When my girlfriend and I were reborn back to our college graduation day, we both made a silent, mutual choice to part ways. She chose to chase her dreams in the big city, New York, while I stayed behind to take over my family’s struggling local machine workshop. Five years later. She had became the hottest fashion designer in the country, newly engaged to the billionaire heir of the Sterling empire. Meanwhile, I was still getting my hands greasy, working the assembly line at the workshop. When we met again. She sat in the passenger seat of a luxury Maybach, looking down at me with pure mockery. "Ethan, if you get down on your knees and beg, I might just give you a ride." Later, when the heiress of the Brooks Group leaned in to kiss me under the starlight. Chloe’s eyes welled with tears as she grabbed my sleeve: "Ethan, didn't you say I was the only one you wanted to marry?" Chloe Thorne actually showed up at our college reunion. She was now a wildly successful designer, pulling in seven figures a year. The moment she walked in, the crowd swarmed her, drowning her in compliments. "Oh my god, Chloe! It is so hard to get a hold of you these days!" "I heard the new design wing at our alma mater was donated under your name. That’s insane! You really are the ultimate IT-girl." "Right? And now you’re with Julian Sterling. You two are literally the definition of a power couple." Chloe smiled proudly, casually flaunting the massive ten-carat diamond ring on her finger. "Julian and I are officially engaged." A chorus of gasps and envious sighs erupted. Everyone raised their glasses to toast her success. But inevitably, someone just had to bring me up. "So... do you still keep in touch with Ethan Vance?" Chloe’s smile froze. She let out a soft, mocking laugh. "Ethan? Please. I dumped him ages ago." Sensing the sudden drop in temperature, the others quickly changed the subject. Just then, I pushed the door open. I brushed a few stray raindrops from my hair and walked in. A sharp-eyed classmate recognized me instantly. "Ethan! The legend has arrived!" "Man, I’ve missed you! We live in the same city and you still haven't grabbed a beer with me." "Whoa, what happened to you? You’re soaking wet." I offered a polite smile and nodded to a few people. As I looked up, my eyes briefly met Chloe’s. She was sitting gracefully at the head of the table, wearing a perfectly tailored haute couture blazer and draped in expensive jewelry. Beside her sat Julian Sterling, looking sharp in his custom-made suit. They looked like royalty. And me? My jeans were splattered with muddy water. I looked like a total mess. But I didn't care. I just pulled back my sleeves, gave her a casual nod, and turned to the others. "The rain caught me off guard. Sorry for looking like a drowned rat, guys." Actually, I had an umbrella. But earlier, Julian’s car had intentionally sped past me, splashing a wave of muddy water all over my pants. The impact had broken my umbrella, too. But I wasn't going to whine about it. Hearing my explanation, the looks in my former classmates' eyes turned cold and distant. They probably thought I couldn't even afford a decent car. Well, that’s college reunions for you—everyone kisses up to the rich and steps on the poor. I didn't feel like explaining myself. Ignoring Chloe’s condescending stare, I started chatting with some of my old friends. "Hey, did you hear? Olivia Brooks is supposed to show up tonight. She was literally the goddess of our class!" "No kidding. She was smart, incredibly rich, and drop-dead gorgeous. I heard she took over her family's conglomerate recently! She actually donated the other two buildings on campus." They got more and more excited. I felt like an outsider standing there. My damp clothes were sticking to my skin, making me uncomfortable. I excused myself and walked out of the private room. I spoke with the restaurant manager, borrowed a clean change of clothes, and went into the restroom. When I came out, Chloe was standing right by the door. I paused, thinking she was waiting for someone, and tried to walk past her. But she spoke up. "How has it been five years, and you’re still like this? You don't even have a car." "Are you still doing cheap manual labor in that pathetic little workshop of yours? You really have no ambition, do you?" "Do you regret it, Ethan? If you hadn't been so stubborn, the one standing next to me right now would be you." I stopped, looked at her, and smiled. "I don't regret a thing, Chloe." Chloe gritted her teeth. "You lazy loser. You deserve to rot in that workshop forever." She spun on her heels, her stilettos clicking sharply against the marble floor. But as she reached the corner, she stopped and glared back at me. "You’re just like before. Stubborn and too proud to admit you failed. I can't wait to see the day you can't survive anymore and come begging me on your knees." "Just so you know, I won't help you." "Because this is your karma for being lazy and refusing to grow up."
