I kicked the bucket on my eightieth birthday. Outside the door, my kids were wailing like the world was ending. But my consciousness was fading fast. With my last breath, I looked at the woman who had been by my side for decades, her hair now snow-white. I forced a weak smile and asked, "Sarah, tell me the truth. After all these years... did you ever actually love me?" Seeing the hesitation in her eyes, I got my answer. I whispered, "If I could do it all over again, I definitely wouldn't love you." I didn't expect the universe to call my bluff. When I opened my eyes, I was back in my prime. But before I could even process the joy of being young again, Sarah—who was supposed to be getting engaged to someone else—appeared right in front of me. Seeing the look of pure terror on my face, she flashed a massive grin and grabbed me by the collar. "Hugh Sterling, why did you die so fast? I haven't answered your question yet." 1 I opened my eyes, staring blankly at the familiar ceiling of my childhood bedroom. The stiffness of old age was gone, replaced by a vibrant, youthful energy. I realized this wasn't a dream. I had been reborn. I was twenty-four again. A rush of euphoria hit my brain, but I forced myself to calm down. In this life, I would stay the hell away from Sarah Vance. In my past life, Sarah was the only daughter of the Vance dynasty, the "It Girl" of our social circle, known for her brilliance. But this brilliant woman fell for a punk from the wrong side of the tracks. She was smart; she hid the relationship for a long time. But in high society, secrets don't stay secret. When her parents found out, they were furious. They immediately planned a strategic marriage alliance to kill her little romance. Sarah didn't want to do it, but back then, she didn't have the power to defy her parents. So, she targeted me. The Sterlings and the Vances were old money friends. Sarah and I grew up together. She told me, "Hugh, pretend to date me. If we're 'together,' my parents won't force me to marry a stranger." What she didn't know was that I had been in love with her for years. I was ecstatic. I used my family's influence to turn her fake proposal into a real engagement. I thought if we got married, she would eventually fall for me. Decades of a frigid marriage proved me wrong. No matter what I did, she never gave me a genuine smile. It got to the point where, on my deathbed, I had to ask if she ever loved me for even a second. This time, I’m letting go. Checking the date, I realized Sarah's secret romance hadn't been exposed yet. I immediately dropped my "rich playboy" persona and threw myself into work. My friends were shocked. "Hugh, did you hit your head? Why are you suddenly grinding at the family company? Did the Sterlings go broke?" I just smiled. "I found a killer business opportunity. I'm taking the Sterling Group international. Watch me." They laughed it off, but I didn't care. I had decades of future knowledge in my head. Taking the family business to new heights would be a breeze. But first, I needed to prove my worth to my parents. Just then, the news broke. Sarah's relationship with the punk was discovered. My parents summoned me home. In my past life, this was when our families discussed the arranged marriage, and when Sarah pulled me aside to ask for the fake dating favor. This time, the answer is no. 2 Walking into the living room, seeing Sarah sitting there... even with a lifetime of memories, I faltered. She was in her prime—young, beautiful, radiating that elegant, icy aura that I used to worship. In my last life, that face hooked me instantly. I said yes without hesitation. But her beauty only stunned me for a second this time. I knew she didn't love me. She didn't belong to me. So, no matter what she asked, I wasn't going to play the hero. My dad saw me and waved me over, feigning annoyance. "I told you to hurry up! Always late. You act like a child!" He raised a hand to smack me playfully, but I dodged with an agility I hadn't possessed in forty years. Hilarious. I lived to be eighty. My dad right now is only in his forties. I'm not the scared kid I used to be. I laughed. "Dad, you're a grown man. Watch your image in front of guests." Everyone froze. In their minds, I was still the immature heir. After a beat, Dad laughed and slapped my back hard. "You brat! Making fun of your old man now?" He turned to the Vances. "My son and I are close. He treats you like family, that's why he's not putting on airs." The awkward tension in the room dissipated. But Sarah... she was staring at me blankly. There was none of the anxiety or panic she had in the last timeline. It was weird. I sat next to her and put on a polite, distant smile. "I came in a rush, didn't bring a gift. You don't mind, right?" In the last life, I heard she was in trouble and brought a mountain of gifts to impress her. She didn't even look at them. Even after we married, I showered her with expensive jewelry and surprises. She never smiled. That's when I learned: if she doesn't love you, nothing you do matters. I expected her to ignore me. Instead, she smiled—a genuine, bright smile. "It's okay, Hugh. I'm just happy to see you." I froze. In my entire previous life, right up until I flatlined, Sarah Vance never smiled at me like that. Does she get off on being treated coldly? I didn't dwell on it. Soon, her parents would bring up the "punk" issue and the potential marriage alliance. That would be Sarah's cue to pull me aside. I was ready to reject her. Let her run off with her bad boy. I was cutting the cord. Sure enough, halfway through dinner, the elders started hinting at marriage. Right on cue, Sarah grabbed my arm, asking me to help her find something in the other room. I looked up, expression flat. "No thanks. Ask the butler. I don't know where anything is." The table went silent. Everyone looked at me. Since childhood, I was Sarah's shadow. I revolved around her. Rejecting her was unprecedented. But Sarah didn't get mad. She reached out to grab my hand directly. I dodged, my face darkening. I didn't know what game she was playing, but I wasn't participating. "Personal space, Sarah," I said sharply. "Don't get handsy. I'm not interested in you." My parents were mortified, apologizing profusely to the Vances, claiming I must be in a bad mood. But Sarah? She wasn't angry. She looked... thrilled? Her smile got even brighter. She didn't push it. We finished the meal in silence. Her parents finalized plans to marry her off to someone else. I let out a long sigh of relief. Finally. I broke the cycle. 