On the day I went into labor, my husband of ten years locked me in the attic. “If it weren’t for you, I wouldn’t have missed out on so many years with Hazel!” he shouted. I listened as he hosted a welcome party downstairs for his dream girl who had returned from abroad. The guests cheered loudly as the two kissed. Meanwhile, I died in agony upstairs, alone and in despair, along with our unborn child. When I opened my eyes again, I had returned to the day Lucas first confessed his feelings for me. As I watched him approach with a bouquet of flowers, I turned and walked away. Later, when he offered his heart to me, helpless as a child, I remained unmoved: “Lucas, please don’t ask me not to leave you…” As my due date approached, I went to the hospital alone for a prenatal checkup, cradling my belly. The doctor seemed displeased to see me without anyone accompanying me, but I just shook my head with a forced smile: “My husband is busy with work. I don’t want to bother him.” Lucas and I were childhood sweethearts. We grew up in the same neighborhood, and everyone knew how much I liked him. Lucas came from a poor family originally. We both got into an Ivy League college, and after graduation we got married and started a successful tech company called “Joy Tech”. To others, we were the perfect power couple. I had given up my career early on to be his supportive wife and partner. Today was our wedding anniversary. The checkup results were good, so I was in a cheerful mood. I called Lucas to ask when he’d be home. He hung up before the call connected. A moment later, I received a text from him: “Busy. Will call you back later.” I put away my phone and looked up, catching a glimpse of a familiar face on the hospital TV screen. I froze in shock. In the news report, Lucas was wearing an expensive tailored suit, a tender smile on his normally stern face – an expression I had never seen before. Surrounded by a crowd of reporters, he made his way out, sheltering a tall, beautiful woman in his arms. She kept her head down, clinging to him like a delicate bird. The headlines flashed across the screen: “Tech Mogul Lucas Reunites with First Love, Reportedly Divorced from Wife” “Tech Tycoon and World-Class Violinist – A Perfect Match Made in Heaven!” “If you ask me, Lucas and Miss Hazel are much better suited. That shameless Lily woman just clings on desperately. Now that his dream girl is back, of course the wife has to go,” I overheard someone say. “Exactly! She made a fool of herself just to marry a man like Lucas. She has no self-respect. How could she compare to Miss Hazel?” another chimed in. I stared blankly at Lucas on the screen as he shielded Hazel’s face from the cameras. “Hazel is the love of my life. No one can ever take her place,” he declared. The prenatal report slipped from my hand and fell to the floor. Joy… Joy… I used to think he had named our company after me. But the “Joy” in Joy Tech was for Hazel all along. I don’t remember how I got home. When Hazel saw me, she warmly grasped my hands in greeting. “Lily, it’s been so long!” I coldly shook her off. “Hazel,” I said, “When did you two get together?” “Lily, how dare you speak to Hazel that way?” Lucas frowned. He had never spoken to me so harshly before. I trembled as I looked at him, pointing at Hazel. “Lucas, what is the meaning of this?” His irritated expression made it seem like I was the one being unreasonable. “Hazel just got back and hasn’t found a place to stay yet. What’s wrong with letting her stay here?” he said impatiently. Hazel’s face held a look of smug superiority as she gazed at me with unconcealed disdain. “But I’m your wife!” I cried, tears streaming down my face. My lips quivered as I spoke. “Doesn’t she have her own home? Why does it have to be you, Lucas, taking her in—” “Lily!” he suddenly roared. I flinched, frozen in place. Lucas’s eyes were cold and unfamiliar. He made no attempt to hide the disgust on his face as he glared at me like I was his mortal enemy. “Lily,” he said mockingly, “If I hadn’t needed your money and skills back then, do you think I would have chosen to marry you?” I was stunned. “What did you say?” “You made me miss out on ten years with Hazel. What right do you have to stand here and question me?” He sneered, as if I were some beggar who didn’t know my place. “Just look at yourself now. What use are you besides being an eyesore and dragging me down?” I broke down. All these years I had given up my career, working myself to the bone – and for what? In the end I was tossed aside like garbage, treated as if I were worthless. “Lucas, are you really going to kick me out for this homewrecker?” I asked, my voice shaking as I grabbed his sleeve. But Hazel shoved me away: “Lily, after all these years you’re still so petty.” “In relationships, the one who isn’t loved is the real homewrecker.” She blinked her big eyes innocently. Lucas said impatiently, “I’ll have my assistant send you the divorce papers. Pack your things and leave today.” He glanced at my belly, suddenly pausing. My heart filled with hope that he might soften for the sake of our child. Lucas turned away, his eyes full of disgust: “If you want to keep that bastard child, go ahead. If not, get rid of it. Just don’t show your face in front of me again.”
