Chapter 71
His face paled at my words, but I didn’t care. I had spent too long trying to make someone like Ryan happy, and I wasn’t going to do it anymore.
“Let go of me.” I demanded, my voice firm.
Ryan froze for a moment, his grip on my arm loosening slightly as my words sank in. He blinked, confusion flashing across his face. “I never said anything like that!” he protested, his voice rising defensively.
Igazed at him, knowing that the current Ryan truly hadn’t said those words yet. But that didn’t matter. He would think them, and worse, he would act on them one day. The truth of my past life. weighed heavily on me, even though it was hidden behind my calm expression.
He didn’t know what would happen. He didn’t remember the pain he would cause me, the betrayal. that would eventually lead to my death.
But I remembered. I remembered it all.
“Maybe not yet,” I said softly, my voice laced with a quiet sorrow. “But one day, you will. One day, you’ll look at me the way you do now, but with more hatred in your eyes. One day, you’ll see me as nothing but a burden, and you’ll throw me away, just like you did before.”
Ryan’s face twisted in confusion. He shook his head, trying to dismiss my words. “That’s not true!” He insisted, but I could see the uncertainty in his eyes.
I let out a soft, bitter laugh, pretending to be hurt. Pretending–because I had already shed all my
“But you always hated me, didn’t you?” I asked, my voice tears for this boy in my previous li breaking, as if the memories pained me deeply.
“If you
you didn’t hate me, why did you spend all your time with Linda? Why did you give her my things. the gifts I picked out just for you? Why did you treat her so kindly, but treated me like I was justa servant, a pest?”
Ryan stared at me, speechless. He had no response, because he knew it was truc, even if he wouldn’t admit it. I watched the guilt wash over his face as he tried to process what I was saying.
In my last life, I had spent “years” trying to earn his love, desperately hoping for even a crumb of affection. I had bent over backward to make him happy, to prove my worth. But it had all been in vain. My loyalty, my love–it had meant nothing to him.
And when the time came, he had discarded me without a second thought.
DY
If I hadn’t been given this chance to live again, I would have rotted away in that pit, both figuratively
and literally. The thought almost brought tears to my eyes, but I blinked them away. There was no room for pity now. Not for myself, and certainly not for Ryan.
Ryan, though, seemed shaken. His eyes darted nervously between mine, like he was searching for something–an explanation, a way to deny the truth. He had only come to confront me because of Lirian, because he couldn’t stand seeing me get close to someone like him.
But now, seeing the hurt in my eyes, something was different. Something inside him faltered.
For a moment, Ryan was silent. Then, his voice cracked. “I didn’t… I didn’t mean to hurt you,” he muttered, looking down as if the weight of his guilt was pressing on him. I could tell he was struggling, but I wasn’t moved by his display of remorse.
Before I could respond, Linda’s voice echoed from above.
I looked up to see her standing at the top of the stairs, her eyes wide with surprise as she took in the scene. From her angle, it must have looked like Ryan and I were close, too close for her liking. His hand was still gripping my arm, though his hold had loosened considerably.
Linda’s gaze flickered between us, and in an instant, Ryan seemed to remember himself. He quickly released my arm, stepping back as if he’d been caught doing something wrong.
I turned my gaze back to Ryan, my voice cold and distant. “You’re the one with a girlfriend now,” I said, my tone sharp. “Don’t come to me in private anymore.”
Without waiting for his response, I spun on my heel and headed down the stairs. I could feel their
eyes on my back, but I didn’t care. I had no interest in whatever drama would unfold between them,
As I walked away, I heard Linda’s voice behind me, though I didn’t stop to listen.
“What was that about?” Linda asked, her voice tinged with suspicion. “Why did she look so upset?”
She looked very nervous and wanted an explanation from Ryan.
