Chapter 2

He was standing just a couple steps behind me, staring at me, his expression twisted with shock, wild joy, and that unmistakable air of superiority he never bothered to hide.

"Charlotte," Ryan said, his voice deep and steady, way too grown-up for a teenager.

I turned around at a leisurely pace, arching an eyebrow at him with a hint of amusement.

Ryan was seriously handsome at eighteen.

With those sharp brows, bright eyes, and chiseled features, he was the kind of guy you'd remember after just one glance.

If he hadn't been so easy on the eyes, I never would've agreed to let him marry into the Foster Family on a whim.

Honestly, I just liked the way he looked. He was easy on the eyes, and taking him out in public wouldn't embarrass me.

But now, that face was all calculation and unshakable confidence, it honestly made me want to gag.

"You're back too, aren't you?" Ryan stepped closer, his voice low and dripping with that know-it-all attitude. "Quit pretending. That look in your eyes gives you away. I've seen that laid-back expression of yours for eighty years in our last life."

I couldn't be bothered to answer, so I just rolled my eyes at him.

I used to do that to him all the time in our last life, and Ryan caught it immediately.

His face flashed with relief and wild joy, like he'd finally grabbed onto something that could let him break free for good.

"Alright, since you're back with your memories too, I'll just cut to the chase," Ryan said, straightening up, his tone dripping with ridiculous arrogance. "My biggest regret last time was making Emily stay hidden as my secret lover for nine years.

"You got to be my wife for eighty years, living it up, never worrying about a thing, and enjoying all the glory and respect that came with it. This time, Emily deserves to have the spotlight and all the good stuff."

As he spoke, he tilted his chin up, his eyes full of that patronizing pity, like he was doing me some huge favor, handing out blessings from on high.

I almost laughed out loud.

I was barely holding it in.

Ryan was just a teenager, standing there in a school uniform so faded it was practically white. The priciest thing on him was the watch I'd casually handed him before.

Yet he looked like some king of the world, about to announce a grand proclamation.

The nerve on him.

Did he seriously forget that he and his precious Emily were just a couple of poor kids my family took in out of pity?

Emily, the girl he kept in his heart for eighty years, died of illness at thirty in our last life.

Ryan never got over it. He spent his whole life feeling like he owed her.

But honestly, the only reason Emily even made it to thirty was because Ryan kept sneaking Foster Family resources to help her hang on.

All those expensive imported meds and the best doctors money could buy, every single bill was picked up by the Foster Family.

And now, with a second shot at life, the first thing he wanted to do was bend over backward for his precious Emily.

He seriously thought I would step aside for her.

I shot him a lazy glance and smirked, "Done?"

Ryan froze, clearly not expecting that kind of reaction from me.

Back in our last life, I was always cool toward him, never really gave a damn.

He probably thought I'd be bawling, begging him not to leave, or throwing a fit.

Too bad for him, he was way off.

"Charlotte, quit pretending," Ryan said, frowning, his voice sharp with warning.

"I know you don't care about me, but don't think you can use the Foster Family to pull the strings anymore.

"This time, I'm not letting you or your family control me. I'm going to be with Emily out in the open, and I'll give her everything she deserves."

"Oh," I said, nodding, and turned to leave.

"Stop!" Ryan reached out and grabbed my wrist, fast and hard.

I glanced down at his hand on my wrist, my gaze instantly frosted over.

Ryan instinctively let go, but his tone was even sharper. "Charlotte, let me make this clear, this time, I'm not marrying you.

"The engagement's off, and the Foster Family's backing is done for you. I'm going to give Emily the happiness she deserves, all by myself."

"Alright then," I said, shaking off his grip and flashing a genuinely bright smile. "Best wishes to you and your precious Emily, may you two grow old together and stay blissfully in love. Really, I mean it."

With that, I spun around and walked off, not wasting another second on his full-of-himself face.

Ryan shouted after me, "Charlotte, you'll regret this. Without me, the Foster Family will—"

"Oh, give it a rest," I called back, waving my hand without even turning. "Before you start worrying about anyone else, make sure you can feed yourself first."

The hallway was already packed with students, all here to check their exam scores.

When they saw me and Ryan going at it, everyone started eavesdropping, ears practically glued to the drama.

Ryan looked like he'd just lost face, his expression dark, but he didn't bother chasing after me.

I strolled to the end of the hallway, pulled out my phone, and called my dad.

He picked up right away.

"Dad," I said, keeping my tone light. "Ryan was reborn. He just came clean, said he wants to be with his precious Emily out in the open, and told me not to bother him anymore."

There was a three-second pause on the line.

Then my dad's voice came through, so calm it was almost chilling. "Understood. Stay at school, I'll send someone to pick you up. The engagement is canceled, all support from the Foster Family ends here. Everything we ever gave him, reclaim it."

"Will do," I replied, hanging up with a cheerful grin.

I glanced up toward the end of the hallway. Ryan was already gone.

I strolled over to the classroom door, and inside, it was buzzing with noise and chaos.

Our homeroom teacher, David Johnson, was up at the front, clutching a stack of printed report cards, his face practically glowing with excitement.

"Quiet. Everyone, quiet!" he shouted, banging on the desk. "This year, our class has a top scorer in the state. Ryan Carter. Total score 1464. Number one in the state!"

"Whoa!"

The classroom exploded with excitement.

Every eye locked onto Ryan in the far corner.

He sat there, back straight, expression cool and collected, but the smugness in his eyes was almost bursting out.