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Novel Catalog
“Hello, Carl. Do you still remember what you said to me before?” Wanda’s voice was soft but firm. “You said it was foolish for someone to change their whole life for another person.”
Carlisle froze, his mind going blank.
“Do you think such a foolish person will ever cross your path? I’ll show you.”
The hidden meaning behind Wanda’s words hit him like a thunderclap. She was telling him that she had, indeed, changed the course of her life—for him. That someone was him.
No wonder Wanda had stayed at Riverland University, despite being more than capable of entering an Ivy League school. She had stayed for him.
Carlisle’s heart raced. In his past life, he had barely interacted with Wanda, and yet she had chosen to remain at Riverland just to stay near him. How had he not seen this before?
Had she made the decision to attend Riverland just to be part of his world, to be closer to him at future events?
How could he have been so blind, so wrapped up in Sarah and his own foolishness?
The weight of his past mistakes crushed him. Wanda had written a love letter to him in this life, gathering the courage to confess her feelings. And now, it was clear: he had hurt her deeply. He had never truly noticed her, never truly valued her.
Carlisle’s breathing became shallow as he grasped yet another painful truth from his rebirth.
Wanda had likely ended up marrying someone she had no feelings for, someone who wasn’t him, and she had probably lived a life filled with regret. The pain he had caused her would forever haunt him, and it was a regret he couldn’t undo.
He thought of his own short life, the one where his parents had to watch him die, and the pain that followed.
With a deep breath, he murmured to himself, “Wanda, I’ll see you at Riverland University.”
Her last words, the challenge, had meant that they wouldn’t meet for some time. With her shy nature, she would likely try to avoid him. But, he told himself, they would meet again, at Riverland University.
Just as he was deep in thought, an angry shout pierced the air from downstairs. “Hayley Woods, if you slander my son one more time, I’ll destroy your house!”
Carlisle rushed downstairs in alarm. What was happening? Why was his mom arguing with their neighbor?
As he reached the staircase, he saw Hilda and Hayley standing face to face, glaring at each other. Groceries were scattered across the floor, a sign of the heated exchange.
Hayley sneered and said, “Did I say something wrong? If your son hadn’t dragged mine to the cybercafé so often, his results wouldn’t be this bad.”
Her voice dripped with disdain as she continued, “Carlisle will never get into Riverland University with those awful grades. Your whole family should stop dreaming.”
Hilda’s face twisted with fury. Without warning, she lunged at Hayley, grabbing her hair in a fit of rage.
But Hayley wasn’t about to back down. She grabbed Hilda’s arm and bit her.
“Mom! Mrs. Woods, stop fighting!” Carlisle rushed in, desperately trying to separate the two women.
Although Hayley’s words were harsh, Carlisle knew that it wasn’t entirely her fault. Hayley’s son had probably failed another exam, and now she was venting her frustration on his family.
He managed to pull them apart, though Hilda was still furious. “Don’t hold me back, Carl! I’m going to tear her mouth apart!” she shouted, struggling against him.
Hayley, brushing her disheveled hair back into place, smirked. “Go on then. Hit me if you dare. You can’t do anything about it.”
“Mom, calm down!” Carlisle said, his voice steady but urgent.
He turned to Hayley, trying to defuse the tension. “That’s enough, Ms. Woods. We’re neighbors. There’s no need for this.”
With a final glare, Hayley began picking up the groceries from the floor. “I’ll let it slide this time since your son is here,” she said dismissively before turning and leaving.
Hilda, still simmering, didn’t dare to retaliate in front of Carlisle. He wasn’t about to let her make things worse for him.
Carlisle knelt to gather the scattered groceries and placed them back into Hilda’s basket.
“Did your class end early today?” Hilda asked, wiping away a tear as she bent down to help him.
“Yes,” Carlisle answered, “We’ve got a five-day holiday before the SATs.”
At that moment, Hilda’s expression softened. Her lips quivered, and tears began to pool in her eyes. “Carlisle, do you think you’ll be able to further your studies?”
Carlisle’s heart tightened. How could he not understand how stressed his parents were? They had endured mockery from Gerard and his family, as well as the judgment of their neighbors—all because of his poor grades.
“Can’t you have more faith in me?” he said gently, his voice soft. “Haven’t you seen me studying non-stop for the past month?”
He realized, in that moment, that his parents were carrying more than their own burdens—they were shouldering his failures as well.
In his past life, he had been a salesman. He had met a boss who had only completed elementary school but had still achieved success. He had also met a brilliant master’s student who was treated as a regular employee. Carlisle understood that only through education could he change his future. And his family, too, had to believe in that.
“I believe in you,” Hilda said through tears, smiling warmly at him. Together, they finished gathering the groceries and returned to the house.
Later that evening, Gordon returned home around 9:00 p.m., exhausted but with a trace of sadness in his eyes. The family sat down together for a warm, fulfilling dinner.
For the next five days, Carlisle spent three days revising diligently, but on the last two days, Sean dragged him to an internet café for some downtime before the exams. Hilda and Gordon didn’t mind; they understood that Carlisle needed a break after his hard work.
On June 7th, a light drizzle fell as Carlisle woke up at 6:00 a.m.
Hilda, hearing movement from the living room, nudged Gordon.
“Gordon…”
“What is it?”
“Why is Carl up so early?”
“His exams are today. He’s probably getting ready for them.”
