Reborn, She's Back for Revenge novel Chapter 15

Chapter 15

Chapter 15

The spring morning air carried a crisp chill, but Edith was up early. While brushing her teeth and splashing water on her face, she quietly mumbled vocabulary words.

She’d noticed her memory had gotten scarily good lately. One look at a word, and it stuck in her head like glue–no more forgetting halfway through a sentence. By the time she finished brushing, she’d already rattled off over twenty new ones.

After getting ready, she grabbed a worn–out denim jacket from her closet and headed out.

Downstairs, the table was loaded with a huge breakfast. Vincent and Karen were sitting there, chatting about something on

the news.

Spotting Edith. Vincent grinned. “Edith. I had my secretary pick up a phone for you. Take it when you go out–call home if you’re gonna be late, yeah?”

Edith glanced at the brand–new phone on the table, her voice flat. “Thanks, Dad, but I don’t need it. Joseph gave me one last night.

Karen’s fork froze mid–air. She ducked her head, hiding the seething anger burning in her chest.

When did Joseph start playing nice with Edith?‘ she thought. ‘I’ve spent six years turning Melinda’s four boys against Edith. But she’s only been back two days, and Joseph is already flipping sides? Is blood that powerful?‘

“I didn’t expect Joseph to be so thoughtful,” Vincent said with a warm smile. “C’mon, Edith, eat first. And from now on, you’ll go to school with Hallie, okay?”

Hallie had just opened the front door when she heard that. Her knuckles whitened on the doorknob as she bit back a scowl. After a deep breath, she trotted down the stairs, her voice sugary sweet. “Morning, Dad, Mom, and Edith.”

Hallie sauntered over to the dining table and plopped down. Glancing up, her eyes locked onto Edith’s sleek hair and that annoyingly pretty face.

Just days ago, when they first met, Edith’s skin had been dull and rough. But weirdly enough, it was starting to look

led in Hallie’s gut. She wanted to yank Edith’s hair out by the roots and scratch that perfect face to shreds, but

Dad, she piped up, her voice soft as a sigh, “June’s flying back from Bonrea today to give me piano lessons. I won’t be going to school‘

That was just an excuse. The truth was, she couldn’t handle the stares in school. Before, when people looked at her, it was with jealousy. Now that she was bald, all she got were giggles and hushed comments–she couldn’t take it.

Karen’s face lit up, puffing with pride. June mentioned there’s a national piano contest in Bonrea next month, and the top three can get huge boosts for the SATs. Hallie’s been playing for over ten years–she’s rock–solid. Nabbing a spot’ll be a piece

of cake

Hallie had been at the piano since she was three. By ten, she’d already bagged city championships. Now, she’d nailed the Level 10 certification, and her trophy shelf was packed with proof of her musical talent.

‘As if Edith stands a chance against me, Hallie thought, her lips curling into a smug smirk.

Vincent nodded. “June’s a national–level professor. You soak up every bit, got it? Don’t let her down.”

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Chapter 15

“Sure thing. Dad, Hallie said, batting her lashes like the good girl she was.

She then shot Edith a smug look, hoping to see some jealousy–or maybe even fury. But Edith just stared back, cool and unreadable, her face completely blank.

System: [New mission: A proper heiress knows her way around an instrument. Please perform any piano piece flawlessly.]

Edith’s hand froze. She hadn’t laid a finger on the piano in six years. Back when her mom was alive, daily practice felt like pure torture–sitting on that bench was the last thing she’d wanted to do.

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Her mom had only pushed her to play piano, but as a kid, Edith had been too stubborn to listen. She’d sneak out whenever her mom wasn’t looking, ditching practice to run around until dark.

Memories of those days stung, and Edith’s eyes misted over. She spoke softly, “Dad, I remember I used to have a piano. Is it still here?”

“Oh, Edith, your piano broke ages ago,” Hallie said softly. “When those used piano buyers came by, Mom sold it. You’re not mad about that, right?”

Edith let out a bitter laugh. If they could ship her off to the middle of nowhere, a piano was probably nothing more than trash to them.

“Edith, if you really want to learn, I could get you a new piano and find a teacher. But…” Karen paused. “It’s been it’ll be tough to pick it up again. Senior year’s critical–you should focus on catching up in school.”

years,

and

Vincent started. “Edith, if you’re serious, I can—”

“No need,” Edith cut him off, setting down her fork evenly. “Just curious. I’m heading to school now.”

She walked to the front door. The driver was already waiting, holding the car door open politely. She slid in, and the engine purred to life.

The ride to Sunspire High School was smooth. And as soon as she stepped into the classroom, Dan called her to the office.

Your hairs are pretty shaky, and you’re way behind the rest of the class,” Dan said, pushing a sheet of paper across his desk.

all night putting this study plan together just for you.

e, he continued, “We’ll begin with freshman year basics, and I want you to review all core material from 9th to 12v in just one month. Think you can handle that?”

Edith scanned the study plan. It laid out every class period’s tasks and daily must–dos with crystal clarity–breaking that huge, intimidating gap into tiny, manageable chunks, one class at a time. Suddenly, it didn’t feel so impossible anymore.

“I can do it!” she said, her voice bright. “Thanks for trusting me, Mr. Humphrey. I won’t let you down.”

She hesitated, then added, “Oh, and I asked Larry from the Honors Class to tutor me during study hall. Hope that’s okay with you.

Dan’s face brightened. Larry was a straight–A student aiming for Bonrea University–a top student like that could easily help an average student level up. Dan figured getting Edith into college would be a piece of cake now.

Edith hauled a mountain of test papers back to class–freshman–level basics that the top students in Class One had taken years ago. Dan had told her to knock out at least three a day.

System: [New mission: Complete the math test independently–score above the passing line; Complete the literature test

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Chapter 15

independently–score above the passing line; Complete…]

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