Before Life 144
Posted on July 11, 2025 ยท 0 mins read
Listen to this chapter:

"Look me in the face and tell me you donโ€™t feel anything, and Iโ€™ll believe you,โ€ Sebastian said. He figured theyโ€™d spent enough time together that she had to feel something. Even if he wasnโ€™t using his other identity, there should be some connection between them.

Abigail looked away. โ€œYouโ€™re definitely very handsome. Looking at your face, I guess I do feel something.โ€

Abigail had been into celebrities before, after all. Even though Daniella had been the one who started following them and sheโ€™d just copied her, sheโ€™d genuinely liked a few stars over the years.

Sebastianโ€™s face was undeniably attractive, and when she really looked at him, she could feel that flutter. It was the kind of attraction anyone would feel toward a good-looking person. No one could resist a handsome man.

Sebastian didnโ€™t feel happy about her answer. She was basically telling him that any good-looking guy could catch her attention, at least temporarily. โ€œI heard you used to like Ralph,โ€ he said.

โ€œWhat about it?โ€ Abigail blinked at him. She couldnโ€™t even remember why sheโ€™d liked Ralph in the first place. The whole thing was a complete blank now.

Sebastian leaned back against the couch, his expression still casual, but he pressed on. โ€œWhat did you see in him anyway? That guyโ€™s nothing special.โ€

โ€œI was blind,โ€ Abigail said flatly. Looking back, Ralph really didnโ€™t have any redeeming qualities. He definitely wasnโ€™t worth all the time sheโ€™d wasted chasing after him.

Sebastian went quiet for a moment, then suddenly started laughing. โ€œBeing young and stupid once or twice is pretty normal. Want to go out and walk around after we eat?โ€

โ€œNot really. I hardly ever stayed up late in prison, and I kept regular hours. Last night almost killed me. I felt awful.โ€

Abigailโ€™s routine in prison had been very structured, and sheโ€™d kept the same schedule after getting out. Staying up most of the night had really taken it out of her. She just wanted to eat and then sleep for a while.

โ€œYou just laid there in bed suffering through it?โ€ Sebastian thought she was pretty tough.

Abigail shook her head. โ€œNo, I played Candy Crush until it was time to get up.โ€

โ€œHow many levels did you beat?โ€ Sebastian asked.

โ€œYou play too?โ€ Abigail immediately asked.

Seeing that she seemed interested, Sebastian nodded. โ€œI play it sometimes to kill time. The game has over nine thousand levels now, but Iโ€™ve only made it to around three thousand. Iโ€™m usually too busy to play much.โ€

โ€œIโ€™m somewhere around three thousand too, but I hit that level before I went to prison.โ€ Abigail found talking with Sebastian really relaxing.

She didnโ€™t have to worry about mentioning her time in jail around him, and she didnโ€™t feel like she had to act ashamed or inferior because of it.

โ€œThatโ€™s too bad. The top players now are probably around five or six thousand levels,โ€ Sebastian said with genuine regret in his voice.

โ€œItโ€™s just a way to pass time anyway. No big deal,โ€ Abigail said casually. โ€œWe should add each other as friends.โ€

โ€œSounds good.โ€ Sebastian immediately pulled out his phone. But when Abigail tried to add him as a friend, she got a message saying he was already on her friends list.

โ€œHuh? I already have you as a friend.โ€ Abigail looked confused.

Back when Abigail used to play regularly, sheโ€™d added tons of friends. She was competitive then and loved climbing the rankings, so naturally, sheโ€™d connected with other skilled players.

Abigail had added so many people that she never paid attention to individual names. She had absolutely no memory of how Sebastian had ended up on her friends list.

โ€œReally? I donโ€™t remember adding you either. Well, I guess we donโ€™t need to add each other then.โ€ Sebastianโ€™s tone stayed calm and even.

Abigail had never been the type to add people as friends firstโ€“others always added her. So she was pretty sure she hadnโ€™t been the one to add Sebastian. โ€œWhy did you add me as a friend back then?โ€ she asked him.

Sebastian looked up at her. โ€œWhat makes you so sure I added you and not the other way around?โ€

โ€œI donโ€™t like adding people. Everyone else always adds me first,โ€ Abigail answered honestly.

โ€œI honestly donโ€™t remember. Maybe one of my relativesโ€™ kids was playing with my phone and saw your high ranking, so they added you,โ€ Sebastian said this completely seriously.

Abigail wasnโ€™t sure whether to believe him or not. It sounded pretty ridiculous, but her ranking had been really high back then, so it was possible.

โ€œWant to play a round?โ€ Abigail was getting bored waiting for their food.

โ€œSure, Iโ€™ll play with you. But Iโ€™m at a low level, so I might finish faster than you.โ€ Sebastian was already opening the game.

Abigail smiled, โ€œWeโ€™ll see about that.โ€

Sebastian saw the relaxed smile on her face and didnโ€™t say anything more.

Within minutes, Abigail had lost.

โ€œI havenโ€™t played much these past few years, but Iโ€™ve still got it,โ€ Sebastian said, leaning over to watch Abigail still trying to clear her level. He had a lazy grin on his face.

Abigailโ€™s expression was serious. When they finally finished the game, she took a deep breath. โ€œIf you had time to practice, youโ€™d probably rank higher than me. Your reflexes are faster.โ€

โ€œYou use this to work on your reaction time?โ€ Sebastian asked.

โ€œYeah, I was locked up for so long that Iโ€™m worried Iโ€™ve gotten slow and dull.โ€ Abigail nodded, her face showing genuine, innocent concern.


Please let us know if you find any errors, so we can fix them.