Chapter 2

I could barely stop myself from laughing out loud.

Indeed, history tended to repeat itself.

In my previous life, when he told me this news at this moment, I changed my choice of college without hesitation.

And just when I was about to confess my feelings to him, he got back together with Annabelle.

I stood up. "I see. Well, it's none of my business. I wish you all the best, Marceau."

With that, I walked toward Yemima, leaving him staring after me in disbelief.

This time, I was done waiting for him.

I cut off all contact with Marceau and went traveling with Yemima for a few weeks.

*****

"It's so beautiful, Wendi! We're so lucky. I've heard it's mostly cloudy when people come up here, and they can't even see Lake Ciel Piscine!" Yemima exclaimed as she took a big gulp of the crisp mountain air.

"Indeed, we're very fortunate," I replied, but inwardly, I was thinking I was so fortunate to get a second chance at life.

This time, I would not let any opportunity slip by.

"I heard Marceau went traveling abroad. It's so nice to be rich," Yemima whined. I didn't respond to her.

*****

School was about to start, and I was packing at home when I heard the chime for an incoming email.

"Wendi, I brought you a gift from abroad. Want to meet up for a meal?" I had a quick look at the email before deleting it without hesitation.

"Nope. Never again, Marceau Soulier," I told myself.

*****

Gauburg University was even more beautiful than I had imagined. The red-brick buildings with their slate-tiled roofs were spread out in a lush landscape of deciduous and evergreen trees.

"We really did it!" Yemima whooped excitedly as she pulled me along and dashed across the campus.

Seeing her smile made me feel warm and fuzzy all over.

In my previous life, I was so hung up on Marceau that I went along with everything he wanted, and ended up drifting away from all my friends.

This time around, I had the chance to make my own choices.

"Wendi, what clubs are you joining? I'm thinking of signing up for the hip-hop dance club," Yemima gushed as she flipped through the club recruitment flyers.

"Entrepreneurship Club," I said while pointing out a booth nearby. "And the Financial Investment Research Club as well."

Yemima's eyes widened. "Wow, that's so grown-up! Not like you at all!"

I just smiled and didn't bother explaining.

In my previous life, I was so obsessed with love that I neglected my studies and career.

This time, I was determined to reclaim everything I lost.

*****

Time passed quickly, and I was already a sophomore. Along with a few friends from the Entrepreneurship Club, I built a secondhand marketplace app for students.

It was only meant to be a class project, but it quickly became a hit all over campus.

"Hey, Wendoline, got a minute?" One day after class, a man in a smart suit called out to me.

"I'm Werner Zola from the Venture Capital Base. I'm very interested in your project," he said by way of introduction.

The name, Werner Zola, struck my memory like a bolt of lightning.

In my previous life, he was a prominent figure in the tech investment world who made it onto the Forbes list in his early thirties.

And now, he was standing in front of me and handing me his business card.

"Pleasure to meet you!" I accepted the card as I tried my best to contain my excitement.

"Actually, there are five of us on the team..." I tried to explain.

"I only want to talk to you. You are the one who came up with the idea, didn't you?" he said with a smile.

It seemed that this guy had already done his homework. My heart was racing, not from nervousness but from excitement.

This was an important opportunity I had completely missed out on in my previous life!

Werner's office was in the tallest office tower in Berge Nacree's central business district.

Outside the floor-to-ceiling windows, the whole city of Berge Nacree stretched out beneath me.

"Two million for a 20% stake." Werner slid a contract across the desk. “The condition is that you commit full-time to this project after graduation. I recall your major is software development. It aligns perfectly with our needs.”

I read through the terms carefully. All the business knowledge I picked up from the clubs finally came in handy.

“The valuation is reasonable, but I wish to retain ownership of the core technology patents,” I finally replied.

Werner raised an eyebrow. “You know patent law?”

"I've read up a bit," I replied humbly. "In addition, I hope to get a seat on the board."

I closed the folder and watched him intently.

He met my eyes and smiled, "Wendoline, you really are full of surprises."

The negotiation lasted three hours. In the end, we reached an agreement: a two-million-dollar investment in exchange for a 15% stake, with me retaining ownership of the patents and a non-voting observer seat on the board.

As I was leaving, Werner walked me to the building entrance.

"You know, I usually don't invest in student projects," he said.

"So, why did you make an exception this time?" I asked. In truth, I was also curious to know why he singled me out.

"There's something about you. A certain hunger. It's not something one would expect to see in someone your age," he said mysteriously.

My heart skipped a beat. He could see right through me. He could sense the soul of a mid-thirties woman who had stared death in the face, hidden deep inside me.

"I hope I won't disappoint you," I replied hurriedly and left. Werner would never know that this hunger was born from the regret of dying all alone at thirty-five in my previous life.

*****

Three years after graduation, our company was already worth over a hundred million.