Karma? I let out a self-deprecating laugh. In our past life, Chloe and I actually got married after graduation. Our relationship was great at first. We had a cozy home and a quiet life. But at a college reunion, she found out that a classmate she used to look down on had made it big in the design industry, earning millions. That ruined her peace. She told me she was too talented to waste away in a small town. She wanted to move to the big city. She said she couldn't stand the boring, domestic life of chores and groceries. She believed only the big city could give her the stage she deserved. I tried to reason with her. "Your classmate isn't even as talented as you, and she made millions. If I go into design, I’ll do way better," she had argued. "If that’s what you want, I can pay for advanced design courses. You don't have to leave everything behind to move to New York, right?" I didn't want to let her go. Our life was actually pretty good. We had a house and a car. Sure, we weren't super-rich, but we were comfortable. I was interning at my family's workshop back then, getting ready to take it over from my parents. Even though it was hard work, I was happy. I wanted to build a better future for her. After all, we were married. But she just glared at me with red eyes. "You're just a loser who doesn't want me to succeed!" "What about our parents? They aren't in good health. Are we supposed to drag them to New York too?" She shrugged coldly. "They have their pension. If worst comes to worst, just put them in a nursing home." A nursing home?! She said it so casually. My parents had treated her like their own daughter. How could she say something so heartless? I tried to keep my temper, but she cut me off impatiently. "Ethan, if you won't come with me, let's get a divorce." I was stunned. She wanted to divorce me just to chase some big-city dream? "Chloe, is the big city really that important to you? More important than us?" She sneered. "You're pathetic. No wonder Julian Sterling always stepped on you in college." "I must have been blind to marry you instead of him." I laughed out of sheer anger. She didn't care about "career growth." This was what she truly felt deep down. "So you regret it? You regret choosing me over him because you think you missed out on a luxury lifestyle?" "Yes! I regret it! If I had chosen him, I’d be the one making millions right now!" "Instead, I'm stuck with you, watching you get your hands dirty in that stupid workshop!" She threw me one last look of disgust, grabbed her suitcase, and stormed out. I was worried, so I ran after her. But as we crossed the street, a speeding truck came hurtling toward her. My instinct took over, and I lunged to push her out of the way. But the truck was going too fast. We were both hit. When I woke up in the hospital, we had both been reborn. We didn't say a word about it. We both acted like the past life never happened. She immediately accepted Julian’s confession and moved to New York with him. And I stayed behind to take over my parents' workshop. Even though my reasons for staying had changed, my mindset hadn't. Since I made this choice, I wouldn't regret it. I believed that as long as I worked hard, I could build my own empire. On my way back to the private dining room, my phone buzzed. It was a FaceTime call from my wife. "Why didn't you let the driver drop you off? It’s pouring outside. You must be soaked. Go to the office and change your clothes. I’m almost there."
Hearing her warm, caring voice made my heart melt. "Don't worry, I’ll wait for you. Drive safe." "What are you doing out here?" An old classmate walked up and slapped me on the shoulder, pulling me back toward the room. "Everyone’s inside eating. Why are you standing out here alone?" The moment I walked in, Julian Sterling walked over. "Hey, Ethan. Try these Gillardeau oysters. I had them flown in from France. They’re about a hundred bucks a pop." I took a small bite and set it down. I didn't care for seafood, and my wife was highly allergic, so I rarely touched it. But Julian wouldn't let it go. He wanted to use the oysters to make a point. Technically, he was my junior in college, yet he talked down to me like I was his assistant. He clearly wanted to humiliate me. A few classmates immediately chimed in to please him. "Ethan probably has never tasted anything this expensive. He doesn't know the difference." "Seriously. If Julian hadn't hosted this, you wouldn't even be able to step foot inside The Grand Riviera. Just take this opportunity to see how the other half lives, man." "It's a waste to feed luxury food to someone like him anyway." They were practically screaming that I didn't belong here. Julian chuckled and took a sip of his wine. "Come on, guys. You’re making me look like the bad guy. I just wanted to share some good food with Ethan. I actually brought a bunch of cases. I’ll have the staff bring some more out for everyone." But his smug smile was a direct provocation. I couldn't stand the fake atmosphere anymore, so I walked back out to the hallway. My phone vibrated with a text on Snapchat. It was my wife. *Olivia: Traffic is terrible, babe. I’m going to be a little late.