Our classmates gathered round and whispered among themselves.
I smiled and said, “Whose spot have I taken? Let me ask around. Have I taken any of your spots?”
A classmate raised a hand. “No, you haven’t! I’ve never had good grades, so I wouldn’t have gotten it even if you hadn’t applied for the scholarship!”
“I’m the third in our grade. You can’t kick me off the list!” someone else cried.
“It’s supposed to be fair game–there’s no such thing as it being taken away! Can’t we even talk about you when you’re not as good as us? Don’t try to guilt–trip us into anything. We’re civilized people, not fools!”
Just then, Jonathan entered the classroom.
Henrietta looked like she’d found her savior and ran to him, forgetting all about their argument at the shopping mall. She said indignantly, “Thalia took your spot on the list of scholarship receivers, and you’re not on the list of financial aid receivers, too!
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‘It’s all because of her! She’s so evil and selfish–she knows you need that money for your mother’s medical treatment!”
He pushed her away and said icily, “It’s none of your business. She’s not evil or selfish. I’m the one who didn’t meet the criteria. You, on the other hand, should stop sowing discord.”
She gaped at him. “What did you just say? I’m trying to help you! Didn’t you say that you had to get the scholarship?”
Jonathan looked at me. “Henrietta’s being unreasonable. I’m sorry about that.”
Meanwhile, Henrietta gave me the evil eye. It made a chill run down my spine, and an ominous feeling washed over me.
Later that day, Jonathan asked me to meet him at the lake on campus. I didn’t want to go, but he told me this would be his last time pestering me. After this, we would walk our separate paths.
When I arrived, he was staring at the lake’s surface. He turned to look at me and said tentatively, “I had a dream, Thalia. You weren’t like this in the dream–you donated to me, sponsored me, and even married me.”
I’d sensed something was wrong from the moment held told me he liked me. The feeling had intensified when he’d stood up for me in the classroom. Now, his probing confirmed my suspicions.
I said, “And then I died. Am I right? You killed me.”
Jonathan had also been reborn. He dropped his disguise and revealed the steadiness and maturity that he’d only gained after years of holding a leadership position in his past life. I sensed a hint of anxiety, though.
“I… I regret it. I regret not saving you when I had the chance to. I blame it on my pride. I despised you because of Henrietta’s lies. I thought she was my true love, but I realized she only wanted my money after I married her. She didn’t love me at all. You were the only one who was genuine to me,” he said.
I wasn’t moved by his words. “None of that matters anymore because I no longer feel anything for you.‘
Jonathan’s eyes reddened. “Can you give me another chance? I’ve also died once now—Henrietta pushed me off a cliff and lied about it, claiming that I fell off myself. Then, she inherited everything of mine and took a fresh–faced lover. We’ve both died once, so we’re even.”
I scoffed. “I’m not the one who pushed you. How are we even?”
He pleaded, “You can kill me once, too, then. Let’s start afresh, Thalia. I swear I’ll treat you well in the future–I’ll treat you a hundred times better than I ever treated Henrietta. I genuinely regret everything. I only realized how well you treated me after my death.”
I gave him a disgusted look. “You can stop dreaming because I won’t have anything to do with you in the future. I’m curious, though. How thick–skinned do you have to be to say these things? Are you thinking of becoming my sugar baby or something?”
“You can scream and shout at me or even hit me if you want–it’s what I deserve. But please don’t
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abandon me…” He looked at me like he was an abandoned puppy.
“So, my dream was true! Since you’re both back, you can go to hell together!” a shrill voice filled with hatred and resentment cut through the air.
It turned out Jonathan, Henrietta, and I had all been reborn. Henrietta charged toward me and shoved me forward.
The lake was unprotected, so nothing could stop my fall. I couldn’t swim, and neither could Jonathan. However, he pushed me in the opposite direction before grabbing Henrietta and pulling her into the lake with him.
She floundered in the water while he laughed maniacally. “Can we start again if I give you my life, Thalia?”
He was insane. I grabbed a lifebuoy from a pavilion nearby and tossed it to him before calling the school’s security office.
