Chapter 3
After school, Sophie insisted on walking me home.
When we reached the entrance to the slum, her eyes widened in surprise. "You live here?"
I nodded, already bracing myself for that judgmental look I'd gotten from other classmates.
But Sophie only bit her lip and said softly, "See you tomorrow."
As I watched her walk away, I turned toward the shabby apartment building I called home.
But when I rounded the corner, a familiar sleek black car made my blood run cold.
It was one of the Sinclair family's cars.
The window was rolled halfway down, showing Vivian's delicate profile.
She was watching Sophie disappear down the street, a faint, thoughtful smile playing on her lips.
I ducked behind the wall, my heart pounding. I wondered what she was doing here or if she was watching me.
Only when the car finally drove off did I dare to move again.
*****
When I got home, Linda wasn't passed out on the couch for once. Instead, she was pacing the room, practically buzzing with excitement.
"You useless girl, finally home!" Linda barked and grabbed my arm. "Pack your things—we're moving!"
"Moving?" I repeated, totally thrown.
"Yes. Someone's sponsoring us to move into a better neighborhood." Linda's cheeks were glowing. "They said it's part of some poverty-assistance program. Even your dad's getting a new job."
My stomach knotted up. This was no coincidence. Vivian must have seen me with Sophie—and now she wanted to pull me away. She didn't want me to have even the smallest chance to change my life.
"When are we leaving?" I asked quietly.
"Tomorrow," Linda snapped, waving me off. "Hurry up and pack your crap."
*****
That night, I snuck out of the house and ran to the nearest payphone. I dialed Sophie's number from memory, my hands shaking.
"Hello?" A gentle woman voice answered.
"Hi, I was wondering if I could speak to Sophie? This is Emily, her classmate," I said, trying to sound calm.
After a brief pause, Sophie's cheerful voice came through. "Emily, what's up? Why are you calling?"
"I'm moving tomorrow," I said, trying to keep my voice steady. "I won't be coming to school anymore. Thank you for helping me today. You're my first friend."
"Wait! Where are you moving? Maybe we can—"
"I don't know," I cut her off. "But we'll see each other again, I promise. Just wait for me."
After I hung up, I stood in the freezing wind, motionless. Vivian was trying to snuff out every last bit of hope I had. But I wasn't about to let her win.
This time, I'd hold on to everyone who ever showed me kindness. And I would make sure everyone who hurt me paid the price.
*****
The next day, we moved to a neighborhood on the other side of the city. It was a step up from the slums we used to live in, but still pretty rundown.
Frank went to his new job and came home beaming. "My salary just doubled," he announced.
As for me, I got transferred to a new school—a place that somehow felt even more hopeless than the last.
The teachers barely did their jobs, and the students formed cliques. I kept my head down, endured in silence, and grabbed every chance I could to learn.
The school library basically became my refuge. The shelves were sparse, but I read every book like my life depended on it.
At night, after Frank and Linda had fallen asleep, I'd secretly practice the manners and dance steps I'd learned from books.
Three months slipped by that way. One day after school, I spotted that black sedan again waiting at the school gate.
This time, the back window rolled all the way down, and Vivian's face appeared.
Our eyes met for a split second. Her gaze was cold and assessing, as if she were checking out a defective product.
Then the window slid up, and the car sped off, leaving me standing there in the dust.
That night, I had a dream.
I was standing in the Sinclairs' grand living room. Charlotte was wearing a princess dress, snuggling up to Vivian's arms.
When I walked closer, Vivian pulled her closer and said, "You don't deserve to be my daughter."
I woke up in a cold sweat, my pillow soaked through.
I got up in the dark, fished out a battered tin box tucked away under my bed. Inside was the change I'd secretly saved these past few months, along with coins I'd earned collecting recyclables.
After counting it all, I smiled in satisfaction.
It wasn't much, but enough for a bus ride back to the city and a small gift.
Sophie's birthday was coming up next week, and I'd promised to visit her.
Vivian thought she could bury me in the gutter, but she underestimated the determination of someone who'd been given a second chance at life.
I was only ten. Time was on my side.
And when I grew strong enough, I'd make sure everyone knew Emily wasn't some lamb waiting to be slaughtered.
Outside, moonlight spilled onto my tin box. The coins glimmered faintly, but firmly, like a quiet promise.
*****
Five years later, I finally stood before the gates of St. John's Academy. My hands tightened around the straps of my worn-out backpack.
In my fifteen-year-old body lived a soul that had once seen twenty-five years of life, yet my fingers still trembled.
"Hey, check it out—is that the poor kid?"
"Heard she only got in 'cause of a scholarship. Look at her clothes, all frayed at the edges."
"Shush, keep it down—she can hear us."
The whispers hissed in my ears like snakes.
I lifted my chin and strode into the campus.
Sunlight poured through the stained glass of the Gothic buildings, scattering colors across the ground.
In my last life, I'd dreamed countless times of walking into this elite school. And now, I finally had—just not in the way I'd imagined.
"New student?" a sickly sweet voice chirped from behind.
The moment I turned around, my blood turned to ice.
Charlotte was dressed in a perfectly tailored uniform, her pleated skirt showing off long legs. Her curls cascaded across her shoulders, and a smile as pure as an angel played on her lips.
The same girl who once shoved me off a building in my last life now stood before me, pretending we were strangers.