After my rebirth, the first thing I did was tear up the admission letter from Princeton University with my own hands.

I also rejected the fervent confessions of my two childhood friends.

Why? Because in my previous life, I chose one of them—Henry Johnson.

But on our wedding day, he abandoned me to elope with Sandy, causing my only relative, my grandmother, to die from anger.

In my despair, my other childhood friend, Kristoff, held my hand and vowed solemnly, “You still have me, Amelia. I’ll never let you down.”

Because of him, I slowly moved on from my past. Kristoff pulled me out of the darkness, but after we got married, he suddenly became cold and distant.

I thought it was because he regretted that we didn’t have children.

Until one day, after a car accident, he left me dying on the road to save Sandy, who had only minor injuries.

I died on the spot, my soul drifting aimlessly, only to discover the truth—my entire life had been nothing more than a cruel love game among the three of them.

They had already written wills, leaving all their inheritance to Sandy.

On top of that, the reason I couldn’t conceive for years was because they had schemed against me! They had bribed a doctor to secretly remove my uterus, as a twisted testament to their loyalty to Sandy.

In this new life, I decided to stay far away from all of them and live a life that was truly my own.

——

When I tore up the Princeton University admission letter, my professor was shocked.

“Amelia, what are you doing?”

This year, our school had four students admitted to Princeton University.

I was the only one who got in with the top score in the entire city.

Not just my teacher, but all the faculty had high hopes for me.

I calmly replied, “I don’t want to go to Princeton University. I’ve applied to a special research program at Stanford University. They’ve agreed to assign medical staff to take care of my grandmother.”

Sighing, she nodded. “So that’s the reason. Alright, I understand your family situation. You must work hard and carve out a bright future for yourself to repay your grandmother’s care.”

I nodded, and balled my fist.

Not even having time to grieve the misfortunes of my past life, Henry and Kristoff called me in a rush, urging me to come downstairs.

On my way down, I could feel the stares and whispers around me.

Someone even tripped me on the stairs, muttering, “Slut.”

Confused, I limped to the corner, only to overhear Sandy chatting with my two childhood friends.

“I really did see Amelia getting out of the Princeton University board member’s car in the middle of the night, but that doesn’t necessarily prove anything. Maybe she really did get in with her own grades.”

“Sandy, stop defending her. She doesn’t even dare to make her grades public. She must be hiding something!”

“Exactly, Sandy, you’re too kind. She’s so scheming—there’s no telling what she’s capable of.”

After joining the research program, I had signed a confidentiality agreement that required me to keep my grades private.

I never imagined that this would give Sandy the opportunity to slander me.

However, of all the people who knew me, I didn't expect that my childhood friends would think of me like that. They knew how hard I had studied for my grandmother’s sake, yet they still chose to believe Sandy’s lies.

I let out a bitter laugh and consoled myself. It didn’t matter. Once I officially joined the program, all my personal information would be concealed.

By then, I could finally cut ties with them completely.

I wouldn’t have to endure these hurtful words anymore, nor live foolishly amidst lies and deceit, ending in such a tragic death.

Pretending I hadn’t heard anything, I walked up to the three of them.

“What do you want?” I asked.

Henry’s disdain vanished in an instant, replaced by a bright smile. “Amelia, this is great! We’ll be at the same school again. All your hard work has finally paid off.”

Kristoff smiled as well, his expression equally warm.

"We can continue to protect you now, but four years isn’t enough—we’ll need a lifetime to do it!" Kristoff added eagerly.

Several passing girls cast envious glances in my direction, but my heart remained unmoved.

In my past life, the four of us attended the same university. I worked tirelessly for a bright future—studying hard and actively participating in school activities.

But in the end, my scholarships and postgraduate recommendations were secretly manipulated and handed over to Sandy.

There were even rumors about me having an improper relationship with a school official, and I endured isolation and bullying for four long years because of that.

Back then, these two men also promised to stand by my side and protect me. But after my death, I learned that they were the masterminds behind everything.

During countless sleepless nights filled with tears, they used my pain to entertain and please the woman they truly loved—Sandy.

Noticing my silence, Sandy spoke in a tone dripping with mockery. “Amelia's life is truly blessed. Born as the pampered daughter of a wealthy family, and both of your childhood friends are completely devoted to you.”

Smiling bitterly, she added, “I don’t have such good fortune. If it weren’t for Amelia’s financial support, I wouldn’t even have been able to attend school.”

On hearing that, the two men immediately looked at her with sympathy.

“Sandy, don’t say that. You’re so beautiful and talented—you’re destined for great things in the future. Once you graduate, I’ll have my dad arrange a general manager position for you.”

“No, Sandy, come to my company instead. I’ll give you an even higher position and better pay. Whatever you want, I’ll give it to you!”

The two of them started competing with each other to make promises to Sandy.

I couldn’t help but feel a pang of sadness.

After all these years, they had never shown me this kind of affection or favoritism.

Indeed, feigned love can never compare to true devotion from the heart.

