After Rebirth, She Begged Me to Stay

On our seventh wedding anniversary, my wife, Scarlett, drove us straight off a cliff.

Just before the explosion, Scarlett screamed:

Liam! I'm here to die for you!

Only then did I realize she had never truly let go of her first love, Liam.

When I opened my eyes again, I was back in college.

I broke up with her immediately.

Eight years later.

She booked out a whole bar, planning to propose to her first love.

But when she saw me holding another woman's hand, she cried and asked:

"Ryan, didn't you promise you'd only ever love me?"

I saw Scarlett again in that bar.

Traffic from the theater had held me up, so I missed the class reunion. I went straight to our arranged meeting spot.

But I ran into old classmates.

They were dancing wildly on the floor.

Scarlett, with her fair skin and tall figure, stood out in the crowd.

Liam had his arm wrapped tightly around her waist, and the adoration in Scarlett's eyes as she looked at him was unmistakable.

"Scarlett is a total powerhouse, isn't she? So young and already owns several fitness clubs."

"Of course. She booked this whole place tonight just for Liam."

"This is the most luxurious bar in the city. A private party here for one night? We're talking at least a million bucks."

The music stopped. Liam's face was flushed, a slight pant in his breath as he stood there.

The giant screen suddenly lit up, playing a video montage of Liam and Scarlett's relationship.

The crowd began to cheer, pushing Liam onto the stage. Scarlett held a bouquet of roses, her eyes full of deep affection as she asked him:

"Liam, will you marry me?"

Her voice was soft, yet carried an undeniable force.

Someone in the crowd asked:

"Didn't Scarlett used to date Ryan? When did they break up?"

The voice wasn't loud, but it was clear enough for everyone to hear.

Hearing my name, Scarlett's eyes darkened, and her smile faltered.

Liam's expression stiffened, then he coughed lightly, took the flowers from Scarlett's hand, and forced a smile:

"Scarlett certainly has a lot of male friends, but who hasn't made mistakes when they were young? What matters is a happy ending."

The crowd laughed, continuing to flatter them, saying how perfect they were for each other.

I stood in the corner, watching their hands clasped together.

Was I the "mistake" he was talking about?

But he didn't know that, in my previous life, Scarlett had pursued me.

It was love at first sight for her, then she launched a fierce campaign. Who could say no to someone beautiful, wealthy, and utterly devoted to you?

So I said yes.

The day we made it official, Scarlett cupped my face, hesitating to kiss me.

"Ryan, I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"If I kiss you, will the dream end?"

I smiled, brushing a strand of hair from her eyes, then leaned in and kissed her.

That night, she promised me:

"Ryan, I'll be good to you my whole life."

I believed her.

But she lied.

I took a deep breath, heading towards the elevator through the dim light.

Some old classmates spotted me and gasped:

"Ryan, what are you doing here?"

"Where have you been? You look a mess!"

"Don't tell me you're still out of a job? Scarlett's here, you know. For old times' sake, why don't you ask her to hook you up with a job that pays five thousand bucks a month?"

Their mockery was undisguised.

I didn't care, just smiled politely and poured myself a glass of ice water.

From the moment I walked in, Scarlett's gaze had been locked on me.

Seeing me get free ice water, she seemed to relax a little, speaking coolly:

"Order whatever you want. It's on me tonight."

I replied:

"Thanks, but no need."

My tone was polite, yet distant.

Scarlett's step, moving closer, halted. Half her face was hidden in the shadows, her expression unreadable.

After a long moment, she let out a scoff:

"Ryan, it's been years, and you're still so stubbornly proud."

Liam's eyes sharpened with. His fingers were still intertwined with Scarlett's as he looked me over with a possessive gaze, a sneer on his face:

"Ryan, I'm not trying to be mean, but you're a man, you should at least tidy yourself up before going out."

"Look at you, dressed so casually, your hair a mess. Who's going to want to be with you like that?"

"I've got a ton of clothes I don't wear. If you don't mind, you can have them. Scarlett buys me so much, my closet is overflowing."

Laughter erupted from the crowd.

I turned to look at my reflection in the glass.

After working on set for two days straight, I was exhausted. I didn't have the energy to bother with my appearance.

Standing next to Liam, who was meticulously groomed down to every hair, I did look a bit out of place.

"No thanks."

I waved her off, grabbed a fruit platter from the bar, and started eating.

I was starving, so my eating wasn't exactly graceful.

Scarlett suddenly walked towards me, holding her phone out.

I looked up at her, confused.

"Give me your bank account details. I'll give you three hundred grand."

"This this happened to you because of me."

"But we're over now. Don't cling to the past."

"Don't wait for me. Live your life."

Scarlett's phone wallpaper was Liam holding a huge bouquet of flowers.

Watching his bright smile, I spaced out for a moment.

In my previous life, let alone a wallpaper, Scarlett's phone had no content about me whatsoever.

She didn't even save my number, because she never needed to call me. I arranged everything for her life and work.

It was clear then, whether someone loved you or not.

We started dating in college and got married right after graduation.

She dreamed of becoming an athlete, and I wanted to study film.

Two different dreams that rarely intersected.

Seeing the disappointment in her eyes, I gave in.

I gave up my chance to study abroad, spending my days trailing after her, carrying a toolbox.

She didn't have professional equipment, so I worked nights to save up and buy her the best sportswear.

She didn't have a support team, so I taught myself repair skills, taking on all responsibilities for her alone.

But she still lost.

Her second-hand equipment could never compete with others' latest models.

