Rejecting the Reborn Psycho

I stared coldly at the holographic text suddenly projecting in midair.

The bizarre words scrolled furiously like internet trolls, cursing me as the vicious villain trying to tear true love apart.

My childhood best friend—the valedictorian—was right in the middle of altering his Ivy League college application.

He didn't hesitate to throw away his bright future for a chainsmoking, fistfighting trailer park girl.

The floating text spammed the space, cheering that this was intoxicating true love. I slowly pulled back the hand I had raised to stop him.

Chapter 1 My chest tightened, a sharp cramp digging into my ribs.

No one knew better than I did exactly what Tristan sacrificed to land that fullride scholarship to a top Ivy League.

He showed off on the football field during the day, clinching the state championship while maintaining a flawless 4.0 GPA.

But I was the only one who knew how many allnighters he pulled to keep up that genius persona. There were no free valedictorian titles, only grueling sweat.

I had no idea if the sudden holographic text was real. But I knew his three years of relentless grind were genuine.

As his neighbor and classmate, I felt obligated to point it out. "Tristan, your college application was changed." The moment the words left my mouth, the text exploded. [Holy shit, didn't the mods set this to villainonly visibility?

Why is she still sticking her nose where it doesn't belong?] [Last timeline, her meddling kept our Piper and Tristan apart for five whole years. Five fucking years!] [So annoying.

Have some shame, villain!] Tristan’s jaw ticked, his gaze darting away. "Impossible." We grew up together, riding the same bus through elementary, middle, and high school.

I knew exactly what his lying looked like. Ice water flooded my veins. I refused to drop it. "Are you sure?" The bathroom door slammed open.

Piper leaned against the frame, chewing gum and blowing a bubble in pure provocation. "Wow! Tristan, you even need Sutton to audit your college apps?

What, is she your new controlfreak mommy? Your little 'mommy's boy' game is sick." The text scrolled frantically: [My heart breaks for Piper.

She doesn't even get jealous seeing them talk.

That's real main character energy!] [Ahhh if this stupid bitch says one more word I'm hexing her.] [Chill, she doesn't know Tristan got reborn too.

This time he'll never give up Piper for some worthless grades!] Just like the text predicted. Tristan’s shoulders shot up, a muscle feathering in his cheek.

He strode to the front door and yanked it open, his eyes flashing with raw impatience. "Sutton, if you want to play controlfreak mommy, you need to see if I’m willing to play along.

Stop interfering with my life." "I'm eighteen. I can handle my own life. Get out." Admittedly, I hadn't experienced this "rebirth" the floating words talked about.

I couldn't fathom what was going through his head. I only felt the waste of his future. As I brushed past him, his lips curved into a firm, gentle smile.

He patted my head, just like he always did. "I'm sorry. Just let me be brave this one time." [What are you sorry for, Tristan?

The only one you owe an apology to is Piper!] [Did you forget the five years you lost last time because of Sutton's meddling?] [Manipulative bitch! Playing for sympathy!

Begone, trash!!] There were eight days left until the application deadline.

I didn't bother Tristan for those eight days, just hoping he'd snap back to the sharp focus he had during finals. The more I thought about it, the more annoyed I got.

I decided to head downstairs and grab some ice cream to cool off.

Instead, I ran straight into Carol, who was sipping afternoon tea and gossiping with the neighborhood housewives in the community garden.

The floating text panicked faster than I did. [Is she going to snitch? Damn it, so evil!

Since she can't change his mind, she's trying to pressure his mom!] [Don't fall for it, motherinlaw! Piper is going to give you eight chubby grandsons!] [Stop pretending, Sutton!

I know you can see these comments! Don't you dare snitch!] Honestly, the text was giving me too much credit. I always knew my boundaries.

If Tristan wanted to hide this from his mother, I definitely wasn't going to play the villain and spill his secret.

Chapter 2 Walking up to the convenience store freezer, I grabbed two expensive pints of HäagenDazs and tossed them directly onto the checkout counter.

Carol saw the ice cream in my hands and smoothly snatched one away. "Buying two? One for you and one for Tristan, right? Such a sweet girl." "But… you're both older now.