Something shattered inside me. I stumbled forward desperately: “Lucas, have you no humanity? This is your own flesh and blood!” Hazel cowered behind him like a frightened rabbit. Lucas’s expression darkened and he shoved me hard. “Ah!” I cried out as I fell heavily to the ground. He hadn’t held back at all. I felt a sharp contraction in my belly, followed by waves of pain spreading through my whole body. “Lily, don’t be so shameless,” Lucas said, brushing off his clothes as if he’d touched something dirty. “If it weren’t for you back then, how could I have missed my date with Hazel? You maliciously tore us apart, so now you have to pay the price!” I had no idea what he was talking about. The pain blurred my vision, but I caught a glimpse of Hazel’s mocking expression. I frantically crawled towards her. Hazel kicked me hard in the stomach. “You schemed and plotted, but for what? Lucas has always loved me and only me. You’re nothing but a dog being kicked to the curb.” I felt liquid seeping out beneath me as my vision went dark. “Lucas, the guests will be arriving soon. With her like this…” Hazel said. My hair was roughly grabbed as Lucas dragged me upstairs. I struggled desperately, but my strength was fading with the pain: “Lucas, you beast! I was blind to have ever married you!” With a loud bang, I was thrown into the attic. “Hazel is the light of my life, the woman I love most in this world,” he declared. “No one can ever take her place.” “Lily, you stopped me from meeting her back then and made me lose Hazel. No matter what you do now to keep us apart, I will never let go of her hand!” When did I ever stop him from meeting her? But I could no longer speak. Lucas slammed the door shut. “Stay here and reflect on your actions! Don’t come out until you’ve learned your lesson!” I lay crumpled on the floor like a broken rag doll, listening to the laughter and cheer from downstairs, hearing our friends toast to Lucas and Hazel’s relationship. Tears rolled silently down my face. I breathed my last, consumed by fury and regret. 4 When I opened my eyes again, I was back in my high school classroom. Harsh sunlight streamed in through the windows. I saw a crowd gathered on the sports field. This scene felt so familiar… Someone came running up to me. “Lily, come to the field with me! Lucas is waiting for you!” I turned to look, my eyes widening in shock when I saw who it was. Seeing no reaction from me, Hazel grabbed my arm: “Hurry up, everyone’s waiting!” I jerked my arm away violently. Hatred surged through me. Hazel looked taken aback, somewhat annoyed: “Fine, don’t come then. But don’t regret it later!” She ran off. I stared blankly at the dispersing crowd on the field, revealing Lucas standing there with a bouquet of flowers and Hazel hurrying back to comfort him. If I remembered correctly, this was the day Lucas had confessed to me. The beginning of all the tragedy in my past life. A chill ran down my spine. No, I couldn’t repeat the same mistakes. Heaven had given me a second chance, and I had to seize control of my own fate this time. As for those two… My palm stung. I looked down to see four crescent-shaped marks where my nails had dug into my skin. “Well well, moving on to greener pastures?” a lazy voice drawled from behind me. I turned to see Ethan. We hadn’t had much interaction in my past life, so I ignored him. Ethan didn’t push further. He just smirked and went back to napping on his desk. The bell rang and Lucas entered the classroom, giving me a complicated look. I ignored the whispers and stares around me, taking out my textbook to study instead. Although I had gotten into an Ivy League school in my past life, I had forgotten most of my high school knowledge. It would be challenging to catch up to my previous academic level. I needed to come up with a more reliable plan for myself this time. As I pondered, something tapped my back. I saw a crumpled note fall by my feet. The murmurs around me grew louder. I glanced back to see Lucas’s sullen face. He stared at me intently, as if certain I would accept this olive branch and go back to fawning over him. I lowered my gaze, not bothering to pick up the note. Instead, I raised my hand in front of everyone. “Teacher, someone is passing notes in class. It’s disrupting my studies.” A commotion broke out. “Pfft!” Amid the stunned silence, a snicker came from the figure slumped over his desk in the back row. Lucas’s face flushed red as the teacher made him leave the classroom under everyone’s scrutiny. I saw Hazel looking at him with concern. As Lucas passed by my desk, he paused: “Lily, what are you playing at?” I kept my head down, pretending not to hear him. What was I playing at? I simply refused to be a pawn in their little drama anymore. They could play out their angsty romance all they wanted. Just leave innocent bystanders out of it, using them as collateral damage to fulfill their grand love story.
