Chapter 1

The moment I saw Joseph Quinn kissing Chloe Lynn in the gym, I knew I was done with him.

In my previous life, I poured money, connections, and every resource I had into turning him into a rising star in the business world.

However, once he made it, he teamed up with my family's biggest rival, destroyed my father's company, and left my entire family with nothing.

All of it was for Chloe.

This time, after coming back, I cut him off completely. I froze his card and canceled every elite private tutor and top-tier training I'd paid for.

He scoffed. "Ginny Larson, are you trying to force me to be with you now? Do you think this will make me give in? No way.

"I'd rather starve to death than spare you a single glance. Every word you say makes me sick."

Joseph turned his head away, brows furrowed, as if even looking at me might make him throw up.

I almost laughed.

I opened my palm and said calmly, "Save the act. Over the past three years, you owe me a total of 900 thousand dollars. So, how exactly are you planning to pay that back?"

*****

"Chloe's cake might look expensive, but it's clearly outshone by the truffle risotto Ginny is holding. I wonder what Joseph is gonna pick," someone said.

I opened my eyes to a wave of mocking laughter and suddenly realized I'd gone back to the first day of the second semester of senior year.

Joseph had just wrapped up a basketball game that everyone had been watching.

Chloe had a small slice of cake that didn't look particularly fresh, reaching out to offer it to Joseph.

I recognized it at once. It was the leftover cake from my father's birthday last week, still decorated with the little cream flowers I had piped myself.

In my previous life, I had no clue how Chloe got her hands on it, but I knew that cake was totally expired, and no way anyone should eat that.

Therefore, I called out to stop her, worried that Joseph might get sick from eating it.

At the same time, I happened to be holding a freshly delivered truffle risotto from our housekeeper, Cohen.

Everyone around thought I was fighting Chloe out of jealousy, and they started mocking us like it was entertainment.

I hadn't yet recovered from the shock of my tragic death in my previous life, and I stood there, unable to say a word.

Since I didn't say anything, Joseph snatched the cake from Chloe and chomped down on it like he hadn't eaten in days.

Perhaps because of the strange taste, Joseph frowned for a second, then quickly pulled himself together and looked at me with disdain.

He snapped, "Ginny, don't you dare bully Chloe again."

After that, Joseph pulled Chloe into his arms.

Feeling wronged and humiliated, Chloe closed her eyes, tears falling, and kissed him.

I hadn't even done anything, but somehow I was the bad guy everyone blamed for trying to break them up.

After what felt like ages, they finally broke apart amid the crowd's cheers. Joseph looked at the truffle risotto in my hands with disgust, then took out 60 dollars and tossed it at my face.

He sneered. "Only what Chloe gives me matters. Even if it were poison, I'd swallow it gladly. Ginny, give it up. I will never like you.

"Here's your money for the truffle risotto. Now get lost."

With that, Joseph grabbed Chloe's hand and stormed off.

"Wait." I finally snapped out of the nightmare from my previous life. When Joseph turned back, looking annoyed, I grabbed his collar. "How about the 900 thousand dollars you've owed me for the past two years? How would you like to pay?"

Joseph scoffed and brushed my hand off. "Ginny, are you that desperate for cash? I've never spent a dime of your money."

In my previous life, I always saw Joseph as a proud top student, so I never made the money I spent on him obvious.

I told him the credit card I gave him was just a need-based scholarship from the school.

To make sure his talent didn't go to waste, I hired top-tier tutors at outrageous costs, telling him they were part of the school's free programs for gifted students.

I liked him, and all I wanted was to help him achieve his dreams, even if he didn't feel the same way about me.

Back then, I had no idea that Chloe was actually the daughter of our maid, Kelly.

Kelly was always stealing things from our house to sell to give Chloe a spoiled life.

Chloe had no clue her mom worked for us and was spending stolen money to make her look rich.

Joseph was head over heels for her, probably because she gave him more money.

He felt that his entire respectable high school life depended on Chloe's support.

And even when he learned that Chloe was just my maid's daughter, and that all that cash came from her mom stealing from us, he just felt sorry for her struggles.

He ended up hating me for putting Kelly in jail and splitting them up.

Joseph spent years pretending to care, fooling my whole family into trusting him until he grew strong and brought ruin upon us.

And in the end, he stepped over the wreckage of my family just to run off with Chloe.

This time, I would no longer be the fool who gave everything for love, nor would I stand in the way of their so-called tragic romance.

If Joseph wanted to run off with Chloe, he was free to go right now.