Upon learning of my first love’s death, my wife, on our honeymoon cruise, leaped overboard, ending her life. It was then I truly understood: she had never let go of Brandon Stone. Reborn into our teenage years, she resolutely pulled her hand from mine and walked purposefully toward her first love. I watched them disappear, then turned and walked away. From that moment, our lives became two parallel lines, destined never to intersect. Ten years later, we met again at a gala in Metropolis City. She was now a rising star among the elite, her arm intimately linked with Brandon’s as they made their grand entrance. When she saw me pushing through the crowd, searching for someone, she couldn’t help but offer me advice. “Why are you still so fixated on me? Even if you waited ten years, I would never love you.” I ignored her, pulling my son, covered in cake frosting, from a secluded corner. Her eyes suddenly reddened. She gripped my arm tightly, her voice laced with desperation. “Are you deliberately trying to provoke me? Didn’t you say you’d only love me, for this lifetime?” 1 I never imagined that in this lifetime, I would ever cross paths with Sylvia Hart again. At the city’s elite gala, she stood amidst the crowd, arm entwined with Brandon Stone’s, her smile elegant and refined, bearing no trace of the naive girl she once was. Those around them fawned, their voices thick with flattery. “Ms. Hart is truly a force to be reckoned with! So young, and already securing a provincial project. Your future is boundless!” “And this must be your beloved, a truly stunning couple! So enviable!” Brandon gazed at Sylvia with a look of profound affection, his voice soft. “We’re planning to marry by the end of the year. If you’re free, everyone is welcome to attend the wedding reception.” Another wave of congratulations rippled through the room. Then someone, perhaps a bit too bold, asked, “I heard you two have been together for ten years. Why are you only marrying now?” That was a question that piqued my own curiosity. In my previous life, Sylvia loved Brandon so intensely that she chose to die with him. After being reborn, she immediately broke up with me. I had assumed they would marry right after graduation, but it seemed they still hadn’t tied the knot. At the question, an almost imperceptible stiffness flickered across Sylvia’s face. She quickly covered it with a forced smile. “Career first, then family, right? I want to give Brandon the best life possible.” She looked at Brandon, her eyes overflowing with tender adoration. In my previous life, when she was with me, I had proposed several times. It was only when her family pressured her that Sylvia reluctantly agreed to marry me. Love, or the lack thereof, could truly be so glaringly obvious. I was about to turn and leave when my eyes caught sight of a small figure. My body instinctively followed. “Smash!” Champagne splattered across the floor. The server, holding a tray, glared at me, his face a mask of annoyance. “Where did you sneak in from? Are you blind?!” His voice wasn’t quiet, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. Seeing my face, Sylvia’s eyes widened in shock. “Ethan Cole, what are you doing here?” I lowered my head, apologizing to the server, and explained, “I’m here looking for someone.” Someone in the crowd, curious, asked Sylvia, “Ms. Hart, do you know him?” Sylvia’s hand, holding her wine glass, tightened imperceptibly. Her gaze hardened. “Yes, he’s an ex-boyfriend.” Someone nearby, too quick with their tongue, blurted out, “You two were together for ten years! I thought you were each other’s first loves!” A subtle chill entered Brandon’s smile. He clasped Sylvia’s hand, his voice dismissive. “We were young back then, just a minor spat, separated for a short while. Who hasn’t taken a wrong turn in their youth?” Sylvia remained silent, her gaze skimming over me and landing on the server. “Charge the damages to my account. Let him go.” She stood there, her expression calm. Aside from that initial shock, she didn’t spare me a single extra glance. It seemed she wanted to draw a clear line between herself and me—that "wrong turn" in front of Brandon. The server immediately began pushing me towards the exit. “Ms. Hart is being kind, cleaning up your mess. But there won’t be a next time.” He glanced at my crumpled pajamas, a look of disdain on his face. “This isn’t your kind of place. Get out, now.” I pulled my arm free from his grip, trying to remain polite. “I’m looking for someone. Once I find them, I’ll leave on my own.” The server scoffed, rolling his eyes. “I’ve seen plenty of opportunists like you trying to climb the social ladder. Do you even have the right to be in a gala like this? If you don’t leave now, I’ll call security!” “Wait.” Sylvia’s voice carried from behind him. She lifted the hem of her gown, looking at me with a sigh, her expression resigned. “He’s here for me. Let me talk to him.” Brandon stood beside her, his arm draped possessively over her shoulder. “Ethan Cole, Sylvia and I are getting married soon. I think anyone with a shred of decency wouldn’t be bothering an ex at a time like this.” Sylvia’s face paled slightly. She couldn’t help but try to persuade me. “Why are