Chapter 3

3

Even though they had seen Shae many times, they nodded and listened to me.

The next morning, I checked the local news. There were no reports of a fire.

It seemed Shae didn't want to burn things down when she was in her own house. Maybe Leo stopped her, or maybe she realized she wouldn't get enough attention there.

Either way, the crisis was avoided. But I was done with her. I needed to stay far away from that woman.

My mom told me there was a wedding in the village and asked me to help out.

I had just finished getting ready when I opened the front door and saw Shae.

The moment she saw me, she rushed up to interrogate me.

"Gia! I went to your place last night, and the guards wouldn't let me in! They called me a psycho! What's going on? And why didn't you tell me you were going back to the countryside?"

I blocked the doorway, having no intention of letting her in.

"I didn't tell you on purpose."

"What?" Shae looked at me in disbelief. "Why? Gia, why would you do that?"

I stopped pretending. I didn't want her bothering me anymore.

"Shae, every time you fight with your husband, you run to my house. Have you ever considered that your husband might resent me for that? I didn't tell you because I don't want you staying with me. Do you get it now?"

My cold tone stunned her. Her expression immediately shifted to her classic pitiful act.

"Gia, I only come to you because I have nowhere else to go. Aren't we best friends for life?"

She was trying to manipulate me again. Why did I never realize how disgusting her words were before?

"Nowhere to go? Shae, what about your parents? Your in-laws?"

"Gia, you know I don't get along with my family. Please, this is the last time. Just let me stay for a few days. Once Leo calms down, I'll leave. For the sake of our years of friendship, I'm begging you."

I almost laughed at her audacity.

In the past, I believed her stories about her parents being mean and her grandparents neglecting her.

But after she died in my previous life, I met them. They were crying, asking me about her life.

I found out both her parents were only children. She and her sister were the only grandchildren. She had grown up being cherished by three households.

Once she started working, the family focused more on her younger sister who was still in high school. Shae decided they didn't care about her and cut them off. She only visited once in two years after getting married.

In my last life, I felt so guilty toward her parents. Even in their grief, they never made things hard for me.

I couldn't understand how such a family raised someone as selfish as Shae.

She was still complaining about her family, and it made me feel sick.

"Shae, in your dreams!"

I slammed the door in her face. She banged on it for a while.

I didn't move. Soon, she lost her temper.

"Gia Quinn! Fine! If that's how you want it, our friendship is over! I don't have a friend like you anymore!"

Is that supposed to be a threat? That's the best news I've heard all day.

I sneered and didn't answer.

After a while, it went quiet. I opened the door and she was gone.

I didn't care where she went. I finished getting ready and went to help with the wedding.

To my surprise, I ran into an old upperclassman from college named Cassidy, who was a design major.

She was shocked to see me.

"What a coincidence! Are you not with Shae? Her trophy and award certificates for the design contest are still at my office. Does she only care about the prize money and not the recognition?"

I was confused. "What trophy and certificates?"

Cassidy spilled everything.

"Last year, during the state mascot design competition. She gave me a design file and asked me to help her submit it. It was really well-done, so I entered it for her. It won third place! The prize was eight thousand dollars. She took the money, but she never picked up the award."

"Third place? Cassidy, do you have a picture of the design? I want to see it."

Cassidy pulled out her phone and showed me.

I took the phone and scrolled to the third-place gallery on the official website. My blood began to boil.

The winning design was mine.