Chapter 1

My brother is in medical school. When my roommate collapsed during freshman orientation, he gave her first aid.

I never imagined that the moment she came to, she'd accuse him of molesting her.

She wept and cried, "I don't want to live anymore. My honor is gone."

Then she lunged at a tree like she meant to kill herself, and a girl scrambled to stop her.

My brother rushed to explain. "I was saving your life!"

But she said, "You undid my bra clasp and you still say you didn't grope me!"

The girl holding her back reached into her clothes, and her face changed.

After that, the way everyone looked at my brother turned to something else entirely.

In the end, my brother had no way to clear his name. Crushed and hopeless, he jumped from a high building to prove his innocence.

And my roommate, praised for bravely fighting off harassment, became the school's celebrated feminist heroine and even won a guaranteed spot in grad school.

After my brother died, drowning in regret, I dragged myself to her door to demand the truth.

She only smirked at me and said,

"So what if I faked passing out and framed your brother? Your family's rich. I was going to make him marry me."

"I just didn't think he'd be dense enough to go and kill himself."

"But I got my grad school spot, so I didn't come out of it empty-handed."

Rage blacked out my vision. When I opened my eyes again,

I was back at the moment before my roommate ever fainted during boot camp, the day my brother came to visit me.

This time, I made a call first.

"Hi, is this the campus doctor?"

...

The second I hung up with the campus doctor, I dialed my brother, John Mason.

"John, don't come over. Wait for me at the gazebo by the front gate. I'll come to you right now."

"Flora? What's wrong? I'm almost at the training field."

"Don't ask. Just do what I say."

I didn't give him the chance to press me. I hung up.

Almost the same instant, a wave of shouts went up from the crowd behind me.

"Gail Butler fainted!"

Here it was.

The exact same moment, the exact same scene as my last life.

I stood there coldly, watching a knot of people flail around the fallen Gail Butler,

not a ripple in my chest.

"Flora, come quick and look. Gail's gone completely pale!"

My other roommate, May Cannon, shouted at me, panicked. When I didn't move,

she ran over, grabbed me hard, and stamped her foot in a frenzy.

"What are you standing there for? Gail's in trouble!"

Then something occurred to her and her eyes lit up.

"Right! Didn't you say yesterday your brother, the med student, was coming to see you today?"

"Is he here yet? Call him over, get him to give Gail first aid!"

I shook my head. "My brother isn't here yet."

May Cannon's face darkened at once.

"Flora Mason! What is that supposed to mean? You're not lying on purpose and letting her die, are you?"

"You and Gail have your little squabbles, sure, but this is life and death! How can you be this petty?"

The eyes of the students around me snapped to me, open with accusation.

Before I could argue back, a boy came hurrying over, pulling a tall figure along with him,

sweat pouring down his face as he yelled, "Move! I found a doctor!"

My heart jumped. I looked up, and it was my brother, John Mason.

The boy panted out his explanation.

"I was running to get the campus doctor and I ran right into this guy on the way."

"Asked him, and turns out he's from the medical school! Perfect timing, he can help!"

Every gaze locked onto my brother like they'd found their savior.

"Thank God! Hurry, save her!"

Just as my brother was about to set his things down and step forward to examine Gail Butler,

I bolted over and planted myself dead in front of him.

"No."

Everyone froze, my brother included.

He stared at me, stunned, his brow knitting tight.

"Flora, what are you doing? Saving her comes first!"

I met his baffled eyes, then turned to the shocked and accusing faces around me and said,

"My brother's still only a student. I'm afraid his skills aren't good enough."

"If he handles it wrong, he could make Gail's condition worse."

"Let's wait for the campus doctor. I already called. She said she'll be here soon."

I looked at my phone screen, at the campus doctor's reply, almost there, and felt a little steadier.

I knew Gail Butler was faking. She was in no danger at all. But the others didn't know that.

Sure enough, the second I finished, the whole crowd erupted.

"Flora Mason, are you insane? Your brother's a med student, he obviously knows more than any of us!"

"Exactly, every second counts right now, and you're actually standing in the way?"

May Cannon seized on it like she'd caught me red-handed.

"I knew it! You're deliberately letting her die!"

"You're just jealous that Gail's more popular than you! What a vicious heart you have!"

The drill instructor came over too, his face grim.

"Young lady, saving a life is everyone's duty. Your brother has the training. How can you stand in the way?"