Catching the Falling Star Chapter 2

While I was sitting in the library recalling key events from my past life, Liam suddenly appeared in front of me.

I almost forgot—at this point in time, he hadn't hooked up with Mia yet.

The library's heating was cranked up, so I was only wearing a thin sweater.

Without a word, he grabbed my hand and dragged me outside.

It wasn't until he pulled me onto the roof that I truly felt the reality of my rebirth.

It was still winter.

The wind on the roof bit into my face, sharp and painful.

Mia stood at the edge of the roof, screaming hysterically.

At the entrance of the roof stood our academic advisor and the dean, acting as mediators.

"Why won't anyone believe me?!"

"I didn't cheat! She framed me! She threw her cheat sheet onto my desk, and I just opened it out of curiosity! I really didn't copy!"

She looked like a fragile, broken doll.

Her hair blew in the wind, giving her an aura of tragic beauty.

Every man present wore an identical look of pity on their faces.

She seemed acutely aware of her own beauty.

She took a step back, her hands gripping the railing tightly.

When she looked at me, the despair in her eyes deepened.

Her lips trembled, and tears fell like broken pearls.

"You already got the grad school recommendation, why won't you let me go?!"

"What did I do wrong?!"

"Will you only be satisfied if I die?"

I noticed the probing gazes of the people around me, just like in my past life.

My boyfriend, Liam, pushed me forward, shoving me into the spotlight.

His tone was frantic. If I didn't know about his dirty little secrets, it would be hard to tell that his anxiety was directed at her.

"Riley, say something!"

I looked at him coldly. "I didn't do anything. What am I supposed to admit?"

Liam looked at me with deep disappointment, as if condemning me.

In my past life, I never understood why my boyfriend sided with Mia. I only found out later that the person he initially confessed to was Mia. After being rejected, he settled for me.

He thought being close to me would give him a better chance with her.

His heart and eyes were completely occupied by his unattainable campus queen.

Hearing my words, Mia acted as if she had suffered a massive blow, shaking her head and frantically repeating that it wasn't her.

The dean, hearing my response, grew anxious:

"Riley! A human life is at stake here!!"

Then, the dean turned and looked at Mia gently. "Mia, don't worry. I promise I will give you a proper explanation and clear your name. Don't do anything impulsive."

Even the students watching started whispering, accusing me of being cold-blooded and heartless.

"I knew Mia wouldn't cheat. Someone definitely framed her."

"Yeah, she wouldn't joke around with her life over one final exam."

In my past life, I was morally kidnapped by these people, roasted over an open fire.

I was forced to confess to a crime I didn't commit.

Later, the university actually turned the fake confession into reality, pinning the cheating scandal entirely on me.

The incident blew up online.

I was cyberbullied.

The entire internet claimed I was a bully who drove my roommate to jump off a building.

I lost my grad school offer.

I lost my boyfriend.

I lost everything.

As for Mia? By using the threat of death to prove her innocence, she was praised by netizens as a principled, brilliant student.

She started livestreaming and gained massive traffic.

She harvested a huge fanbase and made a fortune.

I was cyberbullied, spat on, couldn't find a job, and died tragically under the wheels of a car.

Even after my death, she capitalized on my tragedy.

She pinned the label of "suicide out of guilt" on me.

She turned it around, saying I was mentally fragile, and questioned why I framed her in the first place if I couldn't handle the consequences.

Why would someone who genuinely wants to die give others the chance to save them?

She never intended to die.

She just wanted to blow things out of proportion, pretend to risk her life to prove her innocence, and win sympathy.

In reality, a rescue cushion had already been set up downstairs.

Even if she really jumped, she wouldn't have been hurt.

Mia’s theatrical, hysterical screaming continued.

It was a shame she wasn't an acting major.

The accusations and noise around me intertwined with the phantom pain of my body being crushed by tires in my past life.

The blood vessels in my temples throbbed erratically, a roaring sound filling my ears.

I rubbed my temples and let out a low, sinister laugh.

I snapped.

I didn't care if she was faking it or not; new hatred and old grudges surged into my mind.

The string of my sanity broke.

Ignoring everyone, I sprinted toward Mia. Amidst her struggles and screams, I grabbed her tightly and dragged her off the roof.

"You cheated, you got caught, so why pretend?! I already got my offer, why would I bother framing you? Who the hell do you think you are? Are your brains bound up like old foot bindings?

"You want to die? Come on, let's die together! You want to jump? Don't know how? Come on, I'll teach you!!"