Chapter 1 Chapter 1

"Aaron's dunk was insane. He even has an eight-pack! His lips are so thin. I bet kissing him would feel like magic!" In the classroom, Lily Quimby rested her chin in her hand. Her eyes were fixed on the basketball game outside. She'd knotted the hem of her school shirt, showing off a sliver of her waist. "Don't chicken out, Lily! Go work that charm and make him yours!" a classmate called out. "Well, I'll ask him out tomorrow," Lily said, raising her fist like a victorious heroine. "Whoa! The prettiest girl in school is making a move on the unapproachable genius!" Cheers rang out through the classroom. Suddenly, Lily sauntered over to my desk, flashing a playful wink. "You're Aaron's neighbor, Larissa. Do you think we'll work out?" Her confident gaze snapped me back to reality. I clutched my chest, struggling to catch my breath. I was here again. Lily was my deskmate. Just yesterday, she'd spotted my notebook covered in Aaron Grimmer's name and teased me for being too cowardly to confess. Now, she was putting on a show, boldly staking her claim on him. It was happening exactly as it had in my past life. Back then, my face burned, and I was too tongue-tied to speak. She exposed my secret to the entire class, and everyone knew I had a crush on Aaron. So, when I tried to stop him from quitting the physics competition by revealing his relationship with Lily, they all assumed I was just being petty and jealous. The biggest mistake of my past life was tearing the two of them apart. The memory of the dim laboratory flashed in my mind, and I bit my lip, my fists clenched at my sides. Finally, I forced the words out. "I hope you and Aaron share a lifetime of happiness." Aaron and I had grown up together. I'd watched him pull all-nighters, wrestling with a single physics problem. I'd seen him up before sunrise to memorize foreign language vocabulary, and he'd spend weekends completing stacks of practice tests instead of sleeping in. He'd seen me curled up under a blanket with a flashlight, working through equations. He was there when I pushed through a 104-degree Fahrenheit fever, dragging myself to an exam with an IV needle taped to my hand. No one else could truly understand how much effort went into our achievements—except us. Aaron had a deep love for physics. One summer, we signed up for an intensive study program and spent our break buried in competition-level physics problems. "Larissa, let's keep studying physics together and get into Quinver University, okay?" he proposed. Aaron seemed almost otherworldly in the sunlight, like a dream within reach. I worked as hard as I could, determined to keep up and make our Quinver University dream a reality. And then Lily entered the picture. To parents and teachers, she was the textbook definition of a "bad girl". To our classmates, she was magnetic. She permed her hair into thick waves, secretly shortened her uniform skirt, and danced hip-hop at the welcome party. Her boldness was irresistible to Aaron, who had lived through a dull, uneventful high school life before she came along. In my past life, Aaron had skipped classes, got into fights, smoked, and drank, all for her. In the end, he was even ready to give up a physics competition just to take care of her when she had a fever. After I exposed their relationship, Lily, still bedridden, was sent home by her parents and transferred to another school. Aaron's mother, Harriet Fowler, dragged him to the physics competition, and he ended up winning first place and earning direct admission to Quinver University. After graduation, Aaron started a business and built a fortune of over a hundred million in record time. He became the youngest millionaire by 30. Meanwhile, Lily married a wealthy heir from her hometown after she graduated high school and later tragically died from domestic abuse. On the day Lily died, Aaron lured me into a laboratory. I never saw what was coming. He jabbed a finger in my face and roared, "You're vicious, Larissa Clarke! How do you even live with yourself? Go to hell and keep Lily company!" In the dim laboratory, he stomped on my fingers with a merciless grind, shattering my ability to ever perform physics experiments again. I took him to court, but the medical report downplayed my injuries as minor. He hired a top-tier lawyer, charmed the jury with smooth lies, and walked away without a scratch. Outside the courthouse, his expression twisted into a cruel sneer. "Larissa," he spat, "our company doesn't need trash who can't even perform experiments."

