Chapter 1

"Yes, please freeze all transactions on this card," I said.

The first thing I did after opening my eyes was call my bank. As soon as I froze the credit card Sean White had taken, I could finally breathe easier.

I looked around the room, lost in thought.

Just then, my phone rang. Sean's name flashed across the screen.

The memories of how my previous life ended kept replaying in my head.

I scoffed and answered the call.

"Hello? Jensen, is that you?"

Hearing Sean's voice again made my blood boil.

"Is there something you need?" I asked.

He clearly wasn't expecting such an icy response from me. After all, my family had supported Sean through financial aid for years, and I had always treated him like a brother.

He quickly recovered. His voice was warm and a little too eager to please.

"I do! I'm having my graduation party at Lawson Hotel tonight. Will you come?" Sean asked. "It's the biggest celebration I've ever had. Please, you have to show up.

"Janine will be there too. It's been a while since you two have seen each other, hasn't it?"

I ran my fingers over the new Patek Philippe watch on my wrist and smiled.

"Sure. It's your big day. Go ahead and order the good stuff," I said.

After I hung up, I clenched my fists.

He talked about how Janine Slater and I hadn't seen each other in a while, as if he knew where my "girlfriend" had been better than I did.

In my previous life, I thought Janine was overseas taking over the family business, so I didn't think much of it.

Later, I found out the two of them had been traveling the world together in secret. They had just returned the day before.

That earlier comment from Sean was a blatant jab at me.

-

At 7:00 pm, I walked into the Lawson Hotel ballroom.

Everything was exactly as I remembered. 18 tables were loaded with caviar, lobster, and top-shelf liquor.

Crystal chandeliers overhead gave the room a luxurious feel.

Sean wore an expensive, tailored white suit. He stood beside Janine, making the rounds from table to table with a drink in hand.

The two laughed together, and Sean stayed close to her the whole time. They looked like a happy couple.

This event looked less like a graduation party and more like an engagement party.

The moment I walked in, every head in the ballroom turned toward me. People immediately started whispering.

"Is that… Jensen Lancaster? He and Sean must be really close if he came all the way here."

"Right? I heard the Lancasters treat Sean like one of their own. They've practically adopted him at this point."

"Then it makes sense that Janine is here. Didn't they say she and Jensen are engaged?"

"Don't make things up. Janine and Jensen might not be dating. Someone asked her that before, and she never answered."

I smirked as I listened to the gossip.

The moment Sean saw me, he hurried over with Janine, pretending to be pleasantly surprised.

"Jensen, you made it!" he said.

He awkwardly scratched the back of his head, and his face turned slightly red as he lowered his voice.

"Please don't get the wrong idea," he said. "Janine was worried I couldn't hold my liquor, so she insisted on coming with me while I toasted everyone."

Janine hadn't looked happy since the moment she saw me. After hearing Sean's explanation, she frowned even harder.

"Jensen, don't give Sean a hard time," she said.

Their behavior was so ridiculous that I almost laughed.

I couldn't help but say, "But I haven't even said anything yet."

Seeing the situation getting more heated, Sean quickly jumped in.

"Janine, don't say that," he said. "I'm already happy enough that Jensen came. How could he possibly be giving me a hard time?"

As I watched Sean get more carried away with his act, I patted him on the shoulder and smiled warmly.

"What are you talking about, Sean?" I asked. "Why would I be mad at you?"

Hearing that, Janine seemed to relax. She scoffed and said, "At least you know better."

I kept the smile on my face and continued, "Someone like Janine is only worth wanting if you're the type who collects trash."

The moment I said that, the entire ballroom fell silent.

Sean's smile froze, and Janine's expression turned dark with anger.

"Jensen Lancaster!"