Chapter 35: Aren’t You the Charity Case?

Chapter 35: Aren’t You the Charity Case? Seraphina’s POV The first day of school finally ended. It wasn’t as pleasant as I had hoped, but it was still a new experience that made me happy. Sitting in a classroom with other students, learning together under the same roof... it was something I had never experienced before. I even had my own desk and locker, just like everyone else. These things might sound small and that others might take for granted, but they were enough to make my heart tingle with joy. The school had ended, and I had to go back. But where should I go? I stared at the road ahead, feeling completely lost. There was no place I could truly call home right now. More than anything, I needed answers. How did I come back to life? Why was my autism suddenly gone? So many questions were going through my mind, but I had no idea where to begin looking. It was like standing at the four lanes and not knowing which one was right to take. But one thing was clear—this second life wasn’t just a coincidence. Someone or something had brought me back. And I was going to find out why. No matter how long it took. Just then, I spotted a familiar car waiting by the side of the road, making me stop in my tracks momentarily. Lucien? It was Lucien’s car. He had sent the same driver from the morning again. I sighed at the sight as I had half-expected it. There was no way he’d let me walk home alone. The driver got out and opened the door for me with a slight bow. "Young Miss," he greeted softly. I gave him a nod and slid into the backseat. As the car pulled away from the school, I leaned my head against the window, watching the trees blur past and thinking about where to start. "Can you please take me to the nearest market first?" I asked in a low voice. I wasn’t ready to go to Lucien’s home yet. The thought of seeing him at dinner made me feel strange. It wasn’t that I didn’t trust him... but everything felt too much, too fast. Just like I had no answers about my sudden revival, I also didn’t know how to respond to Lucien’s request to live with him. "As you wish, Miss," the driver responded and took me to the mall. Damn it! It was that huge mall I had never stepped inside... or you can say that I wasn’t allowed to, and even in my previous life, I could only stare at it from the outside. I remembered I found a watch I liked there...I had wanted to buy it for my second brother. But before I could, I was thrown out just because I was autistic. If I remembered right, it happened just last year. And now, I was back once again. Was it okay for me to go inside again? But then again... I had done nothing wrong. It was them who mistreated me. I stepped into the mall, and for a moment, time stopped for me. The scent of fresh leather and perfume... it all felt like stepping into a dream. I know it was a little childish, but only I know how much I longed to enter here with my head held high. In my past life, I only ever saw this place from the outside. I used to press my nose against the glass like a child at a candy store, but I had no money. I didn’t have money now either, but I still walked in. I was still enjoying my newfound happiness when a voice came from behind. "Hey! Aren’t you that charity case from the Lancaster Mansion?" I froze. "What are you doing here? You don’t even look like you can afford a bottle of water." I turned slowly. She looked vaguely familiar. I had seen her with Melissa here and there. But what did she want from me? I didn’t want to engage with her and wanted to leave. Her smile widened when she saw my hesitation. "Where do you think you’re going?" She stepped directly in front of me, blocking me with an obnoxious smirk. "You’re Seraphina, right?" I raised my brows as I tried my best to keep my voice calm. "I am. And you are...?" I knew her. She was one of Melissa’s minions and always followed behind her and did Melissa all bidding. However, I couldn’t recall her name, and I didn’t care to. "Hah! Are you trying to act all high and mighty now, aren’t you?" she scoffed, scanning me from head to toe like I was some stray dog. "Weren’t you locked up in a mental hospital or something? What are you doing here, shopping for a patient gown?" Her voice was loud enough to catch the attention around us. Some of them even turned to look at us. I wasn’t angry at her. It was not her fault. She was just being manipulated by the so-called heiress, and I pity her for that. I inhaled deeply. "Excuse me?" I said coldly. "And what exactly does my past have to do with you?" Her lips twitched slightly at my blunt remark. Clap. Clap. Clap. She clapped mockingly, and her applause cut through the soft hum of the mall. "Everyone, look at her!" she shouted in a sharp and dramatic tone. "She’s a mental patient, and yet the authorities let her into the mall! Can you believe that? How irresponsible!" "Is that true?" "A mental patient?" "She doesn’t look normal..." "Someone call security—she might be dangerous!" I could hear the whispers around me. My chest tightened, and I could feel the blood drain from my face as my hands started to tremble. It was nothing new. I had heard it all before, but the wound was raw and still there. I wasn’t supposed to care anymore. I wasn’t supposed to feel this way. And yet, it was getting hard to breathe here.