As I prepared to leave, Henry noticed my unusual expression.

Feeling guilty, he grabbed my hand. “Amelia, don’t overthink. We’re good to Sandy because she’s your friend.”

Kristoff, just like when we were kids, ruffled my hair playfully. “Don’t let your imagination run wild. The exams are over—let’s go for a drive. We’ve got a gift for you.”

I nodded, not refusing. I was leaving soon anyway, and I wanted to take one last look at the city where we grew up together.

When we reached the parking lot, Henry and Kristoff vied for the chance to have Sandy sit in their passenger seats.

Sandy pretended to hesitate, looking at me with a mock concern. “Isn’t the passenger seat only for Amelia? If I sit there, will she be upset?”

Before I could respond, Henry had already seated Sandy in his car. “She won’t mind. She’s got the best temper.”

Kristoff glared at him in frustration, slamming his car door shut with a sour expression.

It wasn’t until the cars were about to start that they realized I hadn’t gotten into either vehicle.

They rolled down the windows, exchanging awkward glances. They tried to explain but couldn’t come up with a convincing excuse.

“It’s fine. I’ll drive my own car.”

Hearing this, they both sighed in relief, though they still seemed puzzled by my unusual behavior.

“Amelia...”

I rolled up my window, unwilling to hear their empty excuses. But as I drove, the scenery outside stirred up countless memories.

The three of us had grown up together as childhood friends.

For as long as I could remember, both families had been eager to see me marry into theirs.

But fate had other plans.

After my parents passed away in a tragic accident, the once-vibrant Nicolas family was reduced to just me and my grandmother, depending on each other for survival.

An elderly woman and a young girl, surrounded by wolves in sheep's clothing, struggled to keep their crumbling family afloat.

Because of this, I pushed myself to the limit, studying day and night to take on the family responsibilities as soon as possible.

Sandy, on the other hand, came from a poor background and was often ostracized at school.

When I learned she was also an orphan, I felt sympathy for her and took the initiative to befriend her.

I supported her financially, paid for her education, and encouraged her to face life’s hardships alongside me.

But she saw my kindness as condescension. She envied everything I had and used every means at her disposal to win over my two childhood friends.

Together, they ruined my entire life.

Lost in thought, I didn’t realize we had arrived at our destination.

The earlier events had clearly unsettled my two childhood friends. Both rushed to open the car door for me and even offered to carry my bag.

“Amelia, look! This is the park we used to visit as kids. Kristoff and I bought it. From now on, it’ll be our private secret base.”

Kristoff nodded, chiming in. “I’ve already arranged for your favorite yellow roses to be planted here. By this time next year, there’ll be a breathtaking sea of roses.”

“Then, the four of us can come here, take drives, and watch the stars together.”

Their faces were full of excitement and hope for the future, but I stood there in silence, staring at the familiar land.

This place really had been our secret hideout as kids, holding countless happy memories.

But I had never liked yellow roses.

In fact, I was allergic to all flower pollen.

While I was lost in thought, fireworks suddenly burst across the sky, spelling out my name in vibrant colors.

Amidst the magical display, Henry took out a jade bracelet and held it out to me. “Amelia, this is the heirloom bracelet of my family. My parents told me to give it to the future mistress of the Johnson family. I’ve wanted to give it to you for a long time but waited until today for the right moment.”

“Amelia, will you be with me? Don’t forget, when you nearly drowned as a child, I risked my life to save you. I can even give you my life, let alone a small jade bracelet!” He puffed his chest proudly, and looked at me with anticipation.

In my past life, I had been deceived by their seemingly deep affection.

Back then, I naively believed that our bond as childhood friends would lead to a happy ending, that my grandmother and the Nicolas family would find some solace.

It wasn’t until the day I died that I learned the truth. Even the deepest devotion could be nothing more than an act.

Just as I was about to reject him, Sandy suddenly spoke up.

“Amelia, why did you tell people I was spreading rumors about you? Now everyone’s cursing me...”

She held up her phone, showing me the screen.

On the school’s website, hundreds of comments accused me of being shameless, claiming I had used my body to secure my place at university.

A few comments defending me were twisted by Sandy into evidence of me attacking her.

Kristoff snatched the phone, his expression furious. “Amelia, how could you do something like this? Even if you’re reckless, why drag Sandy into it?”

Henry, though more composed, still looked at me with an accusing gaze.

I suppressed the storm of emotions within me and said firmly, “I didn’t do it. If you don’t believe me, you can investigate yourselves!”

But neither of them listened. They were too busy comforting Sandy.

“Don’t worry, Sandy. I’ll contact the PR team right away to handle this.”

“Let’s grab some dessert; ice cream always makes you feel better.”

With one of them on each side, they escorted Sandy away.

Neither spared me a backward glance.

I took a deep breath, my gaze fixed on the ashes left by the fireworks.

Compared to life and death, this humiliation was insignificant.

At the very least, I was alive, with a new life and future ahead of me.