"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.

I wanted to drive home but realized that Kristoff still had my bag.

Left with no choice, I hurried to catch up with the three of them.

As I passed through a grove of trees, I overheard Kristoff’s impatient voice.

“Sandy, how much longer do we have to keep pretending? I really can’t stand it anymore. Who knows if Amelia, who’s been messing around so much, has some kind of disease?”

“And Amelia is so pathetically stupid. She can’t even tell the difference between antiques and fakes. No wonder she could be sweet-talked by some old guy into bed. How can someone like her possibly be worthy of being the Johnson family’s mistress? Sandy, only you deserve the real heirloom bracelet,” Henry added.

Sandy, with an innocent and pitiful look, glanced at them both. “It's true Amelia has done a lot of bad things. But she’s been kind to me. How can I just abandon her? If you two don’t do as I say, I’ll never speak to you again!”

At her words, the two supposedly proud and aloof young masters immediately panicked and began apologizing to Sandy.

They practically groveled, eager to trample on me if it meant putting her on a pedestal.

Over a decade of friendship and shared memories meant nothing compared to Sandy’s few manipulative words.

Holding back tears, I turned and walked away into the endless night, my heart heavy with exhaustion.

By the time I reached home, my sprained ankle had swollen so badly it was unrecognizable.

My grandmother, filled with concern, brought out cooling ointment to massage my injury.

To ease her worries, I shared the good news about my university acceptance.

Her face lit up with surprise and joy. “My baby is so accomplished! Grandma is getting old, and the future of the Nicolas family rests on your shoulders.”

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes.

“After all these years, the Nicolas family finally has something to celebrate. Grandma will throw a big banquet for you—a proper celebration!” she beamed.

Her joyful expression was the same as when she sent me off to get married in my previous life.

Back then, she believed I had found happiness and was filled with hope, only to pass away at my wedding from the shock of Henry’s betrayal.

This time, I vowed to change everything. Neither I nor my grandmother would suffer again.

Since my grandmother was elderly, I took charge of planning every detail of the banquet.

When my two childhood friends heard about it, they showed up uninvited to “help” and even brought my favorite strawberry cake to apologize.

“Amelia, you’ve been ignoring our messages. Are you still upset about that day?” Henry sighed.

“We didn’t mean to blame you. We were just worried you’d go down the wrong path. For people like us, reputation is everything,” Kristoff said.

I didn’t forgive them, but I allowed them to stay and help.

In our past lives, they owed me far too much. I didn’t need closure; I just wanted to part ways completely in this life.

After my parents passed, the once-prosperous Nicolas family fell into decline, leaving us vulnerable to scorn and bullying.

Now, my success was proof to the world that the Nicolas family had a future and was no longer to be trifled with.

Because of this, my grandmother took the banquet very seriously, attending to every detail.

On the day of the banquet, prominent figures from all over gathered to celebrate.

Sandy, dressed in a custom-made gown, entered with my childhood friends by her side.

Her eyes burned with envy as she took in the grand venue.

“Amelia’s life is truly charmed,” she muttered. "But so what if you’re born into wealth and excel academically? I’ll make sure you live the rest of your life wishing you were dead.”

As she finished speaking, the large screens in the banquet hall suddenly lit up with photos of me.

One after another, they displayed explicit images of me in bed with different men.

“Isn’t that the eldest miss of the Nicolas family? Wow, she really gets around. I guess the rumors were true—children without proper parents really don’t turn out well.”

“No wonder people said Amelia slept her way through university. It all makes sense now.”