? Who says it has to be mine? 1 My father’s brow furrowed into a knot of fury. “You sold everything in your room?” “Just because we brought Maya home, you had to pull this cheap, vindictive stunt?” “How old are you?! How did you get so malicious?!” I was still basking in the glow of the sudden ten-grand windfall, and it took me a moment to snap back to reality. After being reborn and learning I was just cannon fodder in someone else’s tragedy, my initial plan was to simply check out. I didn't want the pain, and I certainly didn't want to profit from it. I just wanted to live one life, peacefully. But I never imagined that tormenting my parents could also trigger a payout. Now this was a game-changer. After the hell they put me through in my last life, it was time to collect, with interest. I waited quietly for my father’s tirade to run out of steam before I spoke, my voice soft. “But Dad, weren’t you the one who told me to get rid of all that junk yesterday?” The room fell silent. “I told you yesterday, those were my birthday presents from every year since I was a little girl. They were my best memories. I said I couldn't bear to throw them away.” “And what did you say then?” I paused, perfectly mimicking his dismissive tone from the day before. “‘It’s all moldy and you treat it like treasure? Just toss it. That crap is just taking up space.’” “So, I did as you asked. I didn't throw it out, though. I sold it. Made over five hundred bucks. Turns out my ‘best memories’ were worth a little something after all.” “So why are you yelling at me now?” My father froze. He seemed to remember where all that “crap” had come from. Every birthday, every Christmas, he had bought those things for me, piece by piece. There was a time, when I was little, that he truly loved me. That all changed the day Maya entered our lives. But he was too stubborn to admit it. “You dare talk back to me?! I’ll teach you a lesson.” “That’s enough!” my mother cut in, frowning. “Your father was just talking. Why do you have to take everything so literally?” “And you can stop running around. For now, you can sleep on the folding cot in the living room. We’ll clear out the storage room for you soon enough.” I feigned shock. “The storage room? It’s so dark and damp, you can barely turn around in there. You’d really let poor Maya sleep in a place like that?” At that, my father snatched an ashtray and hurled it to the floor, where it shattered. “Stop playing dumb! That room is for you!” “You’re my daughter! You can handle a little hardship, can't you?!” Seeing his rage, my mother quickly tried to smooth things over. “Let’s not talk about that. Ava, didn’t you want to go camping at South Creek?” “I took time off work. We’ll go this weekend, all of us. We’ll take Maya with us.” The irony was so thick I could taste it. “Mom, you’ve been dangling that South Creek camping trip in front of me for three years.” “Every single time, you were too busy, no time. But the moment Maya shows up, you can suddenly take a vacation?” My mother’s face hardened, her brow knitting in annoyance. “Why do you have to be so petty?” “That was then, this is now. Maya just lost her father. What’s wrong with me taking a few days off to be with her?” I shook my head, my voice laced with regret. “Well, that’s a shame. I’ve already made plans with Mrs. Gable for this weekend.” “You three have a wonderful time. Remember to take lots of pictures. And if you feel awkward posting a family photo with me missing, feel free to Photoshop me in. I really don’t mind.” My father’s brow tightened again. “You ignore your own family to run off and take care of strangers? What is wrong with you?” I straightened up, my expression suddenly serious. “Dad, you’re thinking too small.” “Mrs. Gable tells everyone what a wonderful job you’ve done raising me. I’m building your reputation in the community. You should be proud.” My words seemed to paralyze him. His jaw twitched. “You really are something else. Her son goes abroad, and you rush over to be the perfect substitute child.” “I raised you all these years just so you could lecture me?!” He paced back and forth, fuming, then spun around and pointed a finger at me. “Fine! Go! Go be Mrs. Gable’s daughter right now!” “And don’t you dare call me Dad anymore! Go on, let her adopt you! Let’s see what kind of touching mother-daughter drama you two can cook up!” Sensing the spotlight had shifted away from her, Maya placed a slender hand on her forehead and swayed, a delicate flower collapsing onto the sofa. “Uncle, Auntie, please don’t fight because of me.” “I think… I think my father in heaven wouldn’t want to see you unhappy because of me.” The mention of her deceased father instantly softened my parents’ expressions. They turned to her, cooing and comforting their precious treasure. With no one blocking my way, I grabbed my suitcase and walked out without a backward glance. 2 In my last life, being “too understanding” was what killed me. After Maya arrived, my parents’ world revolved around her. All their love, all their time, was hers. The only time I ever tried to “compete” was when I was burning up with a fever. I mustered the courage to call them. The call ended with my father screaming me into a bloody pulp over the phone. “You wake us up in the middle of the night because you have a fever?” “Go to the hospital yourself. Your sister has her final exams tomorrow. Your mother and I are here with her. We don’t have time to come back.” I was shaking uncontrollably from the fever. The moment I hung up, I collapsed. If Mrs. Gable hadn’t come over with some soup and found me, that fever would have been the end of me. When I was later diagnosed with severe depression, my father called and berated me for two hours straight, every word a nail in my coffin. Dad, you said we were family, that we should be the ones to understand each other the most. So I tolerated your favoritism. I gave way to Maya at every turn. But I understood you. Who was there to understand me? The memories of my past life sent a wave of raw emotion through me, a tide of grief flooding my heart. The System’s mechanical voice suddenly crackled to life. 【ALERT! Host’s emotional state is in extreme flux. Severe suffering detected. Misery System activating.】 