He plunged from the cruise ship, ending his life—my husband, on our honeymoon, just moments after learning his first love was gone. It was then I realized he had never truly let go of Julia. Reborn into our youth, he resolutely cast my hand aside, striding purposefully towards his first love. I watched them walk away, then turned and left. From that moment on, our lives became two parallel lines, never to intersect again. Ten years later, we met again at a lavish banquet in Star Harbor City. He was now a rising star among the elite, Julia clinging intimately to his arm as they made their grand entrance. Spotting me, an unexpected guest, he couldn't resist offering a word of caution. "Don't cling to me, Audrey. Even if you waited another ten years, I would never love you." I ignored him, instead pulling my son, who was sneakily devouring cake, from a secluded corner. His eyes suddenly reddened. He seized my hand, gripping it tight. "How dare you try to spite me? Didn't you say you'd only ever love me in this life?" 1 I never imagined, not in this lifetime, that I would ever cross paths with Zack again. At a high-society banquet in Star Harbor City, he stood amidst the glittering crowd, Julia on his arm, his smile elegant and refined. Not a trace remained of the awkward youth I once knew. Those around him beamed with obsequious grins, their voices dripping with flattery. "Mr. Blackwood's future is limitless, truly! Securing that provincial project at such a young age!" "And this must be your lovely fiancée, sir. A truly charming couple, the envy of everyone!" Julia gazed at Zack with deep affection, her voice soft and melodious. "We're planning our wedding for the end of the year. Please, if you're free, we'd be delighted for you to join us." A fresh wave of congratulations washed over them. Then, someone, with perhaps a bit too much curiosity, piped up, "I heard you two have been together for ten years. Why are you only getting married now?" That question piqued my own interest. In my previous life, Zack had loved Julia so deeply that he willingly followed her to his death. And when he was reborn, he had immediately broken up with me, without a moment's hesitation. I had assumed they would marry right after graduation. I never thought they still hadn't tied the knot. At the question, a flicker of stiffness, almost imperceptible, crossed Zack’s face. He quickly masked it with a practiced smile. "A strong foundation takes time, you see. I wanted to build the very best life for Julia." He looked at her, his eyes overflowing with such tender affection it threatened to spill over. In my previous life, when I was with him, I had asked him countless times when we could marry. It wasn't until his family pressured him that he grudgingly nodded, agreeing to be with me. It was clear then, the stark difference between true love and mere obligation. I was about to turn and leave when my eye caught a small, fleeting shadow. My body instinctively followed it. *Smash!* Champagne splattered across the floor. The server, holding a tray, looked at me with an indignant glare. "Where did you sneak in from? Are you blind?!" His voice wasn't quiet, drawing the attention of everyone nearby. When he saw my face, Zack gasped, stunned. "Audrey? What are you doing here?" I lowered my head, apologizing to the server, and explained, "I'm just here looking for someone." Someone, curious, asked Zack, "Mr. Blackwood, do you know her?" Zack’s hand, holding the champagne flute, tightened. His gaze hardened. "Yes. Just an ex-girlfriend." Someone nearby, with a bit too much enthusiasm, blurted out, "But you two were together for ten years! I thought you were each other's first loves!" Julia's smile thinned a fraction. She took Zack's hand, her voice light and dismissive. "Oh, we were young then, just a silly little spat. Who hasn't taken a wrong turn in their youth?" Zack didn't speak. His gaze swept over me, then settled on the server. "Charge the damages to my tab. Let her go." He stood there, his expression calm. Aside from that first stunned glance, he didn't spare me a single extra look. It seemed he was determined to draw a clear line between me and his "mistake" in front of Julia. The server quickly ushered me towards the exit. "Mr. Blackwood is being gracious, cleaning up your mess. Don't expect it again." He glanced at my crumpled pajama top, a look of distaste on his face. "This isn't a place for the likes of you. Just leave." I pulled my arm free from his grasp, explaining patiently. "I'm here to find someone. Once I do, I'll leave on my own." The server scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I've seen plenty of gold-diggers like you. Do you even have the right to be at a banquet like this? If you don't leave, I'm calling security!" "Wait." Zack's voice came from behind him. He looked at me, sighed, and said with a hint of resignation, "She's here for me. Let me talk to her." Julia stood beside him, possessively wrapping her arm around his shoulder. "Audrey, Julia and I are getting married soon. I imagine anyone with an ounce of self-respect wouldn't come seeking out an ex at a time like this." Zack’s face darkened slightly. He couldn't help but try to reason with me. "Don't cling to me, Audrey. Even if you waited another ten years, I would never love you." He