you still so fixated on me? Even if you waited ten years, I would never love you.” She paused, a hint of bitterness in her tone. “My relationship with you back then was just a mistake. I’ve finally been given a chance to correct that mistake, and I hope you can let go of the past sooner rather than later.” Brandon scrutinized me from head to toe, a sneer of mockery in his eyes. “I can understand why you’d still come looking for Sylvia. After all, things are different now. She’s a well-known entrepreneur, and she’s bound to attract people trying to cozy up to her.” Perhaps my crumpled pajamas gave him confidence. Brandon, nose in the air, added, “You’re from a good university, aren’t you? How did you end up like this? If I were you, I’d be too ashamed to show my face!” Sylvia frowned, pulled out her phone, and a hint of impatience entered her voice. “If you feel I wronged you when we broke up, I can compensate you now. Will five hundred thousand be enough?” Her fingers moved across the screen, then suddenly froze. “You… you deleted me from your contacts?” 2 I was a little puzzled, not understanding why she reacted so strongly. Deleting an ex after a breakup—isn’t that perfectly normal? Moreover, I had someone at home who was incredibly possessive. If she found out I still kept an ex’s contact information, she’d probably give me hell for days. “Didn’t you say you hoped I wouldn’t come looking for you after we broke up?” Sylvia’s face hardened. She seemed to want to say something but held back. I added, my voice flat, “And a severance payment isn’t necessary. I don’t need it.” Frustrated repeatedly, Sylvia’s expression worsened. She said coldly, “Why are you still putting on airs in front of me? If you weren’t so pathetic right now, I wouldn’t even bother speaking to you.” Brandon gently comforted her. “Sylvia, you’re just too kind. If you ask me, why bother with a man like him? Look at his disheveled state, he’s a hopeless case!” His tone was scornful, as if he’d forgotten that ten years ago, he was far more disreputable than I was. In my previous life, the reason Sylvia’s family initially disapproved of her relationship with Brandon was because he was an uneducated delinquent with a criminal record. The first time I met Sylvia in college, she had just bailed Brandon out of the precinct, and her family was pressuring her to break up with him. During Sylvia’s lowest period, I stayed by her side, helping her through it. She loved photography, so I used the money I had originally saved for my startup to buy her thousands of dollars worth of equipment. Through winter and summer, I carried dozens of pounds of gear behind her, just hoping to see her smile genuinely. Who would have thought that Sylvia was the one who confessed her feelings to me first? I knew about her past with Brandon, and I had seen her occasionally staring blankly at their old photos. So, when Sylvia confessed, I asked her very seriously: Had she truly moved on from Brandon Stone? At the time, she held me tightly, her voice firm. “That’s the past. I’ve long since realized who truly cares about me. Ethan, I love you. Let’s be together.” We dated for seven years, even her best friend couldn’t help but express surprise. “She was so infatuated with Brandon. I never thought you two would last.” But no one knew that Sylvia had privately rejected my proposals countless times. “Ethan, I don’t believe in marriage. Couldn’t we just be together like this forever?” It wasn’t until Sylvia’s parents pressured her intensely that she finally agreed to marry. During our honeymoon, news arrived of Brandon’s accidental death in a car crash. She leaped from the cruise ship, leaving behind only a suicide note. The note was entirely filled with her love for Brandon, not a single word for me. At the end, she had written in her own blood: "Brandon, all my life, I only ever wanted to be your bride. Now, I’m coming to find you." My love for her, in that moment, turned completely to ash. So, when Sylvia wanted to break up with me after being reborn, I didn’t stop her. Because I knew, I couldn’t stop her. Watching them get back together, I deleted all of Sylvia’s contact information, believing we would never meet again in this lifetime. I never expected to encounter her here. I wanted to leave, but Brandon wouldn’t let up, insisting on humiliating me in front of everyone. “You certainly went to great lengths to get with Sylvia. Looking at you, dressed like that, you probably don’t even have a steady job.” “How about this? I’ll get you a job as a server here. If you learn how to cater to people, you could earn a five-figure salary a month.” Someone nearby, wanting to curry favor, chuckled and added, “This is a hotel in a prime location in Metropolis City! Being able to work here is a stroke of luck for you. Hurry up and thank Mr. Stone!” I was surrounded, unable to leave for the moment. Resigned, I said, “Thank you, but I already have a job.” “It’s photography.” The word “photography” hung in the air. Sylvia immediately looked at me, a complex emotion flashing in her eyes. Her lips parted slightly. She then turned her head away, her voice cool. “How much can photography earn? Hobbies don’t fill your stomach. Since we’re all familiar, I can arrange a job for you.” I was taken aback, immediately realizing she had misunderstood. 