Chapter 1

I used a razor blade to slash my own arm.

Amid the curses of my entire class, I forced that "charity" bus to hell to come to a screeching halt.

I ignored their furious faces and pushed open the bus door. "I'm not going. You guys have fun."

The class beauty and the campus heartthrob were livid, but only I knew that I was escaping a literal slaughterhouse.

In my past life, it was this same "charity teaching trip" where a landslide happened.

I had risked my life to save the whole class, only to be buried under a massive boulder myself.

They thought I was dead.

Under the class beauty's tearful persuasion, not a single person called for help.

They simply moved on with their luxury vacation, feeling perfectly justified.

But I didn't die.

When I woke up in agony, dragging two broken legs and covered in blood, I crawled back to their camp.

I didn't find rescue. I found a deeper level of despair.

To hide the scandal of packaging a luxury vacation as a "charity trip" to steal high subsidies, the class beauty cried again.

She blocked the only person trying to make a 911 call.

"We can't report this! It will leave a stain on all our permanent records!"

The whole class went silent.

They threw me into a dark corner and let my wounds rot.

They turned around and started a party around a bonfire.

I watched myself bleed out to their laughter and music.

I took my last breath in hunger, thirst, and unbearable pain.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back to the day she invited the class to the "charity trip."

1

I woke up with a start and realized I was sitting in a noisy classroom.

On the podium, Sierra Sterling, our class beauty, was promoting something with great passion.

"We should bring our love to the mountains and help those underprivileged kids!"

The whole class erupted in thunderous applause.

But I knew the truth.

It was just a luxury trip funded by stolen subsidy money.

A phantom pain shot through my legs.

It was the memory of being crushed by that boulder.

The smell of blood still seemed to linger in my nose.

Desperate images flashed through my mind like a horror movie.

Sierra smiled and called my name. "Willow Vance, you're always the kindest. You'll support me this time, right?"

Chase Huntington, the campus golden boy, chimed in.

"Yeah, Willow is always into volunteer work. There's no way she'd miss this."

I felt the burning gaze of the entire class on me.

I spit out three words coldly. "I'm not going."

The room went dead silent.

Then, the whispers of accusation started.

"What's wrong with Willow?"

"She's usually so nice. Why is she being a bitch now?"

"How can she skip out on something this good?"

A flash of malice crossed Sierra's eyes.

"Willow, are you mad at me? I thought we were best friends…"

Her words triggered my memories of the past life.

Back then, I believed her tears. I believed in her friendship.

What did I get in return?

She pushed me into the abyss with her own hands.

She chose silence while I was dying!

I knew the consequences of a direct refusal.

They would use every dirty trick to force me onto that bus to hell.

I clutched my chest and spoke in a weak voice.

"I… I was just diagnosed with a congenital heart condition. The doctor said I can't go to high-altitude areas."

Sierra and Chase traded a look. They clearly didn't believe me.

Chase pretended to be concerned.

"That's too bad. But the school permit was filed based on the full class count. We can't be missing one person."

"And the subsidy money is calculated per head," Sierra added, a hint of urgency in her eyes.

The students started gossiping again.

"Is Willow doing this on purpose?"

"Of course she gets a heart problem right when we're about to leave. How convenient."

"It's a bit too suspicious!"

The class president, Zackery Pyles, stood up.

"Willow, do you have a doctor's note for this condition?"

I clenched my fists. These absolute vultures!

"I haven't had time to get the official paperwork yet," I said, forcing down my rage.

"So you're saying you have no proof?" Chase stepped closer, cornering me.

Sierra wiped away fake tears.

"Willow, I know you might have other concerns, but those kids in the mountains really need us…"

"Yeah, it's for a good cause!"

"How can you be so heartless, Willow?"

"So selfish!"

I was surrounded. It was me against the world.

These people's faces were exactly the same as in my previous life.

"Willow, do you really want to let all your classmates down?" Sierra's tears fell harder.

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

My voice trembled as I spoke.

"I… I'll go back and ask the doctor if there's any way I can make it work."

Sierra immediately broke into a smile.

"I knew Willow wouldn't let us down!"

Chase followed up instantly.

"It's settled then. We head out tomorrow!"

The class burst into applause.

I just sat there, my heart feeling like cold ash.