After Being Hurt 99 Times, I Abandoned My Family

I was the apple of my parents’ eyes and the beloved little sister my two older brothers had always protected. On the day of my coming-of-age ceremony, I was struck unconscious by a falling beam while trying to protect them. When I opened my eyes, Suzy Lane, a system agent, had already taken control of my body. At first, my parents and brothers desperately tried to drive this “invader” out. That changed when Suzy, her eyes red from crying, told them, “I don’t want to cling to you either, but… Nora Hart can only return if your love for me reaches a perfect score!” Everyone then began forcing themselves to treat her like family. My parents’ stiff replies, filled with barely concealed disgust, gradually changed into questions about her favorite foods and preferences. Before long, they were bringing home little gifts she liked every day without even realizing it; My brothers also stopped calling her an “invader” and began affectionately calling her “Suki,” a nickname they made just for her. A year later, Suzy completed her mission. I finally regained control of my own body. But when I opened my eyes in delight, I saw unmistakable disappointment in my parents’ and brothers’ eyes. They pretended to be overjoyed by my return, but behind my back, they repeatedly tried to bring Suzy back by hurting me. After I was harmed for the ninety-ninth time, I heard them say. “Let’s try for three more days. If Suzy still doesn’t come back, we’ll force ourselves to accept Nora.” What they didn’t know was this: I had a system too. In three days, I would leave them for good… Chapter 1 While I was walking in the yard, a flowerpot suddenly fell from the floor above and struck me hard. With a loud crash, pain exploded through my head, and warm liquid trickled down my neck. I had already lost count of how many times I had been injured in the three months since my return. The bruises from falling down the stairs had not faded yet, and the scars from the burns in the kitchen were still red. Now, I had another wound that was bleeding freely… But when my blurred vision caught sight of my parents and brothers rushing toward me in panic, the pain seemed to ease. My life had been rather unlucky since my return, but with my family by my side, none of it mattered. Slowly, I sank into darkness, with only my consciousness drifting through the pain. In a daze, I heard my family speaking in hushed voices. My father’s voice was tense as he asked anxiously, "Can we bring Suzy back this time?" My older brother, Nathan Hart, answered with confidence, "I think it might work. After all, Suki only appeared after a crossbeam struck Nora. “This was the closest we’ve come to replicating the injury." My other brother, Noman Hart, sounded even more excited. "I remember the crossbeam that fell back then was extremely thick, so I deliberately chose a large flowerpot. I calculated its weight and impact force. It was a perfect replica…" "But… we can’t keep trying this forever!" My mother’s trembling hand suddenly brushed over the crisscrossing scars on my arm. The unhealed burns began to sting painfully again. I thought she would be the one who felt sorry for me. Instead, I heard her say, "Suzy is terrified of pain. If she really comes back to find this body covered in injuries, how much would she suffer?" My father immediately took out his phone and called an ambulance. After he hung up, his voice returned to its usual calmness. "If Suzy still can’t come back, we should stop for now!" Noman sighed in agreement. "We’ve been injuring her too often lately. Suki definitely wouldn’t want a ruined body either. We should let it recover before we figure out what to do next." Chapter 2 Nathan still refused to give up. He gritted his teeth and set a final deadline. "Let’s hold on for three more days. If it still doesn’t work, we’ll have to settle for Nora Hart for now." Only then did I finally understand. The "accidents" I experienced over the past three months had never been accidents. Every injury was inflicted on me by the family I loved more than anything. And they did it all to bring back Suzy Lane, the woman who stole my body! I wanted to scream and demand an explanation, but only the metallic taste of blood rose in my throat. The ambulance siren pierced the silence. They rushed over and lifted me onto the stretcher, their faces filled with concern as they pleaded desperately with the paramedics. "Please save her! You have to make sure she recovers completely!" Their trembling hands and reddened eyes looked almost exactly as they had a year ago, when the falling beam struck me. In a daze, I felt as if I had returned to the day of my eighteenth birthday celebration. My parents