Ingrid's face instantly turned pale.

Without another word, I turned and walked away.

Her furious voice followed me from behind. "Wesley, stop right there!"

But I ignored it completely.

Early the next morning, just as I entered the yard, I heard a fierce argument coming from the Stewart residence.

Mrs. Hart suddenly popped out of nowhere and grabbed my arm.

"Hey, Wesley, are you heading to work?" She then continued in a lowered voice, "Did you know Ingrid almost got herself ruined by that scumbag Edmund yesterday?

"Now, to make matters worse, she insists on marrying Edmund, saying he had touched her. Isn't that just—"

Before Mrs. Hart could finish, Ingrid rushed out of the house. Her face was streaked with tears, and her clothes were crumpled.

"If any of you dare report Edmund, I'll never marry anyone else in my life!" she screamed hysterically toward the house.

Then, she turned and saw me. In that moment, her gaze held hatred, resentment, and something unclear.

"Thank you," she said to me.

I froze.

"Thank you for not rushing in impulsively to save me in this life." Ingrid suddenly smiled mockingly. "This way, I don't owe you anything."

I jolted—Ingrid had been reborn too.

Ingrid's mother, Mrs. Stewart, rushed out of the house, pointing and screaming hysterically at me.

"Wesley, you heartless scumbag! Ingrid was almost violated, yet you did nothing to save her?"

Neighbors began peering out one after another.

"Wesley is truly despicable. He and Ingrid grew up together, so how could he watch her suffer without stepping in to help?"

"Exactly. How can a young man be so cowardly?"

I watched these self-righteous people coldly.

In my previous life, I sacrificed my entire future to save Ingrid. Yet, in their eyes, I was nothing but a reckless fool.

I chuckled lightly. "Yes, I was cowardly. I couldn't take on seven or eight thugs by myself, so I went to report it to the police. What's wrong with that?"

When Mrs. Stewart heard this, she became even more furious.

"Report it to the police? What good does that do? Once the police are involved, Ingrid's reputation will be ruined! What use are you if you can't even handle a few thugs?"

Looking at Mrs. Stewart's face, twisted with anger, I suddenly felt how absurd it all was.

In my previous life, I lost the use of my right hand trying to save Ingrid. It was chopped up so badly I could never hold a wrench again.

Back then, Mrs. Stewart would visit me every day with chicken soup, saying she'd treat me like her own son from then on.

But after the wedding, whenever Ingrid threw things and called me useless, Mrs. Stewart would mock me alongside her.

I stared at her coldly. "So, you think I should risk my life for Ingrid's reputation? Did it ever cross your mind what would have happened to Ingrid if I hadn't reported the crime in time?"

"Why you—you—" Mrs. Stewart was left speechless, her face flushing a deep red.

Mrs. Hart cut in. "Wesley does have a point. Those thugs were vicious, so charging in alone would've been suicidal."

"Exactly, at least Wesley went to report it to the police."

"If you ask me, Ingrid usually dresses too provocatively. That's what brings this kind of trouble."

As I listened to everyone arguing back and forth, I suddenly felt weary of it all.

These were the same people who had criticized me in my previous life, and now they were turning their judgment on Ingrid in this one.

Public opinion could be formidable, yet in the end, it was hardly worth taking to heart.

Seeing the shift in opinion, Mrs. Stewart grew even more flustered and furious.

"What do any of you know? Now the whole factory knows about this, how is Ingrid supposed to face anyone after this?"

"Mom, stop talking," Ingrid suddenly said, her voice as cold as ice. "What does my reputation have to do with Wesley? He's nothing to me. In any case, I'm set on marrying Edmund, and you can arrange it for me."

With the matter settled, I turned to leave. Just as I reached the alleyway entrance, Ingrid caught up with me.

She stared intently into my eyes and said, "Wesley, were you reborn too?"

I met Ingrid's gaze and saw the panic and probing in her eyes. She was afraid that I also remembered what happened in my previous life.

