To deal with my father, I decided to buy myself a girlfriend. Just as I was about to hand her the one-million-dollar check, the shy, timid girl in front of me suddenly became cold and haughty. A live-chat feed flickered into existence before my eyes, comments scrolling frantically. [The heroine is reborn! This time, she has to hold on tight to the male lead!] [Get lost, you nouveau riche side character! The heroine and her childhood sweetheart are the true OTP.] [She only got with the side character because she desperately needed money. Missing out on her first love was the biggest regret of her life.] I blinked, looking up from the ghostly text. I saw Crystal Nam’s cold, arrogant expression instantly melt into tenderness the moment she laid eyes on her childhood sweetheart. Well, what do you know. The heroine has been reborn. Reborn into a life of crushing debt and poverty. … "Shawn Jennings, don't you dare think you can insult me with your dirty money! I'll figure out my mother's medical bills myself!" Crystal slapped the check out of my hand. She then walked straight past me and threw herself into Leo Miller’s arms. "Leo, I finally see what's in my heart. I love you. I've always loved you." She clutched his sleeve, her eyes shimmering with tears, as if they had just survived a life-and-death parting. A murmur went through the surrounding crowd. The comment feed before my eyes scrolled even faster. [Go, girl! So brave, confessing to the male lead right after being reborn!] [His ears are turning red! Their failure to get together in the last life was his regret, too.] [LOL, look at the side character's face. Last time, she only put up with him to save her mom. Now that she's chosen true love, he must be completely stunned. Serves him right.] I was a bit stunned, but not because of Crystal. It was because this comment feed was apparently predicting my entire life. According to them, I was the supporting male character in a novel. A vicious, rich second-generation heir who used money to buy ten years of the heroine's youth. And now, Crystal was reborn. In her previous life, I had sponsored her to fend off an arranged marriage my family was pushing, but I ended up falling for her over time. She, in turn, endured a humiliating decade with me to pay for her mother's treatment, all while burying her unspoken love for the boy next door. She blamed me for destroying her true love, and she despised my arrogant, demanding personality. She always felt subservient and without dignity in our relationship. Yet, she had also grown accustomed to a life of luxury and was unwilling to lose me, her personal cash cow. Two years after graduation, news of Leo Miller's marriage sent her into a spiral. She got blackout drunk and accidentally drowned in our swimming pool. Now, reborn, the first thing she did was seize the love she'd missed, publicly confessing to Leo to fix her past regrets. I almost laughed out loud at the accusations on the feed. If the last life was really as they said—she took my money, used my connections to start her own company and become a CEO—then what was wrong with expecting her to be a little gentle and considerate to me, her benefactor? Cooking a meal now and then, saying a few sweet things… was that too much to ask? Wasn't that part of the deal? Did she expect to spend my money while I worshipped the ground she walked on? Forget it. I'm done being the sucker. With a cold smirk, I tossed the check to a girl who was watching the drama unfold nearby. "Who told you I was going to pay for your mom's treatment?" I drawled. "I meant it for her." I turned to the new girl. "Hey, beautiful. Interested in a relationship? The kind that comes with a million-dollar monthly allowance." [What's happening? Why did he give the check to someone else? Isn't he in love with the heroine?] [Don't panic. It's just a trick to make her jealous. No way he likes someone else. We all saw how he simped for her in the last life.] [Relax, the heroine won't fall for it. Just wait for him to get shot down.] Crystal's expression froze, a flicker of disbelief and confusion in her eyes. She clearly hadn't expected me to choose someone else. But with her beloved right in front of her, and the thrill of rebirth overwhelming her, she didn't have time to dwell on it. She eagerly turned back to Leo, and they began their heartfelt reunion. Meanwhile, I took my new acquaintance, Stella, out for a meal. In my past life, I had no idea what I ever saw in Crystal. It was just a way to avoid an arranged marriage; anyone would have done. I had more than enough money. My family owned three gold mines, for God's sake. I was the sole heir to the city's wealthiest man. I'd never had to put up with anything I didn't want in my entire life. Why would I hang myself up on one crooked tree? If love was something that grew over time, then I'd just stop putting in the time. Problem solved. At the restaurant, I took a good look at the girl across from me. Stella Lowe was, in every way, just as stunning as Crystal. An elegant face, almond-shaped eyes, and skin as smooth as polished jade. My mood lifted instantly. I tossed the menu to the waiter. "Bring us one of everything that's expensive and well-reviewed." Just as I said that, the restaurant door opened. In walked the reborn Crystal, hand-in-hand with her precious childhood sweetheart. The moment she saw me, her brow furrowed, her expression a mixture of annoyance and contempt. She clearly assumed I was here waiting to ambush her. "Like gum on my shoe, I just can't get rid of him," she complained, loud enough for me to hear. I scoffed but didn't bother to reply. This was the best restaurant in the area; even the appetizers cost a hundred bucks. It was perfectly normal for me to be here. Crystal, on the other hand, probably didn't have two hundred dollars to her name, and Leo was just a regular student. I was very interested to see how they planned to pay their bill. Crystal sat down and casually ordered seven or eight of the signature dishes. Then she looked at Leo with a deeply affectionate gaze. "Leo, the food here is just okay. You'll have to make do for now. Next time, I'll take you to France to taste the freshest foie gras with the finest wine. And after this, we'll go to a luxury boutique and get you a few custom watches. A man's watch is his reputation, after all." Leo was dizzy from the sudden windfall of promises, his voice booming with excitement. "Crystal, it's only our first day as a couple. Isn't this a bit much?" "It's nothing," she said, shooting a haughty glance in my direction. "Someone else will be happy to foot the bill." Leo's face flushed with excitement. "Crystal, I… I got a gift for you, too." He secretively pulled out a red plastic bag. Crystal's eyes lit up. The comment feed was screaming. [AAAAAHHH, they just got together and he's already giving her the family heirloom? This is too sweet!!] [What is it? A jade bracelet? An emerald? Last life, Shawn's 'heirloom' gift was that Pigeon's Blood ruby necklace from a European royal family, worth over a billion.] [He may not be as rich as the side character now, but they have love! She'll love whatever he gives her.] The red plastic bag was festive and unassuming, but heavy in his hands. Crystal opened it with great anticipation. Inside was a heart-shaped rock. Leo blushed. "I found this by the river where we used to play as kids. It's the only heart-shaped one. I took it home and cleaned it, wanting to give it to you the day I confessed. Do you like it, Crystal?" The comment feed went silent. I had to dig my nails into my thigh to keep from laughing out loud. For a college freshman, a heart-shaped rock is a sweet, innocent gesture. But Crystal had the soul of a nearly thirty-year-old woman trapped in an eighteen-year-old's body. For the past decade, she had lived in luxury. The clothes she wore, the cars she drove—a single accessory on her purse was worth a normal person's annual salary. Even the pool she'd drowned in just hours ago was temperature-controlled. For hands accustomed to silk and cashmere to now touch a river rock… the contrast was jarring. At that moment, I slid a delicate diamond bracelet across the table to Stella. "I picked this up at a jewelry store this morning. A little something for our first date. Do you like it?"
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