You need to start learning some boundaries." I froze, my brain failing to process the sudden shift.

Tristan's dad passed away when he was young, and Carol had practically killed herself raising him alone.

When she first moved into our neighborhood, my parents constantly invited them over for dinner to look out for the new neighbors. She used to treat me like a second daughter.

Whenever she scored clearance snacks at the supermarket, she’d give them all to me. Every morning before school, she’d remind Tristan to take good care of his little sister.

When someone kind suddenly flashes a streak of malice, it really makes you wonder if you're just overthinking it.

Carol gave a stiff, awkward smile. "Sutton, you're a grown woman now. You can't just casually wander into our house like you used to.

It's bad for your reputation, you know?" A gentle reminder. A sudden wave of nausea flipped my stomach. The floating text cheered with glee: [Hahahahaha did you hear that, villain?

She's calling you out!] [Look at her test scores.

Does she really think she deserves the valedictorian?] [Tristan’s destined matches are either billionaire CEO daughters or literal supergeniuses. What the hell is Sutton?

Just a desperate pickme trying to kiss his mom’s ass!] I took a halfstep back, keeping my spine perfectly straight. "Understood, Carol." Carol finally exhaled, visibly relieved. "When I told Tristan to look after you before, it was because I saw you as a second daughter.

Don't go getting the wrong idea." "My Tristan doesn't fish off the company pier. As for a future daughterinlaw, I have my own standards.

You're great, Sutton, but for my Tristan… you just don't make the cut." That was my absolute limit.

I snatched the pint back out of her hand. "Carol, I bought both of these pints for myself." Carol’s smile froze, trapped halfway between pleasant and offended.

She stood rooted to the spot in sheer awkwardness.

As I walked away, I could vaguely hear her complaining over the clatter of her friends' afternoon teacups: "Talk back once, she snaps back ten times.

She'll never get a husband like that." "I don't even know what she's so smug about. Her grades are nowhere near my Tristan's.

They always say girls peak in high school while boys keep rising.

She still doesn't believe it." … Back home, the silence in the living room felt colder than the melting ice cream in my hand.

Maybe this was just the price of growing up—accepting that the people around you could swap their faces overnight.

The next day, the Prom King called to invite me to his insane graduation party. "The whole senior class is coming. You have to be there.

We've got a surprise for you!" When it was time, I pushed open the heavy double doors to the venue.

My lab partner instantly hooked her arm through mine, teasing, "Where's your better half? Why didn't he come with you?" "So, what's the plan for the valedictorian's girlfriend?

Harvard or Yale?

Go to Yale and be rivals, or Harvard and play the power couple?" The floating text was a synchronized wall of: [Shameless bitch] I opened my mouth to explain, but the Prom King suddenly yelled over the crowd, "Get ready!" The lights cut out, plunging the entire room into darkness.

A second later, strobe lights began flashing in a neon frenzy. Everyone pulled out party poppers. As the front door swung open and Tristan walked in—Bang!

An explosion of confetti completely buried the floating text. "Get together! Get together!

Get together!" Right on cue, the DJ cut the music, and a massive custom laser projection flashed across the main screen: [CHEERS TO SUTTON & TRISTAN — FOREVER IN LOVE].

A thick, suffocating silence crashed between Tristan and me. Right at that moment, Piper popped her head out from behind him, her arm tightly wrapped around Tristan's bicep. "Wow!

Tristan, are you confessing your love to Sutton tonight?" Chapter 3 "If you're going to confess your love, this little hype squad isn't enough, right?

Good thing a bunch of my friends showed up too. How's that for thoughtful?" [My heart breaks for Piper. She's trying so hard to be strong.] The cheering vanished instantly.

The entire senior class stared dumbfounded at Tristan and Piper's intertwined hands. Even an idiot could tell something was severely wrong.

My lab partner was the first to snap, stepping up for me. "Tristan, what the hell is this?" The Prom King's face darkened. "Bro, didn't you say you had good news to announce?

This is your good news?" Tristan took a deep breath, stiffening his jaw as he stepped forward. "Guys, what I wanted to tell you tonight is… Piper and I are together." The holographic screen flooded with red hearts: [Ahhhhh this kind of boyfriend energy is everything!] [The louder they cheered, the harder the slap in the face.] [Hahaha give us more of this!

