Zach gave me the eye to bring out the gift I'd prepped.
Right, the "gift."
I handed over the fancy gift box, mentally preparing for the drama to unfold.
My would-be mother-in-law took the gift but didn't open it right away, which irked me.
"Auntie, go on, open it up," I urged.
"Oh, dear, it's bad form to open presents right away."
Her smile was so wide it nearly split her face.
Then it hit me—I'd mistakenly called her mother-in-law. Well, it wasn't official yet.
"My bad, Mrs. Joshua. Back home, it's common to call elders 'auntie,' just slipped out."
Her smile quickly vanished.
Despite her reluctance, she finally opened the gift in front of me.
"Wow, this is that hot new luxury face cream, right? Thanks, Olivia!"
Wait, what?
I was sure I'd packed a dead rat!
How did it turn into the same high-end face cream as last time?
I caught Zach's eye, and we locked gazes—I knew immediately.
He'd switched it out.
He'd go to great lengths to lock this down.
"Olivia, what's your mom's job?"
"She farms."
Her face fell.
Zach leaned in and murmured, "Local government worker."
The auntie's smile snapped back, "And your dad?"
"He's between jobs."
"Oh?" Her eyes bulged a bit.
Zach whispered again, "Actually, he made a killing in the stock market last year."
Her grin came back even wider.
Man, her acting could win awards.
"By the way, that face cream set me back $1,580. Make sure you reimburse me," Zach said the second we left the restaurant.
His nerve! Right after we got out, he was already hitting me up for cash.
I glared at him, "Dream on. You're not getting another penny."
Typical Zach—every time I got money, he'd swoop in to "manage" it for me.
"You just won that $8,000 scholarship, right?" he prodded.
I stared him down, realization dawning.
His affection was always just skin-deep—it was always about the cash.
"Get lost," I snapped.
I was done with his games.
In my last life, today was supposed to be a high school reunion with Heather and the crew.
I couldn't wait to show up and drop some punches in the faces of the bullies.
I'd been honing my newfound taekwondo skills after the rebirth.
Today was the day!
I spun on my heel to leave.
But Zach blocked my path.
"Since when do you bite back?" he teased, reaching to pinch my cheek.
I knocked his hand away, revulsion clear on my face.
I squinted at him, my voice firm, "From today on, you won't see a dime from me."