My girlfriend and I were reborn, returning to the cramped basement apartment we rented right after graduation. We silently walked out the door together, neither of us mentioning staying together. She went abroad with her childhood sweetheart to further her studies while I stayed behind, grinding away at my company.

Seven years later, she became a rising young designer with a bright future and a happy family. I was still grinding away at the same company.

When we met again, she clung to her childhood sweetheart's arm, looking down at my slightly disheveled state with a mocking smile. "Long time no see. How did you end up looking like a beggar?"

I ignored her.

However, later, when the powerful, world-renowned CEO of a top design firm clung to my arm, acting sweetly, her face twisted with panic. "Alex Prescott! How can you be so close with another woman?!"

When the professor organized a class reunion, Sophia Hart returned. She had transformed into a top-tier designer who had achieved both fame and fortune.

As I walked in, the others were already praising her talent.

"Sophia, you’re a real star in our field now. Back in school, we all knew you had talent. We’d spend a week on our assignments, but you’d finish in two days."

"I heard you even established the Hart Scholarship at our old school. That’s impressive. If I’d known, I’d have followed your path too."

"Sophia’s not just talented; she’s beautiful too. I heard her current boyfriend, James Finley, is a total catch. I’m curious. How did you two end up together?"

Sophia lowered her head and gave a faint, smug smile. "Just destiny."

Then, someone brought me up. "By the way, why did you and Alex Prescott break up? I remember you two were so in love back then. I used to root for you."

Sophia’s brows furrowed, and her smile froze. "We just weren’t a good match, that’s all."

Sensing her discomfort, the others quickly shifted the topic to her and James, the seemingly perfect power couple.

I brushed the dirt from my clothes, straightened up, and walked inside.

The class rep noticed me first. "Hey, look! Our campus heartthrob is here!"

"Alex! Come over, let’s catch up!"

"What happened to you, man? Did you trip on the way here?"

I responded with a few polite remarks, then met Sophia’s gaze. She shot me a sideways glance, her expression dripping with disdain, silently mocking me from head to toe. Her makeup was meticulously applied, and her outfit was screaming with Dior logos, giving her the air of a glamorous princess.

Standing beside her in a perfectly tailored suit, James had his arm gently resting on her shoulder.

Together, they looked like a match made in heaven.

In contrast, I still had mud stains clinging to my clothes, looking every bit the mess. Nevertheless, I didn’t let it bother me. I gave her a brief nod as a greeting and then turned to chat with the others.

"Hey, do you remember Catherine Shaw?"

"Of course! She was the campus queen back in the day—stunning, rich, and talented. The definition of a perfect girl."

"She was one of Professor Warren Eckhart’s students too. I heard she’ll be here soon."

"Yeah, she’s done well for herself. She even sponsored a few of Professor Warren’s projects over the years..."

They continued their conversation as I checked my phone.

There was still some time before Professor Warren arrived, and my muddy clothes were really starting to bug me. I texted someone to bring me a fresh set, then slipped into the restroom to change.

When I stepped out, I found Sophia lingering by the door. I had no interest in getting tangled up with her, so I turned to leave.

However, she called out to me. "You’ve been grinding away at that crummy company for years, and you couldn’t even afford a car to get here? Falling flat on your face outside... What a joke!"

I turned to face her, meeting that all-too-familiar face, and replied firmly, "That’s my business. It has nothing to do with you."

She clenched her jaw. "Fine. Then, stay in the mud for the rest of your life!"

She clicked away on her high heels, the sound sharp and unforgiving. Then, halfway down the hall, she paused, glanced back at me with a smug, almost triumphant expression.

"Alex! You’re as stubborn as ever, but no matter how much you try to hide it, I know you regret it."

Regrets?

Watching her figure slowly disappear into the distance, I couldn’t help but think back to our past life together.

In our previous lives, Sophia and I had married early. At first, things were manageable, even happy. Eventually though, we fell victim to the grind of daily life: the endless cycle of bills, chores, and responsibilities.

Before our rebirth, we had a massive fight. She wanted me to quit my job and move abroad with her for a fresh start. However, I didn’t want to abandon everything I had built here.

Her full fury unleashed, Sophia had screamed and thrown things. I remember pressing my fingers to my temples, trying to stay calm.

"If we both go abroad, what about Emma?" I asked.

Emma was our daughter. Sophia was an only child, and her parents were already elderly. My own parents passed away years ago.

Her parents didn’t want us to leave the country, and a child as young as Emma needed stability. I had chosen to stay and work locally, in a company that offered good benefits and a realistic shot at becoming a partner with enough effort, although it was not a massive organization.

It was a tough path, but for the sake of my family and my future with Sophia, I was willing to endure it. Her parents treated me like their own son, and I cherished that.

Unfortunately, happiness rarely lasts.

Ever since Sophia visited a friend’s successful design firm abroad, she couldn’t stop talking about moving. She convinced herself that if she had chosen to study and work abroad from the start, she would have been even more successful.

Then again, we weren’t that worse off. We owned our home and a car, and had no debt. Our combined savings reached seven figures, but she still wasn’t satisfied.

Her eyes were bloodshot as she stared at me, motionless.

"You’re not going to use our daughter to trap me for life!" she spat. "Yeah, my parents are old, but they’re still healthy and have pensions. They don’t need us to take care of them. Plus, we can just take Emma with us! If they ever fall ill, we can bring them over too."

