Bound by Fate

Chapter 7

Genevieve

"Why are you upset?" Vincent raised his eyebrows. "He harassed you, and I taught him a lesson. Isn't that justified?"

He seemed oblivious to his wrongdoing. This was typical of him—arrogant, self-assured, and stubborn! Ignoring everything I said, he remained obstinate. I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of frustration and anger rising from within. Gritting my teeth, I stood up abruptly, grabbed my bag, and stormed out.

"Genevieve!" he hurriedly got up and followed me, catching up outside Chili’s. "Genevieve!"

I pretended not to hear him, my mind in turmoil as I briskly walked toward the road. He grabbed my arm and forcefully pulled me back, just as a car zoomed past, narrowly missing us.

"What's gotten into you? Are you out of your mind?" Vincent scolded me.

I had just been reborn after dying; I didn't want to die again. I was terrified. He must have seen the fear in my eyes as his tone softened. "Thank goodness you're okay," he sighed in relief.

"What's bothering you? Why did you suddenly get upset?"

I tightly pressed my lips together, remaining silent.

"Let's cross the road first, then talk," he said, switching from holding my arm to holding my wrist and leading me across. I didn't resist, allowing him to guide me. Once we reached the other side, I pulled my wrist away—I still wasn't accustomed to physical contact with the opposite s*x.

"Feeling better?" Vincent lifted my chin to examine my face closely. "Are you okay now? Can we have a proper conversation?"

I tightened my grip on my bag strap and took a step back. "You shouldn't have resorted to violence," I told him. "Using force to solve problems is wrong."

Vincent almost burst out laughing.

"No, you're..." he struggled to contain his laughter, "Why are you so adorable?"

But I didn't find it amusing. "Do you often get into fights?"

"How could that be?" he managed to compose himself, earnestly replying, "That was only during middle and high school, when I was a bit hot-headed, leading a group of friends, acting tough, always ready for a fight. But now that we're adults, engaging in such behavior would be ridiculous."

But I knew he was lying. He had been in more than one fight because of me. Looking at his smirk, I knew he didn't take the matter seriously. But to me, it revealed his impulsive and reckless nature.

If he continued like this, he might ruin his life over something or someone else. My heart ached at the thought. In this life, having been reborn, I didn't want to die, and I certainly didn't want Vincent to meet the same fate again!

After days of avoidance and hesitation, I finally understood my own feelings. Despite my past disdain for him, after experiencing the aftermath of death, I couldn't distance myself from him.

Regardless of my personal feelings, I had no right to separate myself from this young man who had sacrificed everything for me in his past life.

What could I do to prevent him from repeating his past mistakes?

As he watched my expression shift from a smile to a pale face, tears welled up in my eyes.

"Are you okay?" he asked in a low voice, placing a hand on my shoulder.

Tears threatened to fall from my eyes. "Could you... could you..." I choked up, "avoid getting into fights in the future?"

"What?"

I gazed at Vincent before me. He was just as I remembered —arrogant, dominating, and self-assured, every bit the annoying rich kid from my past. How I wished he could continue living peacefully without sacrificing himself for me again!

"I just hope that in the future, no matter what happens, you won't act rashly, okay?" I pleaded, feeling a lump forming in my throat.

I had never spoken to him like this before, with such sorrow and supplication.

"We've just met, and you're already trying to control me?" He teased, "Sweetheart, who do you think you are to me?"

His tone mirrored the irritating Vincent I remembered.

Taking a deep breath, I composed myself. I wiped my face and brushed away a tear that had escaped. When I faced him again, my voice was steady as I spoke, "I'm nobody to you. I just hope that in the future, you won't act impulsively and do something irreparable."

As I finished speaking, my phone rang. Glancing at the caller ID, I saw "10-2, Garden Hills Richard."

It meant a piano lesson appointment at Garden Hills on Saturday morning. This was the family where the husband had made advances on me. I had canceled their appointments earlier when organizing my schedule.

Mrs. Richard must have had time to call now. As expected, her voice sounded irritated when I answered, "Ms. Brown, what's going on? Last week, I praised you to my husband, thinking you were reliable! You can't just cancel all the classes like this. Where will I find another teacher at the last minute? You're ruining my child's entire weekend!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Richard," I remained calm, "But I really can't make it."

"Isn't that irresponsible? If you can't make it, just say so. What's the reason? You must give me a reason!" She demanded.

"I apologize, Madam, but I really can't go."

"What do you mean?" She hesitated.

"I've explained my situation. You can handle it as you see fit," I said, ending the call.

When I looked up, Vincent's expression was chilly. "What happened?" he asked.

Knowing his temper, I quickly said, "It's nothing."

"Did anyone harass you there?"

"No." I turned and walked away.

"Hey!" Vincent grabbed my wrist. "You always seem to find trouble."

What kind of troublemaker did he think I was? I had never done anything improper, never provoked anyone. In this world, when girls are harassed, bullied, insulted, there's only one reason: men can't control their desires.

It was frustrating that some people blamed the harassed girls. I might have snapped back if it were someone else, but Vincent wasn't just anyone. His words made me feel not only angry but also ashamed. What did he truly think of me? He had harassed me, intimidated me, even flirted with me. What image did he have of me?

I pulled my wrist free, anger evident in my voice, "Keep your hands to yourself!"

He raised both hands in apology. "That's not what I meant," he said. "Of course, it's not your fault! It's definitely the guy's fault. Otherwise, why would I have bothered to teach that bespectacled guy on the bus a lesson yesterday?"

He continued, "I just wanted to know if that guy did anything to you. If he did, I'd teach him a lesson."

My emotions eased slightly. "He didn't do anything, I just... didn't feel comfortable, so I decided not to go there anymore."

At this moment, the husband hadn't done anything yet.

Mrs. Richard had observed me for a month before trusting me enough to care for her child on weekends while she went for beauty treatments. It was only later that her husband began making unwanted advances. Thankfully, there was always a child present, providing a shield against the man's advances. After that, I refused to return to their house.

This all occurred a month later, during the time I was giving piano lessons to the child, whose skills noticeably improved. Despite Mrs. Richard's persistent calls urging me to return, I declined.

"You're quite clever," Vincent praised, smiling at me. "Genevieve, be my girlfriend."

The weather was pleasant, the warm sunlight shining, yet this handsome man was uttering such distasteful words, completely unaware of their inappropriateness.

"Be my girlfriend, and I'll take care of you."

"You're enduring such hardships, but there's no need for that. A girl like you shouldn't have to live like this."

"There's nothing money can't fix. Whatever difficulties you're facing, I can solve them for you."

He was overflowing with confidence, spewing words that made you want to punch him in the face.

At that moment, I remembered why I disliked Vincent.