She actually looked proud of herself. Beaming. Glowing, like she’d won some kind of trophy.
Meanwhile, I just sat there, trembling. Every word from her mouth hit like a knife, dredging up memories from the life I’d already lived—and died for.
I took a long, shaky breath and forced myself to stay calm. My hands clenched into fists under the table, but I smiled.
“Impressive,” I said flatly.
She mistook the sarcasm for praise and lit up even more. “Of course I’m impressive.”
Then she leaned in, that fake smile slipping into something sharper. “Anyway… you’ve been with Owen for what—two years? And you still haven’t done it?” She clicked her tongue. “Aren’t you afraid someone else is gonna swoop in and steal him while you’re out here playing the Virgin Mary?”
I didn’t answer.
“You know, guys don’t care about whether you’re a virgin. What they do care about is whether you can please them. Keep ‘em happy and they’ll never leave.”
Of course she brought Owen into this.
The “boyfriend” she claimed to have had a wild night with? That was Owen Pollard—my boyfriend.
In my past life, I didn’t find out until after I died that she’d been seducing him behind my back. They were already tangled up in each other long before I realized it—right up to the night I was supposed to get married to him.
And even after she burned me alive, Owen still sided with her. He signed an official statement asking the court for leniency on her behalf.
Watching her fake innocence and twisted pride now, I nearly crushed my fists under the table.
“Owen respects my choices,” I said tightly. “That’s why I love him.”
For just a second, something flickered across her face—envy. But it disappeared quickly, replaced with her usual smirk.
“I don’t get it,” she scoffed. “You’re totally healthy, but you treat your body like some priceless relic in a museum. What a waste.”
She leaned in even closer, voice like poison-laced honey. “But hey, if you’re so set on staying a virgin, maybe try taking a few lessons from me.”
I pulled off my gloves and gestured toward her clothes. “Aren’t you worried your mom’s gonna find out?”
That wiped the smirk clean off her face. Her hand froze mid-button and her eyes narrowed.
“She won’t find out,” she said sharply. “Not unless someone tells her. And you’re not stupid enough to bite the hand that feeds you, are you, Cousin?”