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“I'm heading out,” Stanley said after making sure Jeffrey was alright. “If you need anything, just callor

Gregory,”

Jeffrey grunted in response.

Stanley disappeared in a flash.

When Stanley got downstairs, Rebecca had just climbed into lan’s car.

Jessica was in the front seat, glancing back at Rebecca with concern. “Jeffrey didn’t give you any trouble, right?”

Rebecca shook her head. “No.”

“That's a relief,” Jessica said, feeling a bit of the worry she’d been carrying finally lift. She'd barely managed to

calm down since hearing Rebecca had ended up at the hospital because of Jeffrey. “I was really afraid he'd lose it

and hassle you again, like back in the day.”

“If he givesany trouble, I'll just turn around and leave,” Rebecca reminded herself to keep her head clear.

“We're not a couple anymore. He can’t forceto stay.”

If we were still married, people would just call it a family spat, and after smediation, nothing would really

get solved.

But now that the divorce is final and feelings are over, any weird behavior from him could straight-up count as a

crime.

“How long are you thinking of sticking around?” lan asked, glancing over with a hint of curiosity.

“We'll see,” Rebecca said as she slipped her phone into her bag. “If I've got a project running here, I'll probably

be popping in and out for about a month.”

lan and Jessica exchanged glances.

Both of them were thinking the sthing: ‘Did Jeffrey really set up this project just to make Rebecca stay?’

Rebecca saw right through them. “He won't stick his nose in my business. This has nothing to do with him.”

For the rest of the ride, the three of them chatted like they always did.

It was like that whole confession had never even happened.

They stopped at a restaurant for dinner, and lan was his usual lively self, cracking jokes about their recent

adventures, sharing funny stories from the past. Nobody acted weird or distant; it was seriously like nothing had

ever happened between them.

Stanley had snuck over, hoping to catch sspicy gossip, but all he picked up was the usual boring day-to-

day chatter. The letdown was real.

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Just my luck-nothing but lame, regular life stuff, Stanley thought, rolling his eyes at how dull it all was

‘Seriously, there’s no way | can make any of this sound exciting when I tell Jeffrey, Total letdown!

Dinner was over before they knew it. As Rebecca, Jessica, and fan stepped out of the restaurant, someone

suddenly jumped out and stood right in their way.

The person was dressed super casually, looking beyond exhausted, her eyes full of sadness and fatigue.

If Rebecca hadn't been so familiar with her, she might not have even realized it was Andrea.

“Rebecca,” Andrea blurted, her gaze locking onto Rebecca-all the wildness and anger from before swapped out

for something hopeless and dim. “Can | talk to you for a minute? Please, just for a minute!”

“I've got nothing to say to you,” Rebecca said coldly, turning on her heel and walking away without a second

glance.

‘Honestly, if Andrea hadn't chosen this path, | could've really admired her, Rebecca thought to herself.

Growing up poor, dealing with abusive parents, and still grinding her way into Capital University-that’s tough,

especially for a girl from sremote little town. Rebecca understood better than anyone how much that takes,

and the first tshe saw Andrea, she genuinely wanted to reach out and be her friend.

Partly because Andrea kind of reminded her of Jessica-there was something just genuinely kind and easy- going

about her.

But mostly, Rebecca just respected people who managed to make it through hell like that.

But Andrea just had to go and take the worst turn ever.

“Please!” Andrea was practically begging now, all that old swagger gone. “I don’t have anyone else. You're all

I've got.”

Rebecca didn’t pay her any attention. She just told Jessica she was leaving, then walked off with lan.

The bad blood between them started ages ago. Ever since Andrea trashed her reputation and teamed up with

others to make her life miserable, there was no way they could ever be friends again.

“Rebecca!” Andrea yelled, her voice full of desperation.

“Rebecca!” She cried out again, her voice cracking as she tried to get her attention.

Andrea lunged after her, desperate to catch up and stop her from leaving.

Jan hit the gas, putting an unbridgeable distance between them. Andrea stumbled forward, pushing herself until

she collapsed to the ground-despair crashed over her, swallowing her whole. In that moment, she couldn't fight

off the overwhelming sense of helplessness filling her chest.

A short while later, a middle-aged woman walked over.

When she spotted Andrea standing there, her eyes red and watery, she yanked her hair hard. “You little brat!

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I've been searching everywhere for you! Not picking up calls, not answering texts-are you trying to turn the

house upside down?”

“Ah! That hurts!” Andrea yelled, her scalp stinging from the pain.

“Oh, so you can feel pain now?” The woman looked pissed, her patience clearly running thin. “Did you even think

about that when you wouldn't pick up your phone or answer my messages?”

“Why should | have to reply?” Andrea snapped, wrenching herself free despite the stabbing pain. “Every time.

you call, it’s just endless crap about your problems! Letmake this clear-don’t even dream about selling me

off for your payday. It’s not happening!”

Smack!

The woman sent a ringing slap across Andrea's face.

Blood trickled from Andrea's lip, but she glared back, stubborn and unyielding.

“Is that any way to talk to your own mother?” the woman spat, her eyes burning with fury. “I already took the

dowry. In a couple days, you're getting married whether you like it or not.”

Andrea just scoffed, cold and bitter.

“Wipe that look off your face,” she sneered. “You blew your chance with Jeffrey, the only guy who could've saved

you. Can't even keep a man-how useless can you get?”

“Oh, and you're so damn capable? Funny how you couldn't even hook Eugene Scott!” Andrea spat, her sarcasm

cutting deeper with every word. “You tried screwing with birth control-stabbed holes in condoms and pulled

every trashy stunt you could, but he didn’t give you a second look. Wow, what an impressive role model you

are.”

“Andrea!” the woman exploded, face dark with rage.

“Honestly, people like you should never have been allowed to have kids,” Andrea choked, emotion clawing at her

throat. “With parents who are nothing but drunk gambling losers, no wonder my life's a total train wreck.”

‘Seriously, who the hell would ever choose to be born a bastard?‘ Andrea thought bitterly.

“Who hasn't dreamed of having a real, normal family?‘ she thought, her heart aching.

But she was born in the gutter, raised among dirt and misery-she craved shelter and sunlight, just like anyone

else.

Smack! Another slap landed hard across her face.

Andrea’s head whipped to the side from the force of the blow.

All of a sudden, she just started laughing.

Her laughter spiraled into madness, growing louder and more unhinged by the second.

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The woman's brows furrowed as she stared, unsettled by Andrea's laughter. “What are you laughing at?”

“I bet you've already spent the dowry Mr. Warren handed over, haven't you?” Andrea sneered. She knew her

mom had been trying to marry her off to anyone with money-no matter their age or personality-just to pocket

the bride price for herself.

A bad feeling suddenly crept up in the woman's heart.

“Oh, by the way-I’'m being sued by Jeffrey. Court's coming up soon,” Andrea kept her gaze fixed, watching her

mom's face twist with fear. “With the amount | swindled, getting slapped with life in prison wouldn't surprise