Chapter 3: Breaking the Cycle

The next day at school, I actually listened in class. I’d died at 25, so most of my high school knowledge was long gone. Planning to retake the SATs meant I had to pay attention—no slacking.

In the back row, my two sidekicks hovered, ready to fetch or carry anything.

After class, it was time for another villain scene.

I grabbed the girls and blocked Sebastian outside Room 105. When people saw me swaggering over, lollipop in my mouth, they scattered like I was radioactive.

I told the girls, “Today, we’re bullying Sebastian with practice tests again. Play along, okay?”

They heard “bully” and nodded like eager puppies. “Got it!”

On my cue, Sebastian got trapped at the back door, no escape.

He was tall, all arms and legs, pale enough to look underfed.

When he spotted me, he looked exhausted. “Autumn, what do you even see in me? I’ll change, okay?”

I scoffed, “You think I still like you? Get over yourself.”

A flash of surprise crossed his eyes, and he let out a breath. “If you don’t like me, then stop bothering me…”

“Nope.” I delivered my villain line, deadpan.

Anger flickered in his eyes. He balled his fists, but I held out my hand and my sidekick handed over the test.

I shoved it at him, snapping, “Look at you—scored an 80 in math out of 150. Why would I ever like you?”

Sebastian: “...”

All the fight went out of him.

He snatched the test, cheeks burning, and tried to leave.

I blocked him, face cold. “You’re not going anywhere until you fix it.”

“I’ll be late,” Sebastian muttered, eyes on the floor. “You made me late for work last night too.”

“Oh, it’s about money, huh?” I pulled out a wad of cash and tossed it at him. “Now fix your test!”

I shot the girls a look, and they shoved Sebastian back into the classroom.

He had to sit and work, scratching his head and looking like he wanted to disappear.

I crooked my finger at one girl. “Maddie, get over here.”

Maddie ran up. “Yeah, boss?”

I pointed at Sebastian. “Watch him. For every question he does, you check one.”

“Me?” Maddie squeaked, pointing at herself. “I only got a 20 on my last math test!”

“Useless!” I snapped, channeling my inner movie villain. “Can’t handle this? How are you supposed to bully anyone? Maybe you shouldn’t follow me anymore.”

Maddie looked like she might cry.

I turned to the other girl, who was practically shaking. “Brianna, you help too.”

Brianna wailed, “Boss, I only got an 8 in math…”

“Don’t care!” I tossed them the answer key and banged the desk. “You’re finishing this!”

The two girls: “...”

Soon enough, my loyal sidekicks were stuck doing math with Sebastian, all of them suffering under my reign.

This time, it took two hours.

They handed over their finished tests.

Sebastian watched me like he was waiting for a firing squad.

I glanced up and sneered, “Sebastian, you seriously disappoint me. Needed help from the two worst math students just to scrape by? I’m embarrassed for you.”

Sebastian: “...”

I went in for the kill: “If someone who only scored an 8 can solve the problem, and you with your 80 can’t—are you even trying?”

“How does that make me not a man?” Sebastian shot back, slamming the desk.

I whipped out three more tests. “Here. If you score higher than their combined total, I’ll admit you’re man enough.”

“Fine!” Sebastian growled.

The three of them sat down, and I watched over them like a drill sergeant.

Forty minutes later—time’s up.

I snatched the tests. Sebastian tried to hold on. “Wait, I’m not done with this one…”

I scowled. “If you don’t hand it in now, it’s a zero.”

Sebastian froze, so I took the tests and graded them lightning-fast.

Maddie: 60. Brianna: 80.

They high-fived, totally hyped.

I turned to Sebastian, sneering, “Sebastian, 137. Still less than the two of them combined.”

Sebastian scrambled to explain, “I just needed more time. I could’ve finished that last question…”

I cut him off. “The SAT doesn’t hand out extra time. Win or lose, no excuses.”

“So, you lost. Now tell me—are you man enough?”

Sebastian’s fists clenched, eyes going glassy.

I asked again, “Are you man enough?”

He hesitated, then muttered, “I’m not…”

And then his eyes filled up and tears started pouring down his face.

He was totally crushed.

My conscience twinged, so I slipped away before I could do something stupid.

