She Saw Treasure, I Saw Death

My sister had seen object values since childhood. Through her gifts, she moved our parents from the slums to a river-view villa.

On leave from the research institute, I found her showing off a stone in the living room. Mom, Dad, this holds imperial green jade worth a fortune, she claimed. Our parents fawned over it, touching it in awe.

One glance told me the stone contained a deadly radioactive source. Panicked, I grabbed gloves and rushed to contain it. My mother shoved me back. Jealous of your sisters talent? Stop spouting nonsense!

With no choice, I suited up and cut it open. The dull gray mineral inside horrified mebut not them. My mother slapped me. You ruined Serenas treasure! They stripped my suit and locked me in the storage room with the source to reflect.

I pounded the door, bleeding from every orifice, until I died.

When I opened my eyes, my sister was again holding that stone. This life, I would let them bask in their own blessed glow.

Perhaps my gaze stayed on the stone too long, because Serena Brooks glanced at me suspiciously and hugged it closer.

Then her eyes turned, and a smug smile spread across her face.

Her tone was full of disdain.

Alyssa, you finally dragged yourself out of that shabby research institute? You work yourself to death for that tiny salary all year. Its not even a fraction of what I make finding one bargain.

If you ask me, quit already and come be my driver. At least then youd contribute something to the family.

My parents immediately echoed her.

My mother rolled her eyes, her voice thick with sarcasm.

Exactly, Alyssa. You were born without that kind of luck. You found some useless job and work yourself to the bone, but what you earn in a year cant compare to one of Serenas outings.

You might as well come back and work for Serena. Maybe you can borrow a little of her luck and change that hard-life face of yours.

Their belittling and insults had long ago become routine whenever I came home.

My ears were numb to it.

They called me cursed, laughed that I had no fortune, then lifted Serena up as the familys lucky star.

As if my existence was only meant to highlight Serenas luck.

My face showed no emotion.

I was too lazy to respond. I only wanted to find my documents quickly, so I mumbled something vague and turned toward the stairs.

But my refusal to react displeased Serena.

What she enjoyed most was watching me become humiliated and helpless.

My calm gave her no satisfaction.

So she grabbed my mothers arm and shook it, malice glittering openly in her eyes.

Mom, since Alyssa is back, didnt Grandma leave behind a silver bracelet? Why dont we divide it today?

Same old rules. You and Dad put the items in two boxes. This time, Ill let her choose first, so she cant keep whining behind our backs that you favor me.

She said it playfully, as if this were a fun game.

She did not treat Grandmas belongings as keepsakes, nor did she care about my feelings.

This choose-one trick had long been her favorite way to humiliate me.

Everyone knew she could see the value of objects.

For her, this was never a fair choice.

It was a rigged game, set up so she could laugh at my lack of fortune.

At first, the boxes only contained toys or jewelry my parents bought.

But later, when they saw I did not care about those things, they turned their attention to Grandmas relics.

Before Grandma died, she had clearly said those things were for me.

But over the years, in Serenas little games, she snatched them away one by one.

Whether valuable or worthless, she refused to leave me even one memory.

And this silver bracelet was the last thing Grandma had left behind.

This game had finally reached the point where it should end.

My mother skillfully took out two identical wooden boxes from the cabinet and placed them on the coffee table.

She looked at me with a half-smile, unable to hide the mockery in her voice.

Alyssa, look how considerate Serena is. Shes even letting you pick first. Dont be ungrateful.

My parents and Serena all stared at me.

Their eyes shone with excitement, waiting for me to choose the empty box so they could mock me together.

With memories from my previous life, I remembered exactly what was inside each box.

Watching them struggle to suppress their smiles, I sneered inwardly and pointed directly at one of the boxes.

I want this one.

My parents and Serenas smiles froze instantly.

They stared at me in disbelief.

After a long silence, my mother forced herself to speak, bluffing.

Alyssa, Ill give you one more chance. Think carefully. Everyone knows your luck is terrible. Are you sure you dont want the other one?

I caught the undisguised shock in her eyes and shook my head firmly.

This one. Open it.

My words did not make them move.

Instead, the three of them exchanged glances.

After their eyes met, my mother suddenly pointed at me and shrieked.

Alyssa, did you peek when I was putting the things in?

Serena looked at me with contempt too.

