She took a deep breath, then let out several huge sneezes right in Amelia Lane's direction.

"Achoo! Achoo!"

Elizabeth Wilson drew closer and closer, practically pressing up against Amelia

Lane as she sneezed, not holding back at all.

Amelia's face twisted with disgust; she stood there, frozen and stiff.

Elizabeth, flustered and panicked, grabbed the hem of Amelia's shirt and wiped her mouth and nose on it, not even realizing what she was doing.

When she looked up, she forced a sheepish grin. “Sorry, but—achoo—you just smell so―achoo—so strong, I really-achoo-couldn't help it."

Amelia yanked her shirt away, only to find a smear of sticky, unidentified gunk on the fabric. Her face went beet red with rage and disgust as she furiously flung the

stained piece of her shirt away.

Laughter burst out around them.

Amelia glanced at the crowd-everyone was covering their mouths and noses, even her own little entourage mimicked the movement, shooting her nervous glances as if afraid to catch something.

Her cheeks burned crimson, her chest heaving with angry breaths. She looked like she was about to explode.

Suddenly, she spun on her heel and stormed out of the crowd, nearly breaking into a run as she hurried away.

From a distance, Emily Blair watched as Amelia, mid-sprint, hesitated and suspiciously sniffed at her own sleeve, as if doubting whether she actually smelled.

More laughter rippled through the students clustered around Emily.

She couldn't help but smile herself, feeling a warmth spread through her chest.

She'd spent so long alone, always the outsider.

Now, looking back, she realized she was no longer on her own-she had people standing behind her.

And that was all thanks to Elizabeth Wilson.

In both her past and present lives, Elizabeth had done so much for her—far more than she could ever repay.

Sometimes she felt a pang of guilt for having "stolen" Elizabeth away from Andrew Lane, but mostly, she just felt lucky.

After evening study hall, Emily and Elizabeth were the first to dash out of the school gates. They hauled out their battered tricycle, fired up the portable stove, and got the oil sizzling.

Within minutes, word had gotten around. Students lined up at their little food stall, jostling to grab baskets and pick out their favorite skewers.

In the crowd, Emily even spotted a few teachers and school administrators waiting in line.

She recognized Ms. Carter, who gave her a gentle, encouraging smile.

"I'm first!" called out one of her classmates, handing over a basket stuffed with skewers. "Hurry up, I'm starving."

Elizabeth took the basket, sorting the skewers by type before dropping them into the bubbling oil. Within moments, the mouthwatering scent of crisping veggies and meat filled the air.

Soon, the racks were piled high with baskets, each marked with a student's name.

Emily manned the sauces and seasonings station, dipping the finished skewers and wrapping them up while Elizabeth kept frying. For a moment, she had time to look around.

A few classmates cast lingering glances her way—she could tell they were still wary of her, thanks to all the rumors.

"Isn't that Emily Blair? Why is she selling food with Elizabeth Wilson? Didn't the Lane family take her in?"

“Don't you remember? They kicked her out. Now she's broke and has to hustle street food just to get by."

Their whispers reached Emily's ears, but she stayed silent, calmly handing over a wrapped bundle of skewers. “That'll be twenty-three dollars—pay by card, please.”

"Tch, and here I thought Emily Blair was some rich little princess. Look at her now, selling skewers on the street. Don't forget all the stuff she did before-how stuck-up she was."

The chatter died down. Even the students picking out their skewers seemed to hesitate.

All at once, one student stepped forward. "What stuff? It's all just rumors. You lot love gossip, but you never have any proof."

Once someone spoke up, others followed.

"Yeah, what's so wrong with selling food? At least she's making her own money. If you think it's so easy, go set up your own stand. Let's see how far you get."

One after another, more students joined in, until those few detractors slunk away, leaving the others to focus on picking their skewers and lining up in an orderly queue.

Emily looked up and noticed that the first girl to speak out was the same one who'd accidentally bumped Andrew Lane's car at the school gate.

She was holding a basket overflowing with skewers, and not far away, her mom waited on a scooter. When she caught Emily's gaze, she gave her a friendly nod.