Chapter 1

I opened my eyes and found myself back at eighteen.

The classroom was old, faded, and yellowish. Someone was using me as a bet.

"Seven bucks says I can cop a feel from Hannah. Who's in?"

They laughed, low and shady. Then someone said, "Elmer. You do it."

Elmer Robbins didn't even hesitate. "Yeah? Alright, bet."

I kept my head down on the desk, eyes shut, just waiting for him to make his move.

*****

Knock, knock, knock.

Elmer knocked on my desk.

I pretended I had just woken up and looked up. "What's up?"

"Do you have time after school? I have something to tell you," he said.

I looked at him closely.

Elmer appeared calm and composed, feigning indifference, and looking very serious.

Without showing any emotion, I replied, "Yes."

"Alright, wait for me after school."

With that, he turned around gracefully and walked back to his seat.

Soon, suggestive giggles came from behind.

Without even looking back, I knew what expressions they would have.

Humph!

A bunch of idiots.

I lay my head back down on the desk.

I wondered what joke God was playing, to have me return to eighteen.

At eighteen, I was starving, so hungry I could only keep drinking water.

During lunch break, others rested because they were tired; I had to sleep because I was hungry.

But I couldn't sleep.

So I could hear the boys whispering.

They talked about games, comics, basketball, and girls—and I was one of them.

Beautiful yet poor.

Such people were targets of bullying in any school.

But I was a girl, and they harbored more vulgar intentions.

They bet 7 dollars.

Ten years ago, for 7 dollars, I really went to the small woods behind the school with Elmer.

He gave me the money, and I unbuttoned my clothes.

Then, click, Elmer took a photo.

The next day, the photo went viral across the entire class group chat.

Afterward, they called me "7 dollars."

After school, Elmer was the first to walk out of the classroom, and I picked up my bag.

"Let's go," he said.

I remained silent and followed him.

We walked out of the campus and headed towards the small woods behind the school.

Elmer occasionally looked back at me, as if afraid I would run away.

I rubbed my empty stomach and said, "Hey!"

He turned around. "What's wrong? We're almost there. You're not thinking of leaving, are you?"

"No," I said, "but I'm hungry."

Elmer paused, then tutted. "So, what do you want?"

"I want to eat."

Elmer was impatient. He didn't want to waste time, but he was reluctant to give up. After a few seconds of deliberation, he nodded. "Okay, let's eat first."

I ordered some fried chicken.

Elmer paid the bill.

The fast food restaurant was shabby and greasy, and Elmer couldn't bring himself to eat. He sat with his arms crossed, watching me wolf down my food.

He said scornfully, "Hannah Bates, do you ever stop eating? It's like you were born hungry."

I ignored him.

I no longer remembered the feeling of hunger I had when I was eighteen.

But I remembered Diana's malice.

That beautiful woman, like a pathogen, brought her daughter and married into our family, and quickly corrupted my father.

From then on, I became quite miserable.

She could precisely calculate the energy I needed to survive and strictly controlled the money she gave me.

Enough to buy half a bread.

It wouldn't starve you to death, but it sure sucked.