The Monster in the Mud: My Second Chance Chapter 2

The morning classes flew by amidst a blur of gossip and whispers about the new kid.

As soon as the bell rang, my best friend leaned over, unable to hold back:

"That was so unlike you today! Why do I feel like you're super hostile toward the new guy with the burned face? You're usually the first one to stand up against bullies. I totally thought you were going to help him out."

My hand, which was zipping up my backpack, twitched.

So that was the impression I gave everyone? A naive, sweet girl who loved playing the hero?

Is that why Caleb targeted me when his confession was rejected in my past life?

Did he think that in his twisted mind, I had no right to ever say no to him?

"I read a quote online once. It said you should try to stay away from people with extreme physical defects, because more often than not, their minds are just as defective."

My friend looked at me, visibly shocked by how harsh that sounded.

But I didn't want to continue the conversation.

Right now, all I wanted to do was find an excuse to go home and see my parents.

In my past life, when Caleb spread those rumors, it became the biggest scandal in the entire school district.

Because Caleb was classified as a disabled student, the administration, desperate to show how "inclusive" and "protective" they were, merely gave him a slap on the wrist.

But they turned right around and accused me of promiscuous behavior. Without even launching a proper investigation, they expelled me.

My dad was so furious he stormed over to Caleb's house to demand justice, only to be hacked to death by Caleb's violently schizophrenic father.

My mom refused to accept the verdict and filed appeal after appeal in court, only to lose every single time.

I still remember the night I slapped my own face repeatedly, sobbing and begging my mom for forgiveness:

"Was it wrong to help someone? Why doesn't being good get rewarded?"

My mom had said: "Helping people isn't inherently wrong, but the prerequisite is that you must ensure you are in an absolutely safe position first. While I hope you grow up to be a kind person, I selfishly wish you had never helped him at all. Then, your father would still be coming home to us."

After saying that, she resolutely jumped off the roof of our apartment building.

Even now, I can perfectly recall the arrogant, sadistic smile on Caleb's face.

He told me that mentally ill people don't go to prison for murder. His useless trash of a father was locked away in a psych ward, which meant my dad had actually done him a huge favor by getting rid of his biggest burden.

He also told me that since my parents were dead, I was finally just like him. We had both fallen into the mud, and now we could be together forever.

The story of the farmer and the viper had played out right in front of me.

Because of my misplaced pity, my parents met horrific ends.

Right now, all I wanted was to verify they were safe. That they were still alive and breathing in this world.

I hadn't even made it to the administration office to ask for a hall pass.

As soon as I stepped into the corridor, I saw Caleb being shoved into the boys' bathroom by a few of the class delinquents.

I remembered this.

In my past life, Caleb was targeted by these exact guys the second he arrived.

Instead of pitying his appearance, they treated him like a freak of nature.

They forced him to drink toilet water, humiliated him with slurs, and even took turns urinating on him.

And I, overflowing with naive righteousness, had thrown myself in front of Caleb and reported those guys to the principal.

From that moment on, he decided I was his "savior." The only person who could pull him out of the abyss.

Watching the exact same scenario unfold in this life, I stepped back, completely avoiding Caleb's desperate, pleading eyes.

I watched as his head was pinned to the bathroom tiles beneath a dirty sneaker.

His face was smeared with grime and filthy water.

Yet, he still stubbornly reached a hand out, trying to grab the hem of my jeans:

"Help me..."

I smoothly dodged his touch.

Only one phrase echoed in my mind:

Abandon the savior complex. Respect their fate.

At that exact moment, Harper walked out of the classroom.

I expected her to act like a saint and rush in to help.

Instead, she pretended she didn't see a single thing and scurried right back inside.

I found that quite amusing.

Caleb was currently being brutalized.

His cheap clothes reeked of something foul, and his hair was plastered to his wet cheeks in greasy strips.

I watched as Harper peeked her head back out, putting her hands over her mouth in an exaggerated display of shock.

"Caleb, what happened to you? Are you okay? Did someone bully you? Tell me, I'll go tell the teacher for you!"

She put on a masterful show of sympathy.

But Caleb kept his head down, saying absolutely nothing.

He only occasionally glanced up, staring at me with a deeply calculating, brooding look.

Alarm bells rang in my head.

I hadn't offered him a single shred of help in this life. Why the hell was he staring at me?

Was he going to hold a grudge against me just for being a bystander?