Chapter 4

Mayra quickly readjusted to her high school life on the third day after Anderson left her life. She was a student at Stuyvesant High, five bus stops away from her apartment. That morning, she bought some breakfast and took the earliest bus to school. Staring at the familiar, yet surreal, streets, she felt as though she was reliving her past or dreaming. The digital screens on the buildings around her were all broadcasting the news of the marriage between the Barlows and the Fishers. Isabel stood in front of the reporter, giving a polished interview. Holding Anderson's arm, she beamed while answering the interview questions. She said, "Yes. We're getting engaged soon. It'll happen next week." The reporter remarked, "Congratulations, Mrs. Barlow. I wish you a happy marriage in advance." She beamed. "Thank you!" The camera switched angles and zoomed into the ring on her finger as she smiled proudly. But Anderson, who stood beside her in a suit, looked as distant as ever. His deep eyes glinted with indifference. He was such a good-looking man. In fact, Mayra had never met a better-looking man than him. Isabel, though average-looking, made a good match with him because of their aristocratic airs. To the public at least, they were a match made in heaven. "Anderson Barlow, I will not be a burden to you in this life, and I will not disrupt your life in the future," promised Mayra. The reporter pressed on, "Well, should we start calling you Mrs. Barlow then?" Isabel looked rather abashed and did not offer a reply. Finally, Anderson spoke up and shifted the topic back to the Barlow Group's future plans. This was the life Anderson deserved. As a scion, he was blessed with a future wife who was also a childhood friend. Mayra knew that, in comparison, she was nothing but a random outsider who had forced her way into his life. "Anderson, in this life, I wish you and Isabel a long and happy marriage." … Mayra arrived at Stuyvesant High and went to her homeroom on the second floor. She had some time to herself before the first class. Mayra's academic performance was fairly decent. She hadn't forgotten her lessons from her past life, so she managed to follow the math lesson that morning. "Mayra, I heard you took leave from school. What were you up to?" her classmate Emily White inquired. Mayra cast a glance at the injury on her wrist. She had gotten the stitches removed the day before yesterday. The wound was almost healed by now. Not wanting to explain, she cooked up an excuse. "Nothing. I ran a fever." "Oh, is it? Are you feeling better?" "Yeah." Emily suddenly questioned, "By the way, I heard that Gordon asked you to be his girlfriend. Is it true? Did you say yes?" Mayra paused in the middle of taking some notes. She would never forget the name Gordon Thorp. Gordon, Anderson's archenemy and the future tycoon of a tech company, came from nothing and made his fortune through his business. Later on, he would become a wealthy man who would be on equal footing with Anderson. In Mayra's past life, she had manipulated Gordon's affection for her and instructed him to orchestrate Isabel's car accident. Upon learning the truth, Anderson flipped and punished Gordon by putting him behind bars on the charges of endangerment of life. Gordon's company, Skyfarer Tech, went bankrupt overnight because of that. Mayra felt the most sorry for Gordon in her past life. The mere mention of his name sent a piercing pain through her heart. Enduring the discomfort, she merely muttered, "Andy doesn't want me to date anyone just yet. Besides, I'm still young. I want to focus on my studies for now." Gordon was a bright kid. His father was a doctor while his mother suffered from uremia. Despite his ordinary background, he put in extra effort to become the top student. He had even been offered a full-ride scholarship to the University of Belchester, unlike his schoolmates who still had to sit for the SATs. Emily opined, "Well, I think Gordon is a pretty nice chap. Besides, almost everyone in school is dating. It's fine as long as it doesn't affect your grades. "Who knows? Maybe Gordon can offer you free tuition. You can try applying to the University of Belchester then!" Mayra lowered her gaze, appearing to be deep in thought. The day before she cut her wrist to threaten Anderson, she had gotten into a huge fight with Gordon. She had even hurled some insults his way. She made demeaning remarks about him, calling him a poor dude whom she couldn't see a future with. She even said that he'd only be a burden to her. At the thought of her words, she nearly slapped herself in remorse. Gordon, just like Anderson, had been nice to her in her past life. Emily continued, "You keep bringing up this Andy guy. Tell me more about him. What is he working as?" Mayra replied, "I have no idea. Andy is busy. It's been a while since I talked to him." Their conversation was interrupted by Gordon's friends. Their voices echoed in the corridor. "Gordon, what's gotten into you today? You suck in court today!" Mayra's heart skipped a beat. She turned around and saw Gordon's tall and dark figure marching down the corridor. Looking excited, Emily tugged on Mayra's arm. "Look! It's him! Don't you think he's pretty hot?" At that exact moment, Gordon fixed his amber eyes on the girls as though he had overheard their conversation. Mayra met his cold and impassive gaze, which was a stark contrast to his once affectionate gaze. Pain shot through her chest when she recalled how Gordon, in her past life, had shouldered all the charges on her behalf and served a life sentence. She owed him an apology. Gordon stared at her like she was a stranger. Soon after, he looked away and left the corridor. Mayra heard his friend asking from a distance, "Did you and Mayra have a fallout? Aren't you going after her anymore?" She couldn't make out Gordon's answer. Everyone in school knew about Gordon's feelings for her. Even her teachers had private talks with her over the matter out of concern for her grades. She first met Gordon when she was a freshman. One Friday night, she stayed back at school and went home late. On her way home, she ran into Gordon, beaten up and covered in blood, in the alleyway she often walked past. Seeing that, she called 911 for him. On their second encounter, Gordon saved her from being harassed by hooligans. Mayra fainted from period cramps during her third encounter with Gordon, who happened to be in a P.E. lesson at the same time. He ignored the curious eyes surrounding him and carried her to the nurse's office. After a few exchanges, they became acquainted with each other. As Mayra was weaker in math and science, Gordon would patiently guide her through the exam questions whenever she failed a paper. They were so close that people mistook them for a couple. Pulling herself back to the present, Mayra grabbed her backpack and left school after her last class ended. The freshman-year classes weren't too hard, and as a day student, she did not need to stay back for extra classes, unlike those who boarded. As she waited at the bus stop for her bus, a black sedan suddenly rolled up and stopped in front of her.