She Takes My Luck, but I Still Win

On the night of Halloween, my best friend, Mina Corvelle, rushes to save the black cat before me, triumph dancing in her eyes.

That is when I, Elora Aldridge, realize that she has been reincarnated, too.

In my past life, she scorned the stray for being filthy, so she kept her distance. So, it was I who took pity on the cat and rescued it.

When I walked past an old blind woman manning a roadside stall, she told me that the cat was a rare dark fortune cat. Once it recognized a master, it would draw dark riches from all directions and bring unimaginable wealth.

I dismissed it as superstition. Yet, the very next day, I was inexplicably promoted to director of the department. Soon after, my family's dilapidated old house found itself part of a redevelopment scheme, and we were given compensation of eight apartments and 30 million dollars in cash.

Even the enigmatic golden boy of Lakeshire, Cassian Mercer, started to pursue me relentlessly, declaring that he would only marry me and no one else.

But not long after I married Cassian, Mina trapped me—and the black cat—inside the apartment. She then set it on fire, burning us alive.

Outside the inferno, she screamed, "Why should you get everything without even lifting a finger? All those riches should've been mine!"

When I open my eyes again, I find myself back at the very intersection.

"Mine! This cat is mine!" Mina Corvelle shrieked, her voice cracking with excitement.

Suddenly, the blind old fortune-teller sitting at her roadside stall started muttering mysteriously, "Young lady, the cat you're holding in your arms is a once-in-a-century dark fortune cat. Once it chooses its master, the owner will gain immense riches, but—"

Mina cut her off impatiently, her face brimming with unrestrained fervor. "Ma'am, what do I need to do to make it recognize me as its master?"

The fortune-teller hesitated a little before answering. "Just let it lick a drop of your blood."

Mina hurriedly thrust her scratched hand in front of the black cat. Once the cat licked it, a faint black mist shot out from its body before swiftly vanishing into the center of Mina's forehead.

"Done! It's done! It recognized me as its master!" Mina yelled, dancing around in excitement. She hugged and kissed the cat.

She turned to glare at me sideways, her lips curling into a mocking smile. "Elora Aldridge, I'm going to get rich! As for you, you can spend the rest of your life clinging to that measly salary of yours!"

With that, she hugged the cat and disappeared into the night without looking back.

I stood in the same spot, rubbing my aching foot that Mina had stepped on. A chilling calm settled over me.

In my past life, after I adopted that cat, it would always scratch me, both deliberately or accidentally. Then, it would immediately scamper over and lick my bleeding wounds, acting all affectionate and guilty.

Back then, I had