Thinking back on his breakdown, the way his eyes turned red—somehow, it was weirdly… endearing? Ugh, what is wrong with me!

I shook it off and went back to hitting the books after dinner.

The system popped up. “You really want to change your fate?”

“Obviously. You said I have to stick around Sebastian, can’t transfer, can’t leave the country yet, so I’ve gotta study and ditch this villainess rep.”

I wanted to shoot for first in the class.

Especially the SAT—at least get into a top college.

I studied until after midnight, then crashed hard.

In the middle of the night, my phone buzzed, yanking me out of a dead sleep.

Groaning, I picked up. “Hello?”

“Still awake?” That voice—way too familiar.

It took me a second. “Sebastian!” I sat up, teeth clenched. “Calling me in the middle of the night—are you nuts?!”

“I couldn’t sleep after I got home. Tossed and turned, then sat up. Autumn Carter, are you insane? Why are you making me do test papers?!”

“You’re the crazy one!”

I hung up on him.

The next day, I cornered Sebastian with his mortal enemy—English—and forced him to do a test.

In class, Sebastian’s face was burning with embarrassment.

He hated English, always bombed it.

After a while, he suddenly shot up and yelled, “I missed work the day before yesterday, missed it yesterday, I have to go today… Bye!”

He grabbed his bag and bolted before we could stop him.

Heh. Not so tough now.

I decided to hit up his workplace and keep the pressure on.

Maddie and Brianna stayed behind, looking miserable. “Boss, can’t we bully him some other way? We’re so done with test papers.”

“You don’t want to come?”

They shook their heads like their lives depended on it.

I just sighed.

Not what I expected—I thought seeing their progress would light a fire under them.

Apparently not.

“Fine, I’ll go solo.”

I slung my bag over my shoulder and headed out.

Sebastian worked at a coffee shop.

I ordered a caramel macchiato and sat reading.

Every time I looked up, he was sneaking glances at me.

When our eyes met, he’d look away, pretending to be busy with the espresso machine.

His hair was a little long, dark strands peeking from under his cap, falling over his pale forehead.

Under the brim, his brown eyes darted around like he’d just robbed a bank.

The first time I saw him, his eyes were pure fire. Now, they were just… nervous. Conflicted. Scared.

Honestly, it was kind of entertaining.

I shut my book, propped my chin on my hand, and stared him down.

After work, Sebastian tried to sneak out, but I snagged him by the collar. “Where do you think you’re going? Test papers. Now.”

Sebastian was forced to sit and slog through an English test, looking like he’d rather be anywhere else.

When time was up, I yanked the paper, graded it, and slapped the 40-point test in front of him. “Sebastian, come on. If a chicken pecked at the answers, it’d get more than 40. You’re literally underperforming poultry.”

Sebastian cracked. “Just hit me or yell at me! Please, anything but these tests! I can’t take it!”

He was genuinely terrified of me now.

I picked up the test and sneered, “Bad grades aren’t the real problem. Skipping study to work, not knowing your priorities, making excuses for failing, running away from English tests… That’s the issue! It proves you’re a coward who runs from problems and blames others!”

Sebastian was stunned, totally out of comebacks.

After that, he stopped dodging the tests.

He wanted to prove he wasn’t a coward or a slacker.

He quit his job and stayed after school every day, grinding out worksheets and practice tests.

He was a good kid, completely caught in my web of psychological torment.

I couldn’t help myself—I called my dad and asked him to set up Sebastian’s mom with a better job.

My dad favored boys, but when it came to money, he was generous.

Sebastian’s life started looking up, and he hit the books even harder.

Before long, it was time for the first monthly exam.

I went all in on prep, barely keeping up with the whole villainess-bullying gig, which annoyed the system. “You’re slacking on your job. Why are you so obsessed with exams?”

“I want to see if I can get first place.”

I’d always loved studying, but allergies, debt collectors, and family drama kept my grades in the gutter. Especially the SAT—if I hadn’t had another allergic reaction, I might have scored high enough to dodge a second-rate college.

Graduating from a no-name school made job-hunting a nightmare, and with my dad’s debts, life was a grind.

I always wondered—if I’d scored higher, would my life have been different?

That regret haunted me.

Even if I only had a few years left, I wanted to chase my dream.

And if getting into college could rewrite my ending, why not try?