Chapter 3
An endless, suffocating silence hung in the air.
Monica wasn't far from me.
She saw the gift box, too.
Her face was pale, but she smiled softly at me.
She said, "Sharon, Leo really cares about you.
"You didn't show up for the basketball game this afternoon. He suddenly quit in the middle, said he had something to do, and just left.
"Turns out, he left to get you a present.
"He was worried you might be upset."
I raised an eyebrow.
Figures. So that was why Monica was sick again today.
It was just like my previous life.
Whenever Leopold paid me any attention, Monica would suddenly fall ill and end up in the hospital.
I barely spared the gift box a glance.
It was a limited-edition luxury watch, an exclusive collaboration.
A first-release launch, right in Harbor City.
No wonder Leopold figured I was mad.
I'd wanted this watch for ages.
I even asked him to help me snag one.
And of course, Monica wanted it too.
Leopold saw she was sick, so he gave it to her without a second thought.
I shook my head.
I couldn't help but laugh at myself for being so naive.
Every little thing made it painfully clear—Leopold had already chosen who mattered most to him, and it surely wasn't me.
Why was I always the last to see what was right in front of me?
After all that blood they took, my head was spinning.
Monica saw how pale I was and immediately put on a guilty look.
She said, "I'm sorry, Sharon. I'm just so weak.
"I'm always needing your blood.
"If it weren't for me, you probably would've..."
I didn't let her finish.
Without a second thought, I tossed the gift box straight into the trash right in front of her.
I gave her a cold, mocking smile.
I said, "It's just the two of us. You can drop the act now."
Monica froze for a moment.
Clearly, she didn't expect me to be this blunt.
I was honestly too tired to keep pretending.
I pulled out the needle and walked over to her, step by step.
I looked down at her, cold and unbothered.
I said, "You weren't even sick this afternoon.
"You just saw Leopold give me something and got all upset.
"You just wanted to ruin it for me, huh?
"Funny how this trick always works for you."
*****
Even after that blunt confrontation, Monica didn't change at all.
Once she was discharged, she went right back to pretending everything was fine, still coming by Class One all the time to see me and Leopold.
But something was different.
I stopped hanging out with the two of them together.
Cafeteria, sports field, heading home after school... anywhere outside of class, I kept my distance whenever I could.
Leopold was the first to pick up on it.
After a whole week of me acting like he didn't exist, he finally realized something was up.
He snapped and cornered me at my desk.
He said, "What did I do this time, missy?
"Just spell it out for me, will you?"
His features were clean-cut and strikingly handsome.
His tone was playful, laced with indulgent affection.
No hatred, no bitterness—only that familiar fondness that hit me with a sudden, aching sense of nostalgia.
Leopold had been so good to me.
Growing up, whenever his family, friends, or relatives brought back treats or cool stuff from abroad, he'd always let me have first pick.
Yeah. He always put me first.
He'd taken the fall for me, even if it meant getting beaten badly by his father.
He'd dragged himself through the freezing winter, darting all over Harbor City just because I said I wanted cake.
Yet, all it took was one word from Monica, and suddenly he threw me into hell for four years.
Why did he do that to me?
I just didn't get it.
My eyes went red. I couldn't help it. Tears started to well up.
Leopold freaked out the moment he saw me crying.
He rushed over, trying to calm me down, "Hey, what's with the tears?
"Come on, sweetheart, who upset you? Just tell me.
"Just say the word, and I'll make them regret it."
I wanted to say it out loud that it was he.
He was the one who made me go through all that pain.
But before I could even open my mouth, Leopold got called away.
Someone from Class Two was at the door, shouting that Monica wasn't feeling well.
Without another word, Leopold turned and left, his jacket flying behind him as he rushed out.
He didn't hesitate, not even for a second.
That tiny spark of warmth I'd felt in my chest was instantly snuffed out.
*****
Once he was out of sight, the classroom noise slowly came back into focus.
The SATs were getting closer.
The whole class was buzzing about which colleges they wanted to apply to.
My heart skipped a beat.
I started counting the days.
In my previous life, this was the week when everyone was busy figuring out their college applications.
Monica was planning to confess her feelings to Leopold, and they'd decide to apply to Harbor University together.
But suddenly, a memory flashing by hit me out of nowhere.
I grabbed my head.
It was pounding, like it was about to split open.
Leopold's words from right before I died echoed in my mind.
He said, "If you had another chance at life, don't ever love me again, and don't get between me and Monica."
Fine.
If that was what he wanted, I was going to walk away from him.
As far as I possibly could.
The truth is, I was already planning to leave Harbor City anyway.