My Rebirth Is Their Funeral

Brandon stormed forward and raised his hand to slap me. I sidestepped and grabbed his wrist."Brandon, you really think you're tough now? You lay a finger on me today, and the consequences aren't something the Cooper family's second son can afford."Brandon's expression shifted, something like humiliation crossing his face. "You…"I used to love Brandon's looks and that stubborn streak of his. When we were together, I'd always go along with whatever he wanted and smooth things over. Hitting him where it hurt this directly was clearly more than he could handle.But there was nothing he could do about it. His family's company still depended on mine for business, so he couldn't afford to burn that bridge. Brandon was so furious a vein throbbed at his temple, but all he could do was yank his hand free."Nicole, watch your mouth!"I put on a look of mild surprise. "What did I say wrong? Isn't it the truth?"A few classmates jumped in with nervous laughs to break the tension."Come o

The dinner was finally winding down, and classmates had broken off into small groups. Some were already looking up car models and prices on their phones while others were calling home to share the good news. The whole room buzzed like it was New Year's Eve.Lacey was all smiles as the crowd swarmed around her on the way to the hotel front desk to settle the bill. "Don't rush, everyone. There's more planned after this. We're all going out to a club."Brandon was carrying her purse for her like it was the most natural thing in the world. The two of them walked side by side at the front of the group, looking every bit the picture-perfect couple.I'd had my fill, so I got up to follow. That was when Brandon stopped and turned around. His gaze cut through the crowd and landed squarely on me in the corner."Nicole, are you done eating?"He had a smile on his face, and his voice wasn't loud, but it carried far enough for everyone around to hear. The group stopped and turned to look.Som

The hotel manager handed Brandon the bill. It was 683,000 dollars.Brandon's hands were shaking as he took it. He knew he didn't have that kind of money. The Cooper family gave him 200,000 dollars a month at most in spending money, and after years of spoiling Lacey, most of it was long gone. He had no way to cover 683,000 dollars."Mr. Cooper?" The manager prompted.Brandon gritted his teeth and pulled out a handful of cards, but even splitting it across all of them, he still couldn't scrape enough together. The whispering among the classmates started up, and Brandon's ears turned bright red. He bit down hard and stepped to the side to make calls.But the deadbeat friends he kept weren't worth much either. I'd already put the word out that I was coming for Brandon, and not a single one of them dared to stick their neck out for him now.His hand was trembling around his phone. He tried his mother next."Mom, I need you to transfer me a million dollars. Tell Dad! Mom, I'm serious.

Lacey's case went to trial quickly. When she was brought to the defendant's stand, she looked completely out of it, nothing like the school beauty queen she used to be.After the judge finished reading the charges, Lacey's lawyer actually argued that I'd given her the card willingly and that it didn't constitute theft. The sheer range of human audacity never ceased to amaze me.I stood up and countered immediately, "Your Honor, Lacey claims I gave her the card. So when exactly did I supposedly give it to her?"Lacey blurted out before anyone else could speak, "You said it yourself! You told me I could use your card whenever I wanted!""Your Honor, Lacey has been receiving financial support from the Dixon family since her freshman year of high school. Over the past few years, I felt sorry for her and occasionally let her use this card to buy basic necessities. Every time she made a purchase, I had her report it back to me."I locked eyes with Lacey and continued, "After exams, I de

Then, I heard a deafening crash, but I didn't feel any pain. It was Brandon. His car had suddenly spun out of control.The vehicle swerved violently and slammed straight toward a concrete support column. Brandon was fighting the steering wheel inside. The tires shrieked against the pavement like a dying scream, but he was going too fast to turn."Help!"But there was nobody who could help him now.The front of the car smashed into the column, crumpling inward by half. The windshield shattered, spraying glass everywhere. The airbag deployed and engulfed Brandon's face.I stood frozen, my whole body trembling.My phone rang. My assistant, Tara Holden's, voice was frantic. "Ms. Dixon, security says there's been an accident in the parking garage. Are you all right?""Call an ambulance."I hung up and walked over slowly. Brandon was slumped in the driver's seat, the airbag already deflated. His eyes were half open, and he didn't look like he was breathing anymore.I straightene