The Wicked Stepmother
The smell of medicine and ash filled the room.
Lin Shu opened his eyes slowly, his head pounding as if someone had struck him with a hammer.
A wooden ceiling greeted him instead of the white hospital lights he expected.
“…What?”
His voice sounded softer.
Higher.
Outside the room, rain poured heavily against paper windows while distant thunder rumbled through the mountains.
Memories suddenly flooded his mind.
A man named Lin Shu.
A village near Qinghe Town.
A husband named Zhao Cheng.
Three children.
And a terrible reputation.
Lin Shu gasped and clutched his chest as unfamiliar memories crashed into him one after another.
The original owner of this body was a ger-someone capable of bearing children in this world-and the village hated him.
Because he was cruel.
He beat the children when their father was away.
He stole household money to secretly meet another man in the neighboring village.
He constantly cursed Zhao Cheng’s dead first wife out of jealousy.
Worst of all, he once abandoned the youngest child outside during winter because the boy had accidentally broken a bowl.
The child nearly died.
Lin Shu’s face turned pale.
“What kind of monster…”
Before he could process everything, the door slammed open.
A tall man entered carrying wet firewood on his shoulder.
Rain soaked his dark clothes, and cold air followed him inside.
Zhao Cheng.
The husband.
His sharp eyes landed on Lin Shu immediately, filled not with concern-but disgust.
“You’re awake.”
His tone was flat.
Behind him peeked three children.
The eldest girl, Zhao Mei, around fourteen, stared at him warily.
The second child, Zhao Jun, glared openly with hatred.
The youngest, little Zhao An, hid behind his sister the moment he saw Lin Shu looking at him.
Fear.
The child was afraid of him.
Lin Shu’s chest tightened painfully.
He realized something horrifying.
The original owner had died after falling into the river while secretly meeting his lover.
And now he had transmigrated into this body.
Zhao Cheng placed the firewood down heavily.
“The doctor said you caught a fever after falling into the river.” His eyes darkened.
“You’re lucky you didn’t die.”
The words sounded cold, but Lin Shu could hear the hidden meaning beneath them.
Maybe…
it would have been better if you had.
Lin Shu lowered his eyes awkwardly.
“I…”
He wanted to explain.
Wanted to say he was not the same person anymore.
But who would believe something so absurd?
Zhao Jun suddenly spoke angrily.
“Father, why did you even save him?” the boy snapped.
“He deserves to die!”
“Jun’er,” Zhao Mei whispered nervously.
“No!” Zhao Jun clenched his fists.
“Mother died and he came here pretending to care about us, but all he does is hurt us! He even-”
“Enough.”
Zhao Cheng’s voice was low, but instantly silenced the room.
The man looked exhausted.
Deep shadows rested beneath his eyes, as though life itself had worn him down.
Lin Shu noticed rough calluses on Zhao Cheng’s hands and mud staining his boots.
This family was poor.
Very poor.
And yet the original owner still stole money from them.
Shame burned inside Lin Shu.
He quietly pulled the blanket tighter around himself.
“I’m sorry.”
The room froze.
Even Zhao Cheng looked startled.
The original Lin Shu had never apologized for anything.
Zhao Jun sneered immediately.
“Now you pretend?”
Lin Shu didn’t argue back.
Because the boy had every right to hate him.
Zhao Cheng stared at him for several moments before speaking coldly.
“Rest. Tomorrow you can continue working.”
Then he turned and left.
The children followed quickly, as though staying another second near Lin Shu would suffocate them.
Only little Zhao An lingered at the doorway.
The child looked thin and small for his age.
A faint scar rested near his chin.
Lin Shu suddenly remembered.
The scar came from the original owner throwing a bowl at him.
The little boy noticed Lin Shu staring and immediately flinched before running away.
Lin Shu sat frozen on the bed.
Outside, thunder roared again.
For the first time since transmigrating, reality truly sank in.
He wasn’t some beloved protagonist blessed with cheats and golden fingers.
He had become the villain.
A hated stepmother.
A cheating spouse.
A person everyone wished would disappear.
And now he had to live with the consequences left behind by someone else.
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If you were the MC what would you have done