Removing My Corneas

"Hi everyone, welcome to the city of Bluecoast! I'm a local, so to be a good host, I'll take you guys to the mall tomorrow to buy some local specialties. It's all on me; consider it a little welcome gift."

Hearing Lyra Suggs speak those familiar words, I felt a shiver run down my spine. Then, it hit me. I'd been reborn.

The other students immediately started showering her with compliments.

"Wow, Lyra is seriously so kind and beautiful!"

"Lyra, there are so many of us in the class, that's gotta be a lot of money."

Lyra just smiled and said, "It's no problem. You've all come so far to attend college here, it's only right that I show you some hospitality."

Someone then turned to me.

"Jade, if I remember correctly, you're a local too, right?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Welcome to Bluecoast, everyone."

Suddenly, Lyra grabbed my arm.

"Jade, my car can't fit that many people. Didn't you just get your license? Can I borrow your car?"

I froze as if I had been doused in ice water.

In my previous life, Lyra used the same excuse to borrow my car.

The result? Lyra drove recklessly in the city, running 18 red lights. She ended up killing a pregnant woman and an elderly person who were crossing the street.

Three fellow students then collectively testified against me, claiming I was the one who hit the victims and fled the scene afterward.

When the police came to arrest me, I desperately tried to explain that Lyra was the driver.

But Lyra just burst into tears and threw herself into the arms of my boyfriend, Fred Lee.

"Jade, I know you don't like me, but you can't frame me like that!"

Fred slapped me hard and pulled out the car's dashcam footage.

The video showed me speeding, running red lights, and killing those people.

Before I could even explain, the victims' family members, enraged after seeing the video, stabbed me 18 times, killing me.

Recalling the pain, I couldn't help but tremble.

Before I could react, someone snatched my bag.

Fred immediately rummaged through it, pulled out my car keys, and handed them to Lyra.

"Here you go, Lyra."

Hearing that, I snapped back to reality and grabbed my bag and keys back.

"Sorry, I need to use the car tomorrow. Borrow someone else's car."

Fred immediately became annoyed.

"What could you possibly need it for? I think you just don't want to lend Lyra your car."

I glared at him.

"That's right, I don't want to lend it to her. So what?"

Lyra acted as if she were deeply aggrieved.

"Jade, I don't know why you hate me so much. I just want to borrow your car to take everyone out to buy welcome gifts for them. Why do you have to be so mean?"

I scoffed. I merely refused to lend her something that belonged to me, but suddenly I'm "mean"?

The other students took her side and chimed in:

"Jade, we're all friends. You're so heartless."

"Lyra just wants to borrow your car. Why are you being so hurtful? Lyra has never done anything bad to you."

Fred pushed me.

"Jade, can you stop being such a spoiled brat? It's the first day of the semester and you're already bullying Lyra."

I fell to the ground, hitting the back of my head hard on the table. The pain made me gasp.

Before, I might have been gaslit by what Fred said and would reflect on what I had done, but now I only felt hatred toward them. I had a burning desire to tear Fred to pieces.