continued, "My being with you was just a mistake. Now that I finally have a chance to correct it, I hope you can put the past behind you." Julia surveyed me from head to toe, a sneer twisting her lips. "I can understand why you'd seek out Zack, I suppose. After all, he's a renowned entrepreneur now, and there's no shortage of people scrambling to butter him up." Perhaps my crumpled pajama top gave her a burst of confidence, for Julia puffed out her chest, her voice haughty. "You did go to a prestigious university, didn't you? How have you fallen so low? If I were you, I wouldn't dare show my face!" Zack frowned, pulling out his phone, a hint of impatience in his tone. "If you feel I wronged you when we broke up, I can offer you a settlement now." He paused. "Is five hundred thousand enough?" His fingers moved across the screen, then abruptly froze. "You… you deleted me?" 2 I felt a pang of bewilderment. Why was he reacting so strongly? Deleting an ex after a breakup was perfectly normal, wasn't it? Besides, I had someone at home who was incredibly possessive. If he found out I still kept an ex-boyfriend's contact information, he'd probably throw a tantrum. "Didn't you say you hoped I wouldn't come looking for you after we broke up?" I asked. Zack’s face turned cold. He looked as if he wanted to say something, but held back. My voice was calm, almost detached, as I added, "And there's no need for a settlement. I don't need it." One setback after another, Zack’s expression grew even darker. He said coldly, "What are you putting on an act for? If it weren't for how pathetic you look right now, I wouldn't even bother talking to you." Julia, seeing his irritation, immediately offered him gentle comfort. "Oh, dear, she did go to a good school. Given how utterly miserable she looks now, why don't we just consider it an act of charity?" Zack scoffed, "Julia, you're always so kind. If you ask me, what's there to bother with a woman like this? Look at her, so grimy. Just tell her to get out." His voice was full of contempt, as if he'd forgotten that ten years ago, he was far more wretched than I was now. In my previous life, Zack’s family had vehemently opposed his relationship with Julia precisely because she was known for her questionable morals and her penchant for taking shortcuts. The first time I met Zack in college, he had just picked Julia up from an exclusive lounge, forced by his family to break up with her. During his lowest point, it was I who stayed by his side, helping him through it. He loved photography, so I used the money I'd saved for my startup to buy him tens of thousands in equipment. Through harsh winters and scorching summers, my frail frame carried dozens of pounds of gear, just hoping to see him genuinely smile. Who would have thought that Zack was the one who first confessed his feelings to me? I knew about his past with Julia, and I'd occasionally seen him staring blankly at old photos of them together. So, when he proposed, I asked him very seriously, "Have you truly let go of Julia?" He held me tight then, his voice firm. "Honestly, I never loved her. I only saw her as a very good friend. It's you I love, Audrey. Let's be together." We dated for seven years. Even his own brothers couldn't help but be surprised. "He was so infatuated with Julia, I never thought you two would last." But what no one knew was that Zack had countless times privately refused my hints about marriage. "Audrey, I'm just not the marrying type. Isn't it enough for us to just be together, like this, forever?" It wasn't until Zack’s parents pressured him relentlessly that he finally agreed to marry. During our honeymoon, news of Julia's unexpected car accident arrived. He leaped from the cruise ship, leaving behind only a suicide note. The note was filled from beginning to end with declarations of love for Julia, not a single word left for me. At the very end, he had written in blood: "Julia, in this life, I only want to love you. Now, I'm coming to find you." My love for him, too, turned to ash at that very moment. So, when Zack wanted to break up with me after being reborn, I didn't stop him. Because I knew it was futile. Watching them reunite, I deleted all of Zack’s contact information, believing we would never cross paths again in this lifetime. I never expected to encounter him here. I wanted to leave, but Julia wouldn't let up. She seemed determined to humiliate me in front of everyone. "You think you're worthy of speaking to me? Look at how you're dressed, it's embarrassing!" She continued, "How about this? I'll get you a job here as a server. If you learn to serve people well, you could earn five figures a month." Someone nearby, eager to curry favor, chimed in with a laugh, "This is a hotel in the most prestigious area of Star Harbor City! Working here would be a blessing for you. Hurry up and thank Ms. Julia!" I was surrounded, unable to leave for the moment. I said helplessly, "Thank you, but I already have a job." I paused, then added, "As a photographer." At the word "photographer," Zack immediately looked at me. A complex expression flickered in his eyes, and his lips parted as if to speak. He turned his head, not looking at me directly, his tone cold. "Photography? How much money can that really make? Hobbies don't put food on the table. Out of courtesy, since we're all old acquaintances, I can arrange something for you." I froze, instantly realizing he had misunderstood. 