Reborn Rupture Chapter 01
In my last life, Mrs. Romano found a lace bra in her son Matteo’s room.
Matteo shot me a pleading look, begging me to help him.
I didn’t deny it was mine.
From that day on, I became Mrs. Romano’s target.
Then the SAT scores came out.
Matteo, who’d had a real shot at the Ivy League, bombed the test.
Mrs. Romano completely snapped and set our house on fire.
She wanted to burn my entire family to death.
When I opened my eyes again, I was back on the day she found the bra.
This time, I wasn’t taking the blame for Matteo.
…
“You little slut!”
“You’re this young and already luring boys into bed?”
“Have you no shame?”
Mrs. Romano’s shrill voice echoed down the street.
A pink lace bra was flung straight at my face.
It hit me with a sour smell.
My whole body trembled.
Instantly, the memory of being trapped in the fire from my past life seared my mind.
It had been this same day.
In front of all the neighbors, Mrs. Romano had accused me of seducing her son.
I had just opened my mouth to defend myself when I caught Matteo’s eye.
He was pleading with me.
My heart had softened.
I didn’t deny it.
I even promised Mrs. Romano that I would stay away from Matteo from then on.
But that was only the beginning.
From that day forward, if Matteo’s GPA dipped even slightly, Mrs. Romano would show up at my house and cause a scene.
She made my parents’ lives a living hell, even creating problems for them at work.
I’d thought that once high school ended, it would all be over.
But on the day the SAT scores were released, Matteo’s score was disastrously low.
Late that night, Mrs. Romano poured gasoline all over our front porch and lit a match.
My parents and I were trapped in the thick, choking smoke.
The searing pain of the flames on my skin, the stench of burning flesh—I remembered it all.
My parents’ screams still echoed in my ears.
I clenched my fists, my nails digging so deep they broke the skin of my palms.
Matteo rushed over and grabbed his mother’s arm.
“Mom! What are you doing?”
“Can you just stop? Everyone’s watching!”
Mrs. Romano seemed to think he was defending me.
She collapsed onto the lawn in a heap, sobbing.
“I worked so hard to raise you—Matteo, you’re my only hope!”
“If you want to date, go find some girl who doesn’t care about school!”
“Why do you have to go after my son? Are you trying to ruin him?”
She turned on me, her voice sharp with hysteria.
“Virginia, I’m begging you—stay away from Matteo, please. I’ve always been good to you. Just leave him alone.”
The scene was drawing a crowd. Neighbors started spilling out of their houses.
“I always thought Virginia Bennett was such a quiet girl…”
“Still waters run deep, I guess.”
“Pink lace, of all things.”
“Kids these days, I swear.”
I took a deep breath and met Matteo’s gaze.
Just like last time, his eyes were begging me to cover for him.
In my last life, that one look had been all it took for me to take the blame.
After that, Mrs. Romano told everyone in the neighborhood that I was the kind of girl who threw herself at boys.
My family had to endure the neighbors’ stares every time we left the house.
And Matteo—the one who started it all—never said a single word in my defense.
I drew in a sharp breath.
“That bra isn’t mine.”