They Died And Came Back To Destroy Me Again Chapter 01

They Died And Came Back To Destroy Me Again Chapter 01

On the last practice exam before the finals, I held back my score again, landing just below Caleb Thornton’s name on the rankings.

I was about to share the good news with him when I heard the sharp crack of a slap at the break room entrance.

Right after, my best friend, Vanessa Reid, shouted, her voice thick with sobs.

“Enough, Caleb! You altered her college application in the past life, and she jumped from the twenty-eighth floor because of it.”

“We owe her too much. We’re here to make it right this time, not repeat the same mistakes.”

Then came Caleb’s voice.

“If she didn’t cling to me like this, I wouldn’t be stuck between a rock and a hard place! You had an abortion for her in the past life. How can you not consider our future?”

“My heart has always been yours. I’m never letting you go in this lifetime.”

The wind pushed the door open a crack. I saw them locked in a deep kiss.

My blood ran cold.

The ranking sheet slipped from my hand and fluttered to the floor.

So that was it.

That night, I found the special overseas study application form and signed my name without hesitation.

Caleb, I’m done holding on.

***

The next day, Caleb came to pick me up for school as usual.

But today, there was an extra person in the car.

Vanessa’s face was a little awkward. She explained she had caught a cold yesterday, so Caleb had given her a ride.

She quickly moved to get up, offering me the middle seat next to Caleb.

But he instinctively reached out and grabbed her wrist, like he was protecting what’s his.

The air went stiff.

I spoke calmly, my tone distant.

“I prefer the window seat. It’s quieter. You stay put.”

I hugged my books, looked down, and started memorizing vocabulary, quietly getting ready for studying abroad.

The whole ride was silent until the butler, Gary, broke in.

“Funny coincidence. Caleb caught a cold yesterday too. Anyone would think you two got sick together.”

Caleb and Vanessa exchanged a glance.

Vanessa’s cheeks flushed first.

I watched silently, remembering what I’d seen the day before. My grip on my book tightened, and I put on my headphones and drowned everything out with listening practice.

Between classes, Vanessa poked my back.

“Emma, I think my period started… Do you have a pad?”

Before she finished, Caleb walked over, draped his jacket over Vanessa’s shoulders, and handed her a small black paper bag.

“I noticed you looked off this morning. Does your stomach hurt again?”

Vanessa pushed him lightly. “What are you talking about? You remembered Emma’s period is coming soon, and you bought this for her, right?”

Caleb’s eyes held a hint of some unreadable frustration, and he spoke quietly. “I bought it for you…”

My period had actually started yesterday.

Before I could say anything, Caleb grunted softly.

Vanessa had pinched him.

“He just misspoke. His heart belongs to you. Didn’t you two promise to go to Ashfield together?”

I hugged my book and slowly looked up.

Going to Ashfield together was a secret promise between Caleb and me.

He had told me his parents lived in Ashfield. He wanted to get into Ashfield University to ask them why they had never cared about him.

I felt bad for him back then. So I started deliberately holding back my scores, letting him be first.

That day, he showed his results to his parents in Ashfield. When he turned to look at me, his eyes lit up.

But now, that light, once meant for me, had already landed on Vanessa.

Even though my heart was already in tatters, I kept my face calm.

“He bought it for you, so you keep it. There’s no need to explain. I’m going outside to study. Excuse me.”