3 My love for photography wasn't because I still harbored feelings for Zack. In fact, after reading that suicide note in my previous life, I had completely given up on him. It was just that when I was reborn, I found the money I had saved had already been used to buy photography equipment. I couldn't sell it on second-hand platforms, so I just picked it up and started using it myself. And, surprisingly, I truly fell in love with photography. This time, it wasn't to please anyone else; it was purely for myself. I politely declined Zack’s offer again, my tone courteous yet distant. "My hobby generates enough income for my living expenses, thank you for your concern." Seeing my apparent ingratitude, a flicker of anger crossed Zack's face. "You're refusing the opportunity I'm giving you? Don't come crying to me later!" I didn't speak. I also didn't tell him that my photography now earned me commissions for national publications and top international journals. The various copyright fees, when added up, were by no means less than Zack's income. But if I told him, he’d probably just think I was boasting. After all, my rumpled pajama top certainly made me look humble. Speaking of which, it was my son's fault. He insisted on playing in the sandbox with me, and the moment I turned my head, he'd slipped downstairs. I'd chased him out before I even had a chance to change. I was just trying to find an excuse to leave when that server from before seemed to notice something. He pointed at my clothes. "Balenciaga? Where did you pick up that outfit? You're not one of the cleaners, are you, secretly taking things from guest rooms?" I couldn't help but frown. "Can't these clothes be my own?" Julia let out a mocking laugh. "Your own? Can you afford them? What wealthy person would dress so casually and wander around like you?" She made a show of pinching her nose. "So dirty, she probably put it on without even washing it first." Zack looked at me, his brows furrowed so tightly they almost squeezed a fly to death. "Audrey, you've sunk to this, and you're still being stubborn?" I didn't want to engage with them, so I turned directly to the server. "If you truly believe I stole something, you can call the police right now." I knew he was trying to curry favor with Julia, taking a jab at me. Sure enough, his bluster immediately deflated. He muttered under his breath, "If it weren't for the important guests at the hotel today, and the fear of disturbing them, I would have called the police already." Julia's eyes lit up. She quickly interjected, "Is it Mr. Remington, the young master? I heard he's in Star Harbor City with his family, staying at this very hotel." Zack nodded, a hopeful glint in his eyes. "The project our company is working on… it would be incredible if we could get the Remington family's support." The mention of "Mr. Remington" was like water splashed into hot oil, instantly igniting a flurry of excited chatter. "Isn't the whole point of this banquet to meet Mr. Remington? This entire building belongs to his family!" "I heard he's only in his early twenties but already married with a child. I wonder which prominent family's daughter he married." As everyone discussed this, the lobby manager rushed in, sweating profusely, a team of people following him. "Ladies and gentlemen, has anyone seen a seven-year-old boy, about this tall?" The manager wiped his brow, frantically scanning the room. Someone quick-witted, seeing the commotion, immediately guessed what was happening. "Is it the young master of the Remington family? I heard he's seven this year." The banquet guests suddenly became eager, scattering to search for the boy. After all, finding him could be a golden opportunity to connect with the Remington family. Zack and Julia also joined the search, leaving me alone. I surveyed the chaotic lobby and walked directly to the dessert section. Sure enough, beneath the table, I found my son, his face smeared with cream. I stretched out my hand, my voice stern. "Come here." My son jumped, clinging to the table leg, refusing to let go. "No." I was about to pull him over when Julia suddenly appeared from nowhere, stepping in front of me, her voice indignant. "Audrey, what are you doing!" She demanded, "Even if you want to curry favor with the Remington family, you shouldn't lay hands on a child!" Zack rushed over, his eyes filled with disappointment as he looked at me. "Audrey, I can't believe you would do something like this for fame and fortune." The server, seizing the opportunity, rushed to the manager, complaining. "This woman, she just burst into the banquet, and she even stole clothes from another guest!" The manager's face immediately hardened. He called for security. "Grab this thief and take her straight to the police station! If she scares the young master, none of you will have jobs!" A hint of triumph flickered in Julia's eyes. She bent down, putting on a benevolent smile for the young Remington boy. "Come here, sweetie, come to Auntie. Auntie will protect you." My son completely ignored her. To everyone's astonishment, he carefully reached out and took my hand. "Mommy, I'm sorry."
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