Chapter 5

I never went back to Liam's house.

When my mom grabbed my throat, threatening to take us both down, I grabbed hers right back.

"Fine," I hissed, "Let's just die then."

I’d already been to hell and back. Who was she to scare me?

That scared her so bad, she never dared to lay a hand on me again.

When my dad got drunk and started looking for a fight, I grabbed a kitchen knife and lunged at him.

It sobered him up instantly. He never dared to act out like that around me again.

When they started fighting again, I fought harder than both of them combined.

I smashed everything in the house, screaming that if they messed with my studies, I'd make sure no one had it good.

"She's insane! This girl has completely lost it!" they'd shriek.

My dad, the one who usually outdid me a hundredfold in his drunken rages, slammed the door and stormed out.

My outbursts were so loud, the whole neighborhood knew our business.

Not long after, they divorced.

Neither of them wanted me, but the court still awarded custody to my mom. My dad moved out.

By the time I started high school, my mom had found her 'new life' and abandoned me. She just left.

After that, I was alone in that house.

The neighbors felt sorry for me again. What they didn't know was how truly happy I was.

From then on, I climbed step by step, following the path I'd carved in my past life.

I'd always had one regret: if I hadn't gotten pregnant back then, if I hadn't stopped my research, how high could I have soared?

**[Cut-off point]**

One day, Liam rang my doorbell.

Standing tall and slender in the doorway, that familiar confident smirk played on his lips – just like I remembered from my past life.

"My mom made some sweet and sour ribs," he said, holding out a container. "She told me to bring you some."

He handed me the container, glancing at my empty living room behind me.

"My mom said if you're ever free, you should come over for dinner," he continued. "Don't be shy. It's just an extra fork at the table."

I just smiled at him, a silent, humorless twist of my lips.

"Tell your mom I said thanks."

He nodded, turned to leave, but after two steps, he pivoted back to face me. "How do you do it?" he asked suddenly.

"Do what?"

"Always acing first place in our class?"

For a moment, I was disoriented. I’d asked Liam that exact same question in my past life.

Back then, he'd replied:

"Because I'm destined for a bigger stage."

Me? I just didn't have anyone or anything left to hold me back.

I successfully got into Oxford University.

On the first day of freshman orientation, we ran into each other at registration.

He reached out a hand, a bright, dazzling smile on his face.

"Looks like we're classmates again, old friend. Take care of me, okay?"

I gazed at his long, elegant fingers with their distinct knuckles, and returned his handshake.

Just as I remembered, his hand was still as warm as it had been in my past life.

But inside, my heart remained stubbornly blank.