I Was A People-Pleaser, I Drove Them Mad

Chapter 2

Early the next morning, an argument broke out in the dining room.

Freda claimed her prescription asthma inhaler had disappeared.

She glanced at me with fake innocence. "Vicky, did you accidentally take it?"

I immediately shook my head with an eager smile. "I've never even seen medicine that expensive before. Medicine is for rich people. But if you want one, I'd sell myself to get it for you."

She instantly fell silent.

Meanwhile, I was squatting beside the trash can with a stainless steel bowl in my lap, eating leftovers from last night.

Freda suddenly started crying at the breakfast table. "Is Vicky refusing to eat with us because of me?"

Her hand trembled as she held her fork.

Steward slammed his palm against the table and shot to his feet.

He strode straight toward me. "Vicky, are you done? Do you really have to pull this pathetic stunt just to disgust Freda?"

Grinding his teeth, he continued, "Freda cried all night. Her asthma flared up this morning. Did you hide her backup inhaler? And what about the school uniform she was supposed to wear today? How did it end up in pieces? You've only been home for one day, and you're already pulling dirty tricks. Do you think we won't do anything to you?"

I still had half a cold bun hanging from my mouth. The moment he finished speaking, I slowly looked up.

There it was. The familiar accusations.

I placed the stainless steel bowl on top of my head, dropped to both knees, and confessed at the top of my lungs.

"It was me! I did all of it! I hid Freda's inhaler. I ruined her uniform. I even cursed her to choke every time she swallows! Stewart, you're brilliant. You saw right through a worthless piece of trash like me with just one look!"

I wrapped my arms around Steward's leg and looked up at him expectantly.

"Steward, according to the rules, you should lock me in the basement, cut off my food and water for three days, or whip me. I'm ready. Would you rather use a belt or a cane? Either one's fine. I can take a beating."

Steward froze. Then he instinctively stepped backward.

"You... You're completely insane."

"Sir, Vicky didn't hide the inhaler." A calm male voice came from the doorway.

Hogan, the family's new butler, walked into the dining room in a perfectly tailored suit, carrying a silver tray.

Without the slightest hurry, he continued, "Freda accidentally left her inhaler on the edge of the wash stand last night. Then it fell into the drain."

Hogan handed a tablet to Steward. Security footage was playing on the screen.

"As for the school uniform, a new housekeeper mistakenly used the wrong bleach, which damaged the fabric. She has already admitted to it."

Steward stared at the footage. His face quickly flushed bright red.

Freda's face turned pale as she lowered her head and quietly poked at her breakfast.

Steward turned back toward me, still kneeling on the floor.

"If you didn't do it, then why did you admit it? Vicky, are you acting crazy on purpose? Are you trying to make all of us look like monsters? You want everyone to think we're abusing you, don't you?"

"Steward!" I waved my hands frantically. My eyes filled with tears.

"I'm not acting! I really am trash! Please don't believe the butler. The security cameras must be tampered with. I did it! Please punish me. If you don't punish me, I won't be able to sleep tonight."

Steward trembled with rage. He grabbed my collar and yanked me up.

"What the hell is wrong with you? You think acting like this will make me feel sorry for you? What exactly do you want?"

"I want to stay alive..."

Looking at his furious face, I suddenly coughed again. Blood spilled from the corner of my mouth.

Those people shared my blood. Yet they had never truly cared about me.

Even after seeing me cough up blood, none of them asked if I was okay. If they'd shown me even the tiniest bit of concern, they would've known I was dying from severe kidney disease.

I didn't have much time left, but I still wanted to hold out.

I desperately wanted to live.

I clutched Steward's wrist with both hands, voice trembling, face set.

"Steward, I already tried explaining—the first seven times."

Steward froze. "What did you just say?"

"In my first life, I told you I didn't steal the inhaler. You didn't believe me. You held my head underwater until I suffocated."

I looked straight into his eyes. A bitter smile tugged at my lips.

"In my third life, I fought back. I told everyone Freda set me up. Dad and Mom slapped my face until it was swollen beyond recognition. You broke both my legs with a golf club. Then you left me outside to freeze to death."

I continued, "In my fifth life, I tried to run away. You dragged me back and said I had no shame. You locked me inside the dog cage in the basement. You starved me for ten straight days..."

Silence swallowed the dining room.

The glass of milk slipped from Helen's hand. It shattered across the floor.

"Wh-What are you talking about?"

Steward immediately let go of me and stumbled backward. His voice was shaking now.

"What first life? What third life? Are you delusional?"

I collapsed onto the floor. Carefully, I picked up my cold bun.

I blew the dust off and stuffed it back into my mouth.

"I'm not delusional."

Chewing the sandy bread, I crawled over and hugged Steward's leg again.

"I'm just terrified of dying. I've already died seven times. Every single time I tried to prove I was innocent... I ended up dead. So this eighth time, I'll confess to anything, as long as you don't kill me. I'd even eat dog s**t if that's what you wanted."

Steward staggered backward several steps, knocking over the chair behind him.

Freda let out a shrill scream and clung tightly to Helen's arm.

They all stared at me with fear in their eyes. To them, I had finally gone completely insane.

Only Hogan remained where he was, quietly watching everything.

There was no shock in his eyes, only a hint of pity.