3 I threw myself into work. I had a second chance at life; I wasn't wasting it on romance. But on my first day at the office, I saw someone who shouldn't be there. Sarah. She saw me and grinned. "Hugh! You're here!" She was stunning, and her shout drew every eye in the lobby. I walked over, scowling. "Sarah, what are you doing here?" She patted a large cardboard box next to her, looking innocent. "I'm starting work here. Can't you tell?" The room spun. Why? Why can't I shake her off? My phone buzzed. A text from Dad. Turns out, after Sarah went home that night, she told her parents she and I were secretly in love and insisted on getting engaged to me. The parents conferred, decided we were a perfect match, and set it up without telling me. I saw black spots. The Sarah in front of me felt like a stranger. I took a breath, shaking off her hand. "If you're working here, do your job. We don't pay people to sit around." Sarah was proud. She hated having her competence questioned. Humiliating her publicly should make her angry. I turned to leave. She grabbed my sleeve again. I turned back, and she stood on tiptoes, planting a kiss on my cheek. Her voice was soft, almost spoiling—a tone I hadn't heard in eighty years. "We're boyfriend and girlfriend, aren't we? Hugh, you're so mean." The lobby went dead silent. Everyone dropped their jaws. Me included. I stared at her, trying to reconcile this woman with my memories. It was the same face, but a completely different soul. But I'm an eighty-year-old man in a twenty-something's body. I wasn't going to be played by a little girl. I called the lobby manager over, voice cold. "Where's HR? How did she get in? Did she go through the process? If she didn't pass the interview, kick her out." The manager looked terrified. "The Chairman brought Miss Vance in personally... we can't..." I pinched the bridge of my nose. "Fine. Nepotism looks bad. Make her start from the bottom. Mailroom or something. I'm going to work." I looked at Sarah, face stone cold. "I didn't know about the engagement, and I didn't agree to it. I'll clear it up with my parents. Please have some self-respect." I got into the elevator. Knowing Sarah, she's arrogant. She has sand in her eyes. Me treating her like this in public? She should quit by lunch. I sat in the CEO's office (well, the VP office for now) and started reviewing files. I needed to show my parents I could run this place so they'd hand over the reins. I had decades of future market trends in my head. I was going to turn Sterling Corp into a global empire. Time flew. Lunchtime. I stretched my aching back and headed to the cafeteria. As soon as I stepped out, I saw her. Sarah was leaning against the wall, holding a bento box. Seeing me, she lit up and ran over. "Hungry? I saw you working so hard you forgot to eat, so I brought this up." I frowned, pushing the warm box away. "No thanks. We have a cafeteria. And you're not allowed on this floor. Who let you up?" I glared at the secretary. Before he could stammer an excuse, Sarah laughed. "I demanded to come up. Don't blame him. I'm your girlfriend; they didn't dare stop me." Rage flared up. Before I could snap, she grabbed my hand, eyes watering. "Hugh, you might not believe me, but I really like you. I want to pursue you. Just give me a chance, okay?" In my last life, if she had said this, I would have died of happiness. In this life, it just gave me chills. What the hell happened to her? People in the hallway were staring, envious. I was about to reject the bento again when she threw herself into my arms. I tried to push her away, but she whispered through gritted teeth right into my ear: "Hugh Sterling, don't think you're the only one who got reborn. If you give me attitude again, I'm telling your dad you're bullying your future wife." 4 I froze. To the onlookers, it looked like I was stunned by a beautiful woman's embrace. But my brain was short-circuiting. Sarah was reborn too. But why? Why chase me in this life? I dragged her into my office and slammed the door. "You're hurting me," she complained, giving me that look. The look that used to make me cave instantly in our past life. Not this time. I took a deep breath. "Sarah, since we're both re-doers, I'll be straight. Let's stay out of each other's way. No contact." She looked at me with puppy eyes. "We were married for decades, and you never yelled at me. Now you're cold, and you hurt my wrist." I faltered. Letting go of a lifetime of love isn't easy. But I remembered dying without ever hearing her say "I love you." I couldn't do that again. I stepped back. "I'm not joking. I know you don't love me. I won't stop you from finding your true love this time. You're brilliant; you can build the Vance empire without me. Don't waste time on me." It was true. In our previous life, Sarah became a business titan, the Iron Lady. People called her Mrs. Vance, not Mrs. Sterling. She was more famous than I ever was. I turned to leave. Her phone rang. Sharp. Sudden. I glanced at the screen. Jax. The punk. The love of her life. The reason my marriage was an ice age. I stopped, watching her coldly. She claimed she loved me sincerely. Let's see what she does when her "true love" calls. She didn't hesitate. She picked up. "Okay, I got it. Where are you? I'm coming right now." She hung up, gave me an apologetic smile, and ran out without a word. I let out a bitter laugh. See? Past life, present life, it doesn't matter. I'm always the second choice she discards without a second thought. I was stupid to hesitate. I drove straight to my parents' house. I had to end this engagement. My parents were surprised to see me home so early. "Dad," I said, cutting off his greeting. "I want to cancel the engagement with Sarah." Dad looked confused, then angry. "Stop acting out. We already shook hands with the Vances." In his mind, I was still the kid obsessed with her. "I don't like her," I said firmly. "She didn't ask me. Just forget it. I'd rather find someone I actually love than settle." Dad saw the exhaustion in my eyes. He hesitated. "Fine," he sighed. "If you're sure. I'll talk to the Vances in a few days. Good thing we haven't announced it publicly yet." He looked like he wanted to ask more, but he just closed my bedroom door, letting me rest. I collapsed onto the bed. Both of us reborn. But she's still chasing the punk while trying to keep me on the hook? I drifted into a deep sleep.
? Continue the story here ?? ? Download the "MotoNovel" app ? search for "387522", and watch the full series ✨! #MotoNovel