Death Gave Me a Fool's Life

Chapter 2 : He's not particularly good looking

The next time Freya woke up, it was already nighttime, for the first time since opening her eyes in this unfamiliar body, she was finally alone.Her gaze drifted to the phone resting on the bedside table. Guided by Serena's memories, she unlocked it with ease before opening Google, her fingers hovered over the keyboard for a brief moment before she typed:

Dr. Freya Vaughn

The results appeared almost instantly.

"World-renowned surgeon Dr. Freya Vaughn was reported to have died last night in a tragic car accident. The country mourns the loss of a medical prodigy who saved countless lives throughout her career..."

She scrolled down silently.

There were articles recounting her achievements, interviews with former colleagues, messages from patients thanking her for giving them a second chance at life,and reports covering the day she died.

Everything matched perfectly.

Her gaze lingered on two simple words …Car accident

No the brakes had failed.

She locked the phone with a soft click. There was no point dwelling on the dead now, her eyes swept across the quiet hospital room

Two facts remained.

Dr. Freya Vaughn was dead and by some twist of fate that couldn't be explained by science..

She was Serena Hart now.

Serena Hart. Heiress of the Hart family. A twenty-four-year-old actress who is also currently the most hated in the entertainment industry, Naive. Innocent. Hopelessly in love with Nolan Pierce—a man who had never once failed to reject or humiliate her.

Yesterday, Serena Hart had supposedly taken her own life after yet another bad scandal

...Or so everyone believed.

Hmn Interesting.

The doors to the hospital room suddenly burst open interrupting Freya's thoughts as a familiar face from Serena's memories rushed in.

Nathan Hart. Serena's older brother , CEO of Hart Entertainment and the only reason Serena was still in the entertainment industry despite the countless scandals surrounding her.

He came to an abrupt stop beside the bed, his eyes scanning her from head to toe as if making sure she was truly awake.Only then did the tension leave his shoulders.

"...I'm glad you're alright."

Before Freya could respond, another figure brushed past him.

"...Idiot." Theo Hart.

The youngest of the Hart siblings, hot headed , loud and impulsive. His voice carried annoyance, but the relief in his eyes was impossible to hide.

"You scared us half to death."

A slightly older man and woman followed closely behind.

Richard Hart. Chairman of the Hart Group. A ruthless businessman who had built one of the country's largest business empires.

And Eleanor Hart. Elegant, graceful, and one of the most respected women in high society. She was the number one socialite of her generation.

A sheepish-looking young woman hurried in after them, her eyes already red

"I... I called them the moment you woke up." Avery Quinn, Serena's childhood best friend and the crying lady from earlier.

"Serena, sweetie..." Eleanor's voice trembled as fresh tears welled in her eyes. "I'll arrange the wedding. Don't worry. Mommy will do everything in her power to make sure Nolan Pierce marries you. Just... please don't ever do something like this again."

Richard gently wrapped an arm around his wife's shoulders before looking at Freya

"We won't say another bad word about Nolan anymore, alright? Just... don't ever think about doing something like this again"

"I can't lose you," Avery whispered, tears spilling freely down her cheeks.

Freya's gaze swept across the room.

Forcing down the unfamiliar feeling tightening in her chest,

They were... Concerned. About her?

Facing the pair of expectant eyes she simply replied "I won't kill myself"

They didn't look convinced so she thought for a moment before adding honestly,

"Dying wasn't such an enjoyable experience."

"..."

Avery burst into tears again.

"Serena... did you see a white light? Were you scared? I'm such a terrible bestfriend. I wasn't even there for you..."

Nathan quietly turned away, discreetly wiping the corners of his eyes.

Eleanor had already buried her face against Richard's shoulder.

Even Richard's usually composed eyes had become slightly misty.

Freya frowned inwardly . Why were they still crying?

Hadn't she already said she wouldn't do it? Just then, a notification appeared on Serena's phone.

#BlacklistSerenaHart

#SerenaHartOnlyReliesOnHerFamily

#SerenaHartHasNoTalent

Another notification followed almost immediately—a live clip from a press conference.

Freya recognized the man at once.

Nolan Pierce.

She tapped the notification.

"Serena is my friend," Nolan said calmly. "Please stop insulting her online."

A young woman in a white dress smiled sweetly beside him.

"That's right. Serena is my friend too. I don't want any of my fans attacking her online. She's just... a little spoiled. She didn't mean to lose her temper during the variety show. Please don't misunderstand her."

Freya raised an eyebrow as fragments of Serena's memories from that day surfaced

The variety show… The host repeatedly insisting she eat seafood despite knowing she was severely allergic. Serena refusing politely.

Again and again

Until they attempted to force her, She defended herself, pushing someone away in panic.

The footage had later been maliciously edited, making it appear as though she had caused trouble without reason.

Valerie had witnessed the entire incident from beginning to end

Yet the statement she just made…

On the surface, she appeared to be defending Serena.

In reality, she had quietly confirmed every accusation the public already believed.

This was how the two of them operated—always pretending to be Serena's saviours while pushing her deeper into the fire, all the while preserving their spotless image.

"Hm."

Theo suddenly snatched the phone from her hands. "Serena, can't you see through this fake act already?"

"Theo," Richard said sternly. "Not now."

Freya ignored the exchange, her mind was racing with a possibility,

Judging from Serena's memories...

