"You are nothing but a gold digger! I wished you died along with that vixen you call mother!" The male voice ripped through the air, a vicious snarl that sent ice through my veins. I stumbled backward, a pathetic, involuntary flinch of pure fear.

"Being a gay isn't enough; you even had the nerves to announce it on social media!" The man's face contorted with disgust, his eyes blazing.

"Father, I'm sorry," I whispered, the words catching in my throat, barely audible. My so-called father's gaze sharpened, glaring daggers that pinned me in place, and I clamped my lips shut, my apology dying unspoken.

"You know what? I wished I killed you along with that woman. At least I'll have peace of mind." The growl deepened, menacing and cold. Before I could even register the threat, I felt a violent shove. My back slammed against the wall, the impact jarring my teeth, and then his hands were around my neck, strangling me.

I clawed at his grip, desperate, but my limbs felt like limp, useless things. My body, slender and without the curves of a woman, offered no resistance. I might not have possessed striking features, but I was easily among the fairly cute, and at nearly eighteen, I wasn't particularly tall. "Father," I gasped, the word a faint, choked plea. The only reply was a brutal punch that snapped my head back, and his grip on my throat tightened further, squeezing the very air from my lungs.

"I'll kill you, Kim Tae," the man hissed, every syllable dripping with raw hatred. My vision blurred, a swirling kaleidoscope of dark spots, then... blank.

Everything was gone, a void, yet a faint whisper of sound reached me. Footsteps. Someone entered the room. "Good job, my lovely Tae Jim. Now all his mother left him would be ours." The voice, undeniably familiar, was a woman's. I summoned the last vestiges of strength, forcing my eyelids open just enough to peek at the figure now bending over me, confirming if I was truly dead. My suspicions were chillingly confirmed: it was Su Lin Tae, my stepmother.

"He's not dead yet, but we can inject him with..."

Their hushed conversation faded as she eventually left. The fox spirit who had seduced my father, leaving a trail of ruin, was finally gone. But the brief flicker of joy I felt was instantly thrown down the building when she returned. Her movements were swift, merciless. She forcefully injected me with a substance, and a cold certainty washed over me. My pulse faltered. Instantly. This was my end. I knew it. Yes, I was dead. I died without ever having my revenge. If I hadn't been benefiting from the so-called Tae, I would have killed him myself. I just wished I could be reborn, like in most web novels...

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Hi babies.. this is the revised version thoroughly proofread and adjusted.. thanks all for your support and time.. love you all.. please feel free to comment and vote and don't forget to please recommend to your friends and also leave review