I was Bruce Wayne. During a contract negotiation, Elena West was deliberately plied with alcohol. I took her home and, at her desperate plea, comforted her in her distress. After that night, she found herself pregnant. Left with no other choice, Elena married me. However, when her childhood sweetheart, Aidan Moore, saw the news, he went out for a reckless high-speed drive and died on the spot. Upon hearing the news, Elena kept a poker face and simply said he was just a friend and that his death was no big deal. But on the seventh night after Aidan’s death, she grabbed a kitchen knife and slashed it at my waist. “It’s all your fault for having dirty thoughts about me. Aidan got drunk and went for that crazy drive, dying with a grudge. I want you to pay for his life with your own!” The next time I opened my eyes, I was back to the night when Elena got drunk. “Bruce, I’m feeling like absolute crap. Get over here quick!” The moment I heard Elena’s desperate wail over the phone, I shot up from my sleep, and it hit me like a ton of bricks—I’d been reborn. Without a second thought this time, I immediately dialed Aidan’s number and then headed out to pick her up. When I found Elena, her cheeks were all flushed, and she was slumped on the sofa, looking as drunk as a skunk with those bleary eyes. In my past life, it was those same pleading eyes that made her tell me how lousy she felt and beg for my help. I was so under her spell back then that I just caved in helplessly. And that single decision cost me my life. This time, I plopped down right next to her and said sincerely, “Elena, Aidan’ll be here soon. You two know each other like the back of your hands. He’s way better at taking care of you.” Elena started fidgeting in her seat and reached out her hand, trying to grab me. But I played dumb and shuffled a bit farther away. Not long after, Aidan burst through the door. He gave me a nervous look. When he saw I hadn’t done anything out of the ordinary, he let out a quiet sigh of relief. Aidan pulled Elena into his arms and smiled, “You can head home now. I’ll take Elena to my place to sleep it off.” I just nodded and made a quick exit. As I stepped out of the hotel, the cool night air hit me in the face, waking me up. I let out a long breath. In my past life, I just couldn’t stand seeing Elena suffer from the drug’s effects, so I took her home and tried to help her ease the pain with my body. After she got pregnant, we had to go public with our engagement. When Aidan saw the news, he went on a drunken joyride at breakneck speed and ended up getting himself killed. Elena coolly took care of Aidan’s funeral arrangements. That very night, she came at me with a kitchen knife. I lost so much blood that I collapsed on the floor, begging her to spare me for the sake of our long-standing relationship. But she glared at me with those red-rimmed eyes and roared, “You’re just a stray mutt I took in. There’s no such thing as a relationship. Die!” As the blade sliced into me, I passed out from the excruciating pain. This time, I called Aidan to take care of her so they could finally be together. And I’d get out of this place and never cross paths with them again.
The next day, I went to work at the company. Elena walked in, arm-in-arm with Aidan, and announced to all the employees, “From now on, Aidan’s my boyfriend. You all better respect him as much as you respect me. Whatever he says, you gotta follow it.” Then she looked straight at me and emphasized, “Bruce, especially you. Don’t think you can do whatever the hell you want just ’cause you’re somehow related to me. If you piss Aidan off, I won’t let you off the hook.” I just nodded silently. Aidan stood beside Elena, flashing a cocky smile. I didn’t even bat an eye. Seeing my calm reaction, he turned to the others and said, “I’ve ordered a dozen or so mango mille-feuilles for you guys. Consider it a little gift.” Amid the cheers, the cakes were handed out. I picked up a paper plate, planning to just leave it on my desk and go. But Aidan immediately said, “Honey, does Bruce have a problem with me being your boyfriend? Why won’t he take my gift? After all, he’s your brother. If we can’t get the family’s blessing, maybe we should call it quits.” Seeing Aidan looking so put-upon, Elena immediately gave me a dirty look. “Bruce, what the hell are you doing? Eat the cake before you go.” I flat-out refused. “I’m allergic to mangoes.” Elena said impatiently, “So what if you’re allergic? This cake’s all about your attitude towards Aidan. Is feeling a bit sick more important than giving him some respect?” I was completely floored by what Elena said. But I really couldn’t be bothered to argue with her. “I care more about my health. I’ve got a mountain of work to do, so I won’t ruin your party.” Ten minutes later, Elena stormed into my office. She stared at me, fuming with rage.
