Reborn Rich: Prices Dropped, My Savings Didn't

"What did you say?"

Beatrice Lynn’s expression darkened, and she demanded with a frown.

Cecilia Sterling smiled, her tone casual. "You lost our last bet. You didn’t forget the penalty, did you?"

"You..."

"I told you, if you try to back out, I’m going to call you that from now on. Did you really think I was joking?" Cecilia Sterling said, her eyes scanning Beatrice up and down in confusion.

’Knowing how proud she was, why would she let herself look like this?’

’Her face was haggard, and she hadn’t even tried to cover it with makeup. Today, even her clothes were unusually casual.’

But it soon dawned on Cecilia. People only tortured themselves like this when they’ve suffered a major blow. Beatrice Lynn and Shawn Lane had both vanished from school recently; it was likely some messy, complicated affair had occurred between them.

Then Cecilia suddenly realized their chance encounter was happening right at a hospital entrance.

Her eyes widened slightly. ’Could it be...’

"I’m pregnant!"

The next second, looking at Cecilia, Beatrice Lynn dropped the bombshell without any warning.

Cecilia didn’t react for a moment, simply blinking at Beatrice’s smug, triumphant expression.

And before Cecilia could process it, Beatrice Lynn was already waving the lab report in her hand. "It’s Shawn’s!"

"Huh?" Cecilia couldn’t hold back a scoff. She looked at Beatrice Lynn, smiled, and nodded. "That’s wonderful. Congratulations to you both!"

Cecilia wasn’t particularly surprised. In her past life, Beatrice Lynn had two abortions for Shawn Lane, and to sicken her, had even mailed the abortion reports to her both times.

This time, the event had just happened two years earlier, and the method of delivery had changed from mail to a face-to-face announcement. It almost felt a little more formal.

She was completely unfazed.

Faced with Cecilia’s mocking reaction, Beatrice’s provocative expression morphed into shock. "What is this reaction?" she asked, bewildered. "Aren’t you angry?"

"Why would I be angry? A pregnancy is a happy occasion. I’m happy for you both!" Cecilia said, then feigned a look of dawning realization. "Oh, I forgot, you two aren’t married yet. So, are you going to have the baby first and then get married? Or get married first and then have the baby?"

"If you’re getting married first, you’d better hurry. A wedding dress doesn’t look as good with a big belly, don’t you think?"

The color drained from Beatrice Lynn’s face, only to flush crimson again. How could she not realize Cecilia was mocking her?

"Cecilia Sterling, are you mocking me?" Beatrice Lynn asked, her face filled with indignation.

At her words, the smile vanished from Cecilia’s face. She looked at Beatrice Lynn and said, "You give yourself too much credit. You’re the one willing to degrade yourself; I can’t even be bothered to mock you."

As she spoke, Cecilia glanced at Beatrice’s stomach. "It’s true what they say—villains always end up tormenting each other. I haven’t done a thing, and the two of you have already managed to torture each other into this state. How amusing!"

Just then, a ride-share car pulled up beside Cecilia. Without giving Beatrice Lynn another glance, she opened the door and got in.

Beatrice Lynn watched the car drive off as a tidal wave of resentment and indignation surged within her, mingled with an endless shame that threatened to swallow her whole.

Sitting in the car on the way back to school, memories of her past life surfaced once more in Cecilia’s mind.

In this life, the paths of many people and events had changed. She didn’t know if this was a "butterfly effect" caused by her rebirth, but she wasn’t too concerned. She had wanted to live a different life from the start.

But Beatrice Lynn’s pregnancy had happened twice in her previous life, and Cecilia knew both instances were consensual, occurring after Shawn’s feelings for her had already changed. Therefore, she had been the only one humiliated and hurt by it back then.

This time, however, was different. Cecilia wasn’t interested in what tricks Beatrice Lynn used to get knocked up, but she had a feeling Shawn wasn’t a willing participant.

The girl was a lunatic, just as she had been in the past life, only her brand of crazy was different. But she would never again be hurt by those two, not in the slightest.

Unexpectedly, just as she returned to school, Cecilia ran into Shawn Lane’s mother at the foot of her dorm building.

She was dressed as opulently as ever, holding a parasol in one hand and a Hermes bag on her other arm. It seemed she, too, had just arrived and hadn’t yet had the chance to go upstairs to find anyone.

Perhaps because the purpose of her visit was so vastly different from before, Mrs. Lane’s expression was stiff and awkward when she suddenly saw Cecilia.

Cecilia looked at her, confused, and spoke first. "Mrs. Lane, are you here for me?"

Mrs. Lane gave a slight nod, then glided elegantly to a stop in front of Cecilia. She took off her sunglasses and, in a faint voice, said, "I came to find you because I want to apologize."

The words were spoken so softly that Cecilia wouldn’t have heard them if she hadn’t been standing so close. It was obvious how much Mrs. Lane had to steel herself to face Cecilia and say that.

Cecilia was slightly startled, genuinely taken aback.

’What’s this all about?’

"You’re joking, Mrs. Lane," Cecilia replied, her composure restored. "I’m a little overwhelmed."

Mrs. Lane lowered her head slightly, though her expression still betrayed the proud arrogance of a wealthy family’s matriarch. "I know you have your opinions about me..."

"Aren’t you the one who’s always had opinions about me?" Cecilia interrupted, cutting through the woman’s attempt to twist the facts. She chuckled. "Otherwise, you wouldn’t have gone to all the trouble of summoning me just to order me to break up with Shawn."

Mrs. Lane faltered, then nodded. "You’re not wrong. I did think you weren’t good enough for Shawn back then. But I’ve come to my senses. Since Shawn truly likes you, I will no longer oppose you two being together."

In the past, Mrs. Lane would never have been able to bring herself to say such things.

Every single word was what Walter Lane had instructed her to say the night before.

She had expected Cecilia to be delighted by her "sincere" words, but all she received in return was a sarcastic scoff.

Cecilia looked at Mrs. Lane with a mocking smile. "Mrs. Lane, you’re hilarious. When you disapprove, we have to break up. When you stop opposing it, we have to get back together. Who do you think you are?"

At those words, Mrs. Lane instantly lost her composure. Cecilia’s contemptuous words, thrown right to her face, made her expression as black as the bottom of a pot.

"What did you say?" Mrs. Lane snapped, her voice rising in humiliated fury.

Cecilia simply met her enraged glare with an amused smile. "Don’t act so high and mighty just because you’re older. The Lane Family may be a wealthy family, but not everyone is desperate to marry into it."

"Oh, that’s right. There is someone who’s trying desperately to get into your family. Aren’t you going to consider her, Mrs. Lane? Who knows, by this time next year, you could be holding a big, healthy grandson!"