"Seriously, Ethan, this is all my fault. But I didn’t even know when Michelle and Steven got close. Then out of nowhere, the matchmaker comes knocking. You’re about to be considered for deputy director, and his dad’s got pull in those circles. As much as I hate to see Michelle go, I just couldn’t turn them down. I figured a casual meeting wouldn’t hurt, even if we turned them down afterward. Who knew she’d go and embarrass you like that, saying those things."

Elaine’s voice was low, but every word dripped with helplessness and hurt. "I know I haven’t been the best stepmom. I’ve really let Michelle down."

Ethan sighed, also keeping his voice down. "Don’t blame yourself. You’ve gone through so much for this family. What’s done is done. We’ve got to think ahead now. I heard Steven’s mom has a niece who’s trying to back out of going to the countryside. I already told them Michelle could take her place. The girl’s been pampered long enough—it’s time she faced some real life. Maybe it’ll toughen her up."

Elaine gasped, "But is that okay? I mean, she’s not mine by blood, but I’ve always treated her like my own daughter."

"I know you care about her," Ethan said, his tone softening. "But Michelle’s messed things up with the Liu family. Her health’s shot, and no decent man in Su City would still want to marry her. What, we just let her live here forever?"

Elaine frowned, wringing her hands. "It's such a shame. People are gonna talk, say you turned into a cold father after remarrying. You’ve had a rough time all these years, Ethan."

"It’s nothing. I’d do anything for this family. She’ll understand when she’s older."

Elaine let out a long sigh. “I just wish Michelle would wake up already. My chest’s been so tight. When Natalie gets back, I’m going to have a serious talk with her. How could she do something like that?”

“Feelings aren’t logical,” Ethan replied. “It just happened. And we’re still her parents, whether it’s Natalie or Michelle. Either marrying into that family would be the same. Michelle’s got a bad reputation now. Natalie jumped in to help clean it up. Instead of being thankful, she lashed out at her. That’s on her.”

Lying on the bed, Michelle cracked her eyes open from the noise—only to be greeted with the tear-streaked, overly dramatic faces of these two middle-aged phonies. She almost threw up yesterday’s dinner.

Seriously? She’d been a dual-ability badass in the apocalypse, feared and respected in the base. People used to call her “Boss Michelle” with reverence. One unlucky bite during a zombie siege and bam—reborn as some tragic, side character in a cheesy retro drama?

She was twenty-eight, single, and thriving even during the collapse of society, all thanks to her powers. Now she was stuck inside the frail body of an eighteen-year-old whose mom died young, and whose dad wasted no time dragging his long-time mistress into their lives under the guise of “taking care of his daughter.”

Now, she had to deal with a fake stepmom, a couple of half-siblings, and a whole lot of drama. And yeah, with a stepmom came a weak-spined dad. Long story short, her life turned into a tragic soap opera.

She’d been sick and soft all her life, raised to be quiet and submissive. Elaine knew how to put on a show—always acting like the caring stepmother in public, winning praise left and right. No one ever knew the original Michelle was swallowing tears and putting up with who knows what behind closed doors.

But that wasn’t even the worst part. Michelle’s mom had arranged a childhood engagement for her. And just when it was time to get married—boom. Two days ago, she found her supposed fiancé locking lips with her stepsister like they were in some steamy romance novel.The original girl was already weak, got overwhelmed by a few snide remarks from her stepsister, and just like that—she was gone.

That’s when Michelle Adams showed up.

Coming back to life after dying in the apocalypse should’ve been a win... but looking at this fragile body, Michelle wasn't thrilled. Even without medical knowledge, the memories she inherited were enough—this heart problem came from being born prematurely, heart underdeveloped.

When her mom was alive, she had it good, being carefully taken care of. Life was actually getting better day by day. But after her mom passed and the stepmother stepped in? Things went downhill fast. Forget tonic herbs—getting enough food was a struggle.

It was kinda shocking, really. Over the past decade, she constantly fainted and looked like she’d blow away in the wind, yet somehow she’d grown up.

Only to be pissed to death by her so-called sister.

What a ridiculous way to go.

Michelle, now in this weak body, couldn’t even stand up straight, let alone give those shameless two a slap in the face. She laid there practically like a corpse all night. Lucky for her, she’d brought her space with her—there was still one barrel of spirit spring left, just enough to keep her alive.

Her body could be nursed back, that wasn’t the problem. But before she could do much recovering, she was dragged out the next day for a blind date—with none other than Steven Thompson, the guy her scheming parents set her up with.

In the original story, though Michelle fainted, she didn’t die. Elaine Thompson, the stepmother, used it to cover up Natalie Gray’s affair with Michael Bell and made sure Natalie stayed in the city while Michelle was pushed into a fast marriage with Steven. Meanwhile, Natalie married into the Bell family, taking over what was supposed to be Michelle’s place.

