Chapter 3
The day I died in my previous life was a warm, peaceful day.
I was kidnapped by Tiffany's die-hard fans and dragged onto a cruise ship out in international waters. A bunch of masked men surrounded me, their gazes vicious and merciless, like they were ready to tear me apart and eat me alive right then and there.
I was shaking all over, terrified, begging them, "I don't know you guys, please let me go. My husband is the only heir of the Pierce family. He's loaded. He'll pay whatever you ask."
The leader dialed Ronald's number right in front of me.
It wasn't until the fifth try that the call finally went through.
I thought I was finally saved, so I shouted into the phone, "Ronald, help me."
The leader said, "Mr. Pierce, we've got your wife. She had it coming for going after Tiffany after all. Here's the deal: give us 1.5 million, and we might let her go. What do you say?"
Ronald's voice came through, cold and indifferent. "Go ahead, do whatever you want with her. This is her payback for hurting Tiffany."
With those words, all my hope was shattered.
They tortured me for three days and nights, and then used a sharp blade to cut open the arteries in my neck and wrists, before shoving me into the salty, briny water.
The smell of my blood quickly attracted a school of sharks.
My hands and feet were bound, leaving me completely unable to even struggle.
I stared helplessly as several sharks surrounded me, gnawing and devouring every inch of my skin.
As I sank into the depths, the only thought in my mind was, "If I could have another chance, I'd make sure to stay far, far away from Ronald and Tiffany."
*****
A gust of wind hit me, and I shook off my wandering thoughts, picking up my pace as I headed back to the dorm.
There were no classes today, and the dorm was empty except for one girl. Everyone else had gone out.
The girl was Grace Chapman, always timid and soft-spoken. She looked surprised to see me. "Lucy, why are you back? Tiffany said Ronald was supposed to confess to you today."
No wonder the soccer field was packed today. It was all because of Tiffany's scheme.
In my previous life, I could never understand why she'd help me pursue Ronald, yet always interfere in my relationship with him.
Thinking about it now, I thought it was to feed her vanity.
She loved playing the generous matchmaker, introducing Ronald, her childhood friend, to me, her roommate.
But deep down, she never really wanted to give Ronald up.
It was absolutely revolting.
After a long silence, Grace finally gathered her courage and walked over to me. "Lucy, there's something I've been meaning to tell you for ages. I don't think Tiffany is really as good as she seems."
"Thanks, Grace," I said.
Grace was always the least noticeable one in the dorm, hardly ever talking to anyone. I genuinely appreciated her warning. She'd said the same thing to me in my previous life, but I had never paid attention.
Grace breathed a sigh of relief and returned to her bed.
I started packing my things.
From the moment I realized I'd traveled back, I decided to move out of the dorm.
Grace heard the commotion and asked, looking puzzled. "Lucy, what are you doing?"
"Grace, I've already put in a request with the counselor. I'm moving out tonight," I said.
Just as I finished speaking, Tiffany walked in.
She looked furious and started yelling at me, "Lucy, what was that all about today? You totally embarrassed Ronald in front of everyone."
I paused and then said, "Tiffany, haven't I made it clear already? I don't like Ronald, so I'm not going to say yes to him."