Rewind to Eighteen: From the Assembly Line to the Forbes List Chapter 2

Working the line was brutal.

Two days in, I had three massive blisters on my hands.

Worse, Aunt Susan spotted me.

She put on a fake, overly warm smile. "Well, look who it is! Your parents didn't even tell me you came down here. You should have said something, sweetie, I could have found you a decent position."

I sneered internally.

Wasn't this the exact "decent position" you threw me into in my last life?

But I kept my face blank. "I wouldn't want to bother you, Aunt Susan. We can catch up later."

I didn't expect to see Emily the very next day.

"Chloe! Where have you been hiding? I was so worried about you."

She grabbed my hands. Her fake sincerity was even more polished than her mother's.

I really couldn't blame my past self for not seeing through her.

"Screwing bolts," I said flatly.

"Oh, I really don't know much about that... I just came to share some good news! I scored in the top thirty on the state mock exams. My guidance counselor says if I keep this up, I'm guaranteed a spot at a top-tier university!"

She came all the way to the factory just to rub this in my face. How "sweet."

"Is that so?" I smiled faintly. "Have you figured out your major yet? If you pick the wrong one, even a fancy degree won't get you a good job."

Emily bristled. "That's impossible!"

"Why is it impossible?" I shot back. "Look at Mr. Henderson from our neighborhood. He went to a big state school, and now he’s running a dusty corner store. Who knows, maybe you'll end up—"

"It's still better than being a factory rat!"

Wow, the mask slipped fast.

Her face turned ugly. She paused, threw down a sharp "I have to go," and spun around to storm off.

"Damn it!"

That familiar low growl echoed. I looked up to see Emily had crashed right into someone's chest.

She stumbled back. "S-sorry..."

Caleb stood there, looking absolutely murderous.

Emily squeaked in terror and practically jogged away.

Caleb crossed his arms, tilting his head to look at me. "You know about college majors?"

"A little."

He seemed amused. "Alright then. What major guarantees a good job?"

"Computer Science."

It was the late 90s. The internet boom was just a faint rumble in the distance, but Caleb would be diving into the tech world very soon.

His eyes lit up.

But he quickly masked it with a lazy smirk. "The little factory girl has some vision."

I looked at him squarely. "My name is Chloe."

He chuckled.

The fierce, thuggish aura melted away instantly, leaving something much softer.

"Got it, little factory girl."

He stared at me, his eyes brimming with amusement. He was definitely teasing me.

Suddenly, he reached out and flicked me right on the forehead.

"I'm Caleb."