Between Hearts and Pages

Chapter 1

Juliana Everhart was not living the dream. She had somehow found herself in the pages of a novel, cast as a side character who had a problematic heart condition. From a young age, she'd always felt fragile and insecure, even when she tried her best to be careful—her self-doubt made her someone everyone found easy to dislike.
Her older brother, Sir Roland Everhart, spent all his time at The Guild, only communicating when necessary to send money or handle affairs. Words of kindness were as rare as snow in July.
Then there was Lord Edmund Everhart, her other brother, who was entirely absorbed in the world of motor racing—less concerned with Juliana's condition than with making sure he stayed ahead in life.
Mistress Matilda Greene, her dreaded teacher, made the classroom experience miserable, often shaming Juliana for her grades and saying she should be sitting by the trash can, a comment that cut deeply.
Even her “friends,” who pretended to care about her, frequently referred to her behind her back as “the sickly one.” There was even a boy she liked, but to him, she was just a backup option, while his heart belonged to someone else entirely.
Juliana’s thoughts echoed in her mind: "What a miserable life."
But the moment she crossed into this new existence, she made a dramatic turn. No longer bound by the character's previous insecurities, she had confidence bubbling beneath her outward charm and beauty. Her grades skyrocketed, and she transformed into the most admired girl in school, even when she acted a bit spoiled.
Sir Roland, concerned she might feel unhappy or unappreciated, was now reaching out to her, making sure she was content while showering her with extravagant gifts worth hundreds of thousands.
Lord Edmund, on the other hand, hunted down treats and delicacies for her, standing up to anyone who dared bully his siblings. He even brought back rare desserts from the track, adamant that nothing should dent Juliana's spirit.
The boy she liked, however, was willing to go so far as to sign a heart donation agreement to cure her heart condition. He was determined to ensure she would no longer face such a fate. But ironically, Juliana was now in a position where she wasn’t dependent on anyone's charity; her popularity had reached new heights, and she'd grown accustomed to being adored.
On the flip side, there was Alaric Stone, who struggled in his studies and lacked a notable presence. His reputation was as murky as the smoke wafting around the common areas, shared with others who seemed to find joy in his unpopularity. They all knew, though, that High Chancellor William Faulkner treated him with utmost respect, and even Sir Roland warned Juliana not to provoke Alaric. The whispers—and the laughter—surrounding Alaric primarily centered on his affection for the stunning Gareth, whose personality, while unknown, was eclipsed by his looks.
One evening, while Alaric and his friends lingered near the flowerbed by the Director's building, something impulsive sparked in Juliana. She crafted a paper airplane and tossed it down, batting her eyelashes. “Hey, how do I look?”
Gasps filled the air as Alaric's friends watched, sensing they had just witnessed the turning point of their lives. It felt like disaster was imminent as they all held their breaths, mentally preparing candles for their fallen comrade.
Because Alaric Stone, with his passion for those who flaunted beauty and confidence, had, without a doubt, become smitten with Juliana’s brand of arrogance.
As the winter winds blew outside, Juliana found herself caught. Alaric had pulled her by the collar, kissed her fiercely, and left her in tears. It was a moment that made her truly regret tampering with Alaric Stone, realizing just then how unpredictable he really was.
1. It all came down to character roles: the spoiled protagonist, and the wild, academically challenged love interest—beware, their personalities are more powerful than they seem.
2. They share no blood relations or legal ties.
3. Alaric had never harbored feelings for anyone else before meeting Juliana, and she hadn’t either, cherishing first loves that remained pure.
4. As of now, updates were planned for late-night releases, with all other times dedicated to revisions.
5. This narrative was penned during the summer months, with supporting screenshots available.
**Tags:** Romantic Comedy, Alternate Realities, School Life
**Keywords:** Main Characters: ┃ Supporting Characters: ┃ Others:
**Summary Sentence:** Loved Exclusively
**Message:** The trials one endures often prepare one for greatness in life.
**VIP Spotlight:** The protagonist finds herself reincarnated as a character born with a congenital heart defect. The cold indifference of family and friends led to her untimely death in the original storyline. However, now, she vows to craft a different, more liberated life for herself, through her bravery and relentless spirit.
On her journey, Juliana's family gradually realizes their past mistakes, and she receives genuine friends who support her healing. After her surgery, she makes a full recovery, ultimately stepping into a beautiful life, drastically different from the one originally written for her. Despite her challenges, the protagonist remains undaunted, clear on her desires, no matter how daunting the world may appear. Her vivid character, paired with exaggerated yet humorous dialogue, reveals deep emotions and a refreshing outlook on life. The story promotes the belief that one should fight for what they desire, embrace authenticity, and live free from the weight of others' judgments.