It all sounded so naive. Moving abroad with parents and a child, starting from scratch, adjusting to a new language, work, and culture… It wasn’t as simple as she imagined.

I tried to reason with her, but she cut me off.

"Alex! I’m asking you one last time—is it me or this dead-end job? If you choose that stupid job, we’re getting divorced. Right now."

I froze, stunned by her ultimatum. I never imagined she would be willing to end our marriage over this.

"Sophia, why are you so determined to leave?"

She sneered, her tone dripping with disdain. "What kind of future do you think you can carve out here? Even if you don’t care about yourself, even if you want to waste your life away, think about Emma! Do you want her to end up like you? Working for others her whole life, bending over backwards for a paycheck?"

Her words hit a nerve.

"Do you think becoming a partner is just sitting passively? Sophia, success isn’t limited to a particular country. If you work hard, you can find success anywhere. The life we have now is the greatest security we can offer Emma and our families."

"Enough!" she snapped, cutting me off again. "If you won’t go, then I will! I never should have married you in the first place. You’re spineless, a coward who lacks even a shred of ambition or courage!"

She screamed as she stuffed clothes into her suitcase, throwing insults as easily as she tossed her belongings.

It wasn’t the first time I’d heard her say things like this. I used to brush it off as her blunt personality, but looking back, I realized that maybe she truly believed I was a worthless loser.

She stormed out, luggage in hand. I followed, worried about her state of mind.

I never saw the crash coming. The driver lost control, and the car veered straight into a river.

I jumped out, desperate to save her, but my ankle got caught in the thick, clinging river weeds. She remained trapped in the sinking car, her cries for help muffled by the rushing water.

When I awoke again, we had both been reborn.

This time, neither of us mentioned continuing our engagement. She left abroad for her studies, defying her parents’ wishes, while I remained at the same company, just like before.

We had both made our choices, and I had no regrets.

On my way back to the banquet hall, my wife called.

"I just heard from your assistant that you fell into a flowerbed while trying to save a kid. Are you hurt?" Her voice was filled with concern, a hint of worry seeping through the line.

I couldn’t help but smile. "No, I’m fine. Don’t worry."

"Good! I’ve still got a few things to finish up here. I’ll join you as soon as I’m done."

"Alright, take your time. See you soon!"

I hung up, the smile still lingering on my lips, even as the class rep called my name, reminding me that Professor Warren would be a bit late.

He grinned, urging me over, "Come on, have a drink with us! It’s been years! And Sophia brought this special bottle back for us!"

The moment I stepped through the door, James was already waiting there. Before I could even politely decline, he shoved a glass into my hand.

"Here, Alex, have a taste!"

Everyone had gathered around James and Sophia, showering them with compliments about the wine.

I took a small sip before setting the glass down. To be honest, the wine was pretty average. Plus, my wife and I were trying for a baby, so I was trying to avoid alcohol.

I thought a token sip would be enough, but James clung to me like a piece of stubborn gum. He kept pressing me to give my "expert" opinion on the wine.

Everyone in the room had spent years in the game, so they knew exactly what he was doing.

Seeing me stay silent, a few others jumped in to fan the flames.

"Oh, looks like Alex can’t tell good wine from bad."

"Hey, don’t mind him. He can't see the wood for the trees and has no appreciation for the finer things!"

"Ah, but you know Professor Warren. He’s always been generous. Regardless of whether you’re a top student or a nobody, he invited everyone tonight."

"Come on, everyone remembers how Alex used to hang around Professor Warren back in the day, always trying to get on his good side."

Their words dripped with thinly veiled mockery, and James’s grin only grew wider. "Alright, I just thought Alex might want to try the wine, that’s all. No hard feelings." His tone was all smiles, but his eyes flashed with smug satisfaction.

Neither did I have the patience for this petty drama, nor did I feel like dealing with a room full of fair-weather friends. I stepped aside and checked my phone.

My wife had just sent me a message, asking if I was alright and letting me know she’d be arriving soon with Professor Warren. I quickly replied, telling her I was fine and to be careful on the way over.

As soon as I hit send, Sophia appeared in front of me. "Alex, I always thought you were just a coward when it came to the whole going abroad thing, but I didn’t expect you to be such a lightweight now, too."

Ah, so she had been watching from the sidelines.

"I’m getting engaged to James," she said, tossing her hair back with a self-satisfied smile. "Just think, if you’d gone abroad with me back then, we could have been married by now, maybe even had a kid. But no, you had to be stubborn. And look where that got you. You're a nobody stuck in a dead-end job, and you're a laughingstock."

I cut her off, my tone flat and uninterested. "Congratulations."

Sophia’s face instantly stiffened. "Congratulations? For what?"

"For finding happiness together. I wish you all the best."

Her eyes flared with anger, her cheeks flushed. For a second, it seemed like she might explode.

"You’d better mean that!" she spat, practically shaking with rage.

I just gave her a small nod before walking past her. If it weren’t for the chance to catch up with Professor Warren, I wouldn’t have bothered coming to this circus.

I found an empty room to cool off for a while. When I finally reentered the event hall, everyone was staring at me with strange, uncomfortable expressions. I had no idea what was going on until James piped up.

"It’s nothing. It's just a watch. If it’s lost, it’s lost. No need to let it ruin the night."