Chapter 2

Shane heard me getting up and turned to look at me.

Surprise flickered across his face, as though he had not expected me to be so indifferent. But that surprise quickly gave way to scorn; he was convinced I was just playing hard to get.

After all, I knew all his exam registration numbers and passwords by heart. Whenever he got himself into trouble, I was always the one cleaning up after him. To him, I would never pass up an opportunity to stay by his side.

He draped an arm around Lucy’s shoulder and sneered.

“Tessa, don’t think I don’t know what you’re planning. You’ll sneak into my account tonight and change my college application back to Edevane University.”

He paused briefly, his gaze filled with disgust.

“You’re just like my mom, always trying to control my life. You’ve clung to me for years, and I’ve had enough. Please, just give me some room to breathe!”

Lucy lifted her head at just the right moment and gave me a helpless, pleading look.

“Tessa, I know you can’t bear to let Shane go, but we’re truly in love. Can’t you just let us be together? I’m begging you.”

I stopped, turned toward him, and smiled as I wished them well.

“Since you’re both begging me, how can I refuse? May you have a lifetime of happiness together and a wonderful future ahead.”

Convinced he had hit a nerve, Shane went on to warn me.

“Cut the act, Tessa. Don’t you dare make decisions for me under the pretense of looking out for my best interests. Even if you change my application, I won’t be the least bit grateful. Lucy is the only one I love!”

I did not spare the self-absorbed couple another glance as I walked straight out of the internet cafe.

Just as I stepped outside, my phone rang in my pocket with a call from Shane’s mother, Deborah Limbert.

Deborah’s anxious voice came through the line when I answered.

“Tessa, how did the college applications go? Shane has picked his major at Edevane, hasn’t he? Do keep an eye on him for me, okay?”

“Everything went smoothly, Miss Limbert,” I replied calmly. “Shane knows what he wants, and he’s already filled out his application.”

After hanging up, I let out a long breath.

All I wanted after reborn was to watch him hit rock bottom and never climb back out.

When I opened the front door, the smell of a home-cooked meal greeted me.

I spotted Mom and Dad bustling around in the kitchen, and my eyes instantly stung. Before I knew it, tears were streaming down my face.

After Shane shoved me off the rooftop in the previous timeline, he faced none of the punishment he deserved. Instead, he used the Felton family’s influence to bankrupt my entire family.

With no one willing to help them and nowhere left to turn, Mom and Dad ultimately lost their lives in a car accident.

I hurried over and hugged Mom tightly from behind, my voice choked with emotion.

“Mom, I’m back.”

Mom looked startled. She quickly set down her spatula, then turned to brush the tears from my cheeks.

“Sweetie, why are you crying? Did something go wrong with your college application?”

Dad came out of his study and looked at me anxiously.

“Don’t cry, Tessa. I’m here. If someone’s picking on you, I’ll deal with them!”

Seeing how alive and well they looked, I shook my head firmly, wiped away my tears, and broke into a wide smile.

“No, I’m just really happy. Mom, Dad, I applied to Edevane University.”

During dinner, I set down my cutlery and calmly turned to my parents.

“Mom, Dad, I don’t want anything more to do with Shane, and I think it’s time our families went their separate ways, too.”

Mom and Dad were taken aback. They had watched Shane and me grow up together and had always assumed we would eventually become a couple.

“Tessa, what happened?” Dad asked with a frown.

I briefly explained how Shane had changed his college application for Lucy’s sake, leaving out the part about my reborn.