Chapter 2

"Amelia, the contract for the extreme pepper tasting in Mexico has been sent to your email. Do you want to sign it now?"

My agent Sarah’s voice over the phone was filled with hesitation.

The Carolina Reaper. Its heat index exceeds 1.5 million SHU. Just touching its juice can blister your skin.

A normal person would be in tears just smelling it, let alone eating it.

I stared at the bolded waiver clause on the screen.

*The signee assumes all responsibility for any physical injuries caused during the tasting.*

I tapped "Confirm."

Departure in three days.

The lingering taste of pure bile was still in my mouth—the result of the raw dandelion greens Chloe had started chewing on this morning.

In my past life, on this exact day, I was still completely in the dark, thinking I had contracted some bizarre disease.

I had run to three different hospitals and done full-body scans, only for all the results to come back perfectly normal.

On the drive back, Ethan had glanced at me with nothing but annoyance, telling me to "stop making a scene over nothing."

My phone screen lit up. It was a Snapchat message from Chloe.

"Amelia! I’m starting my 'extreme bitter challenge' livestream today. Will you come and show some love? 😘❤️"

In my last life, I actually went. I left a bunch of supportive comments.

Then I took a sip of plain water at home and gagged from the intense bitterness.

I didn't reply. I tossed the phone onto the sofa.

The front door clicked open. Ethan walked in, holding two cups of boba.

"Hey babe, I got you your favorite mango pomelo sago."

He smiled warmly, his eyes curving into two handsome crescents.

I used to fall for that smile every single time.

Now, it just made me sick.

I took the drink and took a sip.

The moment the sweet liquid hit my tongue, it turned into an overwhelming, toxic bitterness.

It tasted like someone had emptied a bottle of concentrated liquid medicine down my throat.

My stomach spasmed violently.

But I kept my face completely blank and set the cup down.

Compared to the agony of dying from bitterness in my past life, this was nothing.

"Why aren't you drinking?" Ethan leaned in, his voice dripping with concern.

"Don't want it."

"Are you feeling sick again? I told you, stop staring at your phone so much. The blue light is messing with your head."

His care was flawless. Every word was perfectly placed.

So perfectly placed it felt rehearsed.

I looked at him and said flatly, "I signed a contract. I’m going to Mexico in three days."

Ethan froze.

"What are you going to Mexico for?"

"A livestream. Eating hot peppers."

The smile on his face cracked.

"Are you kidding me? You can't even handle medium salsa at Chipotle. What kind of peppers are you going to eat?"

"Carolina Reapers."

He slammed his boba cup onto the table, splashing liquid everywhere.

"Amelia, have you lost your mind?"

He never called me by my full name unless he was genuinely angry.

I tilted my head. "Didn't you say I was too spoiled? I'm just building some resilience."

Ethan took a deep breath, trying to suppress his anger.

"Are you throwing a tantrum? Just because of what I said the other day?"

"No."

"Then stay home and stop making trouble. Chloe is under a lot of pressure right now. She’s drowning in debt and relying entirely on her streams to survive. Don't add to the drama."

I almost laughed out loud.

Add to the drama?

In my past life, I stayed quiet. I couldn't eat a single bite of food. My mouth was full of ulcers, and my tongue was so swollen I couldn't speak.

He called me dramatic.

Chloe said I was putting on a show.

In the end, I quietly died in my bed, and nobody even came to collect my body.

"Ethan, have you ever thought about something?"

I stared into his eyes, pronouncing every word clearly.

"What if every bit of bitterness Chloe is supposedly eating... is actually being felt by me instead?"

The room went dead silent for three seconds.

Then, Ethan let out a soft, pitying laugh, as if looking at a lunatic.

"Babe, is the stress getting to you? Maybe I should book you an appointment with a therapist."

Right then, my phone rang.

It was a FaceTime call from Chloe.

Ethan glanced at the screen, swiped to answer, and his voice instantly softened by three octaves.

"Hey, Chloe. What's up?"

"Ethan! My first stream went so well! I ate three raw aloe leaves, and the chat was calling me so brave!"

On the screen, Chloe was smiling brightly, green aloe slime still smudged on her lips.

Meanwhile, the back of my throat was completely numb, and a wave of nausea washed over me from the phantom bitterness.

Ethan didn't even look at me.

"That's amazing, Chloe. I knew you could do it."

Chloe’s eyes shifted past Ethan’s shoulder, landing on me.

"Oh, Amelia is there too! Amelia, you look so pale. Are you sick? You really need to take care of yourself."

Her tone was sickeningly sweet, but her eyes were dripping with triumph.

I curled my lips at the screen.

"I'm fine. It's probably just the smell of your raw aloe. It’s so strong I can smell it right through the screen."

Chloe’s smile stiffened for a fraction of a second.

But she recovered quickly.

"Amelia, you’re always so funny."

She hung up.

Ethan turned around, his brows furrowed in deep annoyance.

"What was that about? Chloe is literally working herself to the bone to pay off her debts. Why do you have to be so passive-aggressive?"

"I didn't mean anything by it."

I stood up and walked toward the bedroom. As I passed him, I paused.

"By the way, I’m not changing my mind about Mexico. If you try to stop me, I'll pack my bags and move out today."

The gentle facade on Ethan's face finally shattered.

He clenched his phone so hard his knuckles turned white.

"Amelia, you’ve changed."

I shut the bedroom door.

Through the thin wood, I heard him make a call.

"Chloe... Amelia says she’s going to Mexico to eat Carolina Reapers... Yeah, the super hot ones... What should I do?"

I couldn't hear Chloe's reply clearly, but I knew her tone all too well.

In my last life, she had used that exact same tone to tell Ethan:

"Ethan, Amelia is just too high-maintenance. Don't baby her."

The hallway fell silent.

Then, Ethan’s footsteps faded away.

I lay on the bed, staring at the ceiling.

The bitter taste in my mouth finally faded slightly.

The email confirmation for my flight and contract lay quietly in my inbox.

Three days.

I only had to endure three more days.

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