Chapter 3

3

"I didn't realize you were such a venomous little brat."

"Don't ever contact me again."

After the call ended, Seraphina frantically tried to message Mrs. Zellweger.

But her face was lit up by the green glow of the screen, filled with red exclamation marks.

She had been blocked.

When I got home, Mrs. Zellweger greeted me and brought me a bowl of hot soup.

Mr. Zellweger was on the sofa. For the first time, his expression softened when he looked at me.

After I finished eating, he said, "Seline, why don't you come to the office this weekend? I know you've wanted to see it."

"When you graduate, I'll find a position for you. You can pick any management role you want."

I stayed silent for a moment before looking up with a big smile.

"That's okay, Dad. I'm actually going to be pretty busy this weekend."

Whether they went bankrupt or not had nothing to do with me anymore.

Back at school, Seraphina's gaze was murderous.

I ignored the daggers she was staring into my back and focused on my studies.

In my last life, Jude Tanner forced me to drop out because he needed help at the butcher shop.

I tried to fight back, but he slapped me so hard I hit the floor. I couldn't resist after that.

I spent my days at slaughterhouses and pig farms, covered in filth and the smell of death.

Back then, I'd lie in bed at night and see Seraphina's posts of designer bags, expensive meals, and her luxury trips abroad.

She would never understand how much I envied her.

So, in this life, the first time I touched a textbook, the scent of the paper almost made me cry.

After class, Seraphina was surrounded by a group of delinquent girls with dyed hair.

They were the same lowlifes she hung out with in our previous life. She was moving fast.

It wasn't my business, so I walked away.

After a long lecture, I felt a bit dizzy and went to the restroom.

I was in the stall for a while, and the hallways went quiet.

When I stepped out to wash my hands, those girls were standing in the hallway, blocking the exit.

Before I could react, a boot slammed into my ribs, pinning me against the wall.

They swarmed me, their fists and feet landing everywhere.

Finally, a voice shouted, "Stop!"

Seraphina walked over and grabbed my hair, forcing my head up.

"How did Jude get rich in the last life? What happened? Tell me!"

"If you don't talk, I'll let them keep going!"

Despite the bruises on my face, I stayed calm.

She had only been with Jude for a month and she was already cracking. She couldn't handle the blue-collar life.

"Fine," I said. "I'll tell you."

"On the fifteenth of next month, at midnight, Jude will be walking drunk through the alley behind the school."

"Follow him, and you'll find out exactly how he gets his start."

Seraphina knitted her brows.

"Jude drinks? He never drinks around me."

"Are you sure?" I asked.

"Yeah. He gets off work at nine and comes home to make me a snack and warm milk. He tells me to go to bed early."

Is that so?

In my last life, Jude was a raging alcoholic who beat me whenever he felt like it. He treated me like a slave.

I looked at Seraphina's pretty face and asked, "He's so good to you, and you're still not satisfied?"

She slapped me across the face.

"Shut the hell up."

"What if he doesn't go out that night?"

The last bit of sympathy I had for her vanished. I looked at her and said, "Then get him drunk yourself and take him there. You'll be rich soon enough."