Chapter 2

Juliana Everhart couldn’t shake the feeling that something was off. It started with an irregular flutter in her chest—a rhythm that alternated between weak and strong. Healthy as she was, she had never experienced anything like this before.
Glancing down at her hands, she noticed their pale, slender fingers. These weren't the hands of someone who had buried herself in countless textbooks; the nails were unnaturally white, and the bones of her wrists protruded slightly. Just from looking at them, one could tell she was both frail and overly pampered.
Taking a deep breath, Juliana opened the book on her desk. The name ‘Juliana Everhart’ was written in elegant letters, but the handwriting was unfamiliar, and the grade? A definite D. It wasn’t just that she had never encountered such grading before, but this D was certainly not a score she had earned.
She had been ill with a fever in her dorm room, dizzy and disoriented, and when she finally awoke, she found herself here.
Juliana Everhart.
Such a rare name, she had never met anyone with the same name until just once. It had been when she came across Brandon the Scribe, a character from a book she borrowed just a few days before falling ill. The book was old, its cover worn and yellowed, easily spotted among the art textbooks. She had pulled it out curiously, and a few pages in, discovered a supporting character whose name was identical to hers, letter by letter.
Not particularly interested in novels, she had nonetheless found herself intrigued by this coincidence and read on.
This character was the typical rich kid—pampered and bratty—but led a life scripted for tragic cannon fodder: no parents, two indifferent older brothers, a few opportunistic "friends" after his money, and an unrequited crush on Gareth, who had his heart set on another.
The novel centered around Gareth and the love story he was embroiled in, with the character named Brandon as little more than a plot device to stir up the main characters’ romance.
After being rejected in his confession of love, Brandon experienced a fatal heart attack during a nap that very afternoon, passing away silently. His unreturned feelings had ironically fueled the romance between the protagonists.
Reading this, Juliana nearly suffered a heart attack of her own. Here was a character who had done nothing wrong, kept his feelings secret, and desperately sought just a hint of care from his brothers. The end result? A tragic fate that left one feeling hollow.
Despite her aversion to novels, Juliana found herself emotionally involved. The evening she returned from the library, a fever hit, and she could barely get out of bed. Her roommate had helped her skip classes, but the fever lingered, leaving her disoriented for days. When she finally regained her senses, she was still reluctant to open her eyes, but the sounds of laughter and pages turning pulled her back into reality.
Looking up at the blackboard, she saw a bright red banner that read: “Battle of LordGrade: Pursuing Dreams.”
Juliana had a remarkable memory, though not so keen as to remember every detail from a novel she’d skimmed, yet this phrase stuck with her. It resonated because it was eerily similar to the rallying cry she'd formulated for her own aspirations about LordGrade.

