Part 2Putting the Carefree Stepdaughter in Her Place

“Don’t worry, Quinn. My job’s not too busy—I can pick up another side gig and cover your college tuition.”

The words spilled out before I realized what I was saying.

Memories came flooding back, and I suddenly understood—I’d been reborn.

As expected, the next moment, Quinn’s indifferent voice reached my ears.

“Why do you always care so much about pride? What’s wrong with just taking life as it comes?”

That was how it had gone in my past life.

Quinn wasn’t my biological daughter, but I’d raised her since she was little and treated her as my own.

I thought her constant criticisms were just her being overly sensitive.

So, I kept bending over backward for her.

To give her a good start in life, I worked day and night as a nurse and picked up a side job paying $10 an hour after my shifts.

I managed to scrape together enough to get her through that Community College.

But instead of being grateful, she blamed me for her failures, saying I cared more about my reputation than her happiness, wasting four years of her youth.

When she graduated, her lack of skills left her unemployable at any decent workplace.

I had to swallow my pride and beg an old college friend to find her a job.

Once she started working, she accused me of being manipulative and taking opportunities from others.

When she made mistakes, I even apologized to her boss on her behalf.

She said I was humiliating and obsessed with success, refusing to “take life as it comes.”

Because of her, my reputation among colleagues and family was destroyed.

Yet her laid-back, “go-with-the-flow” attitude managed to captivate Hunter Caldwell, who saw her as refreshingly different.

She climbed her way into his wealthy world while I was inexplicably suspended and ostracized.

When I asked for her help, she didn’t even look at me.

All she said was, “I told you to take life as it comes. If you’re like this now, it’s because you couldn’t let go of your selfish ambitions. I can’t help you.”

Remembering all this, I met Quinn’s indifferent gaze and asked, “Are you sure you want to live like this? Taking life as it comes?”

Quinn’s eyes flickered briefly with unease before she quickly regained her composure.

“Of course,” she replied matter-of-factly.

Her confidence stemmed from always having everything handed to her.

So I nodded, pretending to agree. “Alright then. You’re an adult now. I’m not obligated to take care of you anymore. Do whatever you want.”

For the first time, Quinn’s aloof demeanor almost cracked.

Feigning nonchalance, she muttered, “But if I don’t go to college, how will I get a job and take care of you in the future?”

I let out a soft laugh.