She took a deep breath, as if steeling herself.

"I admit I wronged you in our previous lives. I betrayed your love for me, but you know what? If you hadn't meddled, Edmund and I would have been together long ago. It was your 'kindness' that tied me to you."

She grew more agitated as she spoke. "I had no choice but to marry you. Do you have any idea how much I suffered?"

Seeing how worked up she was, I couldn't help but find the whole thing utterly ridiculous. She was still making excuses for herself and blaming me.

I smiled faintly. "Don't worry, I won't play the fool again. I'm staying out of your and Edmund's affairs from now on."

She eyed me suspiciously. "You're not planning to pull something behind my back, are you?"

Even after half a lifetime together, she had not an ounce of trust in my character.

"Rather than worrying about me, perhaps you should worry about whether you're marrying the wrong person."

"Don't you dare slander Edmund!" she snapped, glaring at me angrily. "He's a hundred times better than you!"

Soon, word spread through the factory that Ingrid was going to marry Edmund. People gossiped endlessly, and someone said she was willingly throwing herself into ruin. But I paid no attention to their talk.

I walked straight into the office of the factory manager, Jordan Cain, and earnestly submitted my application.

Mr. Cain reviewed the documents and nodded in satisfaction. "There are only three spots for this advanced training program in Elmridge. Wesley, if you go, make sure you study hard."

I nodded.

In my previous life, before Mr. Cain could even inform me of this opportunity, I had already been hospitalized after saving Ingrid. Thus, I missed out on this chance entirely.

It was only later that I learned that those who went to Elmridge for training were eligible to apply for special college admission quotas.

Mr. Cain hesitated before saying, "What a shame it's not you who Ingrid is marrying. But going to Elmridge might help you heal a bit from that heartbreak."

"Mr. Cain, don't worry. I've already moved on."

He patted my shoulder. "When you come back, I'll introduce you to a nice girl."

I nodded with a smile, but I was already thinking about what I needed to pack.

However, when I returned home, I found the yard in complete disarray, and several strangers were hauling my furniture out of the house.

"What are you all doing?" I demanded.

I swept a cold gaze across the yard. The coffee table, wardrobe, and television had all been dragged outside. Even the redwood table my parents had left behind was being carried out by someone, and my door had been forcibly pried open.

"Put that down," I ordered sharply.

Startled, the mover let go of the table. It crashed to the ground with a loud thud, a corner chipping off.

A sharp pain twisted in my chest.

"What are you shouting about?" Mrs. Steward planted her hands on her hips. "Consider these things compensation for you standing by and doing nothing. Ingrid's reputation is ruined because of you, so what's wrong with us taking a few measly items?"

I let out a cold laugh. "You're just plain robbing me."

Leaning against the doorframe, Edmund looked at me tauntingly.

"What's the matter, Wesley? Are you trying to worm yourself out of this? Ingrid and I wanted a little privacy, and you just had to stick your nose in.

"If it weren't for you calling the police, I wouldn't have to spend those few days locked up. So, is it too much to ask for a little compensation?"

Ingrid nestled in Edmund's arms and said icily, "Everyone knows you have a crush on me. Hand over these things today, and we'll call it even."

She gave a mocking smile. "After all, didn't you call the police just to have Edmund arrested for harassment and ruin my reputation, so that you could marry me?"

"Exactly!" Mrs. Stewart chimed in. "How evil of you. I guess this is what happens when you grow up without parents."

I clenched my fists tightly, nails digging deep into my palms.

In my previous life, my parents had rushed into a crumbling house during an earthquake to save Ingrid, who'd been fooling around inside.

Yet now, they were using my parents against me.

"Ingrid, do you really think you'd have walked away unharmed from that warehouse if I hadn't called the police?"

In my previous life, it was only after digging around that I'd learned the truth.

Having owed a huge debt to loan sharks, Edmund had planned to hand Ingrid over to them as collateral that time. Moreover, the man who acted so devoted to Ingrid was already married and had a wife waiting for him back in his hometown.

