Chapter 1
The first thing Jordan Hayes did after her rebirth was to change her college application preferences.
The second was to take her six months’ worth of saved allowance to the local admissions office.
“Excuse me, could you help me with something?” she slid the money along with a fake acceptance letter across the counter. “If someone comes to collect my college acceptance letter next week, please give them this fake one instead.”‘
Twenty dollars was no small sum in 1983, and the clerk hesitated briefly before accepting the envelope.
A week later, Jordan received her real acceptance letter with her modified college preferences from the courier service. Instead of leaving immediately, she waited in the shade across from the administrative center.
Sure enough, within half an hour, that familiar olive-drab Dodge M880-the standard issue military tactical vehicle of the early 1980s-pulled up to the administrative center. The door swung open, and Lieutenant Colonel Maxwell Stone stepped out in his crisp Army Green Class A uniform, followed by Jordan’s younger sister, Vanessa Hayes.
Jordan’s fingers dug into the crumbling wall plaster.
In her previous life, she’d never known that on the day her acceptance letter was switched, Maxwell had personally accompanied Vanessa.
“I’m here to collect Jordan Hayes’ acceptance letter,” Maxwell’s voice was characteristically deep and authoritative.
The clerk glanced at them before handing over the fake letter. Vanessa took it, her eyes sparkling like stars.
“Max, are you really giving me my sister’s acceptance letter?” Vanessa bit her lip. “Isn’t that unfair to Jordan? She wants to go to college so badly… she studies until midnight every night…”
Maxwell ruffled Vanessa’s hair, his expression softening with unmistakable tenderness. “Jordan would rather be with me than go to college. As compensation, we’ll just get married earlier.”
“Max…” Vanessa looked up at him. “Why are you so good to me?”
Maxwell gazed at Vanessa, his eyes filled with unspoken emotion.
Lom her hiding spot, Jordan silently answered for him: Because he loves you, of course.
In her previous life, Maxwell had been the youngest Lieutenant Colonel in the military district-handsome, distinguished, with countless women secretly admiring him. Yet none dared to confess their feelings because he was already engaged to Jordan.
But only Jordan knew that despite their childhood betrothal, Maxwell had always remained cold and distant toward her. She thought it was just his personality, until the day she received her disappointing SAT scores and college entrance exam results.
Touched beyond words, she believed he had finally developed feelings for her.
After marriage, she devoted herself to being a good wife while still attempting to study for her college entrance exams. But whenever she burned the midnight oil with her textbooks spread across the desk, Maxwell would invariably appear, wordlessly carrying her to bed, making love to her with wild abandon.
She bore him seven children, becoming pregnant again almost immediately after each postpartum recovery.
During her final difficult labor, she died on the operating table.
After death, her spirit hovered above, watching Maxwell stand at her gravestone saying: “Jordan, I gave you the marriage and children you wanted. Consider us even for that acceptance letter.”
Only then did she understand-Maxwell had always loved Vanessa.
He had originally planned to break their engagement to marry Vanessa, but when Vanessa wanted to attend college, he took Jordan’s acceptance letter and gave it to her sister!
As compensation, he married Jordan instead.
This explained his persistent coldness, and why he would frantically make love to her whenever she tried to study-he needed to ensure she could never compete with Vanessa.
In her previous life, Vanessa attended college and became a renowned professor, shining brilliantly. Meanwhile, Jordan had been reduced to a perpetually pregnant housewife who ultimately sacrificed her life.
In this new life, she refused to repeat those mistakes.
Jordan wiped away tears she hadn’t realized were falling and turned to leave.
This time, she would reclaim her rightful acceptance letter and fulfill the dreams she couldn’t achieve before.
As for Maxwell… she wanted nothing more to do with him.
Jordan returned home alone and began packing her belongings.
y through, her parents burst through the door.
“What’s the point of all this studying?” Her father snatched the mathematics textbook from her hands. “Staying up until three or four in the morning, and you still couldn’t get in!”
Her mother’s face twisted with disdain. “Look at Vanessa-she barely studied an hour a day and still got accepted. You’re just stupid!”
Vanessa appeared in the doorway, her expression contrite. “Mom, Dad, don’t talk to Jordan like that. She worked really hard…”
Her mother snorted dismissively before turning to Vanessa with a bright smile. “Forget about her. Vanessa, darling, you’ve been accepted to college! We need to throw a party at the housing complex so everyone knows!”
Her father nodded enthusiastically. “Yes, we should celebrate properly!”
That evening, a canopy was set up in the courtyard. Neighbors gathered around tables, all conversations revolving
around Vanessa:
“Vanessa is so clever, getting in so easily!”
“Much smarter than her sister, that’s for sure!”
Just then, the courtyard gate opened and Maxwell walked in.
Tall and imposing in his uniform, he carried an elegantly wrapped gift and walked straight to Vanessa.
C
“Congratulations,” he said in his deep voice, handing her the present.
Vanessa accepted it with delight, her cheeks flushing. “Thank you, Max!”
Maxwell nodded curtly before sitting down beside Jordan.
‘Don’t be too upset about not getting in,” he said, his tone emotionless, as if offering obligatory comfort. “Since this is how things turned out, we should move up our wedding. Let’s say one month from now.”
In her previous life, Jordan had been moved to tears by these words.
But now, she found them pathetically ironic.
She remained silent, and Maxwell didn’t seem to mind, acting as if he’d merely informed her of a decision already
nade.
‘Max! Jordan! Come take a photo!” Vanessa called from across the yard, her smile radiant.
Maxwell stood and gestured for Jordan to follow. She reluctantly joined them, standing at the edge of the group.
As the photographer prepared to take the picture-
The canopy support suddenly broke, crashing down!
“Look out!” someone shouted.
The crowd panicked, but everyone’s first instinct was to protect Vanessa, rushing to shield her.
Jordan was struck hard on the shoulder by the falling structure. Pain shot through her body as she stumbled and fell.
Chapter 1
“Vanessa! Are you alright?” her mother’s panicked voice called out.
Maxwell rushed to Vanessa’s side, his brow furrowed with concern. “Where are you hurt?”
Vanessa’s eyes rimmed with tears as she shook her head. “I… I’m fine. Just scraped my hand a little…”
“Quick! Let’s get her to the hospital!” Her father scooped Vanessa up in his arms, with Maxwell following closely behind.
They hurried away without a single glance back at Jordan, still sitting on the ground.
Only then did the neighbors scramble to lift the collapsed structure off her.
“Good Lord! Jordan, your shoulder’s bleeding!” Mrs. Wilson exclaimed. “Why didn’t you call out to them? This injury is serious…”
Jordan looked at the ugly wound on her shoulder and shook her head slightly.
What would be the point? Not a single one of them would care.
So from this day forward, she would no longer beg for their love.