I shot her a cold glance and didn’t feel like saying much. But Elena stormed over and snatched the mouse out of my hand right away. She moved in close, scrutinizing my face. “Why are you being such a cold fish? Is it because I brought Aidan to the company that you’re all bent out of shape?” I quickly shook my head to clear things up. “No, I’m really chuffed for you. It’s just that I’m swamped with work and have to get it done ASAP.” Elena still looked mad as hell and clearly didn’t buy my story. She let out a scoff. “Really happy for me? Yeah, right! Bruce, don’t tell me you still have some wacky ideas about me. That night after high school graduation, you pulled out a love letter and tried to confess your love. After I turned you down, you ran outside blubbering and got plastered. “Over the years, you’ve been snooping around, keeping tabs on my likes and dislikes. Every time I said I was into something, you’d go and learn all about it, then act like it was no biggie in front of me. But it was as plain as day in everything you did. Even my friends knew you had a thing for me. “I’m warning you, don’t have any crazy pipe dreams. I’ll never fall for you. Stop making a fool of yourself.” As she ranted, she marched over to my desk drawer and yanked it open. It was crammed full of stuff I’d collected about her over the years. Elena grabbed a handful and chucked it in my face, laughing derisively. “Bruce, if it weren’t for the sorry sight of you bawling your eyes out in the orphanage back then, I wouldn’t have had a soft spot and decided to take you in. But instead of being grateful, you’ve got these pervy thoughts about your foster sister! “You know I’ll only ever love Aidan. Yet you’ve been keeping all these records. You’re like a total creep, and it makes my skin crawl!” She glared at me with pure venom in her eyes. “I came here today to set the record straight. I got drunk last night. When you came to see me, it was obvious you were getting ideas. Thank God you still had some sense and called Aidan over. Otherwise, I’d have had you locked up for attempted rape and made sure you paid the price.” My heart twisted in pain. But whether it was in my past life or last night, she’d called out my name in her stupor. I guessed she’d been confused. Even though I’d already decided to let her go for good, her harsh words still hit me like a ton of bricks. Seeing me keep quiet, Elena gave my leg a good hard kick. “Stay away from me and Aidan from now on. If you cause any hassle for him, you’ll be sorry.” With that, Elena flounced out of the room. I sat there in silence for a moment, then opened my email. There was an invitation from my overseas tutor. This time, I didn’t hesitate and clicked to accept. I spent the entire afternoon getting my overseas travel essentials in order and answering emails. By the time I finally wrapped things up, it was already the wee hours of the night. As I stepped out of the company building, I was floored to find that my car, which I’d parked there earlier, had vanished into thin air. Just as I was about to dial the cops, Aidan shot me a message: [Bruce, I noticed you hadn’t come back yet. Thought I’d let you know it’s been freezing cold these days. Elena was worried I’d catch a chill on my way home at night, so she lent me your car. You’d better take a cab back.] Then he sent a pic of himself grinning from ear to ear, holding the car keys. [Hey, it’s your sister’s ride after all. She can do whatever she wants with it, right? I’m sure you won’t kick up a fuss.] This car was a gift from Elena when I broke my leg last time. She wanted to make it easier for me to get around town. Back then, she said she couldn’t stand seeing me in pain. Elena knew darn well that being so nice to me would make a guy like me, who’d been starved of love since childhood, grow attached to her. But she still went ahead and did it. Now, Elena was mocking me, calling me pushy. And she didn’t even have the decency to give me a heads-up before snatching the car away, all because she felt sorry for Aidan. I let out a bitter laugh and hailed a taxi home. When Elena heard me unlock the door, she sauntered out of the bedroom and gave me a casual once-over. “Aidan’s still not fully over his cold. I was worried it might come back, so I told him to drive the car home. Besides, your leg’s all healed up. A little exercise never hurt anybody.” I just nodded and kept my mouth shut. But all of a sudden, Elena got her back up. “Bruce, what’s with the sudden silence? Don’t tell me you’re up to something shady. You’ve been acting fishy all day. Usually, you throw a fit when someone touches your stuff. How come you’re being so laid-back now? “I’m warning you, whatever scheme you’ve cooked up, ditch it right now. If Aidan tells me you’ve pulled something, I’ll make sure you live to regret it.” As I made my way to my bedroom, I retorted, “I’m not thinking about anything. I just wanna live my own life and stay out of other people’s business. “Besides, Elena, didn’t you always whine about me bugging you? You should be happy I’m like this now.” Elena was caught off-guard by my words. She huffed and clapped her hands. “Fine, Bruce. Just like you!” Then she spun around and stormed back into the bedroom, slamming the door shut with a deafening bang. In the old days, whenever she did that, I knew she was steaming mad. But now, I couldn’t care less about cheering her up. After all, Elena was just my foster sister in name. Since she had her own boyfriend, it was his job to calm her down.
The days that followed gradually slipped into a peaceful rhythm. Since moving in with Elena, Aidan had been rubbing his relationship in my face day in and day out. Elena was clearly still mad at me and gave me the silent treatment. I, for my part, couldn’t be bothered to patch things up. Half a month later, Elena sprang a surprise on us all—she was expecting. All smiles, she shared the exciting news with everyone at the office. After that, she and Aidan were inseparable, hashing out every single aspect of their wedding. They began to be a rare sight at work and instead spent all their time running around wedding boutiques. This time, Elena had finally achieved her heart’s desire—Aidan’s child. I knew it was high time I bid farewell to their world once and for all. As soon as all the formalities were taken care of, I quickly booked a flight overseas. Funny enough, I was set to leave on the very day of their wedding.
