hapter 7 Chapter 7 288 Vouchers Time slipped by in the blink of an eye . Under the Benton family's relentless guidance , I blossomed into someone exceptional . My name began appearing on the school's honor roll , and occasionally , right alongside Derek's , even though he was in a higher grade . Heather , once the brilliant top student in my past life , now spent her days having fun and never once made the list . Dewitt , who'd been a slacker in our previous life , showed no signs of improvement this time around either . The Bentons and the Fletchers had never been especially close . In this life , it seemed Dewitt and I were destined to drift apart , our paths never crossing . Still , every now and then , when I checked the results board , I would catch sight of Dewitt standing at the back of the crowd , watching me with an expression I couldn't quite read . " Dewitt , what are you looking at ? Our names aren't up there , " Heather asked , her voice laced with confusion . " Nothing , " he muttered . By the time I glanced back , Dewitt had already tugged Heather away . Soon , I turned eighteen . This was the year I'd take the SAT . Derek had been invited abroad to study three years earlier and was still overseas , pursuing his degree . On the day of the SAT , despite my protests , Derek dropped everything and caught a red - eye flight just to be there for me . " Nothing's more important than you , " he insisted . There was no winning against that kind of stubbornness , so I gave in . After the final test , I stepped out of the school , exhausted but relieved . From a distance , I spotted Derek leaning against the car , dressed in sleek black casuals , his striking presence drawing every eye around him . My hope of keeping a low profile was shattered instantly . Wherever Derek went , he was a magnet for attention . 0.0 % 15:08 Chapter 7 Gone was the boy mocked as a mute . Now , he radiated an effortless nobility , the kind that could steal the breath of any starry - eyed girl . I hurried over , nudging him . " Derek , let's get out of here . " He looked puzzled but took my bag without complaint . " I came all this way to pick you up , and you're not even a little happy ? " dn't want to draw any more attention and quickly nudged him toward the car . " It's not that . We promised to meet our friends , remember ? " They'll be annoyed if we're late . " We'd planned a get - together with childhood friends to celebrate Derek's return and the end of my SATS . After the party , someone suggested hitting the racetrack for a few laps . With nothing else on our plates , Derek and I tagged along . 288 Vouchers At the track , a small - scale amateur race was in full swing . " Who's the winner ? " one of our friends gasped , staring at the leaderboard . " Wait ... the winner's Dewitt ? He's back in the country ? And racing ? " The group buzzed with speculation . Dewitt had never been a standout student , and like Derek , he'd also skipped the SAT . However , he was heading abroad just to coast through a degree . Still , as heir to the Fletcher Group , his name was known . All eyes shifted to him as a flashy red racecar roared across the finish line . Dewitt stepped out , squinting into the crowd's cheers , soaking up the spotlight . Years had sharpened him , stripping away his boyish edges. He was starting to resemble the Dewitt I'd known so well in our past life . From the stands , a girl in a flowing dress sprinted toward him , throwing her arms around him and planting a kiss on his cheek . " Witt , you're amazing ! " Their chemistry was unmistakable . In our past life , as the Fletchers ' foster daughter , my relationship with Dewitt had faced endless obstacles . 30.7 % 15:08 Chapter 7 This time , Dewitt had swayed his parents , and Heather wasn't labeled a foster daughter . Officially , she was just a far- ily friend's daughter staying with them . I sneered at the thought . He'd clearly gone to great lengths for the girl he loved . The sight of this glamorous couple sent the crowd into a frenzy . One of our friends clicked their tongue . " Looks like the Fletchers own this place today . " " Let's bounce and find somewhere else to hang , " someone suggested . We were about to leave when commotion erupted ahead . Dewitt , hand - in - hand with Heather , was being escorted through a crowd and coming straight toward us . Our groups collided unexpectedly . Dewitt's gaze cut through the crowd , landing on me , a flicker of awe passing through his eyes . He froze for a split second before abruptly letting go of Heather's hand almost instantly . " Dewitt ? " Heather's voice carried a hint of annoyance as she shot me a glare . " Eunice , what are you doing here ? " she demanded , sizing me up . Her sudden hostility caught me off guard . I opened my mouth to ask why , but she barreled on . " Don't tell me ... you came because you heard Witt was back and wanted to watch him race . " Dewitt's expression shifted subtly at her words . His casual glance swept over me , as if he genuinely believed I'd shown up to chase after him . I was speechless . Did they think I had nothing better to do ? Derek's brow furrowed . He stepped forward , his tall frame shielding me completely . Dewitt's eyes darkened at the sight . After a beat , he said coolly , " Eunice , Heather's just blunt . Don't take it personally . " 61.7 % 15:08 Chapter 7 " Dewitt ! " 288 ¡ Vouchers Heather stomped her foot , indignant . " Why are you being so nice to her ? Who knows if she's following us on pur- pose ? " " Enough , Heather , " Dewitt cut her off softly , but his gaze kept drifting toward me . " Even if she is , there's no need to ruin her reputation , " he added . His gaze caught mine , a flicker of astonishment dancing in his eyes . Years had passed , and I'd changed too . The Benton family had shaped me into someone poised and refined , a far cry from Heather's small - town charm . " Mr. Fletcher , keep your little princess in check . She doesn't need to snap at everyone ! " One of our friends scoffed .