You cheated even at a game. How boring. This round doesnt count. Were choosing again.

As soon as she said that, my parents snatched the boxes back and went into another room to switch them behind my back.

They did not even bother asking my opinion.

Soon, the two boxes were placed back on the coffee table.

My mother pressed down on the lids as if guarding against a thief.

Choose.

Expressionless, I lifted my hand and pointed at one at random.

This time, my parents finally relaxed.

Serena immediately opened the other box and proudly snapped the silver bracelet onto her wrist.

I knew you cheated earlier. Alyssa, how could you possibly have good luck? A cursed thing like you thinks she can compare to a lucky star like me?

I curved my lips into a cold smile and slowly stepped back.

I did not bother defending myself.

She was right.

From childhood to now, my luck had never compared to hers.

Before Serena could even speak, my parents once pushed her out for a walk in her stroller.

When they passed a scratch-off lottery stand, she grabbed one ticket and refused to let go.

When my parents tried to take it, she cried loudly, so they had no choice but to buy it.

That one scratch-off ticket changed our familys life overnight.

At first, everyone thought it was a coincidence.

But as Serena grew older, every time she went out, she could bring back treasures worth thousands or even hundreds of thousands.

Only then did my family quietly understand her special ability.

As for me, I was not a cursed disaster star by nature.

I was just an ordinary person who could not win the lottery.

But compared with Serenas glow, I looked especially unlucky.

At first, my parents did not treat me too badly.

I was their eldest daughter, after all. Although they favored the younger one, they still treated me decently.

But as Serena brought the family more and more profit, they lifted her up as the treasure of the household.

They obeyed her every wish and helped her push me down wherever they could.

Over time, they truly began to hate me, the older sister Serena called cursed.

For years, I endured silently.

After all, the family had benefited because of her, and I had also enjoyed some of that comfort.

As long as my giving in could maintain a surface-level peace at home, I did not argue.

Even when Grandmas belongings were taken from me one by one, I said nothing.

But in my previous life, when I died in that storage room, blood pouring from every opening, I finally woke up completely.

My parents and Serena had long since lost every trace of family affection toward me.

In their eyes, I was only a toy for their amusement.

Even if they killed me with their own hands, they would feel no guilt.

Thinking of how, after my death, they lied to the outside world and said I had illegally researched radioactive materials and suffered the consequences, ruining my reputation and all my hard work, hatred surged inside me.

My life had already been repaid to them.

This time, it was their turn to taste Serenas radiant luck.

I had planned to take my documents and leave.

But unexpectedly, Serena suddenly carried that deadly stone and strutted into my room.

Then she shoved it right in front of my face.

The moment I saw the stone that had killed me in my previous life, every hair on my body stood up.

I instinctively stepped back, my voice tightening.

Serena, why did you bring that thing here?

Right now, I had no protection on.

I did not dare get close to the stone at all.

Even though the radioactive material inside was still wrapped by rock, I did not want the slightest contact with it.

Serena did not care.

She only glanced at me dismissively, then looked around my room, her tone full of arrogance.

Why are you reacting so dramatically? Are you still bitter about losing the bracelet? That was your own bad luck.

My treasure room is full. Dad already contacted someone to come this afternoon and turn half your room into storage shelves for me.

As she spoke, she pushed the stone even closer to my face, her eyes high and superior.

Dont you have any sense? Ive been holding it this long. Dont you know to take it from me?

Store this jade rough properly for me. If it gets chipped or damaged, selling you wouldnt be enough to pay for it.

Seeing how guarded I remained, refusing to reach out no matter what, Serena sneered.

Then she simply placed the mud-stained stone directly on my bed.

She did not care that dirt and gravel spilled all over my sheets.

Then she turned and walked away.

Staring at that unremarkable stone, I felt the pain of radiation poisoning from my previous life sweep over me again.

The memory was so vivid that cold sweat poured down my back.

I did not dare delay.

I hurried to take out a protective suit from my suitcase and put it on.

Only then did I feel slightly able to breathe.

I refused to spend another second in the same room as that lethal thing.

I grabbed the documents I had found, stuffed them into my bag, and quickly headed out.

Alyssa, where are you going? Didnt I tell you to watch my stone properly?

Just as I reached the living room, Serenas questioning voice crashed down on me.

