Chapter 2

Something shattered inside me.

I stumbled forward desperately: "Lucas, have you no humanity? This is your own flesh and blood!"

Hazel cowered behind him like a frightened rabbit. Lucas's expression darkened and he shoved me hard.

"Ah!" I cried out as I fell heavily to the ground.

He hadn't held back at all. I felt a sharp contraction in my belly, followed by waves of pain spreading through my whole body.

"Lily, don't be so shameless," Lucas said, brushing off his clothes as if he'd touched something dirty. "If it weren't for you back then, how could I have missed my date with Hazel? You maliciously tore us apart, so now you have to pay the price!"

I had no idea what he was talking about. The pain blurred my vision, but I caught a glimpse of Hazel's mocking expression. I frantically crawled towards her.

Hazel kicked me hard in the stomach.

"You schemed and plotted, but for what? Lucas has always loved me and only me. You're nothing but a dog being kicked to the curb."

I felt liquid seeping out beneath me as my vision went dark.

"Lucas, the guests will be arriving soon. With her like this..." Hazel said.

My hair was roughly grabbed as Lucas dragged me upstairs.

I struggled desperately, but my strength was fading with the pain: "Lucas, you beast! I was blind to have ever married you!"

With a loud bang, I was thrown into the attic.

"Hazel is the light of my life, the woman I love most in this world," he declared. "No one can ever take her place."

"Lily, you stopped me from meeting her back then and made me lose Hazel. No matter what you do now to keep us apart, I will never let go of her hand!"

When did I ever stop him from meeting her?

But I could no longer speak.

Lucas slammed the door shut.

"Stay here and reflect on your actions! Don't come out until you've learned your lesson!"

I lay crumpled on the floor like a broken rag doll, listening to the laughter and cheer from downstairs, hearing our friends toast to Lucas and Hazel's relationship. Tears rolled silently down my face.

I breathed my last, consumed by fury and regret.

4

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my high school classroom.

Harsh sunlight streamed in through the windows. I saw a crowd gathered on the sports field.

This scene felt so familiar...

Someone came running up to me.

"Lily, come to the field with me! Lucas is waiting for you!"

I turned to look, my eyes widening in shock when I saw who it was.

Seeing no reaction from me, Hazel grabbed my arm: "Hurry up, everyone's waiting!"

I jerked my arm away violently.

Hatred surged through me.

Hazel looked taken aback, somewhat annoyed: "Fine, don't come then. But don't regret it later!"

She ran off.

I stared blankly at the dispersing crowd on the field, revealing Lucas standing there with a bouquet of flowers and Hazel hurrying back to comfort him.

If I remembered correctly, this was the day Lucas had confessed to me.

The beginning of all the tragedy in my past life.

A chill ran down my spine.

No, I couldn't repeat the same mistakes. Heaven had given me a second chance, and I had to seize control of my own fate this time.

As for those two...

My palm stung. I looked down to see four crescent-shaped marks where my nails had dug into my skin.

"Well well, moving on to greener pastures?" a lazy voice drawled from behind me.

I turned to see Ethan.

We hadn't had much interaction in my past life, so I ignored him.

Ethan didn't push further. He just smirked and went back to napping on his desk.

The bell rang and Lucas entered the classroom, giving me a complicated look.

I ignored the whispers and stares around me, taking out my textbook to study instead.

Although I had gotten into an Ivy League school in my past life, I had forgotten most of my high school knowledge. It would be challenging to catch up to my previous academic level.

I needed to come up with a more reliable plan for myself this time.

As I pondered, something tapped my back. I saw a crumpled note fall by my feet.

The murmurs around me grew louder.

I glanced back to see Lucas's sullen face.

He stared at me intently, as if certain I would accept this olive branch and go back to fawning over him.

I lowered my gaze, not bothering to pick up the note.

Instead, I raised my hand in front of everyone.

"Teacher, someone is passing notes in class. It's disrupting my studies."

A commotion broke out.

"Pfft!"

Amid the stunned silence, a snicker came from the figure slumped over his desk in the back row.

Lucas's face flushed red as the teacher made him leave the classroom under everyone's scrutiny.

I saw Hazel looking at him with concern.

As Lucas passed by my desk, he paused: "Lily, what are you playing at?"

I kept my head down, pretending not to hear him.

What was I playing at?

I simply refused to be a pawn in their little drama anymore.

They could play out their angsty romance all they wanted. Just leave innocent bystanders out of it, using them as collateral damage to fulfill their grand love story.