I could watch this all day!] The loud party instantly went dead silent, everyone staring at them like they were idiots.

The heavy stares from fifty classmates felt like lead weights pressing into my spine. Finally, the party host awkwardly smoothed things over, telling everyone to keep drinking.

A perfectly good toptier graduation bash was instantly dragged down by this bunch of street punks reeking of cheap perfume.

The party host sneered, mercilessly calling him out: "Bro, is your brain fried?

Freshman year, these were the exact same trash who pinned you against the school lockers to extort protection money." Tristan crossed his legs, feigning a mature composure. "I'm grateful for that experience.

I'll drink to that." Barely anyone responded. Unfazed, he downed his cup in one gulp. My lab partner let out an icy laugh.

She slammed her red plastic cup hard onto the table, liquor splashing everywhere.

Pointing a finger directly at Tristan's nose, she cursed: "You're not just blind, you're an ungrateful bastard!

Take your trashy little girlfriend and get the hell out of our party!" The moment the words left her mouth, the entire AP senior class stood up in unison. "To Sutton!" I stood up, raising my own cup. "Thank you, guys.

It's been an honor surviving high school with you all.

May we all reach the absolute top." Just as everyone sat down, a sharp snort echoed from the corner. "Oops, sorry, didn't mean to laugh out loud.

It's just that the world of straightA nerds is so different from ours. In our school, this kind of behavior is called being a desperate pickme." "And you're all 'cheering' her?

Are you guys stupid or what? Hahahaha…" Piper laughed so hard she practically collapsed against Tristan's chest.

The text scrolled with mocking vitriol: [Selfrespect has nothing to do with grades. These AP seniors are worse than community college dropouts.] [I'm so mad!

A bunch of nerds bullying our Piper! People like this become the scum of society!] [Tristan, say something!

Why are you letting Piper fight your battles?] A second later, Tristan finally moved. "You can't force feelings." "If you guys are saying all this to guilttrip me, I only have three words for you.

Not gonna happen." Before my lab partner could explode, I cut in smoothly. "You're overthinking it.

If any other classmate was getting jumped, I'd step in too." "Helping out was just basic decency, and sharing notes is what classmates do.

The knowledge wasn't wasted." Chapter 4 Tristan stared blankly for a long moment. "But you clearly did all that for me…" I cut him off. "Stop flattering yourself.

If we're talking about guilt trips, we have to mention you ditching AP Chemistry and getting our entire lab group hit with detention and docked credits." Tristan's face darkened, his jaw clamping shut.

I smiled, counting the heads around the table. "I didn't expect you to bring a whole entourage tonight.

We need to split the bill." "The food's getting cold, guys, don't just sit there. Eat up!" For the rest of the dinner, the only sound in the room was the clatter of silverware.

After everyone had eaten and drank their fill, Tristan turned to me with his usual protective routine. "Don't wander off. I'll take you home." I shut him down instantly. "No thanks.

I'll get an Uber." I called a ride to leave early, but surprisingly ran straight into Tristan at the entrance of our neighborhood. We walked side by side in absolute silence.

The moonlight stretched our shadows long and thin on the pavement. He kept parting his lips as if wanting to say something, but swallowed the words back down.

I quickened my pace, having zero desire to entertain him. I didn't expect to bump right into Carol at the bottom of my driveway.

The moment she saw me, a look of pure, venomous resentment twisted her features.

It was as if I had physically stolen her son. "Stop right there!" "Sutton, did I or did I not tell you to keep your boundaries with my Tristan?!

Why did you drag him out to party again? Look at him, reeking of alcohol!

People who know you might think you're AP seniors, but anyone else would think you're just some trashy street punks!" The neighbors enjoying the evening breeze on their porches immediately gathered around.

Having lived here for years, everyone knew exactly what kind of person I was. They quickly tried to smooth things over. "Carol, isn't this just a misunderstanding?

Don't be so hard on the kids." Carol's face shifted instantly.

She collapsed onto the pavement, slapping her thigh in an exaggerated display of grief. "Everyone, be the judge!" "I raised Tristan all by myself, cleaning up his messes, barely scraping by to get him to become the valedictorian.

