“Brandon, can you just… wish me a happy birthday?”

“Please? If you don’t… I’m really going to die.”

“Then go die.”

Serena Blackwood did exactly that—she died.

And then she came back.

Thrown back to one hour before her death, she stared at the tiny, pathetic cake on the table. Her fingers curled tight, knuckles cracking. The lingering pain from dying still crawled through her bones, sharp enough to make her jaw clench. She squeezed out, one word at a time, “So what you’re saying is… you dragged me back?”

The room was empty, but a childish, smug little voice bounced around in her head.

“Yes, host! I worked my circuits off to pull you back! This time you’ve gotta push harder, okay? Get your dad or one of your brothers to treat you nicer. As long as any of them sincerely says ‘happy birthday,’ you’ll live a long, long life! And I get to level up into a high-tier system! Let’s gooo!”

The system sounded all fired-up; Serena only let out a cold snort. “Level up into what, a Holy Mother system?”

She finally got to die, yet she had to go through it again.

Honestly, she was starting to suspect this stupid system was some torture device custom-made by the Blackwood family.

She’d found it when she was seven—digging through a trash can of all places—and it claimed to be a “system.” It told her she was actually the biological daughter of the richest family in South Town, the Blackwoods, switched at birth because a nurse mixed up the babies.

It also said she had a death tribulation coming on her fifteenth birthday. As long as she got one sincere “happy birthday” from her parents or any of her five brothers, she’d dodge death and live to old age.

Back then, she’d thought that sounded easy. She had eight whole years, and she didn’t even need all of them to say it. Just one.

She had *five* brothers. How hard could it be?

It felt like some miracle falling straight into her lap—until the system helped her return to the Blackwood home, where she discovered Tonya Blackwood already existed.

That girl had stolen her entire life and was treated like some precious jewel, while Serena appeared and immediately got hit with looks of shock and disgust, clear as daylight.

Brandon Blackwood didn’t even hesitate. He marched over and shoved her to the floor. “Get lost! I don’t have some beggar for a sister!”

The others didn’t say anything, but their eyes told her the exact same thing.

For the sake of staying alive, she’d still bend over backward trying to please them.

But every single year on her birthday, Tonya Blackwood would suddenly feel “unwell,” and everyone’s attention would snap to her. To this day, Serena Blackwood hadn’t even heard one genuine “happy birthday.”

On her fifteenth birthday, she’d begged and persuaded Brandon Blackwood to meet her, only for Tonya to twist her ankle on the way out. Brandon instantly ditched her and rushed Tonya to the hospital.

She had lowered herself over and over, begging him, and all she ever got in return was that cold, emotionless line.

The ending? Obvious. Task failed, pain so sharp she could barely breathe, and then the system tossed her into another world to work like a pack mule.

She had finally saved enough points to retire and actually enjoy a peaceful life, and boom—this stupid thing yanked her right back.

At this point, she seriously suspected the system was a spy planted by the Blackwood family.

Sensing her resentment boiling over, the system paused, recalling everything she’d suffered. Its tone instantly shrank as it said, “Host, if you still can’t complete the task this time… you’ll die again.”

Serena let out a cold, sarcastic laugh. “Not like it’s my first time dying. Go ahead.”

The system choked on that. Then, as if realizing something, it hurriedly added: “They’re all waiting for you to die. You really gonna give them what they want?”

Hearing that, Serena’s eyes narrowed, and the rebellious fire in her bones snapped awake.

Dream on.

They wanted her dead? Fine—then everyone could go down together.

She shot to her feet, scanned the room, and under the system’s stunned stare grabbed the baseball bat from the floor and headed straight for the hospital.

Right now, in that hospital, Brandon Blackwood had just sent a message and looked absolutely irritated.

Serena threatened him every year, and she’d never actually died.

Same drama, every birthday. Wasn’t she tired of this? Because he sure was.

On the hospital bed, Tonya Blackwood looked over curiously. “Fifth Brother, what’s wrong?”

The mockery on Brandon’s face vanished instantly. He put on a gentle expression and said, “Nothing. Serena asked me to tell her happy birthday.”

Tonya understood immediately and urged, “Then Fifth Brother, hurry back and celebrate with Serena. I’ll be fine here alone.”

As she tried to get out of bed, Brandon Blackwood rushed over and stopped her. "Don't move. It's your birthday too. Of course we're staying with you."

Thinking of what Serena Blackwood had said earlier, he waved it off with a careless snort. "She's just trying to get our attention. Ignore her."

The moment the words left his mouth, the door was kicked open with a loud bang.

Brandon’s brows snapped together as he turned toward the noise. The second he saw who was standing at the doorway, the irritation on his face doubled.

"What the hell do you want?"

Serena’s gaze swept over the fifteen-layer cake on the table, then dropped to the tiny palm-sized cake she was holding. Her expression darkened instantly.

Under Brandon’s disgusted stare, she strode forward, planted both hands on the table, and flipped it hard. With a sharp crash, the giant cake splattered across the floor.

"Are you crazy?!" Brandon shot to his feet, about to grab her.

But Serena was faster. She jabbed the baseball bat in her hand straight into his stomach.

Brandon doubled over from the pain, and before he could even get a word out, Serena had already started swinging. The bat came down on him again and again, forcing him to scramble across the floor, wincing and yelping.

"Serena Blackwood, are you out of your mind?!"

"Serena, I swear I'm gonna kill you!"

"Serena, stop! That’s our fifth brother!" Tonya Blackwood cried, trying to intervene.

Serena flicked her eyes toward her. "Oh, right. You."

"I heard you broke a bone? Wanna let me check it for you?"

Before Tonya could react, Serena raised the bat and smashed it toward the leg wrapped in a cast.

Tonya’s eyes went wide. She shrieked and leaped off the bed in pure terror.

When she finally processed what happened, she saw Serena casually resting the bat on her shoulder, wearing that lazy, rogue-like posture, a teasing smile tugging at her lips. "Look at that. Miracle doctor in the house."

Tonya’s face flushed bright red. Brandon stared at Serena like he couldn’t believe what he was seeing.

Serena couldn’t be bothered with either of them. She dropped into a chair, opened her tiny cake, stuck a candle into it, and lit it.

Crossing one leg over the other, she said plainly, "Wish me a happy birthday."

"What?" Brandon Blackwood froze, completely blank.

Serena Blackwood jabbed the bat straight into his stomach, not holding back at all. "You heard me. Tell me happy birthday. Now!"

She was slouched to the side like some half-drunk bandit boss, her eyes cold but full of threat.

Brandon clenched his teeth. "In your dreams!"

There was no way, absolutely no way, he'd say those four words.

Serena didn’t even blink. She just swung the bat again and started whacking him without mercy.

Brandon kept his jaw locked tight. "Even if you beat me to death, I won’t say it!"

Serena paused mid-swing, tilting her head as she stared at him. "Oh? And how’d you know I was planning to beat you to death?"

Anyway, she wasn’t gonna live much longer, and she sure wasn’t afraid of going to jail. Might as well hit him while she could.

Meeting her gaze, Brandon suddenly understood—she really would bash him to death here and now. Fear flickered in his eyes before he could stop it.

Serena had actually gone full crazy!

Seeing the bat about to come down again, Brandon squeezed his eyes shut and yelled, "Happy birthday!"

If he didn’t say it now, this lunatic was actually going to kill him!

The moment the words left his mouth, the clock hit midnight.

[Beep—] A sharp tone exploded in Serena’s mind. [Blessing received. Life extended by twenty-four hours.]

Serena: [?? What happened to living to a hundred?!]

[Since Brandon Blackwood was forced to say it, the requirement for a sincere blessing was not met. Only twenty-four hours of life granted.]

So that was it.

Serena shot him a disgusted look. "Useless. Seriously useless."