Chapter 36: An Old Friend Returns

Freya was photographing the final group of dresses when her phone displayed a name she hadn't seen since transmigrating: Chloe Bennett. The original Freya's memories identified Chloe as a university roommate who had remained friendly with her for years before gradually losing contact after Freya married Louis.

Unlike Melissa, Chloe had never betrayed her. Their distance had mostly been caused by Freya's obsession with luxury and social status. Freya answered cautiously. "Hello?"

"You actually picked up!" Chloe sounded relieved. "I've called twice this month." Freya checked her missed calls and realized she had ignored the number because she didn't recognize it. "Sorry. Things have been chaotic."

Chloe hesitated. "I heard about Louis. Are you okay?" The concern sounded genuine. Freya relaxed slightly. "I'm fine." "Really? Because every gossip group in the city is saying something different. One says you divorced him, another says you ran overseas, and Melissa told someone you're selling everything because you can't afford food."

Freya closed her eyes. "Melissa has too much free time." Chloe laughed. "So you're not starving?" "I made pasta for lunch." "That doesn't answer the financial question."

"I'm fine financially. Louis and I are still together." Chloe went silent for several seconds. "You're staying with him?" "Yes." "Wow." "Why does everyone react like that?"

"Because you once said you'd rather sleep in a department store than live without a housekeeper." Freya had no response. The original owner had apparently been even more dramatic than she remembered.

Chloe asked whether they could meet. Freya agreed to coffee the following afternoon, choosing a busy café near her apartment. Before ending the call, Chloe said quietly, "I'm glad you're okay. I know we haven't talked much lately, but if you actually need help, call me."

The sincerity touched Freya more than expected. "I will. Thank you." After hanging up, she searched through old photographs and messages to understand their friendship better. Chloe had studied architecture and now worked at a design firm. Their old conversations were full of jokes, project complaints, and cheap restaurant recommendations from before Freya married into wealth.

When Louis came home, Freya mentioned the meeting. "An old college friend contacted me." "Chloe Bennett?" She stared. "How do you know?" "You only had a few close friends in college."

"You remember too much about someone you supposedly ignored for three years." Louis removed his coat. "I didn't ignore you." "We barely spoke." "That's different."

Freya considered asking what exactly he had noticed during their distant marriage, but decided against it. She still had enough mysteries to solve.

The next afternoon, Chloe recognized her immediately and pulled her into a hug before Freya could prepare. "You look normal!" Chloe exclaimed. "What was I supposed to look like?" "Devastated. Possibly wearing last season's clothes."

Freya laughed. For the first time since arriving in this world, she sat across from someone connected to the original Freya who expected nothing from Louis. As Chloe began telling stories from university, Freya realized this meeting might give her something unexpectedly valuable: a clearer picture of the woman whose life she had inherited.

On the way home from meeting Chloe, Freya felt lighter than she had in days. Clement and Melissa represented the worst parts of the original owner's past, but Chloe proved that not every old relationship had been poisoned. Perhaps inheriting this life didn't mean she had to discard everything that came with it. Some connections, like some possessions, were worth keeping.