Just because I missed four emergency calls from my younger brother before he fell to his death, my parents hated me for the rest of their lives. Even my wife, Chloe, abused me verbally because of this for ten whole years. "You must always remember, Ethan. You killed Lucas. How do you still have the nerve to live?" The constant accusations from everyone around me left me in a state of mental exhaustion. I ended up mixing up the wrong chemical reagents at work, causing a massive lab explosion. It was Chloe who rushed in, risking her own life to drag me out. But the blast shattered her vital organs. Before she died, she gripped my hand tightly. "I hope in the next life, I never, ever meet you again." Only then did I find out that Chloe had loved my brother, Lucas, for half her life. She had lied about being infertile just so she could save her first night for Lucas. Yet, those who didn't know the truth accused me of being a jinx, claiming I cursed both my wife and my brother to death. In utter despair, I jumped from a building to end my life. But when I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the eve of Lucas’s death. This time, I only want to live for myself.
"Please confirm your information. If everything is correct, I’ll sign the papers. Congratulations, you are officially husband and wife." The voice of the City Hall clerk brought me back to reality. I snapped out of my daze and turned to look at Chloe, who was standing beside me with a cold, displeased expression. I had actually traveled back in time to the day Chloe and I were registering our marriage—the very day before Lucas fell to his death. In my ears, Chloe’s venomous curse from my past life seemed to still echo. "If you hadn't drugged me and taken my innocence back then, do you really think I would have married you? Why don't you just die already!" That suffocating feeling of being wrapped in despair hit me again. I suddenly stood up and snatched our marriage license and ID papers back from the clerk. Ignoring the clerk's bewildered look, I turned to Chloe. "There’s still time to back out. Lucas is waiting for you right outside City Hall, isn't he? Are you absolutely sure you want to marry me?" Chloe completely didn't expect my sudden move. A flash of surprise crossed her face. But she quickly composed herself and let out a cold sneer. "What kind of game are you playing now, Ethan? Cut the crap and finish the paperwork. I don't have time to play house with you." With that, Chloe turned and walked toward the exit. Watching her retreating figure, a bitter smile played on my lips. In my past life, Chloe and I grew up together. Our marriage was arranged long ago, and I always believed we were in love. It wasn't until after we got married, when she smashed our wedding photos, refused to look at our marriage certificate, and publicly screamed at Lucas’s funeral that I didn’t deserve to live, that I finally understood. She blamed me for trapping her in a lifelong cage. Only then did I realize that the ten years of sweetness I thought we shared were nothing but agonizing torture to her. Seeing the tension between us, the clerk looked at me hesitantly. "Sir, are we still going through with this?" "No, thank you." I took the documents and deliberately lingered inside for a while before walking out. Just like in my past life, she didn't even spare me a glance. But as she reached out to grab her documents from me, I took her hand. The familiar warmth gave me a real sense of being alive again. A mix of pain and surprise erupted in my mind. Chloe looked at me strangely. "It's just a marriage registration. Is there any need to be this happy? You were acting so hesitant inside." I nodded. "Yes, I am happy." But I was no longer happy because I was marrying her. I was happy because this time, I had the power to choose again. Chloe coldly pulled her hand away. Just as she was about to get into her car, a staff member walked over. She handed us a large bottle of champagne, naturally assuming we were newlyweds who had just signed our papers. "Congratulations to you both! Please take this champagne as a gift. I wish you a lifetime of happiness." I suddenly remembered my past life. Back then, I was so eager to rush home and celebrate with Chloe, only to be met with her rolling her eyes. "We have a lifetime to spend at home. I’m going out. Don't waste my time." Back then, I thought she was just tired after a long day, so I humbly apologized to her. But now, I gripped the champagne, about to throw it into a nearby trash can, when Chloe suddenly slammed her car door shut. Seeing that I hadn’t gotten in, she frowned with impatience. "Didn't you say we were going home to celebrate? What are you lingering for?" I stood frozen, almost thinking I had misheard her. Chloe actually walked back to my side, snatched the champagne from my hand, and said, "I’m telling you, this is the last time. I won't keep spoiling you like this in the future." I lowered my gaze, and a faint ripple stirred in my long-dead heart. To be honest, our ten-year marriage in my past life wasn't entirely filled with darkness. Before Lucas’s accident, our colleagues always called us the perfect couple. Because of those moments, I had constantly blinded myself, never noticing that anything was wrong. Chloe used to cook for me on my birthdays, even when she got blisters on her hands, just to give me a surprise. She would fly back from abroad the moment I got sick, completely disregarding a multi-million-dollar business deal. And later, when the lab caught fire and I was trapped in the flames, she was the one who rushed in without a second thought to drag me out. I was the one who was supposed to die in that explosion, but she threw herself over me, shielding me from the blast. Setting aside her bitter words, how could I easily let go of someone who had loved me like that?
