Chapter 2 Rejection

The person who ran up to her had a cheerful disposition and an innocent face. Seeing him, Hannah fell into a momentary trance.

She murmured, "Nigel …"

Nigel Moore was so anxious that his eyes had already reddened.

"I heard everything. Are you really going to marry that cripple from the Winchester family? Hannah, I know you don't want this. Will you … marry me instead? I like you. I really like you!"

These words overlapped with his confession in her previous life.

Back then, Hannah had been the hero, saving the handsome Nigel.

For some reason, Nigel had found himself alone in the back alleys of West Lane. He looked like a young wealthy scion, so the thugs quickly surrounded him in an attempt to rob him.

Hannah had come to his rescue. That was how the two people, who would otherwise have never crossed paths, became friends.

In her previous life, the 20-year-old Hannah was a mix of insecurities and determination. She was also filled with hatred and resentment toward the Emersons.

She refused to become the substitute in the arranged marriage.

On this day, Nigel had confessed his feelings for her.

Due to Matthew's favoritism, Hannah was ashamed. Driven by hatred and resentment, she wanted to rise above her circumstances, thus proving herself to the Emmersons.

So, she accepted his confession. She disregarded her grandmother's wishes and married Nigel.

But how could the Moore family respect Hannah? After all, she came from the slums.

They treated her with indifference and disdain.

Her mother-in-law criticized everything she did, her father-in-law ignored her, and her sister-in-law ridiculed her.

Still, Hannah was determined. She swallowed her pride despite it all.

She studied about everything in high society, hoping to earn their respect.

But what came of it?

Nigel, who claimed to love her, had cheated on her. And she … lost her life for no reason.

Only in death did Hannah realize that the world she lived in was a romance novel.

The female lead was her half-sister, Misty.

Meanwhile, Hannah was nothing more than a side character. One that was barely mentioned.

She was the malicious cannon fodder who reaped what she sowed.

She struggled and resisted, trying to defy fate. Yet, all her hard work resulted in nothing. It only served as a catalyst for the romance between the main characters.

Hannah was exhausted.

In this life, she only wanted to protect the people she loved and live well. She was done with feeling bitter and hateful.

"Nigel." Hannah pulled away from his hug.

She looked at him calmly. "Since you heard everything, you should know that I've agreed to my father's offer. I'm sorry, but I don't like you that way."

In her previous life, she had used him, and he had disappointed her. She had paid with her life, so she longer owed him anything.

"Hannah …" Nigel looked at her in disbelief.

"But … Don't you know that he's a cripple? He's acting like a madman now! You can't marry him!"

"That's my problem," Hannah replied impassively. "I have other things to do. I don't have time to entertain you. Please leave."

The young and prideful Nigel couldn't take the cold rejection. So, he ran out.

"Hannah, what happened to your friend? It looked like he was crying."

As the door opened, Hannah heard an elderly voice.

"Grandma!" Hannah's eyes reddened. She ran up to her and hugged her tightly.

She finally met Molly again!

In her previous life, she wanted to fit into the Moore family. So, she had been busy studying and neglected Molly.

Molly was afraid of embarrassing her. She never visited Hannah, either.

Since she lived alone, nobody knew she had a heart attack. It was only after a few days had passed that people found her corpse.

It had been more than ten years since Hannah last saw Molly.

"Hey, I'm all dirty—" Molly looked up and noticed Hannah crying.

She grew anxious immediately. "What happened? Who bullied my darling? Was it that brat earlier? I'll go after him!"

"No, it's not that. I just missed you."

The familiar display of affection made Hannah smile. "I'm tough. Nobody can bully me."

"Look at you, still acting cute at your age."

"Grandma, didn't I tell you not to go out picking up trash anymore?" Hannah frowned. "You've only just recovered!"

Molly had a heart attack when Hannah was a college freshman. She was then hospitalized.

Hannah had gone to the Emersons to ask for money, but she didn't even get to see Matthew. The Emersons had a maid give Hannah two thousand dollars before chasing her out of the house as though she was a beggar.

Hannah went around begging for help. Finally, she managed to borrow enough money to save Molly's life.

The doctor forbade Molly from overexerting herself since then. So, Hannah dropped out of college and worked multiple jobs to repay the debts.

In her previous life, the Moore family had often looked down on her for not completing her studies.

"I'm taking good care of myself. I'm saving up 'cause my darling still needs to go to college."

"Grandma …" Hannah's heart swelled with a mixture of sorrow and affection.

She lowered her voice and said, "We have money now. Matthew promised to give us a house and some money. We won't be short of money anymore."

"Nonsense! Did you agree to something?" Molly was particularly sharp despite her age.

She grew angry. "You're too foolish! He's nothing but a cruel, greedy, and ungrateful man! Did you think anything good would come from taking his money?"

Hannah knew she couldn't keep the marriage from Molly, so she told her the truth.

She added, "Grandma, I don't think it's too bad. My fiancé's crippled. So, I'll make sure to take good care of him and his family. It's better than marrying someone worthless."

"You foolish child!" Tears of frustration began to well up in Molly's eyes.

"You're still so young … I've always hoped that you'd find someone you love…"

"But my mom found someone she loved. She wanted to face life's hardships alongside him. She stood by his side through years of struggle, and what did it lead to?"

Hannah looked away. She didn't want Molly to catch the hint of scorn on her face.

"The Winchesters are wealthy. I'll be living a comfortable life if I marry into their family. At the very least, I won't need to worry about encountering an ungrateful idiot. Grandma, I really think everything will turn out to be alright."

Molly was left speechless. Her eyes reddened even more.

After a while, she spoke with a heavy tone, "You're an adult now. I can't tell you what to do anymore."

"Grandma, I'll be fine." Hannah teared up as well before she pulled Molly into a tight hug.

"You need to take care of yourself too, Grandma. Always stay by my side, okay?"

"Okay …"

The Emersons were probably afraid Hannah would change her mind. Thus, the next morning, they sent someone to deliver the money and the keys to the new house.

Soon, Hannah and Molly moved into the new house. She also hired a nurse for Molly.

After that, Hannah told Molly to visit her friends during her free time. When everything was done, she finally felt at ease.

On the third day, a Maybach came to pick her up.