Chapter 3

As Juliana Everhart sat in Everwood Academy, reality crashed over him like a cold wave. He was not merely reborn—he was trapped within the pages of a novel! The evidence was right there, glaring at him from the bottom corner of his world: "Everwood Academy, Grade Seven, Mistress." The words bore into his mind—this was Everwood, the setting he had read about countless times in the story.
He was the one whose tale ended in misery—a mere pawn who was supposed to meet a tragic fate. The thought sent a shiver down his spine. Juliana let out a slow breath, trying to steady himself. At nineteen, he was only a bit older than the rest of the seventh graders, yet he felt as if he was experiencing an absurdity he could hardly comprehend. The calm he projected was a façade; inside, he was a whirlwind of confusion.
Looking around the classroom, familiar knowledge flickered in his mind. Thankfully, everything he had learned remained intact, which gave him a flicker of hope. But as he gazed around, trying to match the memories of the story with the faces in reality, he found himself lost. The author had described many of his classmates, yet now they were just strangers to him.
He lowered his head with a sigh, taking a moment before turning his gaze to the blue trash can that stood a stark half-meter away—it confirmed his fears. He was indeed within the pages of that infamous novel.
In the story, the original Juliana had struggled academically, provoking the wrath of Mistress Matilda Greene, who did not favor wealth or status. Matilda taught that grades were all that mattered. Those who excelled, no matter their background, received her praise. Conversely, if you failed, even if your parents were the mayor, you received no sympathy.
Juliana had been a disgrace—outright dreadful in performance, dragging down his Mistress and earning the ire of Matilda. The first monthly exam of the school year had revealed just how disastrous his grades were. The entire class had lost face because of him, trailing behind the first Mistress class by a significant margin. Matilda’s face had darkened as she marched into the classroom and ordered him to sit by the garbage can like a misfit.
These other students were innocent bystanders, focused solely on their achievements. The fallout of Juliana’s failures echoed throughout the classroom. In their outrage, they submitted petitions demanding he be expelled to the lowest tier—Class Eleven. Their pleas, however, were met with laughter from High Chancellor William Faulkner, who counseled them on the importance of supporting one another.
The atmosphere was hostile, the students glaring at Juliana, their frustrations tangible. Even a water bottle came flying out of nowhere, striking him in the head. “Ouch!” he groaned, rubbing the spot where the bottle had hit him, glancing at the group of laughter that erupted nearby.
Juliana was diligent, and despite his situation, the pressure was suffocating. He had been the top literature student in his province, but here, he felt he was swimming against the tide. Unlike Brandon, a star pupil with an easy-going air and a penchant for skipping classes, Juliana couldn’t seem to find his footing. Brandon’s carefree nature often irritated him; the disparity between their school lives cracked like ice beneath his feet.
“Am I going to just take this abuse?” he wondered. But it wasn’t in his nature to confront others openly. Instead, he resolved to endure quietly, the fire simmering within him as he watched Gareth and his friends chuckle at his expense.
Here, in this strange new chapter, the consequences of his literary past loomed large. Juliana knew he had to come up with a plan—not just to survive this tumultuous school life but to rewrite his fate as well.

Chapter 4

Juliana Everhart smirked, but when she lifted her head again, confusion clouded her features. Gareth gritted his teeth, his back starting to tremble. He pressed his fingers against his chest, his lips taking on a bluish hue, his light brown hair tousled. Juliana now resembled a shard of glass on the verge of shattering.
"Seriously, it was just a bump. How could it even hurt?"
Just as those words left someone’s lips, Juliana collapsed, sending chairs and tables clattering down with her. Gareth curled up on the floor, his brow furrowed, clearly in distress.
"Damnit, what's wrong with him?"
A girl with a bob haircut dashed over, her eyes wide in shock upon seeing Juliana on the ground. She shouted, "He has a heart condition! What are you all doing?"
Despite this, nobody seemed to care much.
"Who has a heart condition that flares up so easily?"
"Why is it my problem? Whoever threw the bottle should deal with it."
Juliana had anticipated their reactions; the most naive among them harbored the simplest yet most reckless malice.
With a dramatic eye roll, her consciousness slipped away, the chaos of footsteps around her growing frantic, just moments later, the blaring sirens of an ambulance pierced through the noise outside the Teaching Hall.
Oxygen mask in place, Gareth trailed the medical team, panic evident on his face. He had only thrown a bottle, for God’s sake; he hadn’t even thrown it hard. How could this have caused a heart episode?
Juliana beckoned with a fingertip, and when Gareth looked down, she grinned at him. The place was too chaotic for anyone to notice, and with the oxygen mask obscuring his face, his trembling lashes made his opened eyes scarcely detectable.
You're finished.
Juliana mouthed the words to Gareth. After finishing, she tilted her head and let herself slip into unconsciousness.
Gareth took a few slow steps, his locomotion dragging until he finally ground to a halt, watching the ambulance pull away. He understood Juliana's implication, if not the exact words she formed. He grasped the general gist.
Juliana was faking it; she hadn’t had a heart episode. The whole stunt was just retribution for the bottle he had thrown at her.
Had he lost his mind?
How dare he?
The chaos erupted just after their afternoon nap, moments before class began. The sirens startled everyone in the Senior Class. Under the scrutiny of a crowd, pale-faced Gareth was lifted onto a stretcher and carried out of the Teaching Hall. Soon, many in their grade knew that Gareth from Classroom Seven had suffered a heart episode.
Though they belonged to different classes, the proximity of their grades meant frequent interactions—"I know your friend, you know mine," the tightly-knit network of students connecting them all.
"No way, it was just a bottle tap. Are you certain there wasn’t a rock inside it?"
"He must have been startled. Heart conditions can’t take shocks—they just can’t."
"You guys have the guts to target him like that despite knowing his condition?"
"Well, nothing happened before, right? We’d almost forgotten he had an issue."
"You should be grateful it wasn’t you who threw the bottle."
Silence hung in the air.
At a windowsill overlooking the chaos below, several members of the Senior Class peered out. One in a black tee nudged his friend who was restlessly resting his chin in his hand. "Did you see that?"
"See what?" Gareth responded in an indifferent tone.
"The one from Classroom Seven, the heart condition guy. He's actually kind of cute."
With the sun blaring outside, the glass heated to a scalding temperature. Gareth squinted and pulled his uniform shirt over his head to shield his eyes, revealing only half of his face, masking any hint of emotion. "Didn’t see it."
Lord Cedric Bannister sighed in disappointment. "I think he’s your type."
Alaric Stone tossed his head back, laughter bubbling forth. “I don’t fancy weaklings.”
Gareth had strikingly beautiful phoenix eyes, sharp and elongated, with a cool detachment that remained concealed beneath the shadows of his uniform.
Lord Cedric Bannister fell silent, remembering something. Although Alaric loved good looks, he preferred them with an edge—the type that could leave you reeling. That Classroom Seven guy may have had his charm, but he had crumbled at the slightest attack, proving himself too fragile for Alaric’s taste.