After class, I went to get some water. Lucas cornered me in the hallway. “Lily, are you done with your tantrum?” he demanded. “What?” I asked, confused. “Just because I chose Hazel as my partner for the biology competition instead of you? Your grades are excellent – not having that extra credit won’t affect your college applications. But Hazel needs this. I have to help her!” Lucas lectured me with a frown, as if I was being utterly unreasonable. “Didn’t you promise not to compete with me for the spot? Hazel is your friend too. Can’t you be less petty and jealous? You’re jeopardizing someone else’s future!” I wanted to laugh at the absurdity. Sacrificing my opportunities for Hazel’s future, without a second thought. Then I remembered. The school had allocated five spots for the National Biology Olympiad to our class. By the time it got to us, only one spot remained. Lucas had approached me then, which was rare. He asked me to give up my spot for him. After all, I was his only real competition in our class. My biology scores were the best in our grade. The teachers called me a prodigy. Lucas went to great lengths for Hazel’s future, even feeling guilty years later that he couldn’t give her the best. He ended up taking over the company I had poured my heart and soul into building, all to impress Hazel. But he never once considered the price I paid in giving up everything. He felt entitled to my sacrifices, as if it were only natural. Seeing my silence, Lucas softened his tone, looking smug and self-assured. “You were always pestering me to tutor you in English before. If you back down now, I’ll agree to tutor you.” He looked at me as if bestowing some great favor, making me sick to my stomach. I couldn’t hide my disgust. “Lucas, who the hell do you think you are?” He was stunned, not expecting me to curse at him. “If you like Hazel, go after her yourself. Don’t blame others for your own cowardice. What kind of man are you?” “You’ve got some nerve. Why should I have to pay the price for your love life?” Lucas stood there dumbfounded as I walked away without a backward glance. Around the corner, Hazel was startled to see me. She looked at me awkwardly. But I didn’t spare her a single glance. I hadn’t expected Lucas to be so shameless. When he came to my desk with a practice exam, I shoved the form I was filling out into my desk. “Lily, there’s a problem Hazel can’t solve. Can you help her?” he asked. I looked at him like he was an idiot. “Teach her yourself.” Lucas’s expression turned awkward. “Lily, neither Lucas nor I can figure it out,” Hazel said with a sweet smile. To others she might have seemed kind, but I caught the flash of resentment and contempt in her eyes. “He said you once promised to help him unconditionally, so we came to you.” “You’re not refusing because you’re jealous that Lucas and I get to compete together, are you?” she continued. “This is a national competition. If we win, it’ll benefit our whole class and school. You should think of the bigger picture and not let your personal feelings get in the way.” Her words sparked a chorus of agreement from our classmates: “Yeah, talk about petty! No wonder Lucas doesn’t like her.” “They’re doing her a favor by asking. As if someone as smart as Lucas needs help from a selfish person like her!” “If Lucas loses because she’s jealous, she’ll be sorry!” Hearing everyone criticize me, Hazel smiled in satisfaction. Lucas’s eyes darkened: “Lily, that’s enough. Don’t be so ungrateful.” I laughed. “If you can’t handle it yourselves, why take on the challenge? Isn’t that ridiculous?” “Are you going to blame me if you fail the competition too? Expect me to take the test for you?” Lucas was at a loss for words. Hazel’s expression soured as well. I was a biology prodigy. Our company Joy Tech had succeeded largely due to my technical skills. In my past life, I had given up a guaranteed spot in a top university’s biology lab for Lucas’s sake. But on the day of the finals, he had run off to the airport to chase after Hazel, wasting an opportunity others would kill for. This time, I refused to hand over what was rightfully mine. Lucas frowned deeply: “Acting out like this won’t get my attention. It only makes me resent you.” I rolled my eyes: “As if I care.” The biology teacher walked in. I stood up and pulled the registration form from my desk. “Teacher, I want to sign up for the Olympiad!”
