Chapter 11
Be careful with Daniel.”
“Corinna, there’s something different about you.”
My mother stared at me, a shadow passing across her face before she sighed.
“This is my fault.”
“You used to be so naïve–believing whatever people told you. When I said that Everett boy was no good, you defended him. ‘He’s not like that, Mom, you said.“}
“On your birthday, I tried to convince your father to give you shares in the company, but you just brushed it off, saying you’d be happy with a dress or some jewelry. You had me so frustrated.”
“I always wished you’d be a little sharper, a bit more cunning. But if what you are now is the price for learning those lessons the hard way… I’d rather you’d stayed innocent forever.”
How could any mother not know her own child?
In my past life, I was the classic good girl–always assuming the best of everyone.
That’s how Julie managed to take advantage of me time and again, and why I could never truly bring myself to cut her off.”
And that’s how I ended up dead at my own engagement party.
“I’ll be fine, Mom.“&
I wiped at the corners of my reddened eyes, forcing a small laugh.
In a world like this, where only the strong survive, naivety just makes you prey.“>
It’s a hard truth–one ! only learned after dying once.
The year I dragged my suitcase out of the country, I was eighteen.
Everything around me–the city, the language, the people–felt utterly foreign.
But I wasn’t afraid.
Because I knew too much about what the future held.
Even if I didn’t remember every detail, I knew enough about the major turning points to change everything.
The most important one would come in two years.
In my previous life, when I turned twenty, Daniel got wind of something big and flew out to San Francisco himself to make a deal with a man named Hancock. That man had cutting–edge technology in his hands–the kind that, over the next five years, helped Daniel seize control of the Gardner family business, piece by piece.
With the money my mother gave me, I dove into the stock market. Armed with scraps of memory from my last life, I managed to multiply my seed money several times over.2
At school, I doubled up on courses, racing through my degree while investing every spare dollar into companies that, in my previous life, would someday break into the Fortune 500.2
Back then, most of them were still just startups.
During this time, Lynda called me often.
Every week, without fail, she’d leave a voice message–first telling me how much everyone on the dance team missed me, and then about how her life had improved now that she’d received her bonus share.
“Not long ago, Julie tried out for early admission at State College. She flunked the interview.”
1
“It was hilarious–the professor who interviewed her was actually at our school’s anniversary recital.”
“She told Julie, ‘Your piano skill was a mess compared to Corinna’s.“}
“You should’ve seen Julie when she came out–clinging to that lovesick puppy and bawling her eyes out. The harder she cried, the bigger my smile got.”
“My SAT scores just came out. I’m first in the school and third in the city.””
When I received that message, was drowning in finals for my double major, but I still managed a genuine smile. “Congratulations.”
“Corinna, I’m still waiting for you to come back and be my friend again.”
My mom also called regularly, updating me on Daniel’s latest moves and checking in to make sure I was doing all right, that I had enough money.
Whenever I let slip anything about my current situation, she’d sigh–equal parts proud and worried.
“You’re still just a girl. Don’t push yourself too hard.”
She’d remind me, “If you ever need help, tell me. Don’t be embarrassed”
So gave her Hancock’s name and everything I could remember. I asked her to look into him for me.
“And please, whatever you do, don’t tell my brother.”
I landed in San Francisco a month before Daniel.
Outside the university, I was about to stop and ask for directions when, across the lawn, I suddenly spotted a familiar face.