【As long as the host continues to suffer, the system will provide immense rewards to help the host reach the pinnacle of life.】 【Host, you must find ways to suffer…】 【Wait… that’s not right…】 【Why has the initial ten-thousand-dollar reward already been disbursed?】 【The ones being tormented… are the host’s parents?!】 【This must be a system error. Host, please cease this dangerous behavior. You should know, I am a veteran system that has guided many hosts…】 Before the System could finish, my phone began to vibrate violently. I didn’t need to look. It was my parents, bombarding the family group chat. The System’s voice grew laced with astonishment. 【No, no, this can’t be… The system is registering an overwhelming influx of misery-data from the host’s parents!】 【TRIGGERING STAGE TWO REWARD. ONE MILLION DOLLARS!】 【My god… so this is how the system can be played?】 The notification of a million dollars hitting my bank account completely washed away the lingering sorrow. “System,” I said, my voice calm, “after the hell of my last life, I already decided. If I have to make a living by being miserable, I’d rather be broke.” “This time, I’m going to live for myself.” The System seemed to have accepted the bug in its own programming. 【So, what is the host’s plan now?】 A small smile played on my lips. “If their misery is my profit, then I’m going to keep hitting them with all the emotional manipulation they ever threw at me. I’m going to make them hurt.” With that, I turned and walked decisively toward the Gables’ house. 3 Soon enough, my parents cut off my allowance. They thought it would force me to come crawling back. I couldn’t have cared less. Instead, I invited Mrs. Gable’s husband, David, the head of a tech firm, out for coffee. Being reborn meant my head was filled with knowledge of the future. Mr. Gable scanned my business proposal, his casual glance slowly sharpening into focused intensity. “You’ve got guts, and a brilliant vision. Come to my office on Monday. We’ll talk details.” He added, his tone serious, “Your parents are going to deeply regret choosing their adopted daughter over you.” Before I knew it, it was my father’s birthday. The first thing on my feed was Maya’s nine-photo grid, with a picture of my parents hugging her as they cut a cake right in the center. My father’s comment was right below it: 【Thank you, my sweet girl. Having you is the greatest blessing a father could ask for!】 He’d even added five red heart emojis. I lightly tapped the ‘like’ button. Not two minutes later, a message from my mother popped up: 【I see you ‘liked’ the post. You have time to scroll on your phone but no time to come home for your father’s birthday. Some daughter you are.】 【So what if Maya is with us now? Can’t you try to understand our situation?】 Understand? Oh, I understood perfectly. After all, Maya wasn’t the only one busy celebrating someone else’s father’s birthday. My mother waited and waited, but my reply never came. She slammed her phone down on the coffee table, rubbing her temples in frustration. My father, scrolling leisurely on his own phone, sneered. “You’re still wasting time messaging her? She’s probably eating instant noodles in some crappy apartment right now.” “Let her get a taste of the real world. She’ll come running back home soon enough…” His voice trailed off. On the local news livestream, a broadcast from a river cruise lit up his screen. There I was, smiling, presenting a custom-made cake to Mr. and Mrs. Gable. The cruise ship was a galaxy of lights on the dark water, and comments flew across the screen: 【Now THAT is a daughter of the year. I’m not jealous at all. Nope.】 【Proudest dad on the internet right now. Look at Mr. Gable’s grin, it’s splitting his face!】 My phone buzzed wildly. It was my father. “Ava, what the hell do you think you’re doing?” “It’s Mr. Gable’s birthday too. I’m helping him celebrate. What’s the problem?” My father laughed, a cold, bitter sound. “He has his own son. Does he really need some outsider fawning over him?” I feigned shock, raising my voice. “Dad, keep it down! What if Maya hears you? That would break her heart.” I could hear him shaking with rage on the other end. “What does this have to do with Maya? Stop dragging her into this.” “How does it not have anything to do with her?” I said slowly, cutting a slice of cake. “Dad, you treat Maya better than you treat your own flesh and blood. For all you know, she probably thinks of you as her real father.” “And you know, Mr. Gable said the same thing. He said I’m so good to them, they’ll treat me like their own daughter. Better than their own son, even.” “Oh, wait. Maybe I should start calling him Dad David now.” “You—!” “Hey, hey, don’t get upset. Your birthday present from me arrived. Don’t forget to grab it.” At the mention of a gift, he managed to choke back his anger. “Well… at least you have some conscience left…” My father eyed the crumpled cardboard box by the door with suspicion. It had arrived earlier, looking so beaten up he’d assumed it was something cheap my mother had ordered and ignored it. As he tore it open, I heard Maya’s gasp on the other end of the line. “Oh! Why did Ava send you work gloves? You can get these on the street for like, five dollars…” A heavy, ragged breathing came through the phone. It was my father. “…This is it? Are you sure you sent the right thing?” “I raised you for eighteen years, and this is all you think I’m worth? This garbage?” I sighed dramatically. “If I send you something expensive, you say I’m wasteful. If I send you something cheap, you say it’s an insult.” “Why don’t you just tell me what you want?” “Or is it that as long as it comes from Maya, you’d treasure it even if it was a blade of grass?” It was as if I’d struck a nerve. He exploded. “What’s with that sarcastic tone? Do you think this is about the price?” “It’s about the lack of thought! You just fob me off with this junk!” Maya chimed in with her fake concern. “Uncle, don’t be angry. Maybe Ava is just a little short on cash…” Just then, the cruise ship’s announcer’s voice boomed over the speakers. “And now, a special presentation from our very own Ms. Ava, a sixty-thousand-dollar fireworks display in honor of Mr. Gable!”
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