Seeing that I wasn't moving, Chloe reached out to grab my arm. But before we could take two steps, her phone rang. It was Lucas. Seeing the contact name "Lucas Baby" flashing on the screen, my eyes narrowed. Chloe turned away in a panic, offering a casual explanation. "It was a punishment from a game of Truth or Dare. They made me change the contact name." With that, she answered the call. Even though I couldn't hear what Lucas was saying on the other end, I could guess the gist of it. Either his hand was hurt, or his car got hit. After all, those were Lucas’s favorite tricks. Sure enough, Chloe hung up the phone and shoved the champagne back into my hands. "Lucas got rear-ended on his way back. I need to go check on him. Go home first." I nodded and opened the car door for her. "Do you want me to drive you there?" Seeing that I didn’t press her with questions like I usually did, she gave me a strange look. "Don't you have anything else to say to me?" Seeing my calm expression, she bit her lip and let out a cold laugh. "I guess it makes sense. Lucas wanted to celebrate our marriage with us, but you dragged your feet so much that he couldn't wait any longer. That’s why he got rear-ended on his way back. You have nothing to complain about." With that, she got into the car and drove off. Watching her car disappear into the distance, I tossed the champagne bottle into the trash. She always blamed me for standing in the way of her happiness, but she had no idea that Lucas was never her prince charming. Back then, Lucas had piled up massive gambling debts. I was the one who emptied my savings to bail him out. To keep our parents from getting stressed, the two of us kept it a secret and never told anyone. Yet, Lucas had never stopped seeing the female dealer from the casino, and he was simultaneously leading Chloe on. He only targeted Chloe because she was the CEO of a listed company, with countless properties and luxury cars to her name. I knew exactly what Lucas was up to, so I constantly warned Chloe not to get too close to him. However, Chloe took my warnings as petty jealousy, thinking I didn't even trust my own brother. So this time, I won't interfere in their business anymore. Whether Chloe is running toward passionate love or a dark abyss, it has nothing to do with me anymore.
On my way back, my parents called. Their voices were filled with excitement. They said they had prepared a huge feast and were just waiting for Chloe and me to arrive. My grip on the steering wheel tightened. After a moment of silence, I decided to tell them the truth—that we didn't sign the papers. My dad’s voice instantly grew heavy over the phone. "What is going on, Ethan? Weren't you the one who was dying to get married? Why are you backing out now?" My parents genuinely adored Chloe. When our family went bankrupt years ago, Chloe’s family business was booming. Yet, Chloe never forgot our childhood promise. This completely won my parents over. They had declared that even if it bankrupted them, they would never mistreat her as their daughter-in-law. I sighed and took all the blame. "Mom, Dad, it's my fault. I feel like I'm not good enough for Chloe right now. I want to wait a bit longer." Hearing this, my parents stopped pressing. My dad just let out a long sigh. "It's our fault too. We were naive and let bad people ruin our business, causing the family to go bankrupt. Son, we’ve let you down." After hanging up, I sent a message to my college roommate, Mason. In my past life, my entire world revolved around my family. So, when Mason invited me to join his startup, I rejected him without a second thought. But what did I get in the end? I lost my career, became the laughingstock who lived off his wife, and completely lost Chloe anyway. After receiving my positive reply, Mason was so excited that he wanted to book me a flight to New York immediately. I had no objections. I figured on my last day here, I could finalize everything with Chloe. But right after I hung up, I noticed three missed calls from Lucas. I frowned. My mind instantly flashed back to the moment before Lucas fell to his death in my past life. I clearly remembered him calling me four times back then. An uneasy feeling washed over me. Just as I was about to call him back, Chloe’s call came in. Her angry voice erupted through the speaker. "Ethan Hale! What on earth did you do? I knew you weren't that kind! Now Lucas has been driven to jump off a building because of you! Are you happy now?" My brain went blank, and my vision blurred. It was exactly like my past life. Lucas had inexplicably fallen from a building, leaving nothing behind but my name written in his blood. There were no other leads. Because of that, I became the prime suspect. Even though the police questioned me for three days and nights without finding a single shred of evidence, everyone around me insisted that I had