The next day:
And just like yesterday, this morning also crept in gently. Vivienne got up and pulled the curtains to the sides of the window and the warm morning sun's glow spilled into her room, painting golden streaks on the floor.
She hugged herself as she stood by the window, her gaze drifting outside.
Her room was the corner one on the first floor of Winter Mansion, with the best view of the back garden. It had always been her favorite. The cool morning breeze, the dew-kissed leaves, and the greenery soaked in the warmth of the morning sun lifted her mood in moments!
Walking slowly, she stepped onto the balcony. Leaning on the railings, she stood there for a long time. Then, she returned to her room — it was time for a long shower and to get ready.
Standing under the shower, Vivienne started calculating. Her first target was Abigail. She murmured.
Start small. Start smart.
-
"Hey Viv, you're early!"
As she stepped inside the classroom, a voice echoed into her ears. Vivienne turned in that direction and found Esme, one of her classmates, flashing a bright smile at her.
Esme was an overseas student. Rontrix University awarded yearly scholarships to some brilliant students, both locals and overseas, based on their rank in the admission test.
Esme was one of them. Though her scholarship was enough to cover the tuition fee and the basic expenses, she worked in a cafe part-time to make ends meet.
Coming from a different country and a modest background, she never truly fit into Rontrix's elite social circles.
Though the University upheld standards by entrance exams, the hefty tuition made sure that only students from well-off families set foot on the campus. Besides, scholarships weren't abundant, so the divide between the self-funded and scholarship students was always prominent — unspoken but sharp.
Vivienne returned her a smile and took her seat. "Yeah, actually I needed some fabrics to work on. Thought I'd get a head start."
It was still early, and beside the two, the classroom was empty.
"Oh, I forgot — congratulations on your engagement," Esme said, her voice light.
'Congratulations!' Vivienne sneered inwardly. 'Only if she knew...'
But keeping her thoughts to herself, she smiled at her. "Thanks."
She was always polite to all her classmates. Unlike most, she never cared about status or background.
Perhaps, her past taught her this lesson. To be kind to everyone. Equally.
Suddenly, a thought struck her.
To catch up on her engagement preparations, she'd been off campus mostly, rarely visiting only for important sessions for months.
Esme, however, spent nearly all her time in the department—always observing, always around. Vivienne also remembered how Abigail and her group had bullied Esme a few times.
Her eyes narrowed slightly as she tapped her fingers against the desk. 'Maybe… I can get something useful from her.'
She looked at Esme again, with a thoughtful smile on her lips — but before she could say a word, she noticed the slight flicker of discomfort in Esme's eyes.
Interesting!
She felt she already had something to say.
"Is there something you wanna tell me?" Vivienne broke the silence.
Esme hesitated. "I heard you're entering the competition?"
"I am." She nodded.
"Umm... Stay aware of Abigail; she... I think she's not competing fairly. These days, I've seen her hanging around the junior classrooms multiple times. Maybe, I'm not sure though, she's planning something — probably trying to use some of her tricks. You know well, too; she has plenty."
'Bingo!'
'So, she's already up to something!'
Vivienne smiled at her, "Thanks for the heads up, I'll look into it."
Esme smiled back. "Fine. I think competition should always be fair. If you wanna win, you've to play fair and square."
Vivienne stared into her eyes. Suddenly, a wave of memories from her past life flooded in her head.
In her past life, they'd never been close. To her, Esme was just another classmate. After her engagement, she dropped out, and they were never in touch with each other. They'd only seen each other once more — six months before her death, at the college reunion.
Esme had come with her husband. As always, Damien didn't accompany her.
Vivienne didn't have any friends in that sense, and her naivety and foolishness had already made her kind of a laughingstock in her social circle. That day, when she was standing in a corner, alone and lost, Esme was the only one to come to her and keep her company.
There was no pity, no judgment, no mockery — only a friendly chatter, full of warmth.
She'd shared that she returned home after graduation, worked as a designer, and eventually opened her boutique. It was doing well. She met the right person there, had married the love of her life, and was already three months pregnant. Her glow had been unmistakable.
"Start over, Vivienne." Esme had told her that night. "One wrong decision doesn't define your life. You still have time."
And she hadn't said it out of sympathy. Her words had been full of hope.
Vivienne had been genuinely happy for her. Esme had struggled, but she'd carved out a life she deserved.
Now, as those memories surfaced, a soft warmth rose in Vivienne's chest. At first, she thought of using her as a medium for getting information, but suddenly she felt — it wouldn't be bad to make friends with her.
'Maybe my past life wasn't entirely miserable. Maybe there were good people—I just didn't see them in time.'
"Thank you," she said softly. Her voice caught in her throat. She wasn't alone, not this time — not in this life.
'Maybe, this time, I won't overlook the people who truly matter.'
Esme looked at her in surprise; she'd just given her a small piece of information, which was almost negligible, but why did the girl react like that?
But she didn't press the issue any further and moved on. They started chatting about small things while doing their work.
And for the first time, Vivienne found out that — the quiet, reserved girl was fun to spend time with!
Neither of them noticed that almost two hours had passed while they were chatting and joking among themselves. It had been ages since Vivienne felt this free... she'd let her guard down deliberately after a long time. In this life, she chose to have friends — few but real, with whom she could be herself.
At that moment, suddenly her phone rang. She picked it up from the desk; the caller ID startled her.
'Maria!' She frowned, 'Why's she calling me now?'
As she picked up the phone and held it to her ear, Maria's familiar voice echoed from the other side. "Viv, I've organized a small gathering this evening. I'll send you a dress. Damien will pick you up around six."