I opened my eyes and found myself lying in a massive dirt pit. Several villagers stood above me, shovels in hand, tossing dirt onto my face. Wait. Did I just get isekai’d? And my spawn point is a shallow grave? Once my brain rebooted, I scrambled up like a zombie on caffeine. "Hold up! Put the shovels down! I'm not dead yet!" The villagers shook their heads, looking genuinely disappointed. "Are you kidding me? I dug this hole for hours. What a waste of cardio." "Even lightning couldn't kill her? She's literally unkillable. Like a cockroach." "Those poor kids, Jayden and Lily. Back to the torture chamber with that evil witch." The town mayor, a guy with a face like a dried apple, wasn't giving up. "Just bury her anyway. What's the point of keeping trash around?" A girl who looked about ten years old was on her knees, slamming her forehead into the dirt. "Please don't bury my mom! She's the only family Jayden and I have left!" Her voice was raw from crying. Her forehead was swollen and bleeding. The villagers finally hesitated. They muttered among themselves and eventually convinced the mayor to drop it. Of course, since they wanted me six feet under five minutes ago, nobody offered a hand to help me out. I clawed my way out of the pit, ears ringing, and collapsed on the ground, gasping for air. Be careful what you wish for, they say. Back in my world, I went to a famous fertility temple to pray for a baby. On the way home? Wham. Truck-kun sent me packing. Now, I'm stuck in a web novel as the villainous stepmother. Chapter 1 Well, I got my wish. I have kids. Two of them. In the original novel, the son, Jayden, is fourteen now. Ten years later? He becomes a rebel leader who burns half the kingdom to the ground. The daughter, Lily, is ten. Ten years later? She's the "Femme Fatale" who corrupts the court and brings the empire to its knees. Together, this brother-sister duo turns the nation of Kyria into a slaughterhouse. And the catalyst for their villain arc? Me. Or rather, this body’s original owner, the Evil Stepmom™. The original "me" was so toxic that apparently, Mother Nature decided to strike her down with actual lightning. Now, every time I moved, my body screamed in agony. Chapter 2 "Mom? Are you... okay?" Lily looked terrified, trembling like a leaf. Pale skin, big innocent eyes. She was exactly the daughter I’d always dreamed of. I fought through the pain and gently patted her head. "Lily, honey, don't be scared. I'm okay..." She flinched instinctively, ready to be hit. When the blow didn't come, she just stood there, stiff as a board, confused. The mayor sneered. "Next time you get beaten, don't come crying to us, Lily. You asked for this." "I can't leave her," Lily whimpered. "She's our mom." My heart. This kid is an angel. A boy in ragged clothes sprinted over. When he saw me alive on the ground, the panic in his eyes instantly froze into cold detachment. "They said lightning killed you." It was Jayden. Despite the dirt and rags, he was stunning. Even better looking than the book described. A born martial artist. But his clothes were shredded. His face was bruised, and his lip was split. I reached out to check his injuries. He flinched violently and took a step back. Just like his sister. Polite words, terrified body language. Winning these kids over was going to be a marathon, not a sprint. Jayden pulled a small pouch from his pocket and held out a few silver coins. "Mom. This is what I earned today." Before I could speak, the crowd erupted again. "Lola, you sent Jayden to the fight pits again? He's fourteen!" "You lazy witch! Making your son fight to the death and your daughter beg on the streets while you do nothing?" "Stepmothers really don't have hearts. Poor kids." Chapter 3 Jayden ignored them. He grabbed Lily’s hand with one hand and mine with the other. "We're going home." My kid is protecting me. Deal with it. I shot the villagers a smug look. The mayor was fuming. "Jayden! That woman is going to be the death of you!" Our "home" was a shack. The yard was covered in dead leaves. Lily immediately grabbed a broom and started sweeping. Jayden headed for the kitchen. I grabbed his arm. "Your cuts are infected. We need to put Neosporin on that." He pulled away coldly. "I won't die." I turned around and—blink—there was a tube of antibiotic ointment on the table. Wait. That table was empty a second ago. Could it be...? I tested it in my head. I wish I had some Ibuprofen for the pain. Blink. A bottle of Advil appeared next to the ointment. Jackpot. I have an inventory system! Anything I need from the modern world—meds, supplies—is just a thought away. I grabbed Jayden's arm again. Harder this time. "You are getting treated. Sit." "Ah..." He winced. I rolled up his tattered sleeve. My breath hitched. His arm was a roadmap of bruises, cuts, and old scars. "Who did this to you? Which animal?" Jayden looked me dead in the eye. "You did." Chapter 4 That original Lola was a monster. Jayden fought in illegal underground matches to earn money, and instead of hugging him, she beat him? I’ve been a doctor for fifteen years. I’ve seen bad stuff. But this broke me. My eyes burned. My throat tightened. Jayden's shoulder had a deep, festering wound that looked weeks old. He's fourteen. I couldn't stop the tears. The original Lola would guilt-trip him into fighting so she could fuel her gambling addiction. Jayden probably thought I was putting on an act. He gritted his teeth. "...I can fight one more match tonight." "No!" I snapped. "No more fighting. Ever." My hands shook as I applied the ointment. "From now on, I make the money. You don't risk your life for silver coins. And if I ever ask you for gambling money again, you have permission to tie me up." The boy’s eyes flickered with hope for a microsecond before going dull again. My heart ached. I made him swallow the ibuprofen and watched him like a hawk until he did. Chapter 5 "Mom, Jayden... dinner's ready." Lily had cooked. Three white steamed buns. Two bowls of watery rice porridge that looked more like dishwater. The kids stood back, waiting for me to eat first. I grabbed a bun and took a bite. Lily watched me, swallowing hard, then looked down at her water-soup. She’d probably lived on that slop for years. No wonder they were skin and bones. In this house, white buns were for the Stepmom. I broke the rules. I handed each of them a bun. "Eat." They froze. They were terrified. They wanted a mom so badly, even a monster was better than nothing. Well, lucky for them, I wanted kids. That night, Lily whispered to me before bed. "Mom... hide the money. Thieves have been hitting the village." She was terrified I’d lose Jayden’s blood money. We were too poor for pens, so I used a piece of charcoal to write a note. Go out the door, turn right. East side. Third house. Lots of cash there. I slapped the note on the table and went to sleep. The next morning, I woke up to find a new note on the table. Next to it were two massive silver ingots. Thanks for the tip. Standard finder’s fee: 20%. The "third house" was the mayor’s house. He tried to bury me alive; I sent a burglar his way. Karma. And this thief had professional standards. Lily squealed. "We can eat real food!" Jayden, the stoic warrior, actually cracked a small smile. "Everyone get dressed," I announced. "Mom’s going to town to buy meat." When I came back hauling bags of pork, Lily had already boiled water. "Mom... did you lose it all gambling again?" Her face fell when she saw me empty-handed of cash. "No more gambling. Spending money on pork belly is way more fun."
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