Before I could finish my sentence, a vase flew past my ears.

"Stop trying to drive a wedge between us!" Ingrid shouted, trembling with anger. "Edmund was just worried my parents wouldn't approve of us getting married, so he wanted us to get closer first. Don't you dare slander him!"

Looking at her utterly infatuated expression, I felt a mix of pity and amusement. I wondered how she'd react when she finally learned the truth.

"Edmund, are you planning to make Ingrid your side piece? What about your wife back in your hometown?"

Edmund froze and instinctively loosened his hold on Ingrid.

"Cut the crap! What wife? I don't have a wife!" Edmund tried to sound calm, but the tremor in his voice gave him away. "You're just jealous of me and Ingrid, so you're trying to ruin our marriage!"

Edmund's expression caught Ingrid's attention, and she looked at him with suspicion.

"Edmund, are you hiding something from me?"

He grabbed Ingrid's hand and pleaded urgently, "Ingrid, don't listen to his lies. I swear to God, if I have a wife, may I be struck by lightning and die a terrible death!"

"If you go ask the town committee in Millport, you'll know. His wife is still there working the fields, and from what I've heard, she's pregnant."

Edmund broke out in a cold sweat. He hadn't expected me to know even the name of his hometown.

Noticing Edmund's uneasy expression, Mrs. Stewart said sternly, "We need to get to the bottom of this. Ingrid, you can't just—"

"There's no need to look into this matter." Ingrid suddenly cut Mrs. Stewart off, stubbornly shielding Edmund. "I trust Edmund. He's definitely not that kind of man."

She turned and tightly gripped Edmund's hand, her voice tinged with hysteria. "Edmund, let's go register our marriage tomorrow. I want everyone to know I believe in you."

A flicker of triumph flashed in Edmund's eyes as he shot me a taunting look.

I felt a bitter ache rise within me as I watched Ingrid stubbornly clinging to her delusion. Well, if she insisted on ruining her own life, so be it.

She seemed to have made up her mind, her gaze fierce as she glared at me. "Wesley, you have to compensate me for my losses today! These scraps of furniture aren't enough.

"You've been slandering Edmund this whole time, so you need to pay us at least 50,000 dollars. Otherwise, this isn't over!"

50,000 dollars? Now the average worker's monthly wage was only 3,000 to 4,000 dollars, this was nothing short of extortion.

Seeing Ingrid defend him so vehemently filled Edmund with renewed courage.

"Exactly! You also need to compensate me with a sewing machine payment note. Otherwise, I'll go to your house and make trouble every day."

Mrs. Stewart chimed in from the side, "That's right! 50,000 dollars plus a brand new 85" smart TV—not a single thing less, or we'll come here every day! Let's see how you can show your face around here then."

They might as well have written the word "shameless" on their foreheads.

I was so angry I almost laughed. Just as I was about to speak, the gate to the yard was suddenly kicked open.

Several men with a thuggish air and rough, menacing faces barged in. The bald man leading them swept a fierce gaze over everyone in the room.

"Which one of you bastards is Edmund?"

The atmosphere in the room instantly froze over.

Edmund, who had been acting cocky just moments ago, turned deathly pale in an instant.

He subtly shifted backward, attempting to hide behind Mrs. Stewart and slip away unnoticed.

"Trying to make a run for it, are we?" The tall, thin man beside the bald man had sharp eyes. He grabbed Edmund by the collar and dragged him forward. "You scoundrel, you're exactly who we're looking for! And you thought you could escape?"

Edmund's legs went weak, and he could barely stand upright.

"W-Who are you? What do you want from me?"

"What do we want?" The bald man sneered as he stepped forward and slapped Edmund hard across the face. Blood instantly trickled from the corner of Edmund's mouth.

"You owe money and refuse to pay, and on top of that, you got our boss arrested on harassment charges! He might even get executed! We're settling this score with you right now!"