Chapter 2

Hearing the movement, Emma turned to look at me. Surprise flickered across her eyes at first, as though she hadn't expected me to remain indifferent. Soon, mockery displaced that surprise.

She was convinced I was playing hard to get. After all, I had memorized her candidate ID and password by heart.

Whenever Emma caused trouble, I was always the one cleaning up after her. In her eyes, there was no way I would willingly give up any chance to stay by her side.

Hooking her arm around Ezekiel's, she let out a cold laugh. "Joseph, I know what you're planning. You're going to secretly log into my account and change my university application back to Kingswell and Bellgrave tonight."

She paused, her eyes full of disdain. "You're just like my mom. You both love controlling my life. You've clung to me like some obsessive caretaker for years. I'm honestly sick of it! Please, just give me some room to breathe!"

Ezekiel also lifted his chin at the perfect moment, deliberately looking at me with a generous expression. "Joseph, I know you can't bear to let Emma go, but you can't force a relationship. Can't you just let us be? I'm begging you."

I stopped walking and turned back to look at them, my smile congratulatory. "Well, how can I say no now? I wish you both a long and happy relationship together, and a bright future ahead."

Emma thought she had struck a nerve, so she continued warning me, "Oh, quit the damn act. I'm warning you, stop making decisions for me under the excuse of 'doing what's best for me.'

"Even if you changed my application, I'd never thank you for it! The only person I'll ever love is Zeke!"

Looking at them immersed in their self-righteous fantasy, I couldn't care to spare them an extra glance. I walked straight out of the Internet cafe.

The moment I stepped outside, the phone in my pocket rang. It was Emma's mother, Liliana Rosewood.

I took the call, and soon came her anxious voice. "Hey, Joseph. How did the applications go? Did Emma pick her major for Kingswell and Bellgrave? You've got to help me keep an eye on her."

I replied calmly, "Yeah, everything went pretty smoothly, Mrs. Slater. Emma has her own ideas. She already submitted her choices."

After hanging up, I sighed heavily. In this second life, I wanted nothing more than to watch Emma sink into the mire and fall beyond redemption.

When I returned home and pushed the door open, the smell of home-cooked food rushed toward me. I looked at Mom, busy in the kitchen, and my eyes instantly turned warm.

Tears finally came pouring down after I had held back since being reborn.

In my previous life, after Emma pushed me off the rooftop, she not only faced no real consequences but also used her family's influence to drive my family into bankruptcy.

Mom and Dad, left with nowhere to appeal, eventually died in a tragic car accident after being run from pillar to post.

I shuffled over and embraced Mom tightly from behind, my voice cracked. "I'm home, Mom."

She startled, immediately putting down the spatula and turning around to wipe the tears off my face. "What's the matter, son? Did something go wrong with your university applications?"

Dad came out from the study as well, his expression tight with concern. "It's okay, Joseph. I'll back you up if someone's been giving you trouble!"

Looking at their living, breathing faces, I shook my head hard. After wiping away my tears, I squeezed a wide smile. "No, I'm just really happy. Mom, Dad, I applied for Kingswell and Bellgrave."

At dinner, I put down my spoon and announced calmly, "By the way, from now on, I won't have anything to do with Emma anymore. And the relationship between our families… Let's end it here."

They were shocked. They knew Emma and I had grown up together, and had always assumed we would choose each other for life.

"What happened, Joseph?" Dad asked, frowning.

I briefly explained how Emma had changed her university choices for Ezekiel, omitting anything about my rebirth.