Chapter 8
I didn’t bother explaining further to Kendrick. I grabbed my suitcase and slowly shut the door behind me.
Everything from my past life was already gone. At the end of the day, people had to move on.
1/1
After returning home, I went straight to the authorities and reported the shipwreck incident. I made sure they knew that Kendrick was involved.
At the time, he was in the middle of his official review period. A little nudge in the right direction was all it took to ensure that he’d never qualify for a government job.
Evelyn and I gave our statements. Once the police investigation confirmed the incident, Kendrick’s test results were nullified. Just like that, his chance at a stable career vanished overnight.
It was the least he owed me.
Later, Sabrina reached out. She told me that Kendrick had been wasting away at home, drinking and smoking nonstop.
He barely left his room. It was as though he were trapped in a haze where he couldn’t tell dreams from reality. Not only that, but he kept mumbling about the nightmares he had.
Sabrina wanted to know if there was anything I could do to help.
However, psychological issues would require professional help. I couldn’t do anything for him, so I let him drown in his misery.
Once I had recovered, I decided to open a flower shop with Evelyn.
I used to worry about losses and the market. But after dying once, I understood that time was precious. If I wanted something, I had to go for it.
Since I had a second chance at life, I refused to live with regrets.
Evelyn, of course, gave me her full support.
As our business grew, so did our working hours. More often than not, we found ourselves working late into the night.
That evening, just as we were about to close, our last customer walked in. She was thin, and her hollowed eyes were sharp with something cruel.
It was Laurel. She had been released from prison.
“Roxanne Bradford! While I was serving time, you actually had the audacity to run a damn flower shop?” she spat.
Evelyn had stepped out to grab a late–night snack, leaving me alone in the store.
My gaze flicked to the shears I had been using to trim the flowers. At the same time, I was calculating the odds of making it out of there.
“You tried to kill me. You got exactly what you deserved. Why are you blaming me for it?” I replied.
Laurel’s eyes narrowed. Then, suddenly, she burst into laughter.
“I hated you the moment I saw you in university. And after all these years, you’re still just as insufferable.”
Her words stirred something in my memory.
Had I ever done something to her? Why was she so hostile toward me?
Laurel snapped, “You stole my spot at the anniversary gala. If it weren’t for you, I would’ve been center stage!
“And if it weren’t for you, the most popular guy on campus would’ve confessed to me, not you! Why do you keep showing up just to piss me off?”
My jaw dropped slightly. So that was it.
But the truth was, the dance instructor had replaced her because she wasn’t good enough. I couldn’t believe she had held a grudge over something trivial for years.
I swallowed hard when I noticed that she had a knife hidden up her sleeve. My grip tightened around the shears as I instinctively backed away.
“I already did my time. I’ve got nothing left to lose. If I take you down with me, it’ll all be worth it!”
Laurel instantly lunged at me, wielding the knife.
I barely had time to react before the weapon came slashing toward my arm. Shit.
