It was exactly how she used to soothe me after an argument in our past life.
Soon, the sounds changed. Wet. Sticky. Unmistakable.
A knife twisted in my gut.
I stopped cleaning.
I grabbed a few changes of clothes and my university admission letter. Then, without a sound, I left that house forever.
I went to the railway station and bought the earliest ticket to the capital.
In this life, my lover was gone.
So, I would firmly grasp the future that should have been mine all along.
The moment I arrived at the university, I went to the student affairs office to register for a work-study program.
On orientation day, I volunteered to help welcome new students.
Under the blazing sun, I ran back and forth between the athletic field and the academic buildings until black spots danced in my vision.
My legs gave out, and I crashed into someone.
A shrill scream pierced my ear.
"Pervert! Do you guys have no shame? Just because you see a rich, fair-skinned beauty, you act like a toad trying to eat swan meat!"
I hurriedly backed away to apologize. But when I looked up, I froze.
Caroline Sawyer.