Reborn back to Christmas 1977, I, Julia Welch, locked eyes with my best friend Lucy Harris. We embraced tightly, crying as we declared we were calling off our engagements. Everyone thought we’d lost our minds, but only the two of us knew the truth—in our previous lives, on this very day, I had married high school teacher Harrison Stewart, and Lucy had become the wife of battalion commander Justin Stewart. That Christmas, Harrison secretly stole my college acceptance letter for his beloