But I didn’t say that out loud. I was afraid
he’d have a meltdown right there.
then frowned and asked
od and ooked
く
Ethan frowned and asked,
“Did your best friend tell you something about
me?”
I shook my head, not wanting to talk to him
anymore, and yelled,
“Security! I’m being harassed!”
Ethan’s eyes widened in shock.
Security guards rushed over.
A pampered rich kid like him had never
experienced anything like this.
Ethan had to spend a long time explaining
before they finally let him go.
く
Ethan sent over a bunch of designer bags and
cosmetics.
Olivia told me to keep them all, saying he
owed me.
I nodded without thinking, out of habit.
Olivia sighed. “With your personality, you
really do need someone who can take care of
you.”
“Besides Ethan.”
I said, “Caleb is a total meathead though.”
Olivia smiled, not arguing.
I didn’t see Ethan again after that.
L
Heard he was grounded by his mother for
some self–reflection.
Elaine, however, suddenly came looking for
- me.
She was still the same delicate and stubborn
girl, her small, oval face half the size of mine.
“Chloe, I wanted to talk to you.”
I agreed.
Olivia had only said to ignore Ethan, not
Elaine.
She led me into a coffee shop, looking
pleased.
While I ate cake, she sipped her Americano.
L
While I ate macarons, she sipped her
Americano.
While I ate tiramisu, she sipped her
Americano.
No wonder some people were so thin; this
was how they ate.
“Chloe, you’re actually quite smart.”
“You know Ethan’s interest in someone like
you is just a whim. If you agreed to be with
him, he’d quickly get bored and realize you’re
not what he truly wants. He needs someone
he can talk about ideals and life with,
someone he has things in common with.”
L
I stared at her, dumbfounded.
She’d figured it all out.
As expected of a straight–A student.
Perhaps the astonishment in my eyes was too
obvious, as Elaine’s confidence seemed to
waver.
“Ahem, I came to you out of pure goodwill.”
“I hope you can think things through, don’t
just dive in headfirst. It’ll be even more painful
if you break up years later.”
I thought for a moment and asked, “Do you
want to be with Ethan?”
My blunt question caught Flaine off quard
く
My blunt question caught Elaine off guard.
“Since you say Ethan is so fickle, why would
he be loyal to a different type of girl?”
I nibbled on my cake, puzzled.
esides, you and he aren’t even dating.
What right do you have to interfere with his
love life?”
She clearly had nothing to do with Ethan, yet
she was acting like a wife lecturing a
mistress.
As if Ethan was already her property.
It suddenly dawned on me. “Don’t tell me you
two have an arranged marriage!”
く
Elaine hurriedly interrupted.
“Don’t be ridiculous!”
“There’s nothing between Ethan and me! I’m
just trying to warn you!”
I just said “Oh.”
I racked my brain, trying to recall Elaine’s fate
in my dream, in my past life.
Nothing.
Caleb and I moved abroad, settling in the city
where Olivia had lived.
Many years later, we received a postcard.
From Ethan.
く
It basically said:
He thought of me every birthday, wanted to
see how I was doing, but could never find the
time.
His company was facing a crisis, and he had
to deal with that first.
If I were still around, I would surely support
him silently, taking care of everything for him.
Of course, his wording was a little cheesy.
Caleb got jealous after reading it and kept me
up all night.
Along with the postcard, there was a letter
from Ethan’s mother.
L
She said Ethan had always wanted to give
this to me, but never got the chance to send
- it.
Isuddenly realized…
h was probably no longer alive by then.
hit me like a ton of bricks.
So, only those who died young could be
reborn!
Elaine must have married someone else then.
Elaine’s face darkened as she stood up to
leave.
After leaving the cafe, we ran into each other
<
Her face was flushed, and she looked uneasy.
I burped.
The day Caleb and I got our marriage license,
Olivia gifted us an unlimited Michelin–star
restaurant card.
Married life wasn’t much different.
Except my appetite increased even more.
More physical activity, after all.
But surprisingly, Caleb didn’t want kids.
He said his mother had died during childbirth,
and he was worried.
I patted my chest and assured him I’d be fine.
<
He gritted his teeth and asked how I knew.
I said I’d dreamt of having two babies.
Quantity over quality, though.
Caleb then asked who the father was in my
dream.
I immediately clammed up.
But he saw through me.
This man was more perceptive than I’d given
him credit for.
As time went on, this became increasingly
clear.
His career flourished, even more successful
<
Some people questioned why a big sports
star like him would marry such an average
woman. They said he should divorce and find
a prettier girl.
Caleb paid a late–night visit to the
rumormonger’s house, brandishing a fruit
knife.
“If you try to come between my wife and me
again, it’ll cost you your life.”
No one dared gossip after that.
By then, Olivia had become a renowned
businesswoman.
She traveled the world, living the life she’d
always wanted.
く
And she was exceptionally healthy this time
around.
As for Ethan…
He volunteered for a transfer to an overseas
branch.
Before he left, he came to see me one last
time.
It was pouring rain.
He stood under a nearby awning, staring at
me for a long time.
He said he’d died of cancer four years after
our divorce.
He hadn’t been able to see me one last time.
く
I already knew all this.
Ethan’s mother had contacted me before.
She’d noticed something was off when her
son’s personality suddenly changed and he
started constantly seeking me out.
She accepted the idea of rebirth and quickly
figured out what had happened to Ethan.
She said her son had always been arrogant,
so it was no surprise he’d stumble in love.
Just not this hard.
I thought it wasn’t that bad.
Plenty of people had it worse.
He just couldn’t accept how well I was doing.
Days turned into weeks, weeks into months.
Caleb and I were blissfully happy.
And I never heard from Ethan again.
