Chapter 2

Both Jared and Noelle were shocked and bewildered. They exchanged glances with each other for a brief moment before swiftly averting their gazes.

"What the hell are you thinking, Lilian?" Jared demanded. "You're doing all of this over a dress? Have you lost your mind?"

Jared was clearly annoyed. He also raised his voice, as if to hide his own guilt.

My chest tightened as I glanced at them, saying, "The two of you should know better than anyone else what you've been doing behind my back. Don't forget to hook Noelle's bra back in place after you're done fooling around next time."

Noelle's face flushed an even darker red as she reflexively reached behind her to touch her back.

Meanwhile, a steely expression appeared on Jared's face.

I barked out a mocking laugh. I had just grabbed the door handle when Noelle suddenly felt nauseous and dashed into the bathroom to throw up.

There was a loud buzzing in my ears as I looked at Jared. He also seemed to think of something, his face twisting into an upset expression.

"It's too hot outside," he said. "She must be suffering from a heatstroke. Why don't you… No… I'll buy something for the nausea."

The words tumbled from his lips in a rush before he whirled around and rushed out of the apartment.

I scoffed, saying, "You should buy a pregnancy test for her instead."

However, Jared didn't hear me.

Noelle's eyes were completely bloodshot when she emerged from the bathroom, but she no longer looked like a spooked rabbit.

"I don't know how you found out," she said. "But you're right. Jared and I have been sleeping with each other. It happened the night after the college entrance exams. He came back and looked for me after he sent you home after the gathering.

"I took some birth control pills a few days before because I didn't want to be on my period during the college entrance exams. That's why I didn't tell him to wear a condom.

"Do you remember how you texted us at 3:00 am to ask us if we were asleep yet and if we wanted to hike up the mountain to watch the sunrise together? Jared was grabbing my legs at the time, asking me how I planned to hike up the mountain when my legs were already like jelly."

Although I was very familiar with Noelle, I couldn't help but feel as if I was looking at a stranger at that moment. I couldn't believe that someone could wear a mask and put on an act for over two decades.

Noelle moved closer to me and whispered, "I've tested Jared for you. He's very good. I don't mind keeping the bed warm for the two of you. I'll take my leave after you tie the knot with him."

I felt incredibly disgusted and slapped her across her face. "Since you think he's so amazing, you can have him all for yourself."

Noelle immediately sank to her knees when she heard the sounds of hurried footsteps coming from the stairwell. Tears welled up in her eyes and spilled down her cheeks in an instant.

"I'm sorry, Lily. I'm the one who seduced Jared," she blubbered.

Jared rushed into the apartment and pulled Noelle back up to her feet. His eyes burned with fury when he noticed the red mark on her face. He then grabbed my wrist in a death grip as if he wanted to crush my bones.

"If you want to hit someone, hit me! I'm the one who fell for Noelle first. I'm the one who forced her to sleep with me. Go ahead and hit me!"

I gritted my teeth and scoffed before aiming a kick at Jared's crotch, causing him to immediately double over in pain.

"Is that enough for you?" I sneered before throwing the door open and storming out of the apartment.

I didn't stop to catch my breath for even a second when I ran home. I grabbed the familiar bunch of keys from my pocket and unlocked the door. When I pulled it open, I saw Mom and Dad chatting with each other as they packed their suitcases.

I couldn't keep my emotions in check anymore. Tears streamed down my face.

"Dad… Mom…" I blubbered as I rushed into the house.

My entire body was shaking violently when I pulled them into a tight hug.

"What's wrong, Lily? Did that jerk Jared bully you? Or did you get into a fight with Noelle?"

I couldn't say a single word. Instead, I just shook my head wildly.

In my past life, I decided to repeat the year, promising Jared and Noelle that I would definitely get accepted into Avalium University and be their junior.

However, I suddenly had a terrible stomachache during the exam and couldn't perform as I usually did. As a result, my score was 20 points lower than the previous year.

Dad was furious. Instead of sleeping, he left the house in the middle of the night to drown his sorrows in alcohol. He suffered a sudden cerebral hemorrhage and collapsed into the bushes on the side of the road. He was only discovered by a janitor the next morning.

Mom was overwhelmed with despair. She slapped me across the face and screamed, "You don't deserve to cry! Your father wouldn't have died if your mind wasn't constantly occupied with thoughts of love. If only you had paid more attention to your studies—"

She pressed a hand to her heart with a pained expression before she could finish her sentence. The color had drained from her lips.

Mom was born with a congenital heart condition and had to undergo surgery when she was a child. In fact, she took a huge risk when she gave birth to me.

From the moment I became cognizant of my surroundings, Dad told me that I should never make Mom angry no matter what happened. It was the most important rule in our family.

I lost two of my most important family members overnight. I felt like my very soul was trembling back then. In fact, I felt even more disconnected from reality at that time compared to when I had been reborn.

I didn't give it too much thought when both Jared and Noelle apologized to me with tears running down their faces. Only later did I understand why they were wracked with guilt.

They had destroyed my family and my life with their own two hands.