Part 3A Love Rewritten

I had no idea what Beth was thinking, but I was serious. The only way to prevent the disaster of my past life was for her to stay with me tonight.

Besides, I had lived ten years longer than this version of Beth. To me, she was just a misguided girl. Maybe something had happened to her in university that made her so desperate to land a rich boyfriend. But she wanted to maintain her good-girl image, so she’d devised this whole scheme. She wanted everyone to believe that I, jealous of Liam’s affection for her, had deliberately put her in the bad boy’s room.

Her plan had been a spectacular success in my last life. The day after the party, my name became synonymous with “vicious.” Everyone blamed me, cursed me. Eventually, I started to believe it myself. I thought it was my fault, that I’d had too much to drink and taken her to the wrong room. I was the reason she’d disappeared for ten years. I was the reason Liam had lost the love of his life.

So I tried to atone. I couldn't find Beth, so I poured all my repentance onto Liam. I learned to love him, tried to warm his cold heart, begged him to stop hating me. The Liams had taken me in as a child; I owed them everything.

But in the end, I was the one who had been played. Liam had been willing to throw away his entire life, to trap me in a marriage, just to keep me from interfering with Beth’s happiness.

The day of the car crash, I had been on my way to tell him I’d found her. I had just learned from Jaxon where Beth had been for the past ten years. I wanted him to see her for who she really was, to stop feeling guilty for getting drunk that night and failing to protect her. But before I could say a word, we were both killed.

I was so grateful for this second chance. At the dinner table, I’d been thinking about what I could do to repay this gift. I’d considered getting revenge on Beth, giving her a taste of the public shame she’d put me through. But looking at her now, so young and vibrant, I couldn’t bring myself to do it.

So when she’d asked me to help her to a room, I’d asked, in front of everyone, if she wanted to sleep with me. If she chose me, if she chose not to repeat her mistake, then I would let the past go. After all, this was a different timeline. I couldn’t punish this Beth for what a different version of her had done.

But if she insisted on being foolish, I would respect her choice. Everyone has to take responsibility for their own actions.

So, when she had me pinned between two doors, I asked her again. “It’s your decision. You can sleep here, or you can come to another room with me.”

The alcohol was hitting her hard now. Her eyes were glazed over, but she shook her head, trying to stay clear. “Let me think… Oh, I can’t remember.” She tapped her head a few times.

I decided to be direct. “Who do you choose? On the left is…” I was about to tell her Jaxon was on the left, Liam was on the right, and I was right beside her.

But she cut me off. “I forgot who I drugged…”

Her words hit me like a thunderclap. In that instant, my image of her shattered. She was like a beautiful flower, rotten from the roots up. She would stoop to such a low, despicable tactic to get what she wanted.

I started to wonder if I’d been drugged too. I took a step back, putting some distance between us. I asked her again, but the answer was the same.

“Either one is fine,” she said. “Doesn’t matter which.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes. I had to let go of my savior complex and respect her choices. I watched, my face a cold mask, as she stumbled into Liam’s room.

Then I turned and opened the door to the room next door.

Beth might not remember who she’d drugged, but I had the memories of my past life. The moment she said it, I knew.

Tonight, I would be the one to save the poor, unsuspecting bad boy.