Chapter 1
Edward Quan ·
After transmigrating into a wicked stepmother, I had to stay in character.
Every day, I made the eldest son peel shrimp, the second son brew tea, and the youngest daughter massage my back.
Half a month later, the male lead came home.
I'd already packed my bags and was waiting to be thrown out.
Instead, the eldest said, “Dad, don't just stand around. Go make Mom's bed.”
Me: “?”
“Host, all you need to do is stay in character and mistreat them every day!
“When the male lead returns and throws you out, your mission will be complete. You can retire in triumph!
“The reward is ten million yuan!”
I thumped my chest.
“Relax. When it comes to wickedness, if I claim second place, no one dares claim first.”
The System left, reassured.
A new boss had to make an impression.
I surveyed the three little beans before me, arranged from tallest to shortest like the bars of a Wi-Fi signal.
I'd pick one to make an example of first.
Let them see what I could do.
“You. Come massage my legs.”
I pointed at the eldest, Lu Wang.
In the future, he'd be gloomy and calculating, caring for no one but his younger siblings.
Unfortunately for him, right now he was just a little bean I could mold however I liked.
Humiliated, he crouched at my feet.
“Harder! Haven't you eaten?”
I'd barely finished shouting when a bone-deep pain shot through my leg.
I fell silent.
“Lu Wang, was it? Not bad.
“From today, your reward is permission to eat at the table with me.”
Constant mistreatment had left all three children hungry year-round.
They were as skinny as little monkeys.
Lu Wang looked up in surprise, as though asking why I'd suddenly become so kind.
Kind?
Impossible.
Not in this lifetime.
I leisurely added, “But every morning and evening, you'll each drink a glass of milk. I'll watch until you've finished.”
All three little beans immediately looked strange.
I threw back my head and laughed.
Exactly.
Every child hated milk.
I looked Lu Wang up and down and teased, “Call me Mom and beg nicely. I'll let you skip the milk. How about it?”
He snorted coldly and turned away in disgust.
Such backbone!
On my second day as a wicked stepmother, I gave Lu Wang, who refused to acknowledge the enemy as his mother, a new name.
Lu Dog-Egg.
Lu Dog-Egg stared at me in disbelief.
Furious, but afraid to object.
I glanced at the silent second son and bestowed a name.
“You're Lu Iron-Pillar.”
Then I turned to the blinking little girl with her innocent face and continued my devilish whisper.
“And you're Lu Third-Girl.”
Watching the three of them endure it, I cackled.
Being a wicked stepmother was fantastic.
Still, stepmotherhood had its troubles.
My husband was away, and the little beans caused trouble at school.
The teacher came to me first.
Early one morning, a call woke me.
“Are you Lu Zhou's guardian?
“He stole a classmate's money. Please come to school.”
Lu Zhou stole money?
It took me ages to drag myself out of bed.
Before I reached the staffroom door, I heard a shrill tirade.
“You penniless little cur! Lowborn trash! Learning to steal already!
“Did your mother steal your school fees too? You stink of poverty!
“You little animal, corrupting public morals! I'll teach you a lesson on your mother's behalf!”
I drew a deep breath and pushed open the door.
Lu Zhou was tiny and thin, not even as tall as the table legs. A handprint marked his pale face.
Tears threatened to spill under the torrent of insults.
Seeing me, he ducked his head in panic.
The teacher rose awkwardly.
“Hello, you're Lu Zhou's guardian—”
I pushed her aside and looked at the vicious woman opposite.
Then I swung my million-yuan handbag straight into her face.
“Fuck you!”
Slapping, hair-pulling—I used everything.
She howled in pain.
“You dare hit me, you bitch!
“I'm calling the police!
“You and your thieving son can spend the rest of your lives in prison!”
I slapped her again.
“Fine! Call them!
“Let's see who ends up in prison!”
I was the wicked stepmother. Who was I supposed to fear?
Until the male lead returned, I couldn't leave the stage anyway.
After venting my anger, I tossed the surveillance footage I'd just obtained onto the desk.
“Open your eyes and see who really stole the money!”
Lu Zhou hadn't left his seat all day.
The teacher stared.
“How is that possible? The classroom camera broke ages ago. It hasn't been repaired.”
The other woman snapped, “You even dare fake surveillance footage?”
I sneered.
For a wicked stepmother, getting a little footage from the System was hardly difficult...
I raised my fist menacingly at the chubby boy beside her.
“Tell me, kid.
“Did Lu Zhou really take your money?”
The sight of me beating his mother was still fresh. All I needed was a small threatening gesture.
He burst into frightened tears.
“N-no!
“Mom... I spent it myself...
“Don't hit me! Waaah!”
His mother went pale.
Under my pressure, he tearfully confessed everything.
He'd spent more than she'd allowed him. Afraid of being scolded, he'd blamed Lu Zhou.
No one ever came to collect Lu Zhou, after all.
His classmates had silently decided he was an orphan.
Even if they bullied him, no one would stand up for him.
The woman who'd so aggressively demanded the police now turned red, then green, her face a whole range of colors.
She dragged her son toward the door.
I blocked her and pointed at Lu Zhou.
“Apologize to him.
“Or I'll make sure everyone knows your son's a little liar who frames other people!”
Lu Zhou stole a glance at me, his eyes shining as though they held a skyful of stars.
Annoyed by the stare, I glared.
“Keep looking and I'll gouge your eyes out!”
He hastily covered them. After a moment, he peeked through his fingers.
“Aren't you going to hit me?”
After all, “I” had mistreated him every day before.
After something this serious, not hitting him would hardly fit.
So I wickedly pinched his cheek.
“Your punishment is an extra glass of milk tonight!
“No begging will help!”
Hmph.