Chapter 1

Summer was my best friend. After the college entrance exams, she insisted on applying to the same university as me.

She always said, "Daisy, you're so naive. If I'm not there to look out for you, people will eat you alive!"

But later, Summer used the excuse of saving me money to make me eat her leftovers. During our freshman orientation camp, she forbid me from using sunscreen. She claimed a sun-scorched look was healthier and more attractive.

I grew uglier and heavier while she dieted and pampered herself until she became the campus belle. Even the guy I liked, the campus heartthrob, ended up becoming her husband.

I eventually developed severe kidney failure due to my poor health. I knelt and begged her to lend me money for treatment.

She just looked down at me and said, "You need to stand on your own two feet, Daisy. I've helped you for years. I've done more than enough!"

Then, I opened my eyes and realized I was back. I was back at the first day of orientation camp!

1

"Daisy, why are you being so vain? It's just orientation. Why are you putting on sunscreen?"

My best friend, Summer, was lecturing me with a self-righteous look on her face.

She grabbed my expensive bottle of sunscreen, ready to toss it into the trash.

"Do you know how hard your parents work? How could you waste their hard-earned money on something so pricey? Just throw it away!"

Her voice was loud. Everyone else in the dorm turned to look at us.

In my past life, Summer had successfully thrown my sunscreen away. After a week in the sun, my skin was burnt black and covered in painful acne.

My face actually started peeling in layers. I looked horrific.

Because of that, I missed the chance to host the freshman gala. I lost my confidence and hid in the shadows.

Summer, on the other hand, became the star of the show. She soaked up all the spotlight.

The rumor spread that I was a vain girl from a poor family who spent money I didn't have on luxury brands. Everyone looked down on me.

Summer would pretend to comfort me in private.

"Don't listen to them, Daisy. You might be a bit chubby and burnt, but you have a good heart!"

Then, she'd hand me the rest of her oversized sundae. "I'm on a diet and can't finish this. Help me out, okay?"

Slowly, I became obese. I developed a slouch and didn't dare to wear a dress.

Once, during a group project, I stayed up all night working on a 3D model. Our class genius, Xavier, looked at me with genuine surprise.

"Daisy, did you make this? It's incredible."

He invited me to lunch to talk about the project.

But Summer intercepted us. "Oh, Daisy is so shy, she'd be awkward alone. I'll come too!"

She wore a tiny new dress and a full face of makeup. She kept flipping her hair and laughing at everything Xavier said.

I didn't get a single word in during the whole meal.

By the next project, Summer had somehow convinced Xavier to let her join his group instead of me.

"I'm so sorry, Daisy! Xavier said he was impressed by my wide range of knowledge. He practically begged me to join him."

That project won a national award. Summer and Xavier became the golden couple of the department.

After graduation, I worked a low-paying job with brutal overtime. Eventually, my body gave out.

The doctor sighed as he looked at my charts. "Your body fat is too high, and your insulin resistance has led to complete kidney failure..."

I remembered Summer's voice in my ear. "Daisy, you look so cute when you're plump!"

I went to Summer's mansion to beg for help. She was already married to Xavier.

She didn't even let me in. She had her housekeeper push me out the door.

"Daisy, you need to rely on yourself. I've been your crutch for years. I'm done."

In the end, I couldn't afford dialysis. I died in a hospital bed, my body swollen and my lungs gasping for air.

Back in the present, I felt a cold chill. I reached out and snatched the sunscreen back from Summer's hand.

"I worked a part-time job all summer to save up for this. Why shouldn't I use it?"

Summer froze. She didn't expect me to fight back.

"Well, you should save that money for tuition or food! You shouldn't waste it on vanity."

She lowered her voice, acting concerned. "I'm from the city, Daisy. You're from a ranching town. Don't try to keep up with me just to feel included."

She grabbed my hand. "I won't look down on you for being poor, I promise!"

"I know your parents are out there in the heat, tending to cattle and orchards. Think of them!"

I looked her dead in the eye. "It's true I'm from the country, but we aren't poor."

"We have over a thousand head of cattle. Selling just one would cover my tuition for four years."

While she was stunned, I reached out and wiped a finger across her pale, perfect cheek.

I held up my finger, showing the thick, white residue to the entire room.

"If you hate sunscreen so much, Summer, why are you wearing such a thick layer of it yourself?"

Summer's face turned bright red as the girls in the dorm began to whisper.

"My skin is naturally fair and sensitive! It burns so easily," she stammered.

"I actually envy your darker skin. It's so... exotic and trendy!"

I smiled thinly. "If you keep wearing sunscreen, you'll never get that trendy look."

"Why don't you wash it off? I promise you'll look just as exotic as me by this afternoon."

Summer's eyes darted around. She put on a hurt expression.

"I can't believe you don't trust me after all these years. Fine! I'll go wash it off!"

She turned to run toward the communal sinks.

I grabbed her arm. "That's waterproof formula, Summer. Water won't touch it."

I pulled a bottle of high-end cleansing oil from my bag.

"Here, use my new cleanser. Best friends are supposed to share, right? I don't mind!"