3 My love for photography wasn't because I still harbored feelings for Sylvia. In fact, when I read that suicide note in my previous life, I had completely given up all hope. It was simply that when I was reborn, I found that the money had already been spent on photography equipment. It wouldn’t sell on second-hand platforms, so I had no choice but to pick it up and use it myself. As it turned out, I actually fell in love with photography. This time, I wasn't doing it to please anyone else, but purely for myself. I politely declined Sylvia’s offer again, my tone courteous yet distant. “My hobby provides enough for my living expenses. Thank you for your concern.” Seeing my apparent ingratitude, a flicker of anger crossed Sylvia’s face. “You don’t want the opportunity I’m giving you? Don’t come crying to me later!” I didn’t say anything. I also didn’t tell her that my photography work was now exclusively published in several national and top international journals. All the copyright fees added up to no less than Sylvia’s income. But if I told her, she would probably think I was bragging. After all, my crumpled pajamas certainly made me look shabby. Speaking of which, it was all Noah’s fault. He insisted on dragging me to play in the sandbox, and the moment I turned my back, he slipped downstairs. I hadn’t even had time to change before I chased after him. I was just about to find an excuse to leave when the server from before seemed to notice something. He pointed at my clothes. “Balenciaga? Where did you pick up that outfit? You’re not, like, a cleaner here, stealing from a guest’s room, are you?” I couldn’t help but frown. “Can’t these just be my own clothes?” Brandon scoffed, a sneer on his face. “Yours? Can you even afford them? What kind of rich person would run around dressed so casually like that?” He feigned covering his nose dramatically. “So dirty, you probably put them on without even washing them.” Sylvia looked at me, her brow furrowed so deeply it could have caught a fly. “Ethan Cole, you’ve really fallen so low, and you’re still trying to be stubborn?” I didn’t want to deal with them, so I addressed the server directly. “If you genuinely think I stole something, you’re welcome to call the police right now.” I knew he was trying to curry favor with Brandon, seeing his displeasure with me. Sure enough, his bravado instantly deflated, and he mumbled, “If it weren’t for the important guests at the hotel today, and fearing you people might disturb them, I would have called the police already.” Brandon’s eyes lit up, and he quickly interjected, “Is it Ms. Reed, the Reed heiress? I heard she’s here in Metropolis City with her family, staying at this very hotel.” Sylvia nodded, her eyes showing a hint of anticipation. “The project our company is working on would be perfect with the Reed family’s support.” The words “Ms. Reed, the Reed heiress” were like water poured into hot oil, immediately sparking a fervent discussion. “Aren’t we here at this gala today precisely to meet Ms. Reed?” “I heard she got married and had a child in her early twenties. I wonder which prominent family she allied with.” As everyone discussed, the hotel manager, drenched in sweat, rushed in, followed by a team of staff. “Ladies and gentlemen, has anyone seen a seven-year-old boy, about this tall?” The manager wiped his brow, his gaze frantically sweeping the hall. Someone quick-witted, seeing the grand commotion, immediately guessed. “Is it the young master of the Reed family? I heard he’s seven this year.” The gala guests grew enthusiastic, immediately fanning out to search. After all, finding him could be their chance to connect with the powerful Reed family. Sylvia and Brandon also joined the search, no longer bothering with me. I looked at the chaotic hall and walked straight to the dessert area. Sure enough, beneath the table, I found my son, Noah, his face smeared with cream. I extended my hand, my expression stern. “Come here.” Noah flinched, hugging the table leg, refusing to let go. “No.” I was about to pull him over when Brandon, emerging from nowhere, blocked my path, his voice righteous. “Ethan Cole, what are you doing?!” “Even if you want to curry favor with the Reed family, you don’t have to resort to laying hands on a child, do you?” Sylvia rushed over, her eyes filled with disappointment as she looked at me. “Ethan Cole, I can’t believe you’d do something like this for fame and fortune.” The server grabbed the manager, complaining. “This man, he suddenly stormed into the gala and even stole clothes from other guests!” The manager’s face immediately darkened. He called security. “Seize this thief and take him straight to the police station! If he frightens the young master, you’ll all be out of a job!” A triumphant smile flickered in Brandon’s eyes. He bent down, putting on a benevolent face for the Reed family’s young master. “Come here, to Uncle. Uncle will protect you.” Noah ignored him completely. To everyone’s astonishment, he carefully reached for my hand. “Daddy, I know I was wrong.”
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