After that, I pushed Tanner's hand away and plopped onto my seat. I opened the lunchbox, and the aroma of the pork chops wafted through the air.

I loved the pork chops too, but I would always sit beside Tanner and watch him eat. After he finished eating, I would rush back to the cafeteria to get my own food, but the food was cold by then.

This went on for a while, and I developed gastritis as a result. It must be hard to believe that the daughter of the Rosenbloom family and heiress of the Rosenbloom Group would humble herself before Tanner.

Taken aback, Tanner frowned at me. "Pearl Rosenbloom, what are you up to?"

I ignored him and shoved a piece of lustrous pork chop into my mouth. "Ugh! This is so delicious!"

Tanner could not stand it anymore. "Pearl, I haven't had lunch!"

"Go get your own lunch, then! You're not disabled, are you? Why are you yelling at me?"

Everyone inhaled sharply after I talked back to Tanner.

"Is Pearl crazy? How could she speak to Tanner Rosenbloom in that manner?"

"Does she know that the Rosenblooms sponsored a few buildings in our school?"

"Tanner asked her to buy him a few lunches. She didn't have to lash out. Besides, I thought she was happy to do it."

To win his heart, I bought him limited-edition shoes and luxury watches, which he accepted shamelessly. Then, he criticized me, "Are you shoving all these gifts to me just to humiliate me?"

I quickly explained myself. However, after he lashed out at me, he'd put on the limited edition sports shoes that attracted the praises and admiration of other classmates. 

Rumors about Tanner swirled, with people claiming he was a wealthy Rosenbloom heir. Even Maisie, the campus belle, grew attracted to him because of his status. 

Tanner never intended to clear things up.

I smirked at the sight of the Constantin watch on his wrist while thinking, "In a few days, you won't be able to show off anymore."

I turned to the classmate who had criticized me. "Why don't you look after Tanner Rosenbloom and his lover starting tomorrow?"

The classmate shook his head furiously when he recounted the way Tanner and Maisie mistreated Pearl, who had taken care of them. "God, no. I will not be taken advantage of!"

Meanwhile, Tanner stared at me in disbelief, as I had never been so stern with him.

"You—Great, Pearl Rosenbloom! I knew I could not rely on a pampered princess like you! Maisie, let's grab lunch!"

At that moment, he had forgotten about the low balance on his meal card, as I had been buying him lunches for the past year.

Tanner and Maisie hurried back to the classroom from the cafeteria right before the after-school program started. With a sour face, he marched up to me. "Pearl, did you do this on purpose?"

Wait a minute. I wondered what set him off again this time.

Closing his eyes, he mumbled with difficulty, "You've gotten what you wanted. You may now top up my meal card."

Hah. He must have gone crazy after not having enough money for lunch at the cafeteria.

He continued, "Maisie needs to have her lunch on time because she has gastritis. Are you happy now? Remember—no matter what you do, I'll never fall in love with you!"

I raised my voice in disbelief. "Are you asking me to top up your meal card so you can buy lunch for yourself and Maisie?"

He glanced around in panic. After confirming that no one was looking our way, he said to me coldly, "Isn't that what you want?"

I drew in a sharp breath. At first, I had wanted to keep my calm for the sake of my revenge plan, but I could no longer tolerate his nonsense. 

Pointing a finger in his face, I snapped, "Don't you guys have parents? Why are you asking me to feed you? Just look at that round face of yours! You must have had too many pork chops in the last year!"

"Are you saying you won't top up my meal card?"

Of course, I wouldn't. My money didn't grow on trees. I would rather feed the strays on the street than buy anything for Tanner.

My anger ballooned with time. I grabbed the lunchbox that was still filled with food from my drawer and smashed it on his head. "Go to your mom if you want to be fed! Stop behaving like a stray!"

Ashen-faced, he growled, "Pearl Rosenbloom, you'll regret this!"