had searched the entire city before renting an old banquet hall that was the same age as me. Beneath the carved dome, crystal chandeliers reflected the envious gazes of the guests. "Oh my goodness, Nora Hart’s eighteenth birthday celebration is so extravagant. Even a fairytale princess couldn’t ask for more!" "She’s brilliant, comes from a wealthy family, and everyone at home treats her like the apple of their eye… Tsk, she’s so lucky it makes me jealous." What a perfect eighteenth birthday it had been! My parents each held one of my arms as they led me toward the towering cake display, while my two brothers followed close behind like knights guarding a princess. I was so happy that my nose began to sting. I tilted my head back to hold back my tears, only to notice the dangerously unstable beam overhead. My body reacted before my mind could. My outstretched hand brushed against my mother’s silk shawl. My father’s gold-rimmed glasses flew through the air. Before my brothers could even cry out, darkness swallowed my vision. Back then, they had surrounded me just like this, their voices trembling as they shouted at the paramedics. "Please save her… Please, save her!" Now, everything seemed unchanged. The only difference was that the person they were waiting to wake up was no longer me, Nora Hart, but the female system agent, Suzy Lane. At that moment, I decided to grant their wish. I summoned the system with my consciousness. "Back when my identity was taken from me, you promised me compensation. Does that offer still stand?" A cold, mechanical voice sounded the next second. [Of course. I can create a brand-new vessel for you, preserving your memories and personality while resetting your social ties so that you begin as an orphan.] "Will I… occupy someone else’s body?" [No. It will be an independently created identity with no prior owner. It will take only three days to register.] I fell silent for a moment before forcing a dry "Okay" from my throat. In that case, three days from now, I would return this body to their beloved Suzy. Hot tears suddenly broke free and burned a winding trail down my pallid face. "Look… Is she waking up?" Nathan’s startled cry drew everyone’s attention. The chairs toppled awkwardly as everyone sprang to their feet, and frantic footsteps surged toward me like a wave… I slowly opened my eyes. Four pairs of eyes immediately fixed on me. Each gaze held hesitation, as if they wanted to speak but could not, along with deep anticipation. At that moment, I absurdly hoped they would call my name—Nora. Then Noman’s trembling voice shattered the silence. "Suki…?" The sugary nickname struck me like a hard slap and jolted me awake. I looked at their suddenly tense faces, forced the corners of my lips upward, and managed a weak smile. Chapter 3 "Sorry to disappoint you… I’m Nora Hart." The moment I finished speaking, Noman suddenly flung open the hospital room door. The metal frame slammed against the wall, making my eardrums throb. Dad swallowed several times before forcing out an explanation. "I still have an… acquisition deal waiting for me to sign." Nathan unlocked his phone and deliberately raised his voice, making it especially grating. "All right, Mr. Johnson. I’ll see you in half an hour…" I clenched the bedsheet and looked at Mom with the last bit of hope I had left. "Could you stay and keep me company?" She lowered her eyes to glance at her watch before answering evasively. "Nora, I’ve already arranged to play golf with Mrs. Cook today. Her family’s support is very important to your father’s business…" When I said nothing, she absentmindedly tucked in the already smooth edge of the blanket beside me and said casually, "Be a good girl. I’ll bring you your favorite strawberry cake tonight." I stared at her flawlessly made-up profile. The words "Blueberry is my favorite" turned over on the tip of my tongue several times, but I ultimately swallowed them. I suddenly remembered that strawberry cake was Suzy’s favorite. All I could manage was a nearly inaudible, "Okay." Yet twenty-four hours passed without a single person coming to see me. During the doctor’s final rounds, his tone had already turned detached and businesslike. "Your payment only covers today. If you don’t settle the balance by seven tonight, you’ll have to be discharged." I looked at the empty bedside table and quietly completed the discharge process. When I returned home alone, I found the entire mansion shrouded in darkness, like a hollow tomb. Even the most hardworking servants were nowhere to be seen. I was still wondering what had happened when I suddenly noticed that the neighboring villa was brightly lit, with faint laughter drifting from inside. I looked through the window, and