Reborn At My Father's Funeral

I snuck a glance at that woman; she still wore that haughty expression, not a hint of panic. The coffin slowly opened, revealing Dad lying inside. He visibly frowned at the sudden intrusion of light. Seeing him like this, I lunged forward in front of everyone. I cried out. "Dad, how could you be so cruel! How could you leave Mom and me!" Then, I plunged an awl I had hidden into Dad's thigh. The scene turned dramatic as everyone witnessed the "dead" man suddenly sit up with a loud yell. "Ahhhhhhh! It hurts!" My tears flowed as I watched my "resurrected" Dad. The attendees held their breath, thinking it was a miracle. Only Grandma glared at me with angry eyes. Mom, flustered, hurried over. "Antony, you... you're alive?" I quickly got up from Dad, smiling at Mom. "See, I told you Dad wasn't dead!" Dad finally processed what had happened. His face darkened as he awkwardly addressed everyone. "I couldn't bear to leave them. Maybe their cries brought me back," he said. I wouldn't have it. Mom, however, was overjoyed and hugged him, oblivious to Dad and Grandma's stiff expressions and the angry glare of the little boy behind them. I shot him a taunting look.

The boy's fists clenched tightly at his sides, hatred flaring in his eyes. I deliberately spoke loudly, "Dad loves Mom and me so much. He came back because he couldn't leave us." I gave Dad a hopeful look, and he guiltily nodded. "Yes, I just love you guys so much." My smile widened as I hugged Dad's neck, a victorious glint in my eyes as I stared straight at him. Three, two, one... Sure enough, the boy couldn't hold back. "He doesn't love you the most, he loves me and Mom!" His loud voice echoed through the hall. Everyone looked at him. He walked slowly towards us. "I'm Antony Thomas' only son!" he declared. "He told me he never liked you or your Mom!" Mom looked at him in astonishment until she saw his features clearly. Her eyes filled with despair. The woman couldn't hold back either and walked over, saying to Mom, "Please don't misunderstand. "He is just speaking nonsense. We're decent people and would never do such a thing." Dad's eyes shone as he looked at her, admiration and approval deepening with each word she spoke, making him nod in agreement. She was well prepared. I stared at my confused Mom and called out, "Ma'am, aren't you Dad's college girlfriend, Tammy Dunbar? Is your son Dad's illegitimate child?" Her face flushed slightly. "Please don't slander me. I've always conducted myself properly. How could I have an illegitimate child?" I raised an eyebrow. "Oh, you're right. He's not really an illegitimate child, just an unwanted bastard. And you, you're just the other woman..." Before I could finish, Dad jumped out of the coffin and slapped me hard. "How dare you talk to Ms. Dunbar like that, you're too disrespectful!" His slap was forceful, and my face instantly swelled. The ringing in my ears filled my head with a buzzing sound. It took me a long time to recover. Mom burst into tears, rushing to my side and holding me, glaring at Dad. "How could you hit your daughter so hard!" Dad only comforted his true love, completely ignoring us. I always knew he was a heartless man, unworthy of being my father. I wanted Mom to see that with this slap. "I was teaching her to behave. You didn't raise her well!" Dad scolded Mom instead. I held Mom's hand and said, "Mom, you see, Dad doesn't love us. He only cares about Ms. Dunbar and their child. He's been lying to us all along." Mom lowered her head, biting her lip. "I know." I was surprised that she knew. In my previous life, I thought Mom was unaware of all this. It turned out she always knew that Dad never loved us.

While everyone was still confused by this family drama, a group of thugs burst into the chapel, armed with iron bars and covered in tattoos. They began smashing and throwing things around, shouting, "Where is Antony Thomas? Pay us back!" In my previous life, at this moment, Dad was comfortably lying in the coffin while Mom dealt with these thugs alone. They saw Dad as deceased and demanded that Mom repay the debt. Mom then discovered that before he died, Dad had borrowed five million dollars in high-interest loans. With interest, the total amount to be repaid was around six million dollars. The stress of repaying the debt had contributed to her developing stomach cancer, leading to her death. Meanwhile, with a great amount of money, Dad lived a comfortable life with his true love and son. This time, my poor Dad had to face the consequences himself. As they roared with anger, Dad's face turned pale. He realized he should have been in the coffin, not standing here. I pointed to him and said, "Sir, he is Antony Thomas." Dad's face was pale with fear as he pleaded with the thugs. "I'll pay, I promise. Just give me a bit more time, and I'll have the money." The thugs then swaggered out of the chapel. In front of everyone, I spoke up again, "Dad, did you plan to borrow high-interest loans, fake your death, and run away with Ms. Dunbar?" Dad's face turned a dark shade of anger. I thwarted his plan, and I also made him lose face in front of Tammy. Furious, he came over and reached out to hit me, but Mom pushed him away. She glared at him and said, "If you lay a finger on Lorraine, I will fight you!" Dad retreated awkwardly, and the farce finally came to an end.