* *Ethan: It’s fine. Drive safe!* As soon as I locked my phone, Chloe appeared in front of me again, looking down her nose at me. "Look at you. It’s honestly sad. You can't even appreciate a decent oyster." So she had been watching. "Julian and I are engaged now. We’re planning the wedding." "If you hadn't been so stubborn and came to New York with me, we’d probably have kids by now." She gently stroked the giant diamond on her finger. "But sadly, you didn't just miss out on success. You missed out on me." I looked at her calmly. "Then let me be the first to congratulate you." Chloe’s expression tightened. "What do you mean by that?" "I'm congratulating you on marrying Julian. You finally get to live your dream life without worrying about the boring stuff." "Is that all you have to say?" "Yes." Her face flushed with anger. She stomped her heel and glared at me. "I hope you mean that!" Without waiting for my reply, she turned and stormed off. What a drama queen. I shook my head and decided to go back. On my way, the hotel manager spotted me and rushed over to greet me. I waved him off and whispered a few instructions, telling him not to expose my identity yet. But when I walked back into the private room, everyone was staring at me with weird, hostile expressions. I frowned, confused. Then I heard Julian speak up. "It’s fine, guys. It’s just a few cases of oysters. If they're ruined, they're ruined." It turned out Julian had ordered a bunch of premium seafood and kept it in the storage room next door. Now, all of it was dumped on the floor, trampled and ruined. And since I was the only one who had been wandering around the hallway... Along with our earlier tension, everyone immediately assumed I did it out of spite. The manager had mentioned that someone had reserved the side room, but I didn't know it was Julian’s stuff.
"Julian, you’re way too nice! If it were me, I’d make whoever did this pay!" "Just because he’s poor and bitter doesn't mean he gets to destroy other people's things. That's just pathetic." They kept throwing disgusted looks at me. I scoffed. "We're all adults here. If you have something to say, say it to my face. Stop the passive-aggressive drama." "You did it, and now you’re mad people are calling you out?" "Some people are just born with a loser mentality. They hate seeing others have nice things." My face darkened, and I took a step toward the guy who spoke. He instinctively took two steps back. "What? You got caught, and now you want to fight?" "Fight you? You aren't worth my time," I sneered. Seeing the tension escalate, a few classmates stepped in to play peacemaker. "Alright, alright. Let's not ruin the night. We're here to have fun." Julian put on a fake, generous smile. "We're all old friends. It’s just some French oysters. Let’s not make a big deal out of it." I looked at his hypocritical face and laughed coldly. "No, let’s make a big deal out of it. You’re throwing dirt on my name. Let's call the manager and check the security cameras." "I want to see who actually had the guts to trash your precious seafood." "It's just a few thousand bucks of oysters. You're acting like it’s gold." Julian’s smile vanished instantly. Other classmates started whispering. "Look at Ethan trying to act tough. He talks like a few thousand bucks is nothing to him." "Did he brainwash himself into thinking he’s a millionaire? What does he normally eat, instant ramen?" "I saw him walking here earlier. He was running in the rain with a broken umbrella like a stray dog. Now he’s acting like a big shot?" They all burst into cruel laughter. Just then, Chloe walked back in. Her eyes were red. She looked like she had just been crying. Julian immediately rushed to her side and wrapped an arm around her. "Are you okay, babe?" The crowd cooed at how sweet he was. Chloe shook her head, looked at the tense atmosphere in the room, and asked what was going on. Julian gave me a smug look and said: "The Gillardeau oysters, the Almas caviar, and the lobsters I ordered... they were all trashed on the floor." "Nobody left the room except Ethan. So..." He didn't say it outright, but he was pointing the finger straight at me. As if I was the only one who went out. Didn't Chloe leave too? I met Chloe’s gaze. She bit her lip and looked at me with disappointment. "Ethan, I know you’re jealous of Julian and me. But you shouldn't have done this." "Be a man and take responsibility. Don't make me look down on you even more." "You have a wife now, right? I assume you have some savings. You can afford to pay for this." With just a few words, she declared me guilty. I was so angry I almost laughed out loud. "Exactly! Don't be a coward, Ethan!" "You're an embarrassment to our school." Julian took the stage again, playing the hero. "Guys, please. I get where Ethan is coming from. He was the star of our campus back in the day. Now that he’s struggling, it’s natural he feels bitter." Julian looked around the room, his eyes landing on me. "Ethan, if you just apologize to me in front of everyone, we can put this behind us. What do you say?"
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