He's going to contribute to society!" "But Sutton? It's bad enough she throws herself at him constantly, but now she's dragging my son out to get wasted!

What if he gets addicted to gambling? What am I supposed to do then?!" My chest heaved, my fingernails digging so hard into my palms they almost broke the skin.

For the first time, I felt the raw, suffocating malice of human nature up close. "I'm not dating him! Tonight was our senior class graduation party.

If you don't believe me, ask Tristan." Tristan flushed red, grinding his teeth before finally speaking up. "Mom, stop it.

The whole neighborhood is watching." That only threw gasoline on the fire.

She ripped a highly revealing, cheap neonpink lace thong out of her knockoff Chanel bag, waving it in the air: "Not dating?! Then what the hell is this slutty garbage?!" "Come on!

Everyone, look! This is the 'good daughter' the Sutton family raised!

A sweet little girl in public, and a complete slut behind closed doors!" The neighbors gasped in sheer disbelief. "No way… Kids these days are wild." "Barely legal, let's hope she doesn't end up pregnant." "I don't know how her dad raised her.

If she were my daughter, I'd slap her twice across the face to see if she still dared to be so shameless!" In a split second, it hit me.

That piece of trash was obviously Piper and Tristan's leftover battlefield gear. I stared at Tristan in pure disbelief.

But he just pressed his lips into a tight line, looking at me with pleading eyes. I knew that exact look. Sophomore year, Tristan secretly bought a secondhand gaming console.

His severely controlling mother banned him from touching any electronics, so he hid it in my locker.

One day after school, his mom stormed right onto campus and stomped the console to pieces in front of half the school. Chapter 5 "Sutton, I'm warning you!

If you ever let Tristan touch that gaming console again and get him addicted to screens, I will personally ruin you!" My parents didn't believe her and asked if the console was mine.

Tristan cowered behind his mother, shooting me a pathetic, pleading look. In that split second, I got hit with a massive wave of savior complex and stupid teenage loyalty.

I thought Tristan was so pathetic, trapped under a mother who wouldn't even let him touch a controller. As his best friend, how could I not take the fall?

The moment I claimed the console was mine, I actually felt like a hero. But the very next day, I paid the price for playing the martyr.

I was laughing with my friends on the morning school bus.

Carol materialized out of nowhere, putting on a sickeningly desperate voice right in front of everyone. "Sutton, I'm begging you, please don't ruin my Tristan. He's my only hope.

I'll get on my knees if I have to!

Don't drag him down, don't let him touch that console." That was the exact moment I learned that taking the blame for someone else comes with a bloody price tag.

My price was total public humiliation in front of a packed bus. Luckily, they were just kids from my school, not my actual classes. And Tristan?

He never even apologized for his mother's psycho stunt. Now, that exact same pathetic, pleading gaze landed on me again. But I wasn't going to make the same idiotic mistake twice.

I straightened my spine, facing the circle of whispering neighbors, and projected my voice. "That thong is not mine!" Tristan's eyes snapped from pleading to pure, defensive fury.

He pulled Piper behind him, dead set on making me the scapegoat. "Mom, drop it! So what if I'm dating Sutton?" The floating text scrolled in agonizing heartbreak: [Poor Tristan!

To protect our Piper, he actually admitted to dating the villain.] [Just drag your mom home! Why let the villain get what she wants?] [Even knowing it's fake, my heart still hurts.

The villain is probably laughing her ass off inside.] Oh, I was laughing alright. My hands shook as my blood ran boiling hot.

Carol sobbed hysterically, slamming her fists against her son's chest. "Are you out of your mind?! You're the valedictorian!

You're going to the Ivy League!" "You could date a senator's daughter or a billionaire heiress!

Why do you have to settle for this worthless little nobody?!" "My entire future depends on you!

How could you destroy my hopes like this?!" She screamed, lunging straight at me. "This is all your fault!

You seduced my son!" Just as her clawlike fingers reached for my throat, I sidestepped.

At the exact same second, two familiar figures stepped in front of me. "Carol, try touching my daughter.

I dare you." My mom stood there, her jaw clenched tight. "How dare you slander my daughter?