After this farce, the relationship between Dad and Tammy became public. Without hesitation, Dad packed his stuff and went straight to Tammy's house. As he was about to leave with his suitcase, Mom coldly said, "Let's get a divorce." Dad scoffed. "If it weren't for Tammy's kindness and her reluctance to hurt you, I would have divorced you." Without a trace of reluctance, he walked out of the home he had lived in for twelve years. After he left, Mom locked herself in her room for a long time. I pressed my ear to the door but heard nothing, fearing that Mom might be in despair. I gently opened the door and saw Mom sitting alone on the edge of the bed. She lowered her head and sobbed silently. My heart was broken when I saw her crying. I went over and tightly hugged her shoulders. After a long while of crying, she began to speak to herself. "I always knew he had a lover in his heart, someone disdained him and married to a wealthy man. She had brought him pain. "But I didn't expect him to treat me like a fool, pretending to be dead, borrowing money—how could I not know his intentions? "We've lived together for so many years. Even if he doesn't love us, doesn't he have any sense of responsibility? You are his daughter! Did he ever think... what would happen to us after he left?" As she spoke, she started crying again. I patted her, noticing how her once proud back now trembled, appearing so thin and fragile. "Mom, divorce Dad. I am confident that you will win. I will always be with you. "He doesn't love us, and we don't love him. No one is indispensable!" Mom looked up, her eyes swollen and red, and nodded gently. I was afraid that Mom might still soften her heart, so I confessed my experience of being reborn. After Mom's death, I was left alone and helpless. Dad, knowing that Mom had died after paying off the debt, came back flaunting his life with Tammy and her child. Grandma had always favored boys over girls, and Dad had a preference for them too. I was relegated to sleeping in a storage closet and was fed leftovers. It was even worse when I competed in a school physics competition with Tammy's child, Louis Dunbar, and Dad tampered with the scores to secure a recommendation for him. I was bullied by thugs, burned with cigarette butts, carved with a knife on my back, and ultimately beaten to death. All of this was orchestrated by Louis. Yet, Dad twisted the truth, claiming I had died accidentally, and hurriedly cremated me. As the flames roared, I heard his final words. "She's as foolish as her mother." I poured out all the grievances from my previous life. Mom was stunned for a long time after hearing everything. I knew she hadn't slept that night, but I also knew that a fierce determination was awakening within her. While she might tolerate harm against herself, she would reveal her sharpest claws and ensure that those who hurt her child would be utterly destroyed.

The next morning, Dad arrived at our house with Grandma. Without saying a word, Grandma began throwing our belongings outside. She yelled, "Get out! You've been mooching off my son for years—you've got too much from us!" Mom and I watched calmly as she raged. Dad stood by, mocking, "Mom, don't tire yourself out. You'll just dirty your hands." Mom took out her phone and started snapping pictures. "I'm documenting everything. You'll be paying for any damages, every last cent." Grandma snatched Mom's cell phone and threw it to the ground. She pointed a finger so close to Mom's face that it almost poked her, speaking harsh words. "Pay? Pay what? Let me tell you, if you're getting a divorce, the house and money are all ours!" I couldn't hold back and retorted, "You're dreaming! Dad's the one at fault." Grandma turned her anger on me. "Little brat, you ruined your Dad's plans, and now you're talking about fault? Your Mom couldn't keep a man, so she deserves nothing!" Dad slowly walked over to Mom. "I know you love me deeply. I'll leave Lorraine with you, but you'll have to handle that six million dollars debt." I stared at him in shock, wondering if my ears had gone faulty. He didn't want me but expected Mom to pay the debt. Did he lose his mind? Mom and I couldn't help but roll our eyes. Mom declared firmly. "The house is mine; the savings are mine; the child is mine. As for the debt, I'm not paying a penny." As soon as Mom finished speaking, Grandma upended the coffee table. "You must pay! I'll make sure you pay every last bit, even if it kills you!" Mom grabbed a broom from the hallway and started sweeping them out. Grandma's curses echoed from outside. "You dirty bitch, stop pretending to be so high and mighty. Son, you should have borrowed ten million dollars and worked her to death!" I waved my hand. "Then we'll see you in court."