In the evening when I got home, Elena was sitting in the living room waiting for me. Aidan had gone out with his friends to celebrate over dinner. She intercepted me at the door, fished out the bank card statement from her pocket, and frowned as she grilled me. “Hey, how come you suddenly splurged on an overseas flight ticket? I got the spending alert and called the airline. They said it was you who booked it in person. “Are you being a sore loser ’cause Aidan and I are tying the knot soon? Trying to pull the ‘going abroad’ card as an excuse?” At first, when Elena started with the first part of her question, I was on pins and needles, scared that she’d uncovered my secret. But when I heard the second half, I let out a tiny sigh of relief. I hung my head, keeping my mouth shut. As she saw my reluctant look, Elena’s eyes turned icier. Clearly ticked off, she laid into me. “Bruce, when are you gonna quit this kid stuff? For the past two weeks, you’ve been dodging me like the plague. If I hadn’t brought it up today, were you just gonna keep this act up forever? “Ever since Aidan moved in with me, you’ve been giving me the cold shoulder. But I’ve made it abundantly clear. Aidan’s the only guy I’ve ever been head-over-heels for in my life. “If you see me as your big sister, you oughta respect Aidan like an older brother. Stop trying to avoid us at every freaking turn. “You’ll always be my little bro, but this kind of resistance ain’t gonna fix anything. I’m not gonna change my mind for you. Do you really think you can strong-arm me into loving you?” I quickly shook my head. “Elena, you’ve got it all wrong. I’ve always seen you as the kind-hearted soul who took me in. I’ve always looked up to you for taking care of me and guiding me, and I’ve wanted to pay you back.” Hearing me, Elena burst out laughing like a maniac, as if I’d said the most absurd thing ever. “Look up to me? If you really did, you wouldn’t have written me that love letter and spilled your guts. Bruce, aren’t you ashamed of spouting such BS?” With that, she stomped straight into my bedroom, flung open the bookcase, and pointed inside. “All the books I love, the vinyl records I listen to, the posters I like—you’ve gone to so much trouble to collect ’em here. And you still say you don’t have feelings for me?” As she rambled on, she proudly picked up a book. Looking at the well-worn pages, she was nearly in hysterics. “To wear a book out like this, you must’ve flipped through it a gazillion times. “But you’d better clear all this junk out before my wedding. Aidan’s gonna move in with me soon. I’ve promised to love him till the end of time, and I don’t want him getting the wrong idea because of your crap. “Also, no matter how lovesick you are, I’m not gonna return your feelings. Think twice before you do anything. I gave you a second chance at life, so don’t go giving me any more headaches.”
Listening to Elena, I nodded obediently. I walked over and tossed everything into the trash can sitting on the floor. Since I had no intention of coming back after leaving for abroad, it was best to get rid of these things now. It saved me the hassle and made my feelings clear. But when Elena saw what I was doing, her expression hardened instantly. She rushed over and grabbed my arm, her voice rising in anger. “Bruce, what do you think you’re doing? Why are you throwing all this stuff in the trash? That’s my limited edition book you just ruined!” I glanced at the book she was clutching. It was a birthday gift she had given me after I was adopted, the first one I celebrated here. Elena had told me how much effort she put into finding it, claiming it was precious. I had cherished it so much that I wouldn’t even let anyone else borrow it. Yet, now, seeing me toss it aside was something she couldn’t bear. Elena snapped, frustration etched on her face, “Bruce, do you really have to go this far? Is this how you plan to show your dissatisfaction? You fell for someone you shouldn’t have, and I asked you to keep your distance. Instead, you’re throwing a tantrum! “You were so shaken up by my engagement that you had to leave the country to get over it, yet here you are, pretending it doesn’t bother you at all. Don’t you feel ridiculous? “Honestly, you should just get out of here for a while. I just found out I’m pregnant, and I don’t want to deal with your long face every day.” With that, she pulled out her phone and transferred more money into my account. “Stay abroad for a few months. Don’t come back or contact me until I’m settled. Once my pregnancy is stable, we can talk.” She waved her hand at me, looking a bit drained. “While you’re away, take some time to reflect on your past behavior. Get your head straight. After all, I’m going to be Aidan’s wife. I hope you can act like a proper brother when the time comes. Otherwise, you might as well work at the branch office and stop bothering me every day.” Elena threw in a few more reminders about going abroad before turning to leave. But what she didn’t know was that I had been reborn in this life. I wasn’t trying to get her attention or stir up trouble. I had made up my mind to leave. On the morning of her wedding to Aidan, countless people were bustling around, making final preparations. While they were busy moving in and out of the house, I quietly grabbed my packed bags and slipped out through the side door, heading to the airport. After getting her hair and makeup done, Elena sat quietly in her bedroom, eagerly awaiting the long-awaited moment. She cast a casual glance around at the jubilant crowd that had gathered. Suddenly, it dawned on her that Bruce was nowhere in sight. Her heart skipped a beat, and without hesitation, she sprang to her feet and made a beeline for Bruce’s room. She was dying to ask him why he hadn’t joined her. Elena scoured every nook and cranny of the house, but there was still no sign of Bruce.
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