Reborn to Burn Them All novel Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Sophia planned to open a bank account. Though she wanted to send the entire Chandler family to hell, that didn’t mean she couldn’t mess with Heather or spend the family’s money–it was her right.

After leaving the bank, Sophia crossed the street, grabbed a coffee, and treated herself to a slice of cake. She sat there, looking relaxed, almost carefree.

Sipping her coffee, she shared her bank account details with Heather. But Heather didn’t respond, acting like nothing had happened.

A notification suddenly lit up Sophia’s phone–something about her. Just as she was about to tap it, she caught two girls at the next table talking in hushed tones.

One of them exclaimed, “1,574 points? Oh my gosh, that’s amazing! My mom said if I hit 1,300 on the SAT, she’d hang a banner in the neighborhood and throw a huge family party.

“I couldn’t even dream of getting 1,574 points. How could someone who’s supposedly a total slacker score that high? Just because I haven’t taken the SAT doesn’t mean I’m clueless, okay?

“Isn’t this your favorite celebrity? Sure, he’s handsome, but the way he talks is so annoying and snarky. Even his mom is annoying–she didn’t even know her daughter was taking the SAT but still has the nerve to brag.”

The other girl snapped, “Howard isn’t like that at all. How dare you talk about him that way? Sophia’s definitely the real problem here. Howard can do no wrong. Keep talking trash about him, and we’re done–friendship over.”

Sophia glanced over and spotted two high school girls–one with a pixie cut and bangs, looking baby–faced, and the other with long hair and a sharp jawline. The girl with the sharp jawline was clearly Howard’s biggest

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fan.

Yvonne Webster, the baby–faced girl, rolled her eyes. “Seriously? You’re going to bat for a guy who’s basically a zero?”

“Keep it up, and we’re done!” Ingrid Williams, the girl with the sharp jawline, looked annoyed.

Yvonne got upset too and blurted out, “Fine! Then pay back the money I lent you last month and the month before.”

“Whatever, I’ll pay you back. Like I even care,” Ingrid snapped and stormed off right away.

Yvonne sat there looking completely dejected. Her head hung low, like she couldn’t believe her bestie would dump her over some celebrity drama.

Sophia hadn’t planned to get involved, but she recognized Ingrid. This girl was a total Howard stalker–the type who’d completely lose her mind over him.

During her first circle, Sophia had wanted revenge on Yvette and the Chandler family. After causing some trouble for Yvette, she had been attacked by one of Howard’s psycho fans–Ingrid, who’d thrown acid on her.

Sophia rolled her eyes and muttered, “Seriously? Of all the cafes in this city, I run into her?”

After finishing her cake and coffee, Sophia noticed Yvonne still hadn’t left -her eyes kept darting toward the door, like she was hoping Ingrid might walk back in.

Sophia walked over and tapped lightly on Yvonne’s table. Startled, Yvonne looked up with a puzzled expression.

Sophia smiled, “Young lady, be careful about who you make friends with, or it could cost you your life.” With that, she turned and walked away.

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During her second go–round, after Ingrid’s acid attack, Sophia had learned something shocking: this Howard–obsessed psycho had once caused her friend’s death in a car accident.

Sophia wasn’t sure if that friend had been Yvonne, but it didn’t matter. She had said her piece, and it was up to Yvonne to decide whether to take it seriously. Just another good deed,‘ Sophia thought. ‘After all, I’m basically

a saint.‘

*****

Howard’s sports car rolled up to the high–end club. The moment he stepped into a private room, a crowd gathered around him, chattering

away.

“You’re late, Howard. You owe us three drinks as punishment.”

“Dude, I heard Sophia scored the top among STEM students. How come you never mentioned her before? Were you hiding her like some secret treasure?”

“Even if I added up every test score I’ve ever taken, I still wouldn’t hit 1,574 points. She’s a total genius!”

“A genius? She’s basically a study legend. Except for Literature, she crushed every subject with perfect scores. How can anyone achieve that?”

Howard, who had just downed three drinks, felt irritation build. “Are you done yet? What’s there to talk about? Just drink, or I’m leaving,”

Everyone in the room came from money. Some were totally annoyed by Howard’s comments but kept their cool, not wanting to stir up drama.

Howard slammed another drink, downing it in one shot. ‘Sophia, again? Everywhere I go, it’s her name. I’m so over this,‘ he thought, his anger bubbling just under the skin.

Seeing his reaction, one friend stepped in, intentionally provoking him.

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