Reborn: No More Ms. Nice Girl

Reborn in 1982, the first thing I did was kick the bassinet with the unwanted baby in it.

Last time around, taking that kid in was the worst mistake of my life. The whole town treated me like trash, assuming I was some unwed mother.

Just when I was at my lowest, Shane offered to marry me, saying he didn't care about my past.

After the wedding, he sweet-talked me into giving up my chance to move back to the city for his sister, Shelly. Then, the bastard smothered my own baby and disappeared.

I was left to raise that foundling alone, taking care of Shane’s mom until she died.

Years of back-breaking work later, I was bedridden with a terminal illness, and that's when Shane showed up, ready to drop the bomb.

Turns out, he’d set me up to take in that baby to protect Shelly’s reputation.

I spent decades struggling, while he and Shelly were off living the high life.

Then my adopted son tried to force me to divorce Shane, so his real parents could finally be together.

I refused. If I was going to die, I'd drag them down with me.

That twisted family threw me out to die in some run-down shed, starving and sick.

Later, Shane stood at my grave, tossing fake money into the flames.

"You wouldn't give me a divorce, and you made Shelly suffer without a ring on her finger. Now that you’re gone, I forgive you. Just don’t be a homewrecker in your next life."

The infant in the bassinet was freezing, its face red, its cries getting weaker.

The ungrateful brat I’d raised last time wouldn’t even give me a sip of water, just watched me, half-paralyzed, crawling and lapping up dirty water from the floor.

I clenched my fists, no more hesitation, no more weakness, and walked back into my house.

Soon, a frantic pounding shook my door, growing more intense, like he wanted to tear it off its hinges.

"Claire, are you in there?"

It was Shane.

Right now, he must be freaking out, wondering if I’d taken the baby.

With weather this cold, he must be worried sick that the kid would get sick.

Yeah, right.

I heated water, waiting until it was just warm enough to drink, and leisurely opened the door.

He lost his balance from all the knocking and almost fell inside.

Seeing how cold I was, he paused, forcing down his anger, and peered inside the house.

"Claire, what are you doing? Why didn’t you answer? Is everything okay?"

He was testing the waters, scared I’d figured him out.

Playing dumb? I could do that.

I rubbed my eyes, acting confused.

"I was sleeping."

Shane’s face changed. He pushed past me, stomping into the house, and ripped back the blankets, only to find an empty bed.

He looked around, panicked.

"It’s not here? How is that possible?"

I finally realized how pathetic his acting was.

And how blind and stupid I used to be.

"What’s not here?"

I did everything I could to suppress my hate, my voice icy.

Shane snapped back to reality, grabbing my wrist.

"Did you find something on the road and hurry back? Otherwise, you’d be out in the fields working for Shelly, not here sleeping!"

Sh...