Chapter 2 Chapter 2

In this life, Aaron and Lily kept their relationship under the radar. They skipped class to catch movies, spent weekends gaming at cybercafés, and shared stolen kisses at the far end of the hallway between classes. One day, as I walked by with my arms full of homework, Aaron stepped in front of me and said that he loved someone as dazzling as Lily. She was the spark that shattered the stillness of his 18 years of life, while I remained dull and mundane. He told me not to bother looking for him anymore. I walked past him without even looking his way. All my focus was on my studies. After all, I'd been out of high school for ten years before my rebirth. My memory of everything I'd learned was fuzzy, and keeping up with the intensity of senior year meant I had to push myself twice as hard. I poured every ounce of my energy into studying. I was up before sunrise memorizing foreign language vocabulary, and when the dorm lights went out at night, I hid under my blanket, solving problem sets by flashlight. Even in my dreams, mathematical symbols danced before my eyes. In my previous life, I missed getting into Quinver University by just three points. This time, I was determined to do whatever it took to achieve my dream. I no longer paid any attention to Aaron and Lily. By the end of our first semester as seniors, Aaron's grades had plummeted to around 500th in the rankings, while I had climbed to first place. I'd just finished turning in my registration form for the National High School Physics Competition in the teacher's office when Ms. Dempsey called Aaron and Lily in. Her voice was sharp with frustration. "Do you even care about your future anymore, Aaron? Look at how far you've fallen! You're a senior in high school, and you're still dating?" Aaron blinked. With one arm casually wrapped around Lily's waist, he replied, "I've got it covered, Ms. Dempsey. Thanks for caring, but you're worrying too much." Harriet, who was usually the picture of elegance as a middle school teacher, stormed in without makeup, her face pale and her ponytail askew. The moment she heard what Aaron said, she raised her hand, ready to slap him. "Shut your mouth, you brat! Is that how you should speak to Ms. Dempsey?" Aaron lunged forward, thinking that she was about to hit Lily. He quickly pulled Lily behind him and caught Harriet's wrist. "This isn't Lily's fault, Mom! If you're looking for someone to blame, it should be me. You're being unreasonable. Don't you dare slap her!" His words only added fuel to the fire. Lily peeked out from behind Aaron, making a mocking face as she taunted, "Who do you think you are, you old hag, trying to slap me?" Harriet sneered and glared back. "Why can't I slap you? My son had such a promising future, and you ruined it!""Why don't you ask Aaron if I forced him to be with me?" Lily snapped, refusing to back down. "He's the one trying to impress me—smoking, drinking, skipping class, and hitting the cybercafés. Don't blame me for your failures, old hag. Just admit that you can't control Aaron." Harriet's face flushed a deep, furious red. She jabbed a finger at Aaron. "Do you have any idea how much I've sacrificed to raise you, Aaron? And now you're dating someone like her, letting her insult me to my face?" Aaron pursed his lips. He stepped in front of Lily, spreading his arms protectively. "I'll prove to you that I can still succeed, Mom. But no matter what, I'll protect Lily in this lifetime." Harriet inhaled sharply, trying to steady herself. "I'm not saying that you can't date, Aaron. But Lily isn't right for you. You'd be so much better off with someone like Larissa." I froze in place. This hadn't happened in my last life. Back then, Aaron's solid foundation kept his grades from completely tanking during finals. When I told Harriet about his relationship with Lily on the day of the physics competition, she dragged him there without hesitation. He ended up winning and securing his admission to Quinver University. Back then, Harriet hadn't even bothered showing up to school, let alone saying my name in front of everyone like she does now. Aaron spun around, his eyes blazing with pure hatred. "Larissa, you tattletale! You still haven't learned your lesson, have you? Maybe I didn't hurt you enough last time." Harriet was startled by the hostility in his glare. She quickly stepped in to defend me. "What's wrong with you, Aaron? Ms. Dempsey was the one who called me, saying that your relationship was affecting your grades. How could you threaten Larissa?" she snapped.