After Rebirth She Strikes Back (Simone) novel Chapter 39

Chapter 39

Joanne’s face was already streaked with tears. At this moment, she let go of her last shred of pride. She shouted, “Simone, I regret it

Simone froze for a moment. She knew how proud Joanne was and how hard it must have been for Joanne to say those words. She thought. “It is too late Joanne is the one who betrayed me first.”

Simone let out a soft, almost mocking laugh. She said, “Too bad there’s no cure for regret. Everyone has to live with the consequences of their choices. Take that to hear

Joanne hesitated.

memories flooding back. Back then, Joanne had lied to protect Stella.

At the same time, Simone had learned her left ear would never hear again. She had locked herself away, refusing to see anyone. The once–bright and cheerful girl had stopped smiling.

At the time. Joanne had gone to see Simone. She had asked, “Do you regret it! If you hadn’t saved me, your left ear wouldn’t have been hurt” Simone already distant, had replied indifferently. “Everyone has to live with the consequences of their choices.”

Hearing the same words now, Joanne felt a sharp pang in her chest. Months of guilt and frustration finally broke her. She crumpled to the ground. sobbing uncontrollably. She murmured, “I’m sorry, Simone, I shouldn’t have lied.

“If it weren’t for saving me, your left ear wouldn’t have been injured. It’s all my fault. I’ve always felt so guilty. Watching you ignore me all these year has been unbearable.

“I caused trouble for you at school just to get your attention. And when I saw you with new friends, I couldn’t help but feel jealous.

“I hated them. I hated you for leaving me behind. You were supposed to be my best friend. Joanne’s voice cracked as she cried her heart out,

Simone stared at Joanne, her expression cold. She said indifferently, “You betrayed me for your family. We’re no longer friends” She didn’t want to revisit those memories because they only brought pain.

Simone brushed past Joanne without a second thought and headed out. As she passed the balcony, she suddenly stopped. Joanne’s words had stirred up memories she had tried to forger, the memories that still stung.

She recalled her injured left ear, the betrayal of her closest friend, the lack of trust from her family, and the cruel taunts and bullying from her ́classmates at school.

These painful experiences defined her childhood. Thinking back now, Simone realized she couldn’t recall a single happy moment from her time with the Spence family.

The cold wind whipped through the air, tossing Simone’s long hair and exposing the black hearing aid on her left ear. Earlier, she had given her coal to Joanne, leaving her in just a white knee–length slip dress that flutterelklightly in the breeze

Under the moonlight, her skin seemed to glow, soft and radiant, with a faint shimmer. Her exposed arms were long and graceful, without a trace of Lexreis flesh. Her beauty was both striking and ethereal.

Lionel arrived just in time to catch sight of Simone. Her delicate waist, the smooth curve of her back, and the elegant butterfly bones on her shoulder blades looked like a masterpiece. Lionel quickly averted his gaze

It wasn’t until Lionel moved to Simone’s left side that he noticed the black hearing aid in her ear. Suddenly. Lionel recalled Simone’s earlier conversation with Joanne.

Lionel had heard the commotion earlier and came over, but by y the time he arrived, Simone had already dealt with the two men. He happened to overhear part of her conversation with Joanne.

A shadow flickered in Lionel’s eyes. It wasn’t until Simone’s voice broke his train of thought that be

supped back to real

reality.

“What brings you here? Don’t you have work to finish?” s

Simone asked, staring steadily at Lionel

“My work’s done, so I thought I’d take a leather here, Lionel replied casually. But as he spoke, his eyes kept drifting to Simone’s left ear. Realizing this, he quickly looked away and apologized. “Sorry, I didn’t mean to stare.”

Simone’s expression remained calm. She felt there was nothing

g worth apologizing for. She explained, “I hurt my ear when I was little. It doesn’t work anymore” Her tone was devoid of any emotion

Lionel couldn’t detect even a hint of sadurss in her words. The Same standing before him now felt worlds apart from the girl he’d met last time She exuded a maturity far beyond her years, her eyes holding emotions he couldn’t quite decipher.

1/21

Chapter 39

Not wanting to upset her, Lionel decided not to bring up her ear again. Instead, he smiled and said. “You seem a bit off today. Want to share what’s on your mind‘”

Today, Simone’s eyes carried a deep, unfathomable sorrow. Looking into them, Lionel felt an unexpected pang in

g in his chest. For someone who prided himself on understanding people, Lionel found it frustrating that he couldn’t figure Simone out at all.

Simone noticed Lionel’s attempt to cheer her up and hesitated. She hadn’t expected someone like Lionel to make the effort. As she thought about Lionel’s achievements in her previous life, her eyes darkened.

she thought. ‘A man like Lionel is better as an ally than an enemy.

emy. I shall play my cards right and draw him closer now, he won’t disappoint me

Making up her mind, Simone quickly shook off the negativity clouding her thoughts. She asked with a smile, “What about you? What do you usually do when you’re feeling down?”

Lionel paused, clearly caught off guard by the question. His usual ways of unwinding were smoking and boxing. Clancing ar Simone, who was underage, he felt a bit awkward.

Lionel mentally recited the core values to keep himself in check. “I usually read books or play games at the arcade to take my mind off things,” he said after a moment.

He might not be a saint, but he wasn’t about to lead a kid astray.

Simone nodded, though it was hard to tell if she was paying attention.