Chapter 2

A figure flitted nervously around my desk.

"Oh no, Alex, your blood sugar is low? Quick, eat this chocolate!"

Caleb blinked his big, innocent eyes, holding out a piece of "chocolate" to me.

Meeting his overly concerned gaze, a wave of sickening dread washed over my spine.

The agony of suffocating to death in my past life surged through me.

Caleb suddenly pouted, his eyes welling up.

He knelt before me, his legs giving out.

"I was so thoughtless! Alex, you're Jessica's fiancé; you usually eat expensive things. You must look down on anything someone like me offers."

"I... I deserve to die, boo-hoo-hoo! Alex, please don't blame me! Please don't hit me!"

His utterly provocative act made me see red.

Last time, I was on the verge of collapsing at my desk.

Caleb, seemingly out of kindness, came over and offered me chocolate. I was deeply touched by his apparent generosity.

"Thank you."

I smiled gratefully at him, tore open the wrapper, and tossed the treat into my mouth.

Not long after, huge red rashes erupted all over me. My body itched so badly I wanted to tear my skin off.

Then, I started coughing uncontrollably, collapsing weakly onto the floor.

I struggled to grab Caleb's pant leg:

"Y-you gave me peanuts?"

Caleb blinked his innocent eyes, feigning confusion as he explained.

"Peanuts are nuts, too, Alex. I didn't lie to you."

But in his eyes, there was a flash of triumph.

In that moment, I knew he was doing it on purpose. I wanted to beat him to death.

However, my throat was swelling, making it harder and harder to breathe...

Nightmarish memories flooded my mind.

I snapped my eyes open, staring at Caleb, who was still kneeling before me.

"Caleb, on your very first day, I told you I was allergic to peanuts."

"And you're still pretending you didn't know?"

You bastard, trying to pull the same stunt again?

Furious, I lifted my foot and *thwack* – I kicked him, sending him flying into the back of a desk leg.

Immediately, a huge bump swelled on his head.

He clutched his head, curling up and looking at me in disbelief.

"You kicked me? What did I do wrong with my good intentions?"

Innocent tears streamed from his eyes, as if I were some kind of villain.

He burst into loud sobs:

"I know I can't stand up to you, but you shouldn't just bully me because Jessica has your back!"

He made such a scene that everyone else still working overtime turned to stare.

My colleagues' gazes were filled with condemnation.

They whispered amongst themselves.

"He's so arrogant, just because he's Jessica's fiancé. He's just a useless nobody."

"He actually made the new guy kneel and used violence? Is there no decency left?"

Looking at these people, I felt a surge of anger.

When I was dying last time, where was all your outrage then?

Caleb trembled, huddling into a ball.

"I truly didn't know you were allergic to peanuts, Alex."

Still playing innocent.

I wanted to give him two more slaps, but then a sharp female voice came from behind me.

"Alex Miller, how dare you hit Caleb?!"