murdered Lucas. Cold sweat poured down my back, and my knees trembled. Was I destined to live under Lucas's shadow for the rest of my life, even after being reborn? I refuse to accept this! I immediately slammed on the brakes, pulled a U-turn, and sped toward the hospital. When I arrived outside the emergency room, the hallway was in complete chaos. Chloe was surrounded by a group of burly, aggressive-looking men. The leader, a fierce-looking man, yelled, "If you aren't Lucas's woman, why did you rush here the moment he got hurt? Cut the crap! He’s in there now, and you have to pay his debts, or we won't let you leave!" Chloe's eyebrows were knit tight. She clearly had no idea about Lucas’s true nature and was completely bewildered. "You have the wrong person! If you don't leave right now, I’m calling the police!" But these thugs were never afraid of the cops. Provoked by her words, they began pushing her around aggressively. Seeing that Chloe was about to fall, I rushed forward and caught her, staring coldly at the thugs. "I’m Lucas's brother. If you have a problem, talk to me." "Perfect! Your brother owes us one million dollars in gambling debts. Pay up right now!" Chloe’s eyes widened in shock. "Are you guys insane? Do you think you can just extort anyone? Ethan, don't listen to them. I'm calling the police right now." "This is ridiculous. Lucas doesn't even know how to gamble. How could he owe a million dollars?" I stayed silent and checked my bank account balance. Seeing that I wasn't arguing and was actually calculating my funds, Chloe yanked my arm hard. "Ethan, did you lose your mind? Do you have too much money to spend? Do you know who these people—" She stopped mid-sentence, as if a sudden realization hit her. "Wait... so the one who actually owes the money is you, and you're framing Lucas, aren't you? No wonder you're so willing to pay them back!"
Listening to her effortless accusation, I could only manage a bitter smile. Losing his patience, the leader raised his hand and lunged at Chloe. "Shut up, you bitch!" I instantly threw myself in front of Chloe. The heavy blow landed squarely on my face, sending me crashing to the floor. Ignoring the spinning in my head, I quickly transferred the money to them. Once the transaction cleared, the thugs left, fully satisfied. At that moment, the red light above the emergency room went out. The doctor stepped out with a sigh of relief. "The patient is out of danger, but he needs to be moved to the ICU for a couple of days for observation." Chloe didn't even spare me a second glance. She immediately followed Lucas’s gurney to the ward. I, on the other hand, was helped by a passing nurse to get my face bandaged. I sat alone in the hospital hallway until dawn, ultimately deciding not to tell my parents about this. I still couldn't understand why Lucas had fallen from the building again in this life, but at least he survived this time. When the morning sun filled the hallway, my phone buzzed with a reminder that my flight was boarding in four hours. I stood up, rubbing my numb legs. As I looked up, I saw Chloe walking toward me. She was holding a thermos of freshly made soup, and the moment she saw me, she instinctively hid it behind her back. I knew the soup wasn't for me. She walked over to me, perhaps feeling a bit guilty, and spoke in a much softer tone than usual. "Why are you still here? Go home and get some rest. I’ll watch over him." "Also, thanks for driving those people away yesterday. But we can't just let this go. Once Lucas wakes up, I’ll find out from him who actually owed that million dollars." Simply put, she still refused to believe that her perfect golden boy was rotten to the core. I nodded in silence, but my legs were too numb for me to take a step. Seeing this, she came over to support me. "Come on, I’ll drive you home first." Looking at her lowered eyes, a wave of bitterness washed over me. Suppressing my emotions, I spoke quietly. "Chloe, if you had the chance to choose your husband again, would you still choose me without hesitation?" She answered almost instantly, "What is wrong with you today? Why are you talking nonsense? We’ve been engaged for twenty years. Who else would I marry?" I forced a smile and wiped away a tear when she wasn't looking. Just as I was about to push her hand away, a nurse ran over in a panic. "The patient who fell last night is awake! Quick, get the doctor!" A spark of joy lit up Chloe's eyes. She didn't even look back at me. "Ethan, go home first. I’ll talk to you later." Watching her sprint toward the ward, the emotions in my heart slowly turned to stone. Only when her figure completely disappeared from the hallway did I whisper to the empty air. "Goodbye, Chloe." "This time, I'm the one letting you go." I turned around, left the hospital, and hailed a cab to the airport.
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