Chapter 5

Juliana Everhart woke up feeling refreshed, her eyes adjusting to the soft light of a private room in Everwood General Hospital. In the corner, a bouquet of lilies and carnations filled the air with a sweet fragrance, while on the glass coffee table, a teapot still released wisps of steam, clearly indicating someone had just made a fresh pot. Someone had been here, and not long ago.
The distant echo of sharp heels clicked rhythmically in the corridor, and Juliana lazily lifted her eyelids to take a look. The door swung open to reveal a striking woman with meticulously applied makeup, dressed in a fitted black blazer.
Juliana couldn't quite place who she was, so she fell silent, mirroring the quietness of her character’s persona.
The woman settled into the chair beside Juliana's hospital bed and said, “Lord Roland just stopped by. He waited a while for you to wake up but had to leave due to urgent matters at The Guild.”
Juliana blinked, a sense of disappointment flickering in her chest as she tucked half her face into the covers, whispering, “Sir Roland Everhart came by?"
Lady Margaret Ashford felt her heart tighten at the sight of her. Juliana was so young, and though she herself had planned to leave, the head of the family had insisted she stay behind. It wasn't merely to ensure Juliana wasn't left alone; rather, he wanted her to ask Juliana about her time at the Academy of Learning once she regained consciousness.
“Your grades have been poor, and your social skills need serious improvement,” were the Patriarch's exact words regarding Juliana. "You keep getting into trouble."
Yet, looking at Juliana now, Lady Margaret couldn’t bring herself to voice those questions. The fragile-looking girl was a stark contrast to the clumsy, burdensome image painted by the Patriarch.
What more was there to inquire? His younger brother had been bullied at the Academy.
It all stemmed from appearances; while it might seem shallow, Juliana couldn’t deny the truth behind it. Society afforded more tolerance to those deemed attractive.
Juliana was a daring soul—young, yes, but brimming with ambition.
She quickly accepted her new existence within a novel's world, realizing she had assumed the role of a character destined to meet an untimely end. She understood her priorities well: first, academic diligence; second, avenging those who looked down on her. Juliana Everhart was not one to forget wrongdoings. She was determined to pay them back in kind.
She was Juliana Everhart—the overlooked background character in a story, unloved, unappreciated, but fierce.
After a moment of contemplation, she reached out from under the covers, grasping Lady Margaret's fingers with a soft plea, “Sister, I’m hungry.”
Immediately, Lady Margaret's maternal instincts kicked in. Without asking what Juliana liked, she whipped out her phone and began ordering a variety of takeout options available around them.
Before the food arrived, she received a call from Sir Roland Everhart and Anastasia Everhart, urging her to return to The Guild at once. After rattling off instructions and checking in on Juliana more times than she could count, Lady Margaret reluctantly left, her heart still heavy with concern.
Once the door clicked shut, Juliana nestled into her pillow, feeling a sense of peace. She reached for her phone, noticing a flurry of notifications: messages from Mistress Matilda Greene, Director of Instruction Sir Ambrose, and even a funny one from Gareth, the boy who had been a pain but somehow piqued her curiosity.

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