When Fate Rewinds

My best friend, Kahlan Ellis was invited by an online acquaintance to explore an abandoned school.

I told her it was dangerous and urged her not to go.

A young woman nearby overheard our conversation, got curious, and went with him instead.

Later, the local news blew up with a trending story about how a wealthy heir and a village girl who met during an exploration adventure had fallen in love and lived happily ever after.

Around that time, I was preparing to get married.

On the night before my wedding, Kahlan pushed me off a high-rise.

"If you hadn't stopped me from going back then, I'd have married rich by now! You deserve to die!"

It was only then that I realized how much she had resented me all this while for stopping her that day.

When I opened my eyes again, I had been reborn to the day she first asked me to go on that exploration.

In the parking garage, Kahlan looked at me excitedly and asked, "Patricia, do you think I should go explore that abandoned school with Robert?"

Goosebumps erupted all over my skin the moment I heard Kahlan Ellis' voice.

The panic from falling off that high-rise and the crushing agony in my organs had yet to fade.

On the rooftop of the hotel, I closed my eyes, full of anticipation, waiting for her to take a beautiful photo of me.

She spoke softly, telling me the pose looked perfect, and then shoved me off with all her strength.

I managed to grab the railing, hanging there by a thread, and asked in disbelief, "Why? Why would you do this to me?"

Kahlan pried my fingers off one by one.

Her voice was filled with relief and satisfaction as she explained slowly.

"I was the one who met Robert Albrecht first! If you didn't stop me from going on that exploration, I'd be living the high life as a rich wife now!

"You ruined my perfect marriage, and you still think you get to marry? Dream on!"

But if I did not stop her, we both would have fallen into the abyss that night.

"Patricia?"

Her voice snapped me back to reality.

I felt my heartbeat pounding rapidly, powerful and alive. I realized I was reborn, given a second chance at this life.

Looking at the longing written all over her face, I said coldly, "You're an adult. Make your own decisions. Don't ask me."

She clearly did not expect such a blunt response. Her eyes reddened instantly.

I shot her a mocking glance. If she was so eager to throw herself into danger, I had no reason to stop her.

It was the same in my previous life.

After dinner with Robert and the others, we were supposed to go for karaoke.

But when we reached the parking garage, Robert suddenly suggested he knew of an abandoned school and asked if Kahlan wanted to go explore it. He said it would be way more interesting than karaoke.

She turned to me immediately for my opinion.

Robert was just an online acquaintance we only just met. Going off in the middle of the night with a stranger to some unknown abandoned place.

No matter how I thought about it, it was dangerous. So, I firmly rejected the idea.

Unexpectedly, a girl nearby in the garage overheard us.

She said she was very interested in exploring and wanted to go along.

Hence, we split into two groups and went our separate ways.

The next day, the news reported that someone was assaulted by a vagrant in that abandoned school, and that someone even died.

But the report was quickly taken down, as if it never existed.

Kahlan clearly escaped disaster because I stopped her.

Yet in the end, all she remembered was that she missed out on a wealthy heir, and she blamed it all on me.

This time, I did not stop her.

Blushing shyly, she slipped her hand around Robert's arm.

"Let's go, let's explore together."

"Wait. I'm not going. You two go ahead," I said, stopping them as they headed toward the car.

"Don't be childish!" Kahlan snapped, clearly displeased. "Didn't we already agree on this?"

I rolled my eyes. "You agreed. Not me."

She pouted, unhappy. "It's so late. It's dangerous for you to go home alone. Just come with us."

Robert raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, come on. What, you think we're going to sell you or something?"

I shook my head firmly. "I drove here. I'll head straight back to my home garage. I'll be fine."

Suddenly, Kahlan stepped forward, snatched my bag, and pulled out my car keys.

With a sharp clang, she tossed them straight into the drain.

"Are you insane?" I shouted in disbelief.

She just laughed sweetly and looped an arm around me.

"Come on, Patricia. Now you can't drive anyway. Just come with us."