I never should have shown you two an ounce of kindness." But Carol was riding high on her "valedictorian's mother" superiority complex.

She straightened her back, sneering. "Kindness? Wasn't it just your shameless little bitch of a daughter throwing herself at my son?" "How old was she back then? Seven?

Guess she was born a dirty little—" Smack! My dad didn't even let her finish. His palm connected with her cheek in a brutal, ringing slap. "Say one more word.

I dare you." The force of the blow snapped Carol out of her hysteria. She clutched her stinging cheek. "You only dare to bully a single mother and her orphan son!" "Just you wait!

My son is the valedictorian! When he makes it big, you'll be the first ones he destroys!" Tristan rushed forward, wrapping an arm around his mother.

He glared at my dad. "You call yourself a man, hitting a woman?

With this slap, any debt I owed your family is officially canceled!" A cold, harsh laugh tore its way out of my throat. How incredibly calculating.

His own mother gets slapped, and he immediately uses it as a cheap accounting trick to clear his debts.

How did I spend my entire life blind to what a coldblooded, ungrateful snake he truly was?

Chapter 6 I pulled out my phone, tapped the video file, and cranked the volume to the max.

I held it up high, panning the glowing screen so every single neighbor got a frontrow view. "Everyone, take a good look!

Tonight at the graduation party, Tristan explicitly announced exactly who his girlfriend is.

Don't get it twisted!" Over the sound of popping confetti on the speaker, the entire neighborhood watched Tristan pull Piper into his arms and publicly claim her.

Carol snatched the phone right out of my hand.

Staring at the screen—at the girl in heavy smoky eye makeup and a cheap spaghettistrap tank top—she let out a piercing shriek. "Isn't this the alcoholic's daughter from the trailer park?!" The video was recorded by a classmate, originally meant to capture the "romantic" moment Tristan and I supposedly got together.

I never expected it to become the ironclad proof of my innocence.

Tristan’s eyes widened, the corners of his mouth dropping as he looked at me. "Haven't you always wanted to be with me? I'm giving you an out here.

Why are you throwing it away?" I stepped into his personal space, dropping my voice so only he could hear. "You better worry about how you're going to explain your college application to your mother." Panic flashed in Tristan's eyes.

He knew damn well that if his mother found out about that, she’d grab a butcher knife and chop down Piper's front door. "Shut up." I clamped my mouth shut, flashing a mockcompliant smile.

If, before tonight, I actually felt a shred of pity for his wasted academic potential… after tonight, I sincerely hoped this piece of trash and his trailer park princess would stay locked together forever.

The holographic text boiled with rage: [This villain is a total ungrateful bitch!

Tristan literally admitted she was his girlfriend, and she still throws Piper under the bus!] [Who cares! At least Piper and Tristan’s relationship is finally out in the open.

No more hiding.] [Where's Tristan? Say something! Be a man and admit Piper is your real girlfriend!] The floating text was doomed to be disappointed.

Faced with Carol's hysterical interrogation, Tristan kept his mouth clamped shut. It was his signature move—using dead silence to drive his mother absolutely insane. "Answer me!

Is Sutton telling the truth?!" Carol grabbed his shirt. "Are you really dating that drunk's daughter?! Her dad is a domestic abuser!

He literally beat Piper's mother until she ran away!" "That cheap trailer park trash must have drugged you!

I'm going to rip her face off right now!" Carol turned, lunging toward the street like a mad cow. Tristan grabbed her arm and shoved her hard.

Carol hit the pavement. "Have you had enough?!" Tristan's voice cracked like a whip. "Are you really going to force me to cut ties with you before you stop?!" The blood drained from Carol's face.

She stared up, her jaw slack, unable to process that such ruthless words had just come out of her own son's mouth.

The neighbors whispered loudly: "So the valedictorian likes trashy delinquents? What a bizarre fetish." "Piper literally extorted my daughter for lunch money last year.

So disgusting!" "He studied so hard it fried his brain. Even going to Harvard won't fix stupid." "No kidding…" I struck while the iron was hot. "Everyone here is my witness tonight.

From this moment on, the Sutton family has absolutely nothing to do with Carol's family.

