Chapter 2
Word spread fast around campus.
Soon everyone knew I wasn’t going to college either.
At the graduation farewell party, classmates whispered among themselves.
“Wait, don’t Kai and Jaxon like Winter? But they’re taking a gap year for Scarlett instead!”
“I guess that proves Scarlett’s better than Winter. Those two are like, every girl’s dream guys–their standards must be sky–high!”
“And Winter’s not applying anywhere either? That’s so pathetic. What kind of girl throws herself at guys like that?”
Each word felt like a knife twisting in my chest.
But I kept my head down, saying nothing.
Scarlett sat on a small stool nearby, giggling sweetly.
Kai and Jaxon flanked her, taking turns cracking jokes to make her laugh.
Her laughter wasn’t even that loud.
But it felt like it was piercing straight through my eardrums.
In my past life, after Dad died, I fell into a deep depression. The doctor told my loved ones to tell me jokes, help ease the pain.
But until the day I died, they never told me a single one.
Now here was Kai, gazing at her adoringly.
‘Scarlett, you should smile more.”
Jaxon chimed in tenderly.
“I’ll help bring your grades up step by step. I promise you’ll have a bright future.”
“Seeing you smile–that’s all I need to feel at peace.”
So they did know how to tell jokes. They just never wanted to waste the effort on me.
I clutched the yearbook I’d meant to give them, unable to bring myself to hand it over.
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Reborn Losers? Now I’m the CEO They Can’t Unsee!
11.1%
Chapter 2
How pathetic, really.
I was moving to Cambridge, and I still wanted to take their messages with me as some kind of keepsake for the rest of my life.
I couldn’t blame myself for being lovesick.
The feelings from my past life ran too deep.
Back then, they’d brought me meals in all kinds of weather, stayed up all night when I had fevers.
Scarlett glanced back at me with a mocking smile.
“Winter, aren’t you repeating senior year? Why are you handing out yearbooks?”
“Trying to find an excuse to talk to them?”
Kai’s eyes turned ice–cold.
“Give it up. I’m not signing that thing.”
Jaxon remained expressionless, then loosened up slightly.
“I guess we could write something.”
“On one condition–you give Scarlett all your study notes.”
With their photographic memories, they never took notes.
So my three years of carefully compiled notes would become Scarlett’s tool for quick grade improvement.
Bitterness flooded my heart.
But I nodded without showing any emotion.
“Sure, you can borrow them. The notes won’t do me any good anymore.”
‘But don’t bother signing the yearbook.”
They frowned in confusion.
‘You’re actually agreeing?”
I’d always been someone who didn’t let people take advantage of me. There was no way I’d just hand things over to someone I disliked.
But this time I’d agreed so readily.
17:25
Reborn Losers? Now Lin the CEO They Can’t Unseet
Chapter 2
Jaxon suddenly laughed coldly.
“Why bother acting all high and mighty?”
“At the end of the day, you just want any excuse to get close to us, right? Fine, we’ll give you what you want.”
They snatched my yearbook away.
Both wrote very brief entries, just signing their names under the “Like” and “Dislike” columns.
Like–Scarlett.
Dislike–Winter.
Those few light words hung over my head like a blade. I unconsciously clenched the paper so tight–nails dug so deep into my palm, blood stained the words.
Seeing my face go pale as a sheet, Kai and Jaxon exchanged triumphant smiles.
Then they leaned over to whisper in Scarlett’s ear, telling her what they’d written.
Scarlett burst into laughter, tears of mirth streaming down her face.
“You two are so mean!”
“Oh, Winter–I’m going on a graduation trip with them tomorrow. Drop those notes off at my house, okay?”
In my past life, when my depression made me want to go out and walk around for some fresh air, I’d begged them to travel with me. They had nothing going on but claimed they were too busy.
This life, they were giving Scarlett everything they’d denied me.
Bone–deep coldness spread through my heart.
I suddenly felt like this was all so pointless.
After they walked away, I threw the yearbook in the trash without hesitation.
The things you beg for and can never get will someday become worthless.
For the entire month that followed, Kai and Jaxon made a point of taking Scarlett to Boston, Chicago, San Francisco–all the major cities.
The plan was for her to pick whichever city she liked, then they’d work their asses off to get her into a prestigious university there next year.
From then on, they’d spend their lives taking care of her, just like they had with me in my previous life.
17:25
Reborn Losers? Now I’m the CEO They Can’t Unseel
16.79
Chapter 2
When I first heard these rumors, my heart ached endlessly.
But after hurting for so long, I went numb.
Instead, I threw myself into preparing for the SAT Subject Tests and getting my student visa sorted for the UK.
Thanks to my relentless effort, my application got approved, and several top British universities extended offers.
On the first day of the college prep program, I grabbed my plane ticket and packed my bags.
I’d just locked my door and was about to leave when Kai and Jaxon came marching toward me, looking pissed.
I tried to avoid them.
But Kai blocked my path, eyeing my luggage.
“So you’re running late for the first day because you were waiting for us to carry your bags to the dorm?”
“Winter, could you be any more pathetically delusional?”
17:25
