Chapter 160

A few days later, Christina got a bunch of messages.

They were from her class president, Tony Gibson: "Christina, our old teacher Mr. Ralph Cook passed away suddenly. His funeral is tomorrow. Can you make it?"

"Whether you can come or not, please let me know. I need to get a headcount."

Christina's first reaction was disbelief.

Ralph was only in his thirties, in the prime of his life. How could he have died?

She even thought it might be a cruel joke.

But the message was from Tony, so to be sure, she decided to ask: "When did this happen?"

"Two days ago. Mr. Ralph Cook had a heart attack while staying up late grading papers. He was rushed to the hospital but didn't make it. His obituary is already on Facebook." Tony replied quickly, clearly holding his phone.

He even sent a screenshot of the obituary to Christina: "I know it's hard to believe. When I first heard the news, I thought it was fake too. But it's true. As his students, the least we can do is be there for his final journey."

"I'll be there on time," Christina replied, staring at her phone screen, feeling a heavy weight in her chest.

In her previous life, she remembered Ralph didn't die so young.

Maybe her rebirth caused a butterfly effect, changing everyone's life paths.

But why could she change others' lives but not her own?

And what about her Harper...

Thinking about this made her even more upset, so she decided to sleep, hoping to numb herself.

But that night, she tossed and turned, unable to sleep.

The next morning, Christina got up early. Since she was going to a funeral, she didn't dress up, choosing a black and white outfit from her closet and heading out.

The funeral was held at the cemetery.

As she got out of the car, she immediately saw Tony standing outside. She walked over to greet him.

"Let's go. I'll take you in," Tony said, leading her inside.

The atmosphere between them was heavy and somber.

Before they even reached Ralph's grave, they heard heart-wrenching cries ahead. Just hearing the sound, one could imagine the pain the person was in.

"Mrs. Blair Cook must have cried all night. Her eyes are swollen, and Ralph's two kids have been calling for their dad. They only quieted down because they got tired," Tony said, stopping, his eyes filled with sorrow.

As students, they couldn't accept Ralph's sudden death.

How could Ralph's family, his wife and kids, accept it?

Christina sighed heavily, "Ralph was so responsible. He cared deeply for every student, even the most troublesome ones."

If Ralph hadn't been so dedicated, if he had just gone home after work without worrying about students failing, he might not have died so young.

Tony sighed too.

Seeing them approach, Blair stood up, wiped her tears, and forced a smile that looked more painful than crying. "You must be his students. I'm sorry I'm not in the best mood today."

"Mrs. Cook, we're here to pay our respects to Ralph. Please, don't worry about us. Try not to be too sad," Christina said, trying to comfort her.

In a way, Christina could empathize with Blair.

In her past life, when she lost her daughter, the pain was indescribable. Losing a loved one is the greatest pain in the world.

She lost her daughter, and Blair lost her husband. The two kids lost their father.

Christina stayed by Blair's side, helping to comfort the children.

"Sis, is my dad never coming back? They say my dad is dead. What does dead mean?" the little girl asked, clutching Christina's clothes.

She looked so pitiful and helpless.

Christina picked her up and gently comforted her, "Your dad has gone to a faraway place and can't come back for now, but he will always protect you."

"Doesn't Dad miss us?" the little girl continued.

"Of course he does," Christina said softly, wiping away her tears. "That's why he will always watch over you. You need to grow up well and take care of your mom."

"I will," the little girl nodded firmly.

She would wait for the day her dad returned and show him that she and her brother were good kids and that their mom was doing well.

Soon, other classmates arrived.

Jennifer found Missy in the crowd and pulled her aside, lowering her voice, "Did you prepare everything I asked for?"

"Yes, but there are so many people today. I'm a bit scared," Missy said, feeling nervous about doing something like this for the first time.

But she knew that once she agreed to Jennifer's plan, there was no turning back.

Jennifer could help her leave Emerald Lakeside and live the high-society life she dreamed of, but she could also destroy her completely.

"What are you afraid of? I've arranged everything. Just do as I say, and there won't be any problems," Jennifer said, frowning. "Don't back out now. Doesn't your family need money for medicine?"

That money was crucial. Without Jennifer's help, Missy couldn't earn enough even if she worked around the clock as a waitress.

Missy couldn't just watch her family suffer.

"I'll do as you say. But if William finds out, will you help me?" Missy asked, gripping Jennifer's hand tightly.

Jennifer frowned deeper, "William is on my side. We're getting married. You don't need to worry about that. I'll handle everything."

With Jennifer's assurance, Missy felt more at ease.

She blended in with the crowd, attending the funeral without raising any suspicion.

After the funeral, everyone went to a hotel for a meal. Missy took the opportunity to slip out of the banquet hall.

She took a small bottle from her bag, containing a colorless, odorless drug she had bought from the black market. Just one drop would make someone extremely agitated.

The thought of Christina being humiliated in front of everyone, her reputation destroyed, filled Missy with a twisted sense of satisfaction.

She wasn't so arrogant now, was she?

After today, let's see how Christina could still act high and mighty!