She had a particularly poor judgement..... Would inhabiting the same body affect her own judgment?

She silently began reciting the bones of the human body and was at number 176 when Theo chimed in again "Are you thinking about Nolan Pierce again?"

Freya looked up and answered honestly "No."

“Yeah right”. Theo snorted

Silence settled over the room.

After a moment of deliberation, Freya finally voiced the question that had been lingering in her mind since she got serena’s memories

"Has she always been like this?"

Theo frowned. "What?"

"Serena." Her gaze swept across the room before settling on him. "Has she always been... like this?”

"Honey..." Eleanor's expression immediately turned worried. "Are you feeling alright?"

Freya nodded before speaking again.

"Nolan Pierce..."

She paused, genuinely puzzled.

"He's not particularly good-looking."

"..."

"Doctor." The doctor hurried over.

Theo pointed at Freya without taking his eyes off her.

"I think... we should do a brain scan.”

—-—

After a week of unnecessary tests and scans, the doctor finally smiled.

"Miss Hart is fit to go home."

Theo glanced at Freya's expressionless face before looking back at the doctor.

"Doctor... are you sure she's okay?”

The doctor nodded with a reassuring smile "Every test came back normal….. but we can keep her for one more day if you'd like”

"Yes, let's do that," Richard answered almost immediately.

"I'd rather she comes home," Eleanor interrupted gently.

The doctor gave a small nod. "Then we'll begin the discharge process today."

Freya remained silent. She should have been discharged days ago. She was perfectly fine. If she had been the attending physician, the patient would've been sent home long ago so the hospital could make room for other patients.

"Serena, let me pack your things," Avery offered, reaching for the bag beside the bed.

"I'll do it, Shortcake," Theo said, grabbing it first.

Avery frowned. "Stop calling me Shortcake and no thanks I'll do it”

"With those tiny arms? You'd probably pull a muscle carrying this."

"I am perfectly capable of carrying a bag."

"Mhm."

"The last time you packed your own things, you forgot your wallet."

"That happened once."

"It happened last month."

"Theo” Richard interrupted with a tired sigh, "leave Avery alone."

Theo lifted both hands in surrender as Avery stuck her tongue out at him playfully.

"Oh!" Eleanor suddenly exclaimed. "Serena needs a pretty dress."

Everyone turned to look at her.

"The last time she left the hospital someone secretly took pictures of her." Her expression clouded. "The internet turned them into those horrible memes” She remembered feeling powerless as her daughter cried all night.

Nathan frowned. "Will there be reporters outside today?"

Richard's expression immediately turned serious.

"I already had security block them," he replied calmly. "Anyone who takes photos without permission—and any tabloid that publishes them—will be hearing from our lawyers."

Nathan let out a quiet sigh. "That only makes the rumors worse."

"It also keeps them away from my daughter."

No one argued with that.

Eleanor smoothed the blanket over Freya's legs, though it didn't need smoothing. "I just want her to go home without people pointing cameras at her for once”

Theo crossed his arms. "If they get too close, I'll just stand in front of Serena."

Avery snorted. "You? They'll just take pictures over your head."

Theo shot her an offended look. "I'm taller than you."

"Barely."

Richard pinched the bridge of his nose.

"You two."

The room fell into its usual, familiar bickering.

Freya watched them in silence.

They argued over the smallest things, interrupted each other without thinking, yet no one ever seemed offended, for they were very noisy.

...A strange family.

A short while later, the doctor returned with the final discharge papers.

After a few last-minute instructions and far more reminders than Freya thought were necessary, she was finally free to leave.

Avery insisted on carrying her bag despite Theo's protests. Eleanor grabbed the flowers from the bedside table, while Nathan thanked the doctor before leading the way out.

As they approached the hospital lobby, the noise reached them before the doors even opened. Voices. Dozens of them.

Nathan's expression immediately darkened.

"I thought you said they wouldn't be here."

"So did I." Richard replied with a frown

The moment they stepped outside, the crowd surged forward.

"Serena!"

"Miss Hart!"

"Did you really attempt suicide?"

"Are the dating rumors true?"

"Just one comment!"

Camera flashes exploded from every direction.

Security reacted instantly, forming a barrier around the family as reporters pushed against the barricades, shoving microphones through every gap they could find.

Richard's jaw tightened

His face darkened with anger, he had underestimated them

He was going to sue every last one of them.

One reporter slipped past the first line of security, shoving a microphone toward Serena. Another reached between two guards, nearly grabbing her arm in an attempt to get her attention.

Theo's patience snapped. "Back off."

The reporter didn't.

In the next second, Theo lunged forward and shoved the reporter.

Gasps erupted around them. Someone screamed and that only seemed to excite the reporters more, Camera shutters fired even faster.

The hospital entrance dissolved into complete chaos as security rushed to separate them, reporters shouted over one another, and Nathan barked orders that were quickly swallowed by the noise. Richard was on a call, presumably calling for more security.

Amid the commotion, something small slipped out from beneath a nearby hedge.

A white cat with a ring of black nape that looked almost like a collar.

It paused just long enough for Freya to notice before quietly trotting away.

Her eyes followed it.

She had never liked crowds.. The shouting, the flashing cam

eras, people pushing past one another…

It was exhausting.

While everyone else was distracted by the chaos, Freya quietly followed the cat.

No one noticed she'd gone.