- 5.
I laughed. “Didn’t you team up with Jessica?
With a genius like her, why would you need
me to fix anything?”
“Emily! How dare you talk to your cousin like
that! You get back here right now!”
The voice on the other end switched to my
dad. Hearing his roar, I finally understood: my
cousin and I were never on the same level.
I had to be exceptional for my dad to like me.
My cousin just had to be a guy.
Even though my cousin was a screw–up, he
was made general manager right after
graduating.
<
My dad was always saying how much he
loved me, but he really just wanted me to
quietly support my cousin.
Fine then, they could live happily ever after
with their adopted daughter!
I hung up. Suddenly, my head felt like it had
been hit with a sledgehammer.
The pain was so intense I was dripping with
sweat. I curled up in a ball and collapsed on
the floor, staring at the statues of Buddha as
my mind slipped away.
Through the haze, I saw a monk walking
towards me.
I woke up in a guest room at the temple. My
head was still throbbing. I checked my phone
– it was blowing up.
Calls from my cousin, my dad, Brian, and
Sarah. I scrolled through social media.
The top trending topic was my family’s financial system getting hacked. My dad’s
company was on the verge of bankruptcy.
I turned off my phone. That was my dad’s and
my cousin’s problem, not mine.
Right now, I just wanted to know why my
head hurt so damn much!
I stepped outside and saw the monk who’d
saved me watering plants. I bowed, thanking
him for his help.
His eyes were piercing, like he could see right
L
through me. He gave a slight nod in return.
“No need to worry so much, young woman.
You’re destined for great things. Since fate has given you another chance, the ending will
surely not disappoint. Just hold onto your
heart.”
My breath caught. The monk knew I was a
reborn!
I blurted out, “Master, if you can see that I’ve
been reborn, can you explain something to
me? Why can someone share my thoughts,
like we’re connected? And why does my head
hurt?”
The monk smiled calmly. “I think you’re
talking to the wrong person. For headaches,
you should see a doctor.”
<
He turned and walked away. I didn’t know
what he was playing at, but he was right.
Headaches meant doctors.
I found the nearest hospital and the doctor
ordered a CT scan.
During the scan, I saw the doctor call in
several other doctors to look at the images.
My heart sank. Crap, did I have some kind of
terminal illness?
After the scan, the doctor pointed to
something on the screen.
“See this? There’s something in your head.
Our initial assessment is that it was put there
surgically after you were born. Have you had
any head surgery?”
Г
I was stunned. “I’ve never had any head
surgery.”
The doctor shook his head. “That’s
impossible. We’ve all looked at this, and the
results are clear. This thing was definitely put
in there later.”
Head surgery, even after recovery, must take
time, there’s no way I have no memories of it.
Seeing my expression, he continued, pointing
again. “See this? There’s something that
looks like a gripper. That’s probably what’s
causing your headaches.”
“So…it’s grabbing my brain, causing the
pain?”
く
“Looks that way. As for what you said before,
about someone knowing what you’re thinking,
that could be related to this thing, too. But
until we get it out, we can’t be sure.”
The doctor strongly advised that I figure out
how that thing got in my head.
“It can already extend those claws and grab
your brain. It could kill you at any time!”
I nodded, acknowledging what he was saying.
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