All Chapters of Reborn, No More Scapegoat: Chapter 1 - Chapter 8

8 Chapters

Chapter 1

Every time Brenda Carter slipped away to meet her secret lovers, she told her husband, Jake Carter, that she was staying over at my apartment.This time, after calling her dozens of times with no answer, the furious man marched to my place.Heavy, frantic pounding rattled my front door as Jake yelled at the top of his lungs, "Open up, Jessica Kemp! I know you're in there! Every time you go out to wild out, you drag Brenda into your mess."She's an innocent girl. How could you have the heart to drag her down into your gutter?"He didn't stop, his voice echoing down the hallway."You took her to that bar where she drank that roofied cocktail and got assaulted, and she ended up pregnant. Her reputation is ruined! Do you have any idea what that kind of trauma does to her?"Every time you had an abortion, Brenda was the one holding your hand! When you got in deep with loan sharks, Brenda bailed you out! She has been nothing but a loyal friend to you, so why won't you just leave her al

Chapter 2

There were times I genuinely wondered if Brenda had brainwashed Jake. To him, my words were completely worthless, while Brenda's lies were gospel."I told Brenda months ago to cut ties with you," Jake sneered, his eyes flashing with anger. "But she kept defending you. She said you were her best friend and she couldn't bear to watch you ruin your life."She begged you to clean up your act and even paid off your debts out of her own pocket. And this is how you repay her? You're a total lost cause."If I had known it would turn out like this, I would have locked her in the house before ever letting her near you. Jessica, I'm giving you one last chance. Where is she?"His words were laughable, and I didn't need anyone to preach at me.In fact, I'd wasted so much breath trying to talk sense into her, but Brenda never took me seriously. Whenever I pressed too hard, she would just take my hands and burst into tears."Jake is never home. He stays out all night. How am I supposed to handl

Chapter 3

A lightbulb went off in my head; I realized where Brenda was hiding.Jake kept such a tight grip on her credit cards that she would never dare check into a hotel with Michael. It would leave an immediate paper trail.That meant the secret house wasn't a gift for me at all. Brenda had bought it as a private nest to carry on her affair.I smirked. "Fine. You claim Brenda bought that house for me, but you don't have any proof. I don't even know where it is. If you're so confident, take me there."If you can prove it's mine, I'll do whatever you want. I'll stay away from Brenda forever and issue a public apology to the press."Predictably, my defiance rattled his ego."You asked for it," Jake snorted, turning to his security detail. "Get her in the car.""Wait a minute!""What, getting cold feet?""What happens if that house isn't mine? I'm not risking my reputation for nothing."Jake was entirely sure of himself, so he didn't hesitate to take the bait. He let out a condescending

Chapter 4

As soon as they heard there was something juicy to watch, everyone swung their curious gazes toward me, launching into wild guesses without bothering to even learn the facts."Isn't that Jessica Kemp?" a former classmate whispered. "She was always so quiet in school. I never would have pegged her for something like this.""Well, appearances are deceiving," another chimed in. "She acts like a total angel in public, but who knows what trashy things she's doing behind closed doors?""Poor Brenda," a relative sighed. "She bails Jessica out constantly, only to get dragged through the mud. I hope she finally sees through Jessica and cuts her off for good."Even the reporters who had rushed over were already pointing their cameras at me, broadcasting live.The nasty gossip didn't make me angry. In fact, a rush of dark excitement surged through me. I couldn't wait to see the looks on their faces when they realized their precious Brenda was currently in bed with another man.Alright, now

Chapter 5

The tense silence stretched on for nearly two minutes before Jake finally snapped out of his shock.He looked between them, bewildered. "Brenda, what are you doing here with him? And why are you two dressed like that?"Love made people blind, but Jake was taking it to a whole new level. His wife was stepping out on him right under his nose, and he still couldn't read the situation.Two attractive people alone in an apartment, half-naked and disheveled... What other possible explanation was there?Behind him, the reporters' cameras flashed rapidly, capturing every single damning detail.Brenda recovered with terrifying speed. Acting as if nothing was wrong, she stepped forward and wrapped her arm through mine."Oh, Jake, I told you about this, didn't I?" she said smoothly. "Jessica got into a massive fight with her boyfriend and was totally heartbroken. I came over to stay with her and keep her company."She tilted her head to shoot me a desperate, pleading look. She was practica

Chapter 6

The two sides dug into their respective versions of reality, leaving the onlookers completely baffled. When I refused to take her side, Brenda was furious. But in the end, she forced down her anger and plastered on a strained smile."Couples fight all the time," she said smoothly. "But you can't just get so angry that you deny Michael is your boyfriend. He knows he messed up, and he's trying his best to make it up to you. Don't act like a spoiled child."Michael picked up the thread right along with her. "Yeah, it was a minor misunderstanding. Do you really have to air our dirty laundry in front of everyone?"We put so much work into planning a surprise for you. Instead of appreciating it, you're out here accusing Brenda and me of cheating? You're really letting me down.""Shut up!" I glared. "Do I even know you? If you're going to claim I'm your girlfriend, prove it. Do you have a single photo of us together? Do you even know when my birthday is?"You have absolutely nothing to

Chapter 7

Several police officers stepped over, and the shouting ceased instantly.Jake stood frozen, never imagining the domestic dispute would draw law enforcement.The lead officer stepped forward, scanning the crowd sternly. "We received a report regarding a hit-and-run nearby. That stretch of road lacks surveillance cameras, but a witness managed to record the license plate."The vehicle is registered to Jessica Kemp. Which one of you is Jessica?"Instantly, every eye locked onto me. Linda went pale, clutching my sleeve as she began to cry. "Jessica, did you really hit someone and run? Why would you do that?"Jake let out a cold, disgusted breath. "So, you orchestrated this entire theatrical production tonight just to cover up your crime?"The murmurs swelled around me. I realized the incident that had killed me in my past life was catching up, but I hadn't expected the police to track the car down weeks earlier this time.The only other person who knew about the car's involvement wa

Chapter 8

Meanwhile, Jake received an anonymous email. The moment he opened the attachment, his pupils snapped wide with shock.It was a video clip of Brenda and Michael completely naked, going at it in the backseat of a car."Honey, I lost all my money gambling again yesterday," Michael whined. "I don't have a single dollar left for food right now."Brenda pressed a soft kiss to his cheek. "What are you scared of? You've got me. I'll steal Jake's money to take care of you. I won't let you starve."Jake's fists clenched involuntarily at his sides."I had to get rid of the kid," Brenda continued carelessly. "If Jake found out I was pregnant with someone else's baby, he'd kick me out of the house in a heartbeat. He's our cash cow. But didn't I already buy you a house? Stop being mad at me, okay?"Michael nodded. "Jake is such an idiot. He's been a cuckold and doesn't even know it, blowing all his money on his wife, who's using it to take care of her side piece."The mocking words blared fro

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