Chapter 1
The first thing I did after being reborn was to delete all of Ethan Sullivan's contact information.
I blocked him on Instagram, erased his number, and set my email to auto-block anything from him.
He chose MIT in Boston, so I switched my application to UCLA in Los Angeles.
When he came home over break and asked to meet, I booked a flight to Europe instead.
As soon as he joined the startup incubator program we'd both applied to, I quit on the spot. I didn't even want to catch a glimpse of him.
In my previous life, I loved him obsessively for twenty years. And he let me down for twenty years.
At thirty-five, I was diagnosed with late-stage liver cancer.
On my deathbed, Ethan was busy planning his wedding to his high school sweetheart, Ashlynn White.
The foster daughter I'd raised with such care, Lily, was helping him straighten his tie.
I was left all alone, taking my final breath in that hospital room.
I swear I'll never let myself live such a pathetic life again.
******
"Emma! Get up! You're going to be late for the SAT practice test!"
My mom's voice snapped me back to reality.
I woke in my eighteen-year-old bedroom—blue curtains, a desk buried in SAT books, and the MIT poster on the wall.
April 7th, 2010.
I was reborn.
In the mirror, no wrinkles from years of buried pain. No hollowed-out exhaustion from chemotherapy—just the fresh, bright energy of an eighteen-year-old girl.
My tears fell uncontrollably.
"Why are you crying? Did you have a nightmare?" Mom handed me a towel, worry in her eyes.
"I'm okay, Mom," I said, wiping tears and giving my first smile since reboring. "I just figured something out."
In my previous life, on this exact day, I broke down in tears after flunking the practice test.
Ethan, the upperclassman I secretly liked, comforted me—and that was the moment my twenty-year nightmare began.
But this time...
"Emma! You're amazing!"
My desk mate, Sophie Miller, threw her arms around me. "Perfect score on math! You're the only one in our grade!"
I just smiled, didn't run over to brag to Ethan like I did in my previous life.
I knew he was by the football field, getting a VoltFuel from Ashlynn, and they were making eyes at each other.
In my previous life, I went over to him in tears, telling him I'd bombed the test, but he just gave me a half-hearted pep talk, thinking about Ashlynn.
Back then, I only heard, "You'll do better next time," and missed Ashlynn's jab, "Some people just can't handle pressure."
"Sophie, where are you thinking of applying?" I asked, trying to sound casual.
"Probably UCLA. My parents both work in LA," she sighed. "But you know, my GPA's kinda low."
I followed Ethan to MIT without a second thought, turning down an offer from Caltech in the previous life.
But this time...
"I want to go to UCLA too. Let's team up and aim for it together?" I said.
Sophie's eyes widened. "Aren't you going to MIT with Ethan? Everyone knows you like him."
"People change," I said calmly, glancing out the window at Ethan, who had his arm around Ashlynn's waist. "Now, California feels right."
On graduation day, our whole class threw a party at a lakefront cabin.
Ethan suddenly came over and sat down next to me.
"So, you're going to California?" He handed me juice, sounding unsure. "Weren't you planning MIT?"
I took the glass and set it on the table, not drinking any.
In my previous life, I drank that juice, got food poisoning, and spent three days in the hospital. Later, I learned Ashlynn paid someone to spike it with laxatives.
"Plans change," I said.
"Is it because of me?" Ethan asked quietly. "Is this about Ashlynn and me—?"
"Ethan, don't flatter yourself," I replied, locking eyes with him. "UCLA's computer science program just suits me better."
He froze, caught off guard.
In my previous life, I never dared meet his gaze and always feared upsetting him.
"Actually..." He hesitated, then finally said, "Ashlynn and I broke up."
I nearly laughed out loud.
History really does repeat itself.
In my previous life, he gave me this so-called "good news" at this exact moment, and I immediately switched my application to MIT.
So, guess what happened?
Right when I was about to confess my feelings, he got back together with Ashlynn. His exact words? "Emma, you're a great girl, but Ashlynn and I are meant to be."
I cried for a whole week.
"Oh," I said, standing and grabbing my bag. "Good for you. Hope everything works out."
With that, I walked over to Sophie, leaving Ethan standing there, totally stunned.
This time, I wasn't going to waste another second on him.
When I got home, I fired up my laptop and blocked Ethan on every social media platform.
I deleted his number from my phone and set my email to automatically block anything from him.
Once I was done, I let out a long, relieved sigh.
"Emma, you've got a package," Mom said, handing it over.
I frowned and tore it open. It was from Ethan—inside, a Tiffany necklace and a card.
The card read, [Emma, I know you're upset. I saved six months' allowance to buy this. Sorry. See you at MIT?]
In my previous life, I was so moved by that necklace that I decided MIT over Caltech to be with him.
The next day, I saw Ashlynn wearing the same necklace. Ethan bought both in a buy-one-get-one deal. He chose Ashlynn's; mine was just a bonus. I felt like an afterthought.
I laughed bitterly and threw the necklace and card in the trash.
I fired off a confirmation email to UCLA's admissions office.
Goodbye, Ethan Sullivan. We'll never cross paths again.