Even if I stay single for the rest of my life, I would rather die than be with Tristan!" My mom didn't miss a beat.

She marched back into the house, grabbed her ledger, and slapped it down on the porch, demanding Carol repay every single dollar she had borrowed over the years.

The neighbors nodded in overwhelming support. Who didn't have daughters? Who wanted to see their kid get publicly humiliated by an ungrateful outsider?

Carol's unhinged, maskoff behavior made the entire neighborhood treat her like a walking plague, terrified she might snap and attack them next.

Which explained exactly why, on the day of Tristan's college sendoff banquet, things looked so pathetic.

Carol had slipped invitations under every single door on our street, but only three or four families actually showed up.

My college sendoff banquet was booked for the exact same day. The exact same hotel. Right in the banquet hall next door.

The reservations had been locked in long before we tore each other's faces off.

Back when our families were still close, our parents thought booking the same venue would save the neighbors from having to drive to two different locations.

Chapter 7 My banquet hall was packed to the brim, while Tristan's eight tables only managed to fill up three.

One of those tables was literally just overflow from our side because we ran out of seats.

Seeing this, Carol twisted her face into a passiveaggressive sneer. "So what if you have a big crowd?

Her test scores still cant touch my son's." My mom gave a tight, perfectly engineered fake smile. "That's right. Your son doesn't just have great scores, he has great taste.

A double harvest in academics and love." Carol looked like she wanted to stomp a hole straight through the hotel carpet. She glared viciously before storming back to her own hall.

While my side was busy enjoying our catered feast, screaming erupted from Carol's side. "Why can't we refund the dishes?! We haven't even touched them!

Can't you see five tables are completely empty?! You have to give me my money back! Stop bringing out the food!

Is this hotel running an extortion ring?!" I kept my head down, casually eating my steak as if I couldn't hear a thing.

But soon, the loud, obnoxious pop of party poppers echoed from across the hall. I couldn't resist stepping out to watch the drama unfold.

It was Piper, dragging her whole crew of loud, trashy friends to crash Tristan's Ivy League sendoff banquet!

Carol blocked the doorway like a vicious guard dog protecting its food. "Classmates?

If my son's classmates aren't heading to the Ivy League, they're at least elites going to state universities.

Where did this community college trash come from?!" Piper clung tightly to Tristan's arm, putting on a sickeningly pitiful face. "Carol, true love doesn't see class." Carol sneered, a harsh, ugly sound. "If it doesn't see class, why didn't you hook up with another community college dropout?

You latched onto my valedictorian son, and you're feeling pretty damn proud of yourself, aren't you?" The floating text instantly flooded the air, furiously defending their female lead: [Why is the motherinlaw acting like this?

Last timeline, she treated Piper like her own daughter.] [Duh, that's because last time Tristan's startup went public and he became a billionaire!

Sutton was just a barren old hen, but our Piper gave him twins on the first try!] [Unsubscribing!

I read rebirth tropes for the instant dopamine hits, not to watch the female lead suffer!

Why is there so much drama after Tristan already changed his college application to be with her?!] I flashed a bright smile and flipped a crisp middle finger right at the holographic text.

I sincerely hoped these toxic trolls choked on their own rage. Tristan gripped Piper's hand, his jaw set in stubborn defiance. "Mom, Piper and I are true love." "True love my ass!

You don't have a dime to your name or any real skills! What gives you the right to talk about love?!" Smack!

Carol’s palm cracked hard across Piper's face. "Your mother ran off with another man years ago! Your dad does nothing but drink and gamble!

You've been extorting kids for lunch money since you were little!" "Tell me, what right do you have to step through my door? You're not even a fraction of what Sutton is!

She's heading to a real university, and her family owns two houses and a commercial storefront!" Piper clutched her stinging cheek and buried her face in Tristan's chest.

A flash of pure, venomous spite darted across her eyes. "Carol, I don't need to step through your door. Tristan is stepping through mine.

Screaming won't change anything, old lady." "Tristan already threw away his fullride Ivy League scholarship for me.

He’s coming to community college with me, and the application is already submitted." She chewed her gum smugly, blowing out a malicious ring of vape smoke