Thanks to the Thompsons, Ethan Gray got promoted to vice director, and later, with their help, became the factory director.

How did Michelle live after all that? No one gave a damn.

At first, Steven liked Michelle because she was beautiful and treated her pretty well—good food, soft words. But once he realized she had a dull personality and practically passed out every other day, the whole Thompson family started complaining. Steven turned from Mr. Thoughtful to total jerk in no time.

Within two years, her already fragile health collapsed further. Her looks faded, and Steven not only started to loathe her—one night, drunk and angry, he accidentally beat her to death.

After she died, the Gray family shed a few fake tears, said some touching words, and then just moved on like nothing happened.

As for the real female lead—Michelle’s stepsister, Natalie—she stepped into Michelle’s engagement, married Michael Bell, and lived the fairy tale. Her arrival brought wealth and promotions to the Bell family. In no time, she had two kids, the whole family doted on her, and once the economy opened up, she and Michael opened their own company with support from both families. They became successful businesspeople in their province.

Michelle, on the other hand, was remembered as nothing more than a naive girl who got in over her head and died miserably.

What a dramatic mess of a plot.

But Michelle wasn’t the type to sit around waiting to be screwed over.

So, when she was hauled off to meet Steven, she kicked off her little act right at the door. First, she “accidentally” dropped her medical file in front of his mom. Then came the coughing—three steps and two coughs, like her lungs were about to explode. Finally, she clutched her chest, faked a dramatic collapse, and passed out cold.Of course, Michelle didn’t really faint after drinking the spirit spring water and popping a heart pill. She lay there watching the chaos unfold: Steven’s mom yanked him up and hustled him out of there like the place was on fire. She was amused beyond words. Turns out everyday drama in the '70s had its perks—watching it with a front-row seat wasn’t half bad.

After her "fainting spell" interrupted the matchmaking, Ethan and Elaine scrambled to apologize to the Thompsons and dragged Michelle back home like a sack of potatoes. They dumped her on the bed and ran off to do damage control. No one even checked if she was actually okay.

Michelle might've had skills, but this weak body was a real letdown. She was lying there, gloating silently—until she laughed too hard, choked, and actually passed out for real.

When she came to, she overheard the scheming between that pair of snakes. It got her thinking—maybe heading to the countryside wasn’t such a bad move after all?

Better that than living with these vultures, getting treated like livestock to be sold off. Going down south meant she'd finally be away from their clutches. And with a stash full of goods in her space, she wasn't worried about starting over. In that far-off place, she'd be in charge.

Still, before she left, she had things to settle. There was no way she was walking away empty-handed. Her mother’s things? No way in hell those leeches were keeping any of it. They'd already ruined the girl; they weren't going to enjoy her stuff too. If it came to it, she'd rather torch the place than let them keep a single stick of furniture.

And don’t get her started on that holier-than-thou ex-fiancé or her scheming stepsister. Since she'd taken over this body, the past had become her debt to collect.

She suddenly spoke, loud and clear. "Alright, save the act. It’s disgusting. I'm going to the countryside."

The sobbing couple froze. Elaine dabbed at imaginary tears, her voice full of "sincere" pain. "Michelle, how could you say that? We love you and couldn’t bear to lose you... but..." She bit her lip, letting a few tears spill. "Ethan, maybe Natalie should go. After all, she’s the elder sister. If her little sister messed up, she should take responsibility."

"No. Michelle’s going," Ethan said with such false righteousness you’d think he was a saint. “The one who caused the trouble should be the one to fix it.”

Then he turned to Michelle. "If you're willing, then tomorrow, we'll go sign you up. Helping build the countryside is an honorable duty. You’ve lazed around long enough—it’s time to contribute."

Michelle nodded, slowly sitting up. She held out her hand. "Fine, if I’m going to the boonies for you, you should at least cough up something. I want money."

"What?" Elaine nearly choked. "Money? Why would you need money? The state’s providing food and housing. You don’t need a penny!"

Michelle clutched her chest dramatically, gasping, "I have a heart problem, remember? I need special food, supplements. It’s not much, just a thousand yuan."

Elaine’s breath hitched. “Are you outta your mind?!”

They could scrape together a thousand yuan, sure—but she’d set that aside for Natalie’s dowry to get in good with the Bells. Give that to Michelle? Never.

Michelle looked at her, a hint of mischief in her eyes. She knew exactly how much they had—that's why she was asking.

She didn’t argue. She slipped on her shoes, grabbed a rope wedged under the table, and walked out.

Ethan and Elaine watched her, completely confused. What was she up to now?

Until they saw her unlatch the front door, pull over a stool, hang the rope from the frame, tie a knot, and start slipping it around her neck, screaming.

“I can’t take it anymore! My stepmom’s trying to kill me!”