Even though I constantly tried to comfort her low spirits.

She still pushed me away, her eyes filled with a disgust I'd never seen before:

"I'm sick of this boring life."

"If I had chosen Liam back then, I would never have ended up like this."

That sentence shattered all my hopes.

I didn't even have time to dwell on the past before we both died at the bottom of that cliff.

Since fate gave us a second chance, and we both chose the lives we wanted.

There was no need for any connection between us anymore.

I pushed the phone back.

"We have no relation. No need."

Scarlett frowned, a tremor in her voice that was hard to miss:

"No relation? What do you mean? Am I just a stranger to you?"

I looked up, meeting her gaze directly, and said calmly:

"Aren't you? Our lives don't intersect. My well-being, good or bad, what does it have to do with you?"

"If you have too much money to burn, you can go help those who truly need it."

Perhaps thinking I had publicly embarrassed her, Scarlett's expression grew impatient, and she said coldly:

"Ryan, what are you playing at? Didn't you come here just to get my attention?"

Liam, seeing this, gently soothed her:

"Scarlett, don't say that. Ryan will be sad."

He turned to me, his eyes full of contempt, yet his tone was gentle:

"Ryan, I'm not trying to criticize, but Scarlett is just concerned about an old classmate. How about this, I opened a clinic on South Street, and we happen to need a cleaner. It pays seven thousand a month, plus room and board. If you're interested, you can come."

Someone nearby gasped:

"South Street? That's prime real estate! Liam must be amazing to open a clinic there."

"Ryan, you've met a benefactor! Hurry up and thank Liam!"

I rolled my eyes, calmly ate my fruit, and refused again:

"No thanks. I really like my current job."

Seeing that I wasn't playing along, those eager to curry favor with Scarlett immediately started blaming me:

"Ryan, are you crazy? Scarlett and Liam are helping you like this, and you're not grateful? You act like you're too good for it."

"Everyone knows your real capabilities! Don't miss out on an opportunity just to save face."

Only after he finished speaking did Liam feign concern:

"Everyone, don't talk about Ryan like that Maybe he really does like his current life."

With that, he put on a wounded expression.

Scarlett looked at Liam, threw her arms around him, and cooed softly:

"Liam, you're just too kind."

She turned to me and said:

"Ryan, I can't believe you're still so selfish and hypocritical."

"You'll never amount to anything! You deserve nothing but the worst life!"

I was curious why Scarlett would say such things to me.

In both lives, I had never harmed her. Why, after all these years, was she still spewing venom?

I didn't want to get tangled up anymore, so I stood up, intending to go to the private room upstairs, but a female classmate blocked my way.

She held a drink, approaching me with ill intent.

"Ryan, I always disliked you, and now look at you. You've had your day."

"Come drink a few with me. Five hundred a drink, how about it?"

"If you let me touch your hand, I might even add more."

I looked closely and recognized Chloe, who had confessed to me at our graduation ceremony.

Back then, I was focused on securing my study opportunity and rejected her.

I didn't expect her to still hold a grudge after all this time.

Everyone was laughing, and no one helped me.

I frowned.

Attending this gathering wasn't my intention. If I didn't have an appointment, I would have left long ago.

The security guards were nowhere to be seen. Just as I was about to push her away, Scarlett, who had been sitting quietly, suddenly threw her glass at Chloe.

Her voice was icy:

"Stay away from him."

Chloe was drenched in drink. She was about to erupt but, seeing it was Scarlett, she bit her tongue and just shot me a furious glare.

The glass shattered on the floor. Liam's smug smile froze. He looked at Scarlett in disbelief:

"Scarlett, what are you doing!"

Scarlett ignored him, her eyes fixed on me:

"This is my party tonight. I don't want any trouble."

I took two steps back, wiping the spilled drink from my pants.

"The security here is terrible."

Liam looked at me, his face red with anger:

"You're still complaining!"

"Do you even know where this is? This is a place owned by the famous celebrity Genevieve. If it weren't for Scarlett, someone like you would never get in!"

At the mention of Genevieve, several male classmates got excited.

"Is that the Genevieve who won all those awards at such a young age and has been on the Forbes list for five consecutive years?"

"I heard she's married, but her husband has never shown his face."

Just then, the main doors swung open.

A little girl, surrounded by a group of bodyguards, walked in.

The girl looked around. A butler in a crisp suit followed behind her, saying carefully:

"Luna, slow down, be careful not to fall."

The old classmates instantly got excited.

"To be allowed in when the place is booked out, and to have a butler following her so attentively, she must be Genevieve's daughter!"

"Oh my god, she looks just like Genevieve!"

I was about to step forward when the woman who had been splashed with drink earlier blocked me again.

She didn't dare provoke Scarlett, so she took her anger out on me:

"Ryan, if it weren't for Scarlett, you wouldn't even be worthy of seeing her! Get down on your knees and apologize right now. If I'm happy, maybe I'll still marry you."

"Good women like me, earning five grand a month, are hard to find. Be smart!"

I ignored her, watching as the girl was surrounded by everyone.

They barraged her with questions; some started taking pictures.

Liam lost his arrogance, replacing it with a fawning smile:

"Little sis, your mom is Genevieve, right?"

The girl nodded, and Liam's smile grew even more ingratiating:

"What are you doing here? Do you want some fruit? I'll get it for you?"

As he spoke, he reached out to touch her face.

The girl pushed Liam away and ran towards me.

Under everyone's stunned gazes, she threw herself into my arms, sweetly calling out:

"Daddy!"