It was public knowledge that I had a crush on Tanner. My classmates brushed off my tantrum, thinking it was just my jealousy speaking. They thought I would be fine in a few days and continued groveling at Tanner's feet.

Tanner obviously thought the same.

When classes were over, I entered the Rolls-Royce at the school entrance and ordered the driver to set off. The driver gasped in surprise, "Aren't we going to wait for Mr. Rosenbloom?"

I glared at him. "Who's Mr. Rosenbloom?"

"Did you get into a fight with Mr. Rosenbloom? Gosh, Ms. Rosenbloom, you're too pampered and egoistic. It's no surprise that Mr. Rosenbloom is popular with girls, given how perfect he is. You can't be mad at him all the time. A guy has his ego. Now, just cheer him up with a few thousand dollars!"

In this life, I finally saw through the evil plan underneath our driver John Reilly's kind facade. It wasn't until my death that I learned the truth about John being Tanner's biological father. To ensure that Tanner made it into the Rosenbloom family, John went as far as to change Tanner's last name.

"John, are you serious? How could you address that parasitic loser as 'Mr. Rosenbloom'? Why would you ask me to pay him a few thousand dollars? He doesn't deserve it. What bullshit! Start the car!"

I deliberately made the scathing remark. It was meant to be a slap to John’s face. In my past life, I fell for John's words and worshiped Tanner while even thinking that I was out of Tanner's league.

"Huh? Ms. Rosenbloom, I don't think that's right. Hey, look, he's here." John cried out to Tanner, "Mr. Rosenbloom! Here!"

In everyone's eyes, John's repeated mentions of "Mr. Rosenbloom" confirmed the rumor about Tanner's wealthy background.

Tanner noticed I was waiting in the car, but he took his time to join me. Standing by the car, he towered over me. "Are you happy now that Maisie's gastritis has been triggered?"

Seething, I barked at him, "Quit that nonsense! She had gastric pain because you chose to flirt with her in the classroom instead of getting lunch on time. It wasn't my fault! Stop putting the blame on me!"

John didn't like that I was yelling at his son. "Ms. Rosenbloom, I need to lecture you here. You're not being reasonable—"

I cut him off. "John, know your place! You're not my dad; you don't have the right to lecture me."

John returned to his seat with an impish look. "I… I just didn't want any misunderstanding to occur between the two of you."

"Start the car!"

John would not set off without getting Tanner into the car. He opened the car door for Tanner. Tanner got in, and the first thing he said to me was, "Pearl, you're a lost cause!"

Then, he helped Maisie into the car. "Maisie, slow down."

He turned to John. "John, same thing tonight. We'll send Maisie home first."

"Okay!"

As I watched their exchange with a cold detachment, I resolved to get John fired. In my past life, I always had John drive Tanner home since Tanner lived further away. This meant I would get home late and never have enough time to rest. In the mornings, I’d leave an hour early to pick up Tanner and Maisie. 

When Dad barely got to see me, he asked John about my daily activities. John lied, saying I was often out having fun and refused to come home, which only deepened my dad's disappointment in me.

Tanner Rosenbloom, a financially needy student, also happened to be my one-sided love.

Feeling sorry for his thin frame, I always left class early to buy his favorite pork chops from the school cafeteria.

Despite that, he gave me the cold shoulder. He only showed affection to the campus belle. "Maisie, it's lunchtime!"

When Tanner was close to being kicked out for failing to pay his school fees, I begged my dad to sponsor Tanner's education. Even so, Tanner viewed me in disgust. "I'll take the money, but stay away from me. Don't be delusional; I'll never fall for you!"

Wearing the limited edition sports shoes and expensive watch I bought him, he started dating Maisie Sanders, the campus belle. As such, rumors had it that he hailed from a wealthy family, but I did not expose him to protect his ego.

Tanner was a generous spender when he treated his classmates to meals. When he realized he only had 200 dollars left on his card, he called me up to yell at me. "Pearl Rosenbloom, I know you look down on me, but you don't have to go this far!"

