Repentance 15

Chapter 15 

She kept her head down, quietly finishing her meal. No outbursts, no attitude, no drama. 

Because none of it mattered to her anymore. 

Once she was done, she stood and said calmly, “I’m finished. Enjoy the rest of your meal.” 

If she didn’t say anything, they’d probably accuse her of being rude again. 

Jeremy looked up. He noticed something different–Sadie wasn’t sulking or throwing jealous looks like before. She seemed distant. Detached. 

His tone softened. “Sadie, are you really not joining the team? You’ve got real talent. If we all work together, we can win the championship.” 

‘Sadie–this is me giving you a way back in,‘ he thought. 

When Sadie heard the words “as a family,” all she felt was how laughably absurd they sounded. 

She used to believe that too – in her previous life. 

But on the eve of the championship, she was replaced by Lorena. 

‘What kind of ‘family‘ does that to you?’ 

Without hesitation, Sadie replied, “I’m not joining the team. I want to focus on studying and preparing for my exams.” 

Rhett gave her a cold, sarcastic smile. “Funny. Back when you were begging me to teach you how to play, chasing me around every night to 

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Chapter 15 

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train, swearing you wanted to be a core player–studying didn’t seem to matter much then.” 

Her chest tightened slightly. 

The only reason she’d clung to gaming back then was to build a better relationship with Rhett–to have something in common with him. 

But now? She didn’t see the point. 

“I wasted too much time on gaming,” she replied calmly. “My grades dropped a lot on the last exam, so I don’t want to keep falling behind.” 

Rhett was momentarily speechless. 

“Fine,” he muttered. “Just don’t come crying when you regret it. Once the competition begins, all the attention will be on Lorena. Everyone will think she’s the true daughter of the Douglas family.” 

If Sadie couldn’t see the opportunity in front of her, then forget it. He didn’t care anymore. 

“That works for me,” Sadie said plainly. 

She didn’t see any point in continuing the conversation. She turned and walked out of the dining room. 

Back in her room, she pulled herself together and got back to work, focusing on her homework and brushing up on all the topics she’d fallen behind on. 

***** 

The next day, after school- 

Sadie and Lorena walked out of the school gates, one after the other. Their driver was already waiting by the curb. 

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Standing in front of the car, Lorena said sweetly, “Oh. I forgot to mention–I’ve got training today. The driver’s taking me first, so looks like we’re not headed the same way.” 

The driver spoke up stiffly. “Ms. Douglas, Rhett called earlier. I’ve been told to take Ms. Houston to her training camp first. We can’t afford to be late.” 

Sadie didn’t even blink. “I’ll grab a cab.” 

Lorena got into the car, her voice laced with faux concern and barely contained glee. “Sadie. I’ll talk to Rhett later, see if I can smooth things over.” 

Sadie didn’t bother responding. She just turned and walked off, leaving nothing but the back of her head for Lorena to stare at. 

Lorena watched her go, biting her lip hard. She thought, ‘Sadie, just wait. One day, I’ll take everything from you. This is what you owe me.‘ 

Sadie stood by the side of the road, feeling aimless. Honestly, she didn’t even want to go home. 

Maybe I’ll find a quiet study space near school.’ 

Then a voice interrupted her thoughts. “Kid, school’s over. Why are you just loitering around here?” 

Sadie turned around to see a strikingly handsome man. She blinked in surprise–and finally recognized him. 

It was the sharp–tongued school doctor. 

He usually wore a white coat and a mask. Now dressed casually, she barely recognized him. 

Sean stood in front of her, arms crossed. “I asked you a question.” 

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