Chapter 2: Fate Scripts and Bitter Oranges

This wasn’t the first time I’d seen the comments. But it was the first time I started to believe them.

When Aubrey transferred into our class, she barely finished introducing herself before the guys started drooling—except for Derek.

The comments showed up fast:

[Bro, why isn’t he even looking at his fated girl?]

[He still thinks the childhood friend is endgame? LMAO.]

[Just wait, the empathy plot’s about to pop off. Classic webnovel energy!]

[When the chemistry hits, main couple will be inseparable.]

I pieced it together: Derek and Aubrey are the main couple. I’m the jealous supporting character.

After Aubrey’s transfer, Derek gets pulled toward her—thanks to their weird empathy. I get jealous, try to sabotage, but Derek always jumps in to rescue her. They fall harder for each other. I spiral, lose all my childhood friend points. Eventually, Derek forces me to transfer out before the SATs. I bomb the test. In a meltdown, I try to run Aubrey over. She survives, I don’t. My parents get a front-row seat to the tragedy.

A cold shiver ran down my spine. I felt like I was reading my own obituary, written in invisible ink above the blackboard. The classroom’s flickering lights and the AC’s low rattle made everything feel off—like my life was a movie on pause.

I looked sideways at Derek. He was peeling an orange, picking off every last bit of pith just because I once said it tasted bitter. He caught me watching, smiled, and popped a segment into my mouth.

His eyes were soft, focused only on me. For a second, I almost believed the comments were just noise. I laughed, letting the tart citrus burst on my tongue. Derek was here—steady, gentle, real. Maybe fate was just another rumor.