As I loved Tanner with my entire being, I pleaded with Dad to set up a company for Tanner upon our graduation. With that, Tanner became a glamorous CEO and threw a 200-million-dollar dream wedding for Maisie.

After that, he forced me onto a rooftop, where he barked at me, "Pearl Rosenbloom, you appall me whenever you send me money! You never truly know me. All you do is humiliate me with money. I wouldn't have made it through those years without Maisie's support!"

As I plunged into despair, Tanner pushed me off the rooftop.

When I stirred awake again, I saw Tanner's annoyed face looming in front of me. 

He criticized me, "What took you so long? Give me my lunch now!"

I slammed the tray of food onto his head and snapped, "Are you a beggar? Why would you ask me for food? Go to your mom if you want a good lunch! Don't plead like a dog for food!"

…

I realized I was reborn when I hurried back to the classroom with the lunches. I looked at the tray of food that I carefully carried. Then, I silently chastised myself, "Ugh! You're a loser. No wonder Tanner steps all over you!"

Back in the classroom, Tanner was explaining a homework problem to Maisie in a gentle tone that he had never used with me. He frowned irritably upon seeing me. "Why did it take you so long to get the lunches? Don't you know Maisie has gastritis?"

Maisie quickly jumped in to pacify him. "Tanner, don't speak to Pearl in that way! I know the others are back from getting their lunches, but Pearl takes longer because she's grown up sheltered and pampered. Of course, she'll take longer to buy our lunches." 

Maisie's words deepened Tanner's dislike of me. Always sensitive, he thought I was emotionally blackmailing him with my status as the daughter of the prominent Rosenbloom family.

Too naive in my past life, I mistakenly thought Maisie spoke up for me, and I foolishly took her as my friend. Thinking back, I badly wanted to slap my old self awake!

"Pearl, don't be mad. Tanner's just worried about me!" Maisie smiled at me before shooting Tanner a glare.

Tanner caressed her head with a doting and helpless expression. "You're kind to a fault!"

I nearly barfed when Maisie cheekily put her tongue out at him. I coldly watched them flirt before my eyes.

"Since Maisie said all that, I'll forgive you. Hand us the lunches!" Tanner said to me as though he was being charitable.

I observed his shameless behavior while reflecting on my naivete in my past life. When I didn't budge, I seemed to trigger something within him. Rage crossed his face. 

"Did you not buy the borscht for Maisie again? I told you many times that she needs the soup to cleanse her palate after the pork chops! Pearl Rosenbloom, you're such a wretched woman!"

After he criticized me, his stomach growled in hunger at the wrong time. He glowered at me before pulling out a chair for Maisie. "Maisie, please bear with her this time."

Maisie beamed at him and took her seat. Tanner sat beside her and extended a hand to me. "Hand it over!"

I stared at him incredulously. "Are you a beggar or what?"

After that, I pushed Tanner's hand away and plopped onto my seat. I opened the lunchbox, and the aroma of the pork chops wafted through the air.

I loved the pork chops too, but I would always sit beside Tanner and watch him eat. After he finished eating, I would rush back to the cafeteria to get my own food, but the food was cold by then.

This went on for a while, and I developed gastritis as a result. It must be hard to believe that the daughter of the Rosenbloom family and heiress of the Rosenbloom Group would humble herself before Tanner.

Taken aback, Tanner frowned at me. "Pearl Rosenbloom, what are you up to?"

I ignored him and shoved a piece of lustrous pork chop into my mouth. "Ugh! This is so delicious!"

Tanner could not stand it anymore. "Pearl, I haven't had lunch!"

"Go get your own lunch, then! You're not disabled, are you? Why are you yelling at me?"

Everyone inhaled sharply after I talked back to Tanner.

"Is Pearl crazy? How could she speak to Tanner Rosenbloom in 

Chapter 2