When my mother heard it, she immediately joined in with sharp accusations.

Alyssa, this family raised you for so many years. Now youre making excuses when we ask you to do one little thing?

Go back and guard that treasure. If anything happens to it, Ill hold you responsible.

Before she finished, she reached out and grabbed my arm, trying to drag me back to the room.

Of course I was not willing to go down with their whole family beside that damned radioactive object.

I struggled hard.

During the struggle, my coat was accidentally pulled open, revealing the protective suit underneath.

Serena had been yelling for Dad to come teach me a lesson.

When she saw the suit, her face instantly darkened.

Her suspicious gaze swept over the protective suit several times.

Her voice became guarded.

Alyssa, why are you dressed like that at home?

At Serenas question, my mother tightened her grip on my arm, as if she would not let go unless I explained.

I sneered inwardly.

What was there to say?

In my last life, I had fought with all my strength to stop them from being harmed by radiation, only to be locked up and left to die.

If I exposed the truth about the stone now, they might once again force me to cut it open, just like before.

I would be the one to suffer again.

Seeing me remain silent, Serena stepped closer.

Her eyes were full of urgent suspicion, her tone sharper and sharper.

Alyssa, why are you acting mute? Wearing that creepy thing at home, are you trying to disgust us? Or did you hide something shameful in your room to harm the whole family?

As she spoke, she reached out to tear at my protective suit.

My heart tightened.

I yanked myself free from my mothers grip and stepped back, creating distance.

Then I said coldly, Youre overthinking. Im wearing this because the institute recently received a batch of samples that might contain radioactive material. Im used to taking precautions.

I already said Im busy today. I only came back to get some things. I dont have time to watch your treasure.

Radioactive material?

Serena instantly stepped several paces back and covered her mouth and nose, her face full of disgust.

You handled that kind of thing and still dared come home? Alyssa, how malicious can you be?

My mother quickly shook the hand that had touched my clothes, as if she had been contaminated by something filthy.

Disgust nearly spilled out of her eyes.

I knew you were up to no good. Alyssa, get out of this house right now. Dont come back if you dont need to. Dont bring bad luck to our family.

They cursed at me and shoved me toward the door.

When the door slammed shut in front of me, the heart that had been hanging in my chest finally settled completely.

Now I would not have to enjoy the radiation blessing with them.

Not long after, news spread through the circle that the Brooks family had obtained an imperial green rough stone and would soon host an auction.

Although the Brooks family had only risen in recent years as nouveau riche, Serenas ability to find overlooked treasures had already attracted many admirers.

This time, to witness the cutting of imperial green with their own eyes, business owners and jewelers came in endless waves, filling the banquet hall.

At the banquet, Serena stood in the center holding the rough stone.

Listening to the waves of praise around her, she smiled so widely her eyes narrowed into slits.

Her face was full of pride.

My parents stood beside her, surrounded by flattery.

Their backs were straighter than ever, as if they had already reached the threshold of top-tier high society.

From beginning to end, no one mentioned me, the Brooks familys eldest daughter.

It was as if I had never existed.

Amid endless compliments, Serena grew even more pleased.

She waved for my parents to bring over the cutting machine so everyone could see.

The machine sliced down several times, peeling away the stone layer by layer.

But the expected imperial green did not appear.

What emerged was only a dull gray stone with somewhat unusual patterns.

The smiles on the guests faces froze instantly.

The banquet hall, noisy moments ago, suddenly fell into dead silence.

People glanced at one another and began whispering in low voices.

Serenas smile froze too.

Her eyes filled with confusion and panic.

But under my parents anxious, helpless gazes, she forced herself to stay calm and promised confidently,

Mom, Dad, dont panic. When have I ever missed?

Even if this isnt imperial green, look at these special patterns. It must still be a priceless treasure.

Its fine if we dont recognize it. There are so many knowledgeable buyers here. Someone will know its value.

After saying that, she took a deep breath, picked up the cut stone, raised it high, and put a confident smile back on her face.

Everyone, although this isnt imperial green, Im sure you can see how unique it is.

The starting bid for this stone is ten million. Anyone interested may begin bidding.

She waited expectantly for bids from the crowd.

But what answered her was my mothers shrill, distorted scream from behind.

Serena. You... Why is your nose bleeding so much?