The biology teacher was thrilled. She had tried hard to persuade me to compete before, but I had always refused. She said she would fight to get me an extra spot no matter what. Lucas was stunned. He hadn’t expected me to suddenly change my mind and enter the competition. This meant he and Hazel now had a formidable rival. We had to compete internally before advancing to the state-level competition. Hazel looked at me with concern: “Lily, do you really want to compete? Or are you just doing this to spite Lucas? This isn’t something to take lightly.” Her friend chimed in: “Don’t be so selfish. Your extra spot means someone else loses theirs.” Hazel smiled: “The team has already been training for a month. Even if you join now, you won’t be able to catch up. You’ll just embarrass yourself and waste study time. Don’t jeopardize your future over petty relationship drama.” Her words seemed considerate on the surface, but they painted my decision to compete as nothing more than jealous pettiness, disregarding the bigger picture. I said coldly: “You know exactly how you got selected. If you can compete, why can’t I?” Hazel’s face paled. Seeing her discomfort, Lucas’s expression darkened. “Lily, don’t go too far!” “Hazel is looking out for you and this is how you repay her? Apologize right now!” “Don’t think this will make me like you. I could never love someone so narrow-minded and unjust!” I thought he must be mentally unwell. How else could he not see my utter disgust for him? “Lucas,” I said, “Was your spot obtained fairly then?” “If I hadn’t withdrawn, do you think you’d have had a chance?” With that, I ignored them and walked away. The biology teacher told me to choose a partner. I looked around, just wanting someone who wouldn’t get in my way and let me focus on the competition. Lucas seemed to say something, but I didn’t catch it. My gaze landed on the figure slumped over his desk in the back row. “I choose him!” Ethan slowly raised his head, looking at me with bleary confusion, not quite grasping what was happening. Sure enough, he never showed up for any of the study sessions or training after that. It was as if I was competing alone. Hazel watched me with schadenfreude while Lucas wore a knowing expression. As if my choice of Ethan was just to make him jealous, to get his attention, but I had only shot myself in the foot. He patiently tutored Hazel, his face radiating sincere contentment. I knew he was trying to make up for his regrets from the past life. But what about my regrets? Back then, heavily pregnant with our child, I had begged him to accompany me to prenatal checkups. He couldn’t even be bothered to go. It wasn’t that he lacked patience. He just never directed that patience towards me. Ethan turned out to be almost too low-maintenance. I never once saw him at our training sessions. Doing the work of two people while trying to catch up to everyone else’s progress, I didn’t get home until well after dark. I opened the door to find two unexpected guests sitting on the couch. “Lily’s home. Your Aunt Jenny and Lucas came over for dinner. I made some extra dishes,” my mom said. I looked at the people on the couch. Lucas turned away, his face cold and aloof. Dinner was like chewing sawdust. Lucas’s mom kept lamenting her tragic fate like a broken record. Widowed young, with no job, forced to work odd jobs to support herself and her son. Lucas looked uncomfortable. Of course – his pride couldn’t stand appearing weak in front of others, especially me. My mom kept sighing: “Lily, you must look after Lucas more at school!” I scarfed down a few bites and retreated to my room. Shortly after, my door opened. I said flatly: “Barging into a girl’s room – is this how your family raised you?” He flinched as if stung, his face turning icy. “You’re doing this on purpose, aren’t you?” “Couldn’t win me over yourself, so you’re going after my mom?” He sneered: “Lily, when will you understand that your fake concern and pity only disgust me?” “You invited my mom over just to see me humiliated, to feed your superiority complex, didn’t you?” “Stop wasting your time. I hate your phony kindness. It makes me sick!” [Truncation point]
🌟 Continue the story here 👉🏻 📲 Download the “NovelMaster” app 🔍 search for “295966”, and watch the full series ✨! #NovelMaster #浪漫Romance #现实主义Realistic #励志Inspiring #重生Reborn #惊悚Thriller #校园School
Leave a Reply