Reborn From The Coma, Claiming My Billionaire After Saving A Scumbag

To save my boyfriend, Lucas, I was hit by a car, which left me in a vegetative state for three years. When I finally woke up, he was holding the hand of my best friend, Chloe, telling me they were true love. Even my own parents had adopted Chloe as their surrogate daughter. Everyone told me to step aside and bless their relationship. I refused. I crashed their engagement party, only to end up getting run over and killed by a car. My parents said I had it coming, giving all the wealth I had earned to Chloe. Lucas and Chloe lived happily ever after, raising a son and a daughter together. My rage burned so fiercely it felt like my chest was going to explode. Then, I opened my eyes again—back to the very day I woke up from my coma. Lucas stood by my hospital bed, holding Chloe's hand. "Scarlett, Chloe and I are getting engaged soon. I hope you won't cling to me anymore." Seeing this scumbag and his mistress standing together once again, I forced down the fury burning inside me. I could still faintly recall the agonizing, bone-crushing pain of being hit by a car twice in my past life. My father chimed in from the side. "Scarlett, grow up. Chloe has been by our side taking care of us these past three years while you were unconscious." "She stayed with Lucas and took care of you for three whole years too. Whatever debt we owed you for saving him, it's more than paid off." My mother took Chloe's hand and added, "Now that you're awake, you can be Chloe's bridesmaid at their wedding." In my past life, I was devastated by my parents' blatant favoritism toward Chloe. I couldn't understand why they didn't care about their own flesh and blood lying in a coma, but instead defended an outsider at every turn. Having died once, though, I saw through it all. Neither family nor romance was worth more than my own life. In this lifetime, I would make everyone who betrayed me pay the price. I locked my eyes onto Lucas and said, "A breakup is fine. But I want compensation." "What?" Lucas seemed unable to process what I said and asked again. The corners of my lips curled slightly. "Three years ago, you weren't watching where you were going and almost got hit by a car. I pushed you out of the way, which put me in a coma." "If it weren't for me, you would've died three years ago, or you'd be the one lying in this bed as a vegetable." "How much do you think your life is worth? Name your price." Lucas froze for a long moment before saying flatly, "I know you're bitter that I fell in love with Chloe, but why degrade yourself like this?" I let out a cold laugh. "Degrade myself?" "I saved your life back then. Did you really think you could just brush off those three years of my life so easily?" Lucas pressed his lips together and shamelessly said, "We loved each other back then. You were good to me, and I've kept that in my heart." Looking at his sanctimonious face, I couldn't help but laugh. What a piece of trash! He just didn't want to pay up. No matter how many times I lived this, he was always equally disgusting. In my past life, as soon as I woke up, Lucas told me he fell in love with Chloe at first sight. Back then, my memory was still frozen three years prior, when our relationship was at its peak. Three years changed everything. I couldn't accept that I had risked my life for him, only for him to love someone else. I cried, I screamed, throwing fits like a madwoman. The only result was their growing annoyance with me. The day I was discharged happened to be the day of Lucas's engagement. I stormed straight into their engagement party, causing a massive scene. Everyone thought I had lost my mind, including my parents. They had security drag me out. Cruel irony struck—right outside the venue, a car ran me over and killed me. What made it even more ridiculous was that the truck that hit me was loaded with hundreds of roses Lucas had ordered for Chloe. After I died, with no obstacles left in their way, Lucas and Chloe lived happily ever after. My parents acted as though I had never existed, pampering Chloe like their own daughter. This time, I was done begging for their love. I was going to live for myself. Of course, before that, I was taking back everything that belonged to me. "Lucas, save the pathetic emotional speech. If you had any real feelings for me, you wouldn't have found someone new." "Five million dollars for your life. That's more than fair." "Or I can just post everything online and let the public judge. Let's see if I'm being unreasonable, or if you, the wealthy heir, are just an ungrateful scumbag!" I dragged out the last few words, turning Lucas's face a furious shade of green. Three years ago, I was a prodigy admitted to an elite university on a full ride. Lucas couldn't afford to compensate for the three years I had lost. He thought he had me wrapped around his finger, thinking I would never dare step out of line. He thought that even if he cheated, I would swallow my pride and accept it quietly. Instead, I was going to rip off his dignified facade. "Scarlett, I know this is hard for you to take in right now, but don't worry. We can still be best friends." "Chloe is a wonderful, kind person. She'll help me take great care of you from now on." Lucas's sheer audacity left me speechless. Before I could fire back, the door pushed open. "Scarlett, you're finally awake!" Our eyes met, and Chloe's eyes welled with tears of apparent excitement. I had to hand it to her; she was an incredible actress. "Yeah. If I didn't wake up, my whole life would have been stolen." Hearing this, Chloe immediately defended herself. "No, that's not true! I never wanted to take anything from you." Still playing the scheming victim. Utterly pathetic. I smirked, speaking coldly. "It's fine. What's stolen is stolen. I don't care anymore." "As long as Lucas gives me what I'm owed, you have my blessing." Chloe stared at me in disbelief. "You... why aren't you... causing a scene?" She mumbled the last part quietly. Because my focus was entirely on her, I caught every word. A realization struck me, and my smile deepened. It seemed she had gone back in time too. Playing dumb, I asked, "Lucas said you two are getting engaged soon. Would making a scene change anything?" I stared directly at Chloe. A flash of smugness crossed her face. Things were definitely different from my past life.In my previous life, Chloe was just a delicate, manipulative girl who only knew how to play the victim; she never would have let that smugness slip. This was getting interesting. "Scarlett, you just woke up, so don't overthink things. Even if you're mad at me, focus on recovering first." Lucas remained true to form—showering me with verbal concern, but withholding every penny when it came down to it. This time, he didn't have a choice. Unlike before, I played it smart. I didn't cry or scream; I only offered them my blessings. After three days in the hospital, I was taken back to my family's house to recover. My parents only made a brief appearance at the start to show face before taking off on their own vacation trips. Over the past few days, I became completely certain that Chloe had returned from the past as well. Except this time, she was far too impatient. The moment my parents left, she arranged for Lucas to host a party at our house with their friends under the guise of celebrating my recovery. Everyone stood around chatting while I remained seated in my wheelchair. "Scarlett hasn't fully recovered yet, so please take extra care of her today, guys," Chloe said, acting like a devoted sister asking everyone to look after me. Seeing the situation, the guests glanced between Lucas, Chloe, and me, eager for drama. I had no intention of disappointing them. "Lucas, have you thought over what I told you the other day?" At my words, the crowd's gossiping gazes intensified. Annoyance flashed across Lucas's face. "Scarlett, there's a limit to throwing tantrums. There are so many people here today. Do you really have to make a fool of yourself?" I scoffed. "If anyone's a fool, it's you." "Three years ago, if I hadn't saved your life, you'd be the one in a coma." "The moment I woke up, you were holding my best friend's hand, claiming you two are true love and asking me to step aside." "I agreed." "I'm simply asking you to pay up for the life I saved. Is that too much?" "Five million dollars for three years of a wealthy heir's life isn't asking for a lot, is it?" The sheer weight of the accusation made the surrounding crowd gasp. "Scarlett, that's absurd! It's pure extortion!" Chloe said, looking at me with a pained expression. "If it were me, I would willingly give up my life for Lucas without expecting a thing." Looking at her hypocritical act made my eyes ache. "Then pay the five million for him. If you'd give your life for him, what's a little money? Right?" Choked by my retort, Chloe glared at me viciously before putting on a weeping face again. "Scarlett, I know you're doing this to get back at me. I just couldn't control my heart, and I fell in love with Lucas. Take it out on me however you want, but please, don't hurt Lucas, okay?" Tears streamed down Chloe's cheeks. Anyone watching would have assumed I was terrorizing her. Lucas certainly thought so. He pulled her behind his back, looking at me with sheer disgust. "Scarlett, I made myself very clear. I don't love you anymore. Nothing you do will win back my attention." I laughed out loud. I honestly had no idea where he found such inflated self-worth. "Lucas, get over yourself. I just want what's rightfully mine. Or is the life of a wealthy heir completely worthless?" "Even ordinary people know how to return a favor. Are you going to be an ungrateful wretch who forgets his savior the second he gets a new girl?" My voice dripped with mockery. The crowd began whispering among themselves. "Scarlett really got the short end of the stick. She saved his life only to get dumped." "Five million isn't even that much for him. Scarlett is being civil; if it were me, I'd have torn those two apart." "Chloe looks so fake. Look at that cheap act." ... Lucas's face darkened completely. "Scarlett, that's enough!""You just want money, right? I'll give it to you. After this, we have nothing to do with each other. Don't you dare regret it." I smirked, pulling out my phone and sending him my account details right away. "Let everyone here be our witness. Transfer the money now!" Pushed into a corner, Lucas was trembling with anger. He immediately called his assistant to wire the funds. Unfortunately for him, he hadn't fully taken over the family estate yet and simply didn't have that much liquid cash on hand. Looking at the bank notification showing only one and a half million dollars, I clicked my tongue in disdain. "Can't even scrape together five million, yet you act like a big-shot player. Pathetic." "Shut your mouth!" Chloe snapped, her composure shattering as she pointed a finger at me, looking completely unhinged. "The doctors said you'd never wake up! Did you expect Lucas to waste his entire life taking care of a vegetable?" I clicked my tongue again, regarding her with disgust. "Drop the ugly face. It's hideous." Chloe stiffened, caught between crying and screaming. The sheer ugliness of her expression was painful to look at. Lucas pulled her into his arms protectively, glaring at me with fury. "I'll wire the rest tomorrow. We are completely done after this. Don't you dare regret it!" I let out a cold laugh and didn't hesitate. "I won't regret it." A slow clap suddenly echoed through the crowd. I looked up to see Julian Vance clapping with a half-smile on his face. I pressed my lips together and turned my wheelchair around, intending to leave. Before I could get far, Julian caught up with me. "Three years in a coma, and you finally grew a brain?" Hearing his teasing voice made my eyes sting. Julian, the eldest son of the Vance family. Growing up, he was always razor-tongued and never let anyone off easy. I used to think he hated me. Only after I died in my past life did I realize how wrong I was. After my death, I learned that Julian was just a stubborn fool with a soft heart. To avenge me, he ruthlessly destroyed my parents and Lucas. He drove them into absolute ruin, and on the anniversary of my death, he completely lost his mind and ran them down with his car... Remembering his agonizing despair in the end, my heart ached. "Yeah. Sleeping for three years was enough time for my brain to fully develop." I tried to keep my tone light, but by the end, a slight tremble crept into my voice. Mourning all the time we had lost. Julian pressed his lips together and pushed my wheelchair forward. "Julian, do you need a wife?" Looking up at the moonlight, I asked softly. "What do you think of me?" Julian stopped and looked at me with an unusually serious expression. "Are you joking?" "Don't come crying to me in two days, begging to run back to Lucas." Beneath his proud tone, there was a hint of vulnerability. I couldn't help but laugh softly. "Don't worry. I won't." The next morning, looking down at the marriage certificate in my hands, I was still in a daze. I hadn't expected Julian to be this impatient. After our talk last night, he took me straight to his place, and first thing this morning, he dragged me to City Hall. "We're legally married. It's too late for regrets," Julian said, snatching the papers from my hands when he saw me spacing out. My lips curved into a warm smile. "No regrets!" Before I could say anything else, my phone buzzed violently. "Scarlett, wherever you are, get your ass back home right now!" It was my father. From his furious tone, he was clearly looking for blood. "What happened?" Julian asked. "I took money from Lucas yesterday. My dad's probably calling me back to scold me." "Let's go then. I'd like to see who dares give Mrs. Vance a hard time." The moment we reached the entrance to the living room, I could feel the hostile tension in the air. As soon as we stepped through the door, a glass cup shattered right at my feet.