my breath caught. The man carrying a champagne glass who had just passed by was unmistakably Nathan! Why hadn’t he come home? What was he doing in the neighboring villa? I was still thinking about it when I felt something soft brush against my ankle. I looked down and met a pair of amber eyes. It was Mimi, the stray cat I used to feed, and the only living creature that was still willing to come near me after my return. It rubbed against my ankle and purred softly. I picked her up and, almost as if possessed, walked toward the brightly lit villa. Through the ornate glass doors, I caught sight of a massive artistic portrait that covered an entire wall. The girl wore my face, but she was dressed in the pink dress I hated most. I could tell at a glance that she wasn’t me. The gold lettering beneath it stabbed painfully at my eyes. [Happy Birthday, Princess Suzy! January 25—A Day to Remember] My birthday was in August. The entire room was steeped in Suzy’s sickly-sweet taste. Even the air carried the gardenia scent she loved. There was not the slightest trace of me. At that moment, I heard Noman slam his fist against the wall. "It failed again! Damn it, this is so annoying! When are we ever going to bring Suki back?" Dad’s brows drew tightly together as the cigarette between his fingers glowed and dimmed. "The doctor said her body is severely weakened. According to our agreement… we have only two days left." Nathan thought for a long while before suggesting a new approach. "I remember that when Suki first arrived, Nora suffered not only physical injuries but also severe emotional trauma. What if we try that?" Noman suddenly slammed his hand on the table, his eyes blazing with near-manic excitement. "Exactly! The moment Nora returned, she started rummaging through every cabinet and box for her worthless junk, trying to prove that she had once existed. She left us no choice but to hide all of Suki’s belongings here…" Chapter 4 He sneered and tapped his fingers against the table. "Why don’t we set fire to everything she treasures while she’s still in the hospital? Maybe… the shock will finally make her spirit collapse completely?" Mom hesitated, her voice as soft as a sigh. "Surely it won’t come to that… Nora may not know how to act spoiled like Suzy or cling to us while saying sweet things, but she has still lived with us for eighteen years…" Dad swept a cold gaze over their hesitation, then ground out his cigarette in the ashtray. "Let’s try it. We can always buy Nora new things afterward. She has always been easy to placate. A little coaxing is all it takes to make her feel better." I crouched in the shadows with Mimi in my arms and watched them return to the old villa. Then I watched helplessly as my computer, diaries, every gift I had received over the past eighteen years, and even my room twisted and collapsed in the flames, eventually turning into a glaring sea of red. The heat blasted against my face, but my blood felt colder than ice. Suddenly, Mimi broke free from my arms. Her orange shape flashed like lightning as she charged straight toward the inferno devouring my past. "Who’s there?!" Nathan’s furious roar tore through the night. "It’s that animal Nora always fed!" Noman’s voice carried a sick excitement. "Hurry! Don’t let it get away!" "Kill it, too. Nora will completely break down!" The blood in my veins froze. Nathan and Noman lunged at Mimi. One seized her by the neck while the other grabbed her hind legs. They were about to strangle her. "Don’t!" I charged toward the fire like a madwoman, but the blast of heat sent me tumbling to the ground. Scalding tears burned trails down my face. I could no longer tell whether the pain came from the smoke or the agony in my heart. "Nora?!" Mom’s voice exploded behind me. I slowly raised my head and saw them standing at the villa entrance. The firelight cast their expressions from viciousness to shock. "When did you come back?" Dad’s voice sounded somewhat strained. I lay sprawled in the yard, my oversized hospital gown whipping in the night wind. "The hospital said… my account was overdue." Only then did they realize that no one had taken care of me since I woke up. The air suddenly froze. Mom gave an awkward explanation. "Everyone was busy, so w-we forgot…" Noman suddenly exploded. "Are you stupid? You had a phone and a bank card. Couldn’t you pay the bill yourself?" I lowered my head and answered honestly. "You took my phone away on the day I came back. You said you would buy me a new one, but I never heard anything after that. "As for the bank card… the PIN was wrong, so I couldn’t use it." All four of them froze. For the first time, I saw a trace of guilt in their eyes. "If you forgot the PIN, why didn’t you ask?" Nathan’s furious roar broke the silence, but the obvious guilt in his voice betrayed his unease. "Suki is so clever and always says exactly what she wants. Unlike you, you’re as quiet as a locked box." I lowered my eyes, unsure how to respond. After a year apart, I returned to find every one of them treating me with distance and suspicion. I felt like a stranger who had wandered into someone else’s home, terrified that one wrong word or step would make them reject me completely. How could I bring myself to ask them for anything else? Noman could not stand the suffocating atmosphere. He kicked over the loose stones by his feet in fury, then pointed at me and shouted. "Why are you making that pathetic face again? Ever since you came back, this family hasn’t had a moment of peace! Now there’s even been a fire! The house is burned down, and our home is gone. Are you happy now?" Chapter 5 Nathan delivered another cruel blow with a cold laugh. "You’re nowhere near as good as Suki! After she came, she helped our family secure three international patents in a row and elevated us straight into high society. What can you do besides cause trouble?" I slowly raised my eyes. "The fire? The patents?" How ridiculous. They started the fire themselves. As for the patents, the old me had stayed up countless nights developing them, hoping to surprise them after my coming-of-age ceremony. I never expected Suzy to steal all the credit. The application dates were clearly printed on the documents. If they had been willing to take a closer look, they would have known that I was the one who earned those patents. Yet they continued to believe they were all Suzy’s achievements… Dad waved his hand impatiently. "Enough! The house is burned down, so let it burn. We’ll stay in a hotel tonight!" The four of them exchanged a knowing glance, their eyes drifting toward the villa next door at the same time. The villa was the "new home" they had carefully prepared for Suzy. It was a place I was forbidden to enter. I quietly watched their guilty expressions and nodded. "Okay." It didn’t matter. My home, the one that belonged to me, was gone long ago. The fire had merely destroyed the last fragment of my self-deception. We checked into a hotel near home. In the middle of the night, I woke to the ragged breathing around me. When I opened my eyes, five dark figures were looming over me. I struggled to turn on the bedside lamp and found myself staring into their slimy, repulsive eyes. The door, which I had locked from the inside, stood inexplicably wide open, while the hallway light cast distorted shadows across the carpet. "Help—!" Before I could finish screaming, a hand clamped over my mouth. The chain on the door to my parents’ room rattled, and Mom’s pale face flashed briefly through the opening. But in the next second, Nathan’s hand seized her like an iron clamp and dragged her back. Noman even shut the door with a cold expression. When pain exceeds a certain threshold, the mind activates a protective mechanism. I felt as if I were floating near the ceiling, forced to watch the version of myself below being brutalized. The argument from the room next door drifted over in broken fragments. Mom’s voice trembled. "She’s only nineteen… Even if it’s for Suzy, you can’t treat her like this! How will Suzy accept this body when she comes back?" Noman lowered his head and ground his heel against the floor, his tone careless. "Mom! Bringing Suzy back is what matters most! Can’t you see that Nora doesn’t care about this family anymore?" Nathan immediately voiced his agreement. "Exactly. The only person she cares about is herself! There’s only one day left. This is the only method I could think of. We can bring Suzy back only if Nora completely breaks down!" After a moment of silence, Dad delivered his cold verdict. "The method may be inappropriate, but the objective is correct. Remember, this stays between us. Suzy is a clean freak and can’t stand anything like this. Once she comes back, you’ll have to make it up to her twice over!" I listened to them. My fingernails had already dug into my palms, yet I could not feel any pain. Ha… Suzy. It was always Suzy. Why was I always the one who suffered while she was always the one who received their comfort and compensation…? The door suddenly swung open, and all four of them averted their eyes. Mom forced out a fake smile, her voice tense. "The hotel security isn’t very good. You… nothing happened to you, right?" I stared at her and suddenly decided I was done pretending. "Stop acting." I raised my hand and pointed at the wall. "This wall is as thin as paper. You heard every single thing that happened to me just now, loud and clear. And I heard every word you said, too."