C1 Female Supporting Character Reborn

"Splash!" Diantha was shocked to her core as a glass of ice water drenched her. Her reflex was to lift her hand, but her body seemed frozen, unable to move. All she could do was frown at the sight of the young girl before her, clad in a trendy T-shirt and jeans, sporting pink hair, heavy makeup, and an air of fashion.

Belinda?

Why was Belinda here? Wasn't she long dead? Diantha had even identified her body.

"Belinda, please stop..." The young girl's sweet voice rang out. Diantha turned to see another girl beside Belinda, dressed in a delicate white gauze dress, her face still bearing traces of youth. A scoff escaped Diantha's lips.

Anthea?

What was Anthea doing here?

How could her beloved Cassius let his moon and his mole, the innocent Anthea, come face to face with her—a woman he deemed cruel and heartless?

And yet, Diantha remembered the last time she saw Anthea, pregnant with Cassius's child. Perhaps fearing harm to Anthea, Diantha had stumbled upon her at the hospital entrance, supported by Cassius, her belly swollen with life.

Now, looking at Anthea's flat belly and youthful face, something didn't add up. She was too young, not appearing pregnant at all. Had Diantha been reborn again?

Why did Diantha think "again"?

Because this wasn't her first rodeo with rebirth.

In her previous life—no, two lifetimes ago—shortly after encountering pregnant Anthea at the hospital, Diantha was "invited" by Cassius's people to the hospital as Anthea suffered a severe hemorrhage during childbirth. Anthea's rare blood type was a match with Diantha's, making her the perfect donor. But Diantha had been too weak, needing blood herself, unable to donate. Her protests fell on deaf ears; the doctors insisted she'd be fine. Inevitably, Diantha died on that hospital bed.

Before she could mourn her fate, like a disposable character in a tragic novel, Diantha was reborn into a university student who had taken her own life for love. But before she could adjust to this new life, she was thrust into a 'zombie apocalypse'. Seven years of fighting for survival in this Doomsday world hardened her, until she finally fell in battle against the zombie king.

The agony of her body being scorched and torn apart was vivid. She had thought it was the end, but upon opening her eyes, she was greeted by a young Anthea and a very much alive Belinda.

After two reincarnations and the trials of Doomsday, Diantha quickly came to terms with her situation and the fact that she had returned to the past.

"Diantha, when will you stop this charade? Anthea has been like a sister to us since childhood. Cassius has always looked out for her. Why do you target her, even pushing her down the stairs? Just because Cassius married you? Let me tell you, if it weren't for your shameless manipulation, why would Cassius ever marry someone like you?" It was the fashionably dressed Belinda who spoke, her voice sharp with disdain.

Then a slap snapped Diantha out of her reverie, and in that moment, she found she could move again.

She immediately returned the favor, slapping Belinda across the face.

Diantha examined her hand—pale, smooth, not the withered hand from her first life's end, nor the calloused hand from her second life. It was the hand of her younger self, unmarred by hardship.

Belinda, clutching her cheek in disbelief, glared at Diantha. "How dare you hit me?! On what grounds?!"

Diantha gave her a dismissive glance. "As the elder sister-in-law, why shouldn't I?"

Belinda, taken aback by Diantha's audacity, gaped. "You think you have the right?" She lunged at Diantha again, but Diantha stood her ground, arms crossed, watching her.

Belinda, Cassius's sister and his devoted admirer, was straightforward and inherently good, but spoiled to naivety. She despised Diantha, believing her to be petty and malicious, always scheming to protect the innocent Anthea from Diantha's venom. In a twist of fate, Belinda's protective instincts led to her untimely death at the hands of kidnappers, her life cut short at the tender age of twenty-two, in the bloom of her youth.

At that time, Cassius was abroad and couldn't return in time, so it was Diantha who went to the police station to identify the body.

Anthea blocked Belinda's path, tugging at her clothes with a look of pure innocence. "Belinda, please, don't be like that. Diantha didn't mean it, and I'm not really hurt."

Belinda rolled her eyes and gestured toward Anthea's plaster-cast right hand. "How can you be so naive, defending that cruel woman now? Look at your hand, all wrapped up, and you're still claiming you're not hurt!"

Anthea offered a feeble counter, "But Diantha has a bandage on her head too..."

Belinda scoffed dismissively, "That's nothing but a minor cut, and she brought it on herself."

Anthea pulled at Belinda's sleeve again, silently pleading for her to stop talking, then raised her eyes to Diantha, her expression brimming with benevolence and innocence. "Diantha, I've been by Elder Brother Cassius's side since childhood. I'm just accustomed to having him around, that's all. Please don't get the wrong idea; I have no ulterior motives. I simply want to be near Elder Brother Cassius. That day, I just happened to twist my ankle, and he was merely helping me. I'm sorry for the misunderstanding. You must have been upset and didn't realize you pushed me. I know it wasn't intentional..."

Diantha furrowed her brow, finally piecing together the current timeline.

Forgive her; she had lived two lifetimes, the latter amidst an apocalyptic world. It was a wonder she could recall anything at all.

It must be shortly after their first wedding anniversary. She recalled how, on that day, despite Cassius's objections, the Edwards family patriarch had insisted on throwing a celebration. She was overjoyed and had even prepared a special gift for Cassius. As she was about to sneak the present onto his nightstand for a surprise, she caught sight of Cassius and Anthea in an embrace at the door. Young and naive, she couldn't contain her emotions. The sight of Anthea's hand circling Cassius's waist was the last straw. She lunged forward, yanking Anthea away, and then came a scream. Perhaps she had been too forceful, for Anthea tumbled down the stairs and broke her arm.

Everyone accused her of doing it deliberately, demanding an apology, including Cassius. But she despised Anthea; why would she apologize? Moreover, she was convinced Anthea had staged her own fall, given the distance from the stairs. How much force would it have taken to send Anthea flying down them?

She tried to explain, but no one would listen. In a fit of rage, she struck her head against a marble column and ended up in the hospital.

She must have been reborn at this very moment.

In the past, hearing Anthea's insinuations about wanting to stay by Elder Brother Cassius's side would have set her off.

She had been too fixated on Cassius, too preoccupied with Anthea, who received his special attention, to see the truth.

But now, her perspective had shifted. She saw things more clearly.

Raising an eyebrow, Diantha locked eyes with Anthea and suddenly smiled. "I truly didn't do it on purpose," she said, her eyes narrowing with a knowing smile. "If I had, you'd be dealing with more than a broken hand."