"Emma! Why did you push your sister? Anna just wanted to talk to you. How could you be so cruel! Why did I have a daughter like you? "Oleander had just possessed Emma Carter's body when she heard a harsh, shrill female voice scolding loudly.
A disheveled girl nestled in the woman's arms lifted her head, tears streaming down her face, stubbornly defending Oleander. "Mom, Dad, Brother, I'm fine. Don't be hard on Emma. She just can't accept me right now. It's my fault for not keeping my balance... If Emma doesn't like me, I'll just leave..." Her words were defiant, but her body remained frozen in place.
Hearing the girl's tearful plea, the three grew even angrier.
"The priest was right! You are the devil! How could you hurt a kind girl like Anna? Didn't she hurt when she fell down the stairs? She's standing here defending you. Emma Carter, how could you be so heartless?" The one shouting was Emma's own brother, Jackson, the poisoner.
These words made Mrs. Carter's eyes redden again. As she clutched Anna, poised to stage another heart-wrenching mother-daughter scene, Oleander cursed the system: "What a shitty system. Damn it. Why the hell is there a one-minute body standby? Do you know how much time that wasted me for punishing people?"
"Sorry, dear Host~ We're counting down 5 seconds. Please prepare to commence the mission. 5, 4, 3, 2, 1..."
Before Jackson could continue, Oleander lunged forward with lightning speed, slapping him twice across the face. Before anyone could react, she delivered two hard slaps to Mrs. Carter as well.
But the moment she struck Anna, Jackson seized her wrist, seething with rage. "You fucking bitch, you dare hit me! I swear to God, if I don't pay you back for those slaps today, I'll change my last name!"
In life, Oleander had mastered self-defense techniques including Sanda, Muay Thai, karate, wrestling, and Brazilian jiu-jitsu. Jackson was no match for her. After a few quick exchanges, Oleander executed a shoulder throw, sending the long-unfit Jackson crashing to the ground. He lay there panting like a bull.
The other three watched in stunned silence as their usually delicate daughter effortlessly took down her brother, who was nearly twice her size. They could scarcely believe their eyes.
Oleander surveyed her handiwork with satisfaction. Now he'd finally listen to her properly.
"You all say I pushed her. What proof do you have?" She smiled as she pressed her foot down on Jackson's chest.
"Anna would never lie. She's an honest, good girl—unlike you..."
"Ah!" Mrs. Carter's words were cut short by a sharp crack. Jackson cried out in pain. "My hand! You little brat!"
"If you don't mind, I'll break your other hand too. I'm wearing heels anyway—next time, who knows where I'll step? Maybe your head, or your neck... Go on, Mom. I'm listening." Oleander smiled innocently.
Satisfied by the bizarre expressions on every face in the room, Oleander cleared her throat. "Sip some mare's urine if you're full of pride, cross me once and you won't survive." Oleander launched into a personal attack. "You bastard, daring to talk back to your father! Why do you have to talk so much every single day? Is it because you can't wait for tomorrow's sun and need to get everything off your chest before you die?"
"And you, you bitch!" She yanked Anna's hair violently, dragging her out of the terrified Mrs. Carter's arms and slapping her hard across both cheeks. "Cry, cry, cry! All you do is cry! You've cried away all your good fortune! You have no parents, no home—what the hell is that to me? This ain't a shelter! Anyone who just talks and doesn't act can get the hell out! If you love crying so much, go donate water in Somalia. I'll see if you can cry without drinking! What kind of skill is hiding behind others? Come out and fight fair! Your disgusting schemes and biased eyes—even your second uncle from next door would shake his head at you! Dare to spout more nonsense and see if I don't rip your wig off and stuff it in your mouth! Your mouths are raw sewage, aren't they? Jackson, you fucking want to play pseudo-incest with your foster sister? You can't even tell your real sister from your foster one, you moron. And you dare challenge your own father!"
As she spoke, she stomped on Jackson's foot. Oleander tossed the wailing Anna aside and snapped at the silent Mr. Carter, "Are you mute? Can't you see your own daughter being bullied by your wife, son, and foster daughter? Calling you deaf, dumb, and blind would insult the disabled. Get your brain checked! Looks like your cerebellum never developed, and your cerebrum never grew at all. Pick your asylum— We can afford it. Just leave the money behind."
After the tirade, she felt refreshed. She kicked Jackson, who was pretending to be dead, several times. Muttering foul curses, she went to the kitchen to get a glass of water to soothe her throat, not forgetting to scold them for wasting her saliva.
This book, I Just Want to Live Better with My Family, is pure mindless entertainment. Emma is the classic character who never speaks up, never defends herself, and silently endures all her family's abuse. She has indeed done many wrong things. Like badmouthing Anna to her friends, fighting with Anna over things, crying, throwing tantrums, and threatening suicide... But whenever Anna sheds a tear, Emma's friends are all swayed by her and turn against the "evil" Emma; everything Emma steals is returned to Anna with interest, and Emma loses even more of what was originally hers; This worked the first few times, but eventually her family grew so impatient they'd ask why she never actually went through with it...
But the newcomer, Oleander, is no typical time traveler. She won't let herself suffer the slightest loss. Everything must be reclaimed to count. Those who don't fight and compete only invite others to bully them. Latecomers rise to the top precisely because they fight and compete. Except for those blessed with the protagonist's halo.