Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Run, Let’s See How You Run
Ashley Shaw intuitively sensed the dangerous aura emanating from Warren Prescott and turned to run.
But Warren reached out with his long arm and pulled her back.
"Run, huh? I want to see how you run!"
He mercilessly pinched her waist in retaliation.
The pain and the grievances in her heart instantly made Ashley’s eyes moisten.
Her deer-like eyes were misty with tears, causing Warren to pause slightly.
Crying?
Isn’t she pretty tough?
Does she cry this easily?
He unconsciously let go, but still said harshly, "Ashley Shaw, you brought this on yourself. Why are you pretending to be pitiful now?"
Ashley raised her head, striving to keep her tears from falling.
"I’m not pretending to be pitiful! The pitiful one is Grandpa Prescott."
Warren squinted his eyes: "What do you mean? Trying to use Grandpa against me again?"
"Who used Grandpa Prescott against you? He’s in the hospital now, his life uncertain, yet you still have the heart to play billiards. Warren Prescott, sometimes I really wonder if you even count as a human!"
"What did you say?"
"Westcroft First Hospital, go if you want. I’ve delivered the message!"
Ashley finished speaking and turned to go downstairs.
If Warren didn’t go to see Grandpa, she would.
But the wind passed by her ears, and Warren rushed to the stairs before her.
Ashley paused slightly and then quickly chased after him.
The two left one after the other, leaving those present somewhat puzzled.
"Did Warren just let her off like that?"
"She seemed to mention something about a hospital just now."
"Whatever, that girl ruined Warren’s good mood. I’ll make sure she won’t have a good time tomorrow!"
...
Chasing quickly downstairs, Ashley saw Warren climb onto someone else’s motorcycle, and in just an instant, he sped away, his figure soon lost in the flow of traffic.
Ashley thought for a moment and decided to return to the Prescott Family first.
The hospital didn’t need her right now, but with the household staff in chaos, she figured she’d better go back to stabilize the situation.
It was peak traffic time, and it took twice the usual time to get to the Prescott Family.
As she entered quickly, she saw Grandpa Prescott eating at the dining table with Mrs. Prescott.
Grandpa Prescott? Was she seeing things?
She rubbed her eyes in surprise, finally confirming she wasn’t seeing things.
Grandpa Prescott was indeed eating, and his condition seemed no different from the morning.
Suddenly, Ashley remembered what happened at this time in her previous life.
Grandpa Prescott also went to the hospital but came back quickly.
It was just a typical rejection reaction, and the doctor prescribed a different medication for it, then he returned.
Back then, she hadn’t taken Ariana Grant to see the doctor and instead followed the ambulance to the hospital.
Because everything happened so quickly, she soon returned with Grandpa Prescott, and as a result, she completely forgot about the matter.
"Ashley, you’re back." Mrs. Chase quickly walked over and said in a low voice, "I couldn’t reach you on the phone. The minute you left, the old man came back. Said it wasn’t a big issue, seems I was overreacting. But that doctor, really, making the situation sound so serious, got me thinking..."
Mrs. Chase didn’t continue.
After all, it was inauspicious talk.
Ashley sighed with relief.
"It’s good that everything’s okay."
It seems her rebirth hadn’t caused any negative butterfly effects.
She was relieved.
The next moment, the sound of a speeding motorcycle echoed outside.
Soon, Warren rushed in from outside.
Ashley instinctively turned to see Warren giving her a meaningful, mocking glance.
Ashley felt as if a cold bucket of water had been poured over her, chilling her from head to toe.
Did he think she was lying?
"I..."
She instinctively wanted to explain, but Warren had already brushed past her and gone upstairs.
"Warren!"
Mrs. Prescott called after Warren, wanting to tell him the old man had gone to the hospital, but Warren was too swift, disappearing around the staircase corner in the blink of an eye.
"Don’t tell him. No need to worry the boy. Anyway, I’m fine now."
Grandpa Prescott said, inviting Ashley, "Ashley, come eat."
Ashley stiffly declined.
"No need, Grandpa Prescott. I already ate outside."
She drifted upstairs like a ghost but found herself standing at Warren’s bedroom door.
This feeling of being wronged was pretty awful.
She wanted to explain.
Yet, just as her hand rose to knock, it fell weakly.
What good would an explanation do?
She couldn’t change Warren’s disdain for her, just like in the previous life—no matter how hard she tried to please, she could never get a sincere smile from Warren.
She also... didn’t want to change anymore.
She was truly tired.
Let it be, let everything return to its place.
The two of them, just as parallel lines, was the best for each other.
Ashley mechanically turned and returned to her room.
That night, she no longer wept for Warren or the past; instead, she picked up her textbooks, working hard toward her brighter future.
Her future would no longer include Warren.
The next morning, Ashley looked in the mirror at the dark circles under her eyes before going downstairs.
Last night, she studied until two, yet felt no exhaustion.
If she hadn’t forced herself to sleep, she could have continued studying into the next day.
Only someone who has lived life twice knows how important it is to study hard.
At breakfast, only Mrs. Prescott was at the table.
Perhaps due to last night’s events, Grandpa Prescott didn’t get up at his usual time.
Without Grandpa, Mrs. Prescott naturally wouldn’t invite her to eat, treating her as if she were air.
Ashley had no intention of shamelessly sitting down to eat. She respectfully bid Mrs. Prescott good morning and left.
Toward this mother-in-law from her previous life, she no longer had any intention to curry favor.
Only after Ashley left did Mrs. Prescott speak: "Warren? Is he up yet?"
"The young master left early this morning."
"So early today?"
"Yes, we found it strange too. But the young master seemed to be in a bad mood."
Mrs. Prescott pursed her lips: "Suddenly having an extra sister, of course, he wouldn’t be in a good mood. Dad, I don’t know what he was thinking, knowing Warren doesn’t like that girl and still insisting on adopting her."
The complaints quieted as breakfast arrived.
...
The change occurred after Ashley arrived at school.
Before morning reading, she had breakfast with Ariana Grant in the cafeteria and then went to find her homeroom teacher.
"Teacher, I’ve thought through yesterday’s issue. I’m sure I want to switch to science."
The homeroom teacher looked her over.
"Ashley Shaw, haven’t you discussed this well with your family? Your guardians have rejected your request to switch to science."
"Guardians?"
Ashley was full of disbelief.
She had no guardians.
"Teacher, did you make a mistake?"
"No mistake, signed this morning. Take a look yourself."
Ashley followed the direction of the teacher’s lightly tapping finger.
At the bottom right corner of the "Application to Switch to Science" was a decisive signature.
"Warren Prescott."
Followed by two words: Not Allowed.
His handwriting matched his personality, bold and rebellious.
If Ashley hadn’t understood him through two lifetimes, she wouldn’t have recognized those words at a glance.
Her face flushed instantly, with anger.