Chapter 4: A Bond With Rain

"How are the new interns?" Christina could see the ghost of a smile playing on her manager's face as she asked the question. "Just like last year, I still hate them," Christina responded bluntly, a trait that Samantha particularly appreciated in her. Christina had impressed Samantha on multiple occasions, especially with her honesty. "Christina Richardson, just because you're a workaholic doesn't mean you should drag others down with you. Give those interns a break; it's only their first day." Samantha instructed in a calm tone, her experienced eyes resting on Christina's impassive face. She couldn't recall the last time she'd seen this young but stoic woman smile. Was it really such hard work to lift the corners of her lips? "I respect you, Ms. Sam, but leisure is only warranted when it's necessary. If we give them a laid-back first day, wouldn't that be giving them false hope that the following days will be the same?" Samantha could only shake her head at Christina's argument. This woman had certainly earned her title as the Heartless Witch. Samantha rubbed her temples to ease the incoming headache as she said, "You have a meeting with a client during lunchtime. Try being nice." Christina gave a small bow and turned to leave. 'Nice?' Christina sneered to herself as she settled into her cubicle. 'The kind-hearted Christy died on that balcony five years ago. This world doesn't value nice people like her.' She collected her materials for the meeting and left early. The meeting lasted for two hours, and by the time she left, it was already past 3 o'clock. To spare the new interns on their first day, Samantha had texted Christina, telling her to take the rest of the day off. She thought Christina would refuse, but Christina simply replied with an 'Okay' before hailing a cab for herself. Through the taxi's glass window, she saw the large billboards for international brands, triggering a flood of memories. But she didn't let those painful recollections overwhelm her as they once had. After a half-hour ride, the taxi stopped on the outskirts of the city. Christina paid the fare and began making her way up a small hill. An ethereal silence enveloped her surroundings. It was deathly quiet, save for the occasional sounds of birds flapping their wings and the strong gusts of wind swirling around her. She wandered aimlessly, crossing the plank walkway by a small lake. Hearing a low rumble, she stopped and looked up, noticing the sky darkening. The sky was a foreboding gray; it would rain soon. She had ignored the chill in the wind earlier, but she couldn’t anymore. She gave a brittle smile, finding it somewhat amusing. It seemed that heaven loved drenching her with cold raindrops. After all, she shared a deeper bond with rain than most could imagine. In fact, no one could possibly understand the connection she had with rain. It was also raining the day she chose to end her life. She had called herself a coward, but even she knew that if given a second chance, she would still choose the same ending. She had been that tired of her life and the people who never understood or appreciated her efforts. Oddly enough, heaven had offered her a second chance—but not in the way she had expected. Because it was also raining when… She woke up in another body five years ago. Closing her eyes, she drifted back to the day she was reborn. *Flashback* Hurting... It hurts so much… She seemed to be reliving the pain of when her body collided with a car after she jumped from her balcony. She remembered the way every inch of her body ached, her head bled, glass shards pierced her skin… Most of all, she remembered the excruciatingly slow process of her spirit leaving her body. It was worse than being torn apart. But she had to endure this pain repeatedly. It felt like centuries had passed, but she was stuck in a loop, reliving the agony and pain over and over again. As the sharp pain in her head intensified, she tried to open her eyes but found it incredibly difficult to do so. Suddenly, she felt a couple of droplets hitting her face. She sensed the coolness, and her brows knitted together. 'Am I still in the rain? Has no one buried my body?' Scoffing at her own thoughts, she replied to herself, 'Who would? My mother doesn't care. And him…' Just the thought of him sent a wave of agony through her. 'He's no longer mine to care. I guess I'm not allowed peace, even in death.' Resigned to her fate, she made no further effort to open her eyes. Her body continued to get drenched in the rain. "Christy, have you lost your mind? What are you doing here?" Hearing her name called out, she frowned. The voice was unfamiliar, but the concern was evident. The voice came from somewhere nearby. 'Who could be worried about me?' she wondered, feeling someone sheltering her from the cold rain. Then she felt something warm being draped over her wet body. She wanted to open her eyes. She had to open her eyes. She wanted to see who was so thoughtful toward her. In a world that had scorned and shamed her, who was willing to become her warm embrace? So, she tried again. Despite the shooting pain in her head, she pushed herself harder. Her eyes fluttered open, and as her vision cleared, she saw a beautiful young girl before her. The girl didn’t look American at all with her striking features, but she spoke English fluently. The girl before her had honey-colored skin. Her eyes were chocolate brown, perfectly matching her hair. She was truly a beautiful girl. Even Christina, who had lived the life of a superstar, felt that the girl before her was gorgeous—an elusive beauty that artists could hardly capture. But Christina was unfamiliar with her. Who was she? She wanted to ask but held back when she noticed her surroundings. She was in a cemetery, more precisely, curled up in a fetal position beside a gravestone. An unfamiliar gravestone. The name on it was Carina Novell. The name didn’t ring any bells for Christina, but thinking about it brought a strange pain to her heart, making her gasp and breathe deeply. What was this weird pain? She wondered. "You're running a high fever. Let's get you home first. Why didn’t you call me? You are so irresponsible. Am I not your best friend?" The beautiful girl tried to drag Christina's frail body, but Christina felt too weak to move. 'Best friend? But in my line of work, I could never make a friend. When did I make such a caring best friend?' Christina frowned, struggling to support her own weight. Seeing her condition, the beautiful girl properly supported her and guided her down the small hill. There was a car waiting there. Christina couldn’t make sense of anything. Her head was hurting badly, and she didn’t know how she was even able to stand. She set aside her thoughts and followed the girl toward the black car, deciding to leave the thinking for later. However, before she could enter the car, her eyes fell on her own reflection in the side mirror, and she froze. Looking at the unfamiliar face of a teenage girl, Christina's mind reeled with shock. The girl had puffy red eyes, thick straight hair that reached her shoulders, and it was sticking to her face. Her face was small but had baby fat on it. To confirm, Christina lifted her hand with effort and touched her face, only to realize that it was indeed her reflection. Unable to process such a ridiculous reality, she screamed, "Ahhhhh!" Her scream startled the beautiful girl beside her, but before she could react, Christiana's body went limp as she fainted.