From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent (Anthea )

Was it the same guy? Sherman couldn't be sure.

The two usernames were similar, sporting only different prefixes.

But Phoenix·YC was up to his ears in developing OS System lately, so gaming should be the last thing on his mind.

How did Phoenix·YC, a tech mogul, waste his time playing chess? No way, it had to be a coincidence.

Sherman clicked to send a friend request in the game.

After a long wait without a response, Sherman was itching for a rematch, but with the silence dragging on, he reluctantly shut down his computer.

In the Morris family.

Rebecca sat in her bedroom, firing up her system, "Can you check Mr. Christensen's current approval rating?"

“I cannot”, the system's voice echoed back, ‘However, Daniel's approval rating has reached eighty percent.’

A sly smile curled on Rebecca's lips. She couldn't get a read on Mr. Christensen's feelings, but knowing Daniel's was just as good.

After all, Mr. Christensen and Daniel were best buds.

They were bound to have similar tastes.

It was safe to assume Mr. Christensen had a pretty good impression of her too!

Perhaps Mr. Christensen was even now digging into her background, just like she was.

"Can you find out Mr. Christensen's hobbies?" she inquired further.

The system paused for a moment.

Soon after, a line of text appeared on the air control panel.

‘Unable to retrieve his hobbies.’

"Then try looking up Anthea," Rebecca continued.

‘I'm sorry! I cannot retrieve information on Anthea.’

Rebecca's brow furrowed. "How can that be?"

It was one thing for the system to not have information on Mr. Christensen given his status, but Anthea's information should be available. What was going on?

Considering Anthea's reaction earlier that evening, a sense of unease began to creep into Rebecca's thoughts.

Could it be Anthea, that waste of space, had actually changed?

Just then, Rebecca thought of Luna.

Of course! She had the advantage of being reborn, and able to connect with influential people she couldn't have dreamed of reaching in her past life!

Who cared if Anthea had changed? She could still trample her underfoot without breaking a sweat.

Rebecca dialed a number, intending to discuss her next moves with Luna.

"The number you have dialed is switched off…" The cold electronic voice filtered through the phone.

Rebecca deepened her frown. Luna's phone was never off as far as she knew.

And then it dawned on her that she hadn't been in touch with Luna for over a week.

Could it be because of Tammie's passing? Was Luna tied up with funeral arrangements? That had to be it. Tammie's illness was beyond saving.

With that thought, Rebecca breathed easier. She'd reconnect with Luna after Tammie's funeral arrangements were settled.

After all, not everything was pressing.

The next morning, Anthea laced up her running shoes and was out the door by 5:30 AM.

By 7:20 AM sharp, she was at school, which was unusually quiet since she was among the first to arrive. Her deskmate, Tanya, was already there.

"Good morning, Tanya," Anthea greeted her proactively.

Tanya blinked in surprise, her cheeks flushing pink. "Are you talking to me?" NôvelD(ram)a.ôrg owns this content.

"Yeah," Anthea nodded. "Isn't your name Tanya?"

"Good morning," Tanya replied shyly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Though named Tanya, she was anything but tiny.

Her 160cm frame carried a solid 170 pounds, a good-hearted girl plagued by perspiration and the accompanying self-consciousness. In the heat of summer, her scent drew mockery rather than friends. Nicknames ranged from cruel to crude.

Some went so far as to call her Peppa Pig.

Yet for the first time, someone had used her actual name. It felt strange.

Tanya wasn't one to wallow in self-pity. The taunts usually rolled off her like water off a duck's back, but this simple act of kindness made her nose tingle.

She had braced herself for snobbery from her new, beautiful deskmate with a figure to die for, but it turned out that the prettier the person, the lesser the airs.

Anthea sat down, unwrapping a breakfast sandwich. "You had breakfast, Tanya? Wanna try my sandwich?"

Tanya pulled out her own breakfast. "I brought something."

Anthea glanced over, "Is that any good? Gimme a taste."

Tanya paused, about to ask if Anthea didn't mind sharing with her, but Anthea had already reached over and pinched off a piece of her cake. It was chewy and sweet, and Anthea savored it with her eyes closed in delight.