Chapter 3

Rather than acknowledge my merit, everyone in the room preferred to believe I'd only earned my place by latching onto some man. Brock clearly thought the same. His face flushed red with anger, his eyes blazing with contempt. "Clara," he spat, "how utterly shameless are you? Can't you survive without a man?" "It's only been a few years since I dumped you, and you're already scrambling into someone else's arms? Don't tell me this award presenter is some old geezer." His voice dripped with jealousy. I found it laughable. He'd been the one to walk away from our relationship. He'd been the one to discard me. Yet somehow, it was as if I were the guilty party. In my past life, I'd followed Brock into the research institute, throwing myself into endless experiments just to earn a single glance from him. At my busiest, I'd gone days without a proper meal. When he hit a research roadblock, I stayed up night after night at his side, offering data, insight, and support—never asking for credit or reward. In the end, all my work was credited to Lola. Furious, I confronted Brock. He barely glanced up, his tone dismissive. "I never asked you to help. You volunteered. Besides, Lola's a genius. She just needed a little guidance. Someone like you, a useless fool, wouldn't understand. I'm not helping her. I'm rescuing a prodigy." "A prodigy who needed a 'useless fool' like me to finish her research?" I shot back. His answer was a sharp slap across my face. Stunned and heartbroken, I went home seeking comfort from my brother, Ethan. But the moment I mentioned Lola's name, he backhanded me, too. He accused me of stirring trouble, of bullying the very student he'd chosen to fund. All my explanations fell on deaf ears—he only heard that Brock preferred Lola. And that was unacceptable. She was his favorite. "Clara," he growled, "I don't care what you do—just keep Brock away from Lola. Make sure he never bothers her again. Understood?" I stood there, dazed. Overnight, the two people who mattered most had circled around Lola like planets orbiting a sun. They adored her. Protected her. And I? I'd become the sacrifice. Desperate, I went to see Lola myself. She was working as Ethan's assistant at the research center. The moment I saw her, I cut straight to the point. I told her to stay away from both Brock and my brother. Before I could finish, Lola smiled and slapped herself hard across the face. "Ms. Dawson, I'm so sorry!" she cried, stumbling backward. "I'll never go near Mr. Lincolne or Dr. Dawson again! Please don't hurt me!" I froze, bewildered. Then—boom. An explosion ripped through the lab. Flames erupted. I turned to run, but my body lurched forward violently. It was Ethan. He gave me one cold look, then wrapped an arm around Lola and dragged her to safety. That explosion ended my life. When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day the institute was founded. Ethan stood at the podium and declared the entire facility would be dedicated solely to Lola's research. Brock rushed in moments later in a pristine white lab coat—not for ceremony, but to personally ensure Lola's safety. To them, failing to protect her in my past life had been their greatest regret. This time, they were determined to overcompensate. I felt nothing but hollow disappointment. That same day, I accepted an invitation from the Northwest Frontier Institute in Pullman and vanished from their world.