No Longer A Doormat in My Second Life

The living room was suffused with the aroma of freshly stewed pork ribs, the rich meaty scent drifting warmly through the air. Yet as I fixed my gaze on the neatly arranged plate of apples atop the tea table, an icy chill crept through my fingertips, and even my breath came stiff and unnatural. My husband, Leo Collins, was rubbing his hands together, a sycophantic smile stretching across his face as he spoke to my mother-in-law, Linda Carter, who sat on the sofa: "Mom, Mr. Carter will definitely come tonight. Make sure to praise me in front of him—say how well I take care of the family. With that, the department supervisor position will surely be mine!" He said this without forgetting to reach for an apple, biting into it with evident pleasure. Linda Carter immediately nodded in agreement, her eyes shining with expectation for her son. Then, abruptly raising her voice, she snapped at me, "Bella Collins! What are you standing there for? Go and brew the tea at once! Take out that box of tea leaves you hid last time. Don't be stingy—today is an important day!" I didn't move, not even lifting an eyelid, as if her words hadn't reached me. Memories from my previous life surged into my mind like an overwhelming tide, so vivid it made my chest ache—that very day when I stepped out of the kitchen carrying freshly brewed tea, walking with utmost care, afraid of spilling a drop. But no sooner had I reached the living room than my eldest sister-in-law, Melody Lee, 'accidentally' brushed past me. The scalding tea immediately spilled down my arm, making me shudder; my skin quickly broke out in a painful flush. But not a single person came to check on me. Linda Carter pointed her finger at my nose, her voice sharp as she scolded, "How can you be so useless? You can't even serve a cup of tea properly! If Mr. Carter sees this, Leo Collins will lose all face in front of his superiors because of you!" Leo Collins frowned deeply, his eyes full of dissatisfaction, urging me to apologize to Melody Lee immediately, as if it were not my own arm I had scalded, but his entire future that was at stake. Later, to make amends for this so-called 'mistake,' I resigned from the design position where I was about to be promoted. That was an opportunity I had fought for over three years, one all my colleagues envied, yet I still gritted my teeth and handed in my resignation letter. I took out my own salary, the savings I had accumulated before marriage, even the dowry my parents left me, all to help Leo Collins present gifts to the leadership and treat colleagues to meals, hoping he would smoothly become the Manager. But not only did he fail to become Manager, he also, driven by impatience for quick success, tried to cover up his mistakes by falsifying accounts, which the company ultimately uncovered. After the incident, he showed no remorse and immediately shifted all the blame onto me: "It's because you didn't manage the household well and distracted me every day that I made such mistakes!" I lost my job and became a full-time housewife, staying up late every day to wash clothes, cook meals, and clean for their entire family. My health gradually deteriorated. In the end, I died coughing up blood in the rented room. Just before my death, Leo Collins even came and pulled out my oxygen tube, snarling viciously, "If it weren't for you, I would have soared to success long ago! You have been a burden to me all my life!" When I opened my eyes again, I found myself back to the moment right before Mr. Carter knocked on the door.