Felicia was still staring at the electronic calendar on the classroom wall. The blue numbers felt like a knife slowly scraping across her memory.
This date was exactly one month before her father would be summoned for his first questioning, while Lee Group's stock value was still stable, before loan sharks came after them—and most importantly, one month before Serena ... .
"Felicia!" The wooden ruler struck her desk again. "Are you going to pay attention or get out?" the math teacher asked coldly.
The entire class turned to look. Felicia flinched. "Sorry, ma'am."
Her fingers slowly touched her own neck. There was no blood there, and she couldn't even feel the agonizing pain that had once torn through her chest.
Her hand then moved down to feel her ribs, which were still intact too. Felicia held her breath. Without realizing it, she noticed that nearly the entire class had turned to stare at her curiously.
In her previous life, a scene like this would have been completely ordinary. But now, Felicia felt something different.
Everyone in the room was still going about their lives as they should. There had been no scandal to destroy her family yet, no arrests, and no news about the Lee family's bankruptcy.
Most importantly, this was before the disgusted looks from society and the nights when she scavenged through trash cans.
Her world was still intact. Felicia finally understood that she had returned. This wasn't a dream or a hallucination brought on by her impending death. It was a second chance.
Felicia's fingers clenched the fabric of her uniform skirt. The palms of her hands still felt warm. She was still breathing, and her heart was still beating.
The sound of an impact suddenly echoed in her head, followed by the sound of rain, the glare of streetlights, blood flowing across the asphalt, and Serena's smile.
Felicia's body went rigid, and her chair shifted slightly backward before she realized it.
"Are you all right?" the math teacher asked.
Felicia nodded slowly. "Yes, ma'am."
Her voice sounded calm, even though her nails were digging into her own palm. Then the bell rang, signaling the end of class.
The room filled with lively chatter. Felicia's classmates hurried to pack up their books while she remained seated.
Felicia stared blankly out the window. The school field was bathed in afternoon light, and a group of students ran around laughing.
"Feya." The gentle voice made the back of Felicia's neck tense.
Felicia raised her head and saw Serena standing beside her desk. Serena's black hair was neatly tied back, her uniform ribbon was perfectly in place, and she held a white lunch box in her hands.
"I made your favorite sandwiches."
Her smile was so gentle yet so fake that Felicia's chest felt tight. The sound of rain echoed in her ears again.
The things Serena had said while Felicia lay dying came rushing back into her mind and rang in her ears.
"Feya?" Serena tilted her head. "What's wrong?"
Felicia blinked, and the world came back into focus. Serena was still standing in front of her, not yet the woman who had smiled in the rain while watching her die. Or perhaps that monster had been there from the beginning, and Felicia had simply been too stupid to see it.
"Feya?" Serena called again.
Her classmates began to pay attention. "Serena's so nice, isn't she?"
"Yeah. Serena never forgets to repay someone who's helped her."
Serena blushed shyly at her classmates' praise. "I only did something small," she said softly. "Feya's family has helped me so much."
Her face looked sincere. There wasn't the slightest crack or opening. Even Felicia, who knew the truth, almost wanted to believe the girl again.
"Feya, don't forget to eat lunch later, okay?"
Serena placed the lunch box on the desk. Her movements were gentle, polite, and careful—just like the hands that had once brushed Felicia's hair away from her face before she spoke her final words.