Fates Exchanged

My eyes couldn’t help but widen at the figure on the bill.

“You’re eating seven hundred bucks' worth of barbecue all by yourself?

“Can you even finish all that?”

The voice notes were barely sent when Hansen’s call came through.

“What is it to you whether I can finish them?

“Hurry up and pay! Can’t you see the clock counting down on the screen? Quick! Otherwise, I’ll have to start the order all over again!”

I had him on the speaker, so when I looked up, I was met with Quinn’s smug face.

She was reapplying her makeup. “I’m heading out later. Don’t lock the door.”

I nodded, then said into the phone, “What did you just say?

“We’re breaking up if I don’t pay?”

There was a slight hesitation before Hansen raised his voice to reply, “Yes!

“Damn it! If you’re not paying for me, then we break up! Right now!”

Despite his yelling, I replied calmly, “Then, let’s break up. Remember to pay me back the thirty thousand dollars you owe me.

“You have one day. Otherwise, I’ll see you in court.”

I hung up right after and muted his messages.

Having witnessed what had just transpired, Quinn was dumbfounded. After a long silence, she finally spoke.

“Did I hear it right? You actually broke up with Hansen?

“Are you out of your mind?

“With your qualifications, shouldn’t you be thanking the heavens that someone like Hansen is willing to be with you? Yet you dare to break up with him?”

Quinn grew more agitated as she talked, repeatedly jabbing my shoulder.

I resolutely pushed her arm away and said, “If you think he’s so great, then you date him!”

I then asked her as I held out my hand to her, “Or, perhaps, you’d like to help and pay off his debt?”

With gritted teeth, Quinn glanced at her phone.

A few minutes later, she came back, storming right in after shoving my bedroom door open.

“Give me your payment code!

“It’s just thirty grand, isn’t it?

“I’ll pay for him!”

Upon hearing this, I was overjoyed and scrambled to the foot of the bed and quickly pulled up my payment code.

The notification sound of a successful transfer chimed and echoed in the room.

Quinn looked genuinely pained at giving that money away.

“There’s your money. From now on, you and Hansen have nothing to do with each other anymore!

“You are forbidden from ever pestering him!”

I nodded frantically and said, “Sure, no problem.”

Pestering him? Just thinking about what those two did to me in my previous life made my teeth grind in rage. I wished for nothing more than for them to stay far, far away from me!

Frankly, I hadn’t held out much hope for the thirty thousand dollars. After all, I knew exactly what kind of person Hansen was.

He was all about keeping up appearances, so living beyond his means had become second nature to him.

After we got together, everything he ate or drank was all paid for by me.

Recently, I had been hesitating about breaking up with him, but at the same time, I was worried I wouldn’t get my money back if we did.

Hence, I had been putting it off.

Little did I expect such a perfect opportunity would present itself and fall right into my lap today.

Of course, I couldn’t be happier!

Just before leaving, Quinn suddenly turned around. While arrogantly waving her phone at me, she said, “Oh, right, I haven’t told you this.

“I just got together with Hansen.

“We’ve gone public on Instagram. Don’t forget to drop a like.”

I nodded sweetly. “Then, let me wish you two a lifetime of happiness!”

Not getting the reaction she wanted, Quinn’s face twisted in anger. She slammed my bedroom door shut, muttering curses throughout.

Once she left, I immediately downloaded a house-searching application.

The whole incident with the elderly man in my past life had shaken me to the core. This place had traumatized me, and I didn’t want to stay here for a second longer.

I searched for a new place until three in the morning before finally falling asleep.

At seven o’clock the next morning, a commotion suddenly erupted outside.

“Baby, we can now finally be together openly!”