All Chapters of From Teen Dad to Second Chance: After Rebirth, I Refuse: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Camille Chaney brushed off my cold words and stepped forward, blocking the doorway.But I was faster. The door slammed shut and caught her hand hard.She screamed, and I released it on instinct.She seized the moment and forced her way in, pointing straight at my nose and shouting, "Dexter Revell! Are you insane? You crushed my hand!"She came from a rural background, but after we started seeing each other, I took over all the hard work at her family's home.Years without labor had left her hands soft, like a city woman's, without a trace of calluses. I saw her knuckles crushed red by the door and felt nothing.The pain of suffocating to death in my previous life still felt like yesterday. I was holding myself back from stepping forward and choking her. That was already considered emotionally stable to me.I stayed silent, and Camille's anger spiked."Did you lose your voice? I told you I'm pregnant. Do you know what that means? Go to my family and make it official now. If my b

Chapter 2

I lay awake the entire night.The place around me felt strange and familiar at once. There were no electronics here, not even a light.At first light, when the horizon was only starting to pale, roosters crowed outside. Everyone rolled out of bed to get ready for the fields, and I forced myself up, too.If I could make it through this stretch, I'd be approved to switch to an urban status. This time, I was going to change my life.I'd been swinging the hoe nonstop when the village head, Greg Nixon, suddenly showed up at the field with a group of people."Dexter, Bertha came to me today and said you're suddenly backing out of the engagement. Camille cried at home all night. Weren't you two engaged a long time ago? I was there myself as a witness."What's going on now? You owe her an explanation, don't you?"People nearby picked it up and closed in with their own advice."You're both young. Couples fight and make up. Nothing can't be settled by talking.""That's right. You're sti

Chapter 3

I hadn't expected Mr. Nixon to say something like that. The moment he did, Camille's story was all but sealed.Whispers rippled through the crowd at once, and a few people even started speaking up for Camille."What woman would joke about her own virginity? And Camille's always been kind. She wouldn't lie.""Everyone's seen what's been going on between you and Camille. If you did it, then you need to admit it!""Our village won't put up with this. You two should pick a date and have the wedding."In just a few sentences, I was standing alone.Out of the corner of my eye, I caught a faint smile on Mr. Nixon's face. I suddenly remembered that he'd always been close with the Salters.The Salters were from the city. Mr. Nixon said they weren't used to rural life, so he looked after them at every turn, and any kind of special treatment went to them first.Mr. Nixon didn't think I'd make it through the college entrance exam. More than once, he'd told me to focus on the work and stop

Chapter 4

The others turned toward the sound, and I turned with them.The woman standing there felt unfamiliar, but I couldn't shake the sense I'd seen her before.She wore a floral dress that looked out of place in the countryside. Her hair was tied into twin ponytails, and she wore light makeup. Her features were delicate.She obviously wasn't from the village.Frowning, I searched my memory but couldn't pin down where I'd seen her before. Still, the familiarity clung to me. And somehow, she knew my name.Camille panicked when the woman cut in and ruined what was supposed to be the perfect conclusion. Worse, the woman called out the father of Camille's baby, and she was right.Camille didn't even get a chance to cry. She hopped in place, finger thrust inches from the woman's face."Where the hell did you come from, you bitch? What are you spouting? The baby in my belly is Dexter's! Who's Howard? I don't even know him!"The woman stared at Camille without a word. I couldn't tell if my e

Chapter 5

The whole crowd marched straight to Howard's house.It was the nicest place in our village, and Howard was known for skipping work so often that they rarely saw him out in the fields.After a few knocks, Howard yanked the door open. His hair stuck up in a wild mess. "Who the hell is it? Why are you making so much noise this damn early?"The second he spotted Ms. Hopkins, fear flickered across his face. "Honey… y-you're here?"That split-second told everyone what they needed to know—Ms. Hopkins hadn't lied.Bertha didn't look bothered. She shoved her way to the front and charged at Howard."Since she's your wife, perfect. Your wife says the baby in Cammy's belly is yours, and it's already ruined Cammy's reputation. You fix it."I caught Howard trading a quick look with Camille, something unreadable flashing in his eyes.Howard cleared his throat twice, then spun on me, putting on a show of anger. "What kind of nonsense is this? I barely even know her. How could there be a kid be

Chapter 6

If Mr. Nixon had intercepted the acceptance letter, there was no way he was handing it over to me. I was still stuck on that thought when Camille showed up again.She started crying the second she saw me. "Dexter, someone's trying to hurt me! Please, I'm begging you. Help me!"Other than Ms. Hopkins and me, I couldn't think of anyone who'd have a reason to go after Camille, so I didn't bother playing along. With no one else around, I yanked my hand out of her grip."You and your mother are both more than capable. Who would even dare come after you? I told you not to come to me again. If you're going to keep claiming this kid is mine, then go ahead and have him."Let everyone see for themselves. Either way, I'm not marrying you!"In my previous life, the baby didn't look like me when he was born. Back then, I barely had any contact with Howard, so it never even crossed my mind that he could be the father.I remembered a friend once joking that sons always took after their fathers,

Chapter 7

I sneered to myself."Mr. Nixon, no one else is here. Drop the act. You know what really happened that day better than I do. I came for my acceptance letter. Why hasn't it arrived?"Mr. Nixon's smile stiffened.After a long moment, he rubbed his hands together and let out an awkward laugh. "I-I don't know. I never went to college myself. Maybe they didn't accept you."I didn't want to waste another second on an idiot like him, but I didn't have a choice."Mr. Nixon, Camille came to see me today. She said Howard's father helped you out, and that's why you set me up. Is that true?"Mr. Nixon's expression hardened. "She's talking out of her ass. I took pity on her and Bertha and helped them more times than I can count. And now they turn around and drag my name through the mud!""Sure, but she didn't exactly have a choice. Ms. Hopkins is a hard woman. Her father owns a factory in the city, and he's got money and influence. The Salters won't be in our village much longer anyway."Fo

Chapter 8

Before I went into the city for enrollment, Camille showed up at my place. We never officially ended the engagement, but after things turned that ugly, everyone acted as if it were already over.Her belly was starting to show. She sank to her knees right there on the floor and cried until she was a wreck. "Dexter, please marry me! If you don't, I can't go on."The bruises on her face were still plain as day. I heard that when Bertha found out the baby Camille was carrying was Howard's, she beat Camille badly and threatened to disown her.But what did any of that have to do with me?"Camille, didn't you ever wonder how I suddenly knew the baby you were carrying wasn't mine?"She stared at me, confused, and I told her everything about my last life. "I wasn't marrying you. Nobody's stupid enough to fall for the same con twice."Her eyes flooded with despair. She clamped a hand over her mouth as tears spilled down her cheeks. "I-I don't believe it! That's impossible! How could I do t

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