Helena was a saint in her first life.
She had no magical or holy powers. Helena was only regarded as a saviour because she transformed a slum into a suitable place to live. People praised her selfless efforts. Thus, they gave her the nickname 'Saint of Angles Street'.
Helena used to live in that place, but she moved away to support her mother. Both worked for a noble family. The Count fell in love with her mother and married her. From humble beginnings as a maid, Helena's status soared to the heights of nobility.
In order to be accepted by the nobles, Helena broadened her knowledge and improved her manners. Her teachers applauded her progress. However, her lowly background always left its mark on her life.
"Why is she trying so hard?"
"I know. It won't change the fact that she used to be a commoner."
The nobles always mocked her. Dejected by it, Helena visited her birthplace. She hoped that meeting her old friends would lift her spirits.
Nothing had changed since she left. Angles Street remained a slum. It was even worse than she remembered. Malnourished people sat outside; rats and other vermin lurked around; filth was scattered across the street; and the stench was unbearable. People glared at her with lifeless eyes. Despite everything, Helena was determined to meet her friends. The girl greeted the group cheerily.
"Long time no see, I miss you all! Did you remember me? It's Helena!"
Her joy turned into heartbreak. They looked at her in disgust after staring at her dress, accessories and shoes. Helena had climbed through the ranks of nobility and left everything behind. To them, this was nothing but betrayal.
"Leave! You don't belong here!"
They yelled at her and threw objects at her. Some items knocked her right on the head. Helena was hurt by their rejection and fled. She wandered the street weeping until a friendly voice called her name.
"Oh my, are you Helena? It's been a while, my child."
Helena's feet somehow brought her to the church. Mary Saffronhill welcomed her. The old lady was one of the senior nuns. Helena used to meet her when she lived nearby.
The nun was puzzled to see her crying. "What happened, dear?"
Her sympathy soothed Helena, who burst out crying. She told the nun about her problem. The nun listened attentively to her troubles. She consoled and stroked her back.
"It's not your fault, Helena. You just want to catch up with your old friends."
"I... I know, but I can't blame them. I have a house, warm food, and nice clothes. Meanwhile, they're still struggling to survive. I'm lucky, but..." Tears welled up in her eyes. "What about the others?"
The nun smiled at her. What a kind girl.
"Perhaps it's because you're neither a commoner nor a noble that you can think about this. If you were still a commoner, you would be prejudiced against the wealthy. If you were a noble, you would turn a blind eye to suffering." She then sighed. "If only things were different..."
"A change..." Helena thought about it. "Is it possible?"
"I don't know, dear. The only way to find out is to try."
Helena wanted to make the street a better place. She donated her money and got involved in various projects and campaigns. Helena provided food, helped treat the sick, and encouraged people to work together. It was a tough job. Not everyone was on the same page as her. This caused some tension to rise. Some discontented people confronted her. However, Helena persevered. She did not give up.
Her hard work finally paid off. What Helena did was considered a miracle. Angles Street had become a better place over the years. The area, once a slum, was now flourishing with a better economy and quality of life. Everywhere she went, praises and admiration from commoners always followed her.
"Did you know about the Saint of Angles Street?"
"The noble lady who transformed the slum? I thought she was just a fairy tale revolving among commoners."
"No way! She is real! I just met her at the church yesterday!"
The maids, gardeners, chefs and anyone who worked for the nobles kept mentioning Helena to their masters. The noblemen could not help but be impressed. The prejudice behind her birth disappeared after she gained recognition. Helena received many invitations to salons and gatherings. The door to the nobility was finally open to her.
Yet, one by one, everything slipped through her fingers.
It began with the death of Helena's mother. Someone poisoned her.
Helena was crying. "Doctor, how is my mother?"
"I'm sorry, we cannot save her..."
Her whole world fell apart. Helena could not believe it. Someone murdered her mother. She was suspicious of her stepfamily, but she had no proof. Even after her mother passed away, her stepfather continued to take care of her. He cried and hugged her during her mother's funeral.
"You can stay here, Helena. You are another cherished daughter to me."
Despite his kindness, her life took a turn for the worse. After the mistress of the house's death, the servants began to harass her. They stuck pins in her dress, spoke ill of her, stole her jewellery and treated her like dirt. Her position in high society was no better. Baseless rumours spread about her. No one trusted Helena. The whole nobility world turned against her.
SLAP!
Helena touched her stinging cheek. A young lady had just hit her. Anger was written all over her face.
"You, wench! You're flirting with my fiancé!"
"No! It's not true! I don't even know your fiancé!"
"Don't lie to me! Someone saw you talking to him!"
Helena was exhausted from dealing with these terrible remarks. She eventually stopped showing her face in high society. It was not as bad as she thought. The people of Angles Street still comforted her. Her life was peaceful, surrounded by good people.
The authorities' arrival at her house marked the end of everything.
"Are you Helena Blackmoore? You are under arrest for human trafficking and selling illegal drugs."
"Huh?" Helena was confused. They took her away. "Wait! There must be a mistake! I didn't do anything!"
Several witnesses accused her. Helena had been framed for a crime she did not commit. Despite the lack of evidence, she was found guilty. Helena was sentenced to death.
She was frightened sitting inside the prison. Helena could not understand why such misfortune had befallen her. She only found out why when the investigator who had examined her case told the truth before resigning out of guilt. One of the people who framed Helena was her stepsister. She was the one who fabricated a rumour about Helena, causing her to rot in jail.
Something inside her had snapped.
"Hahaha... AHAHAHAHAHA!"
Her sadness turned to madness. Tears fell onto her cheeks amidst her laughter. Betrayal cut deep into her heart. This was the result of her kindness. Death. How ridiculous.
Despite everybody's pleas, Helena still walked to the gallows. Guards stopped anyone who tried to help her. Her father and her loyal servant watched her execution, tears streaming down their faces. Her lover attempted to save her, but it was all in vain.
"Ah... If I get a second chance... I'll have my revenge."
Her last expression was sorrow. Helena died a miserable death in her first life. One cold autumn day, the guillotine cut off her head.
Helena stopped thinking about the past as drops of water touched her skin. She looked up at the grey sky with empty eyes.
"It's raining..."
It was also rainy on her execution day.
Helena wandered around aimlessly and found herself roaming near the river. Her footing faltered with each stride. Eventually, she lost her balance and fell into the water. She could not breathe, yet she did not struggle to save herself. All she wanted was for the nightmare to end.
With a sense of relief, Helena closed her eyes.
"Finally, everything will be over."
That was her thought until a splash of water hit her on the face.
"COUGH, COUGH, COUGH!"
"Welcome back!"
Helena coughed and took a deep breath. She was more surprised to be woken in a rude way than to be alive. That woman was about to lash out.
"What the hell-"
"Come on, you're not going to curse at your saviour, are you?"
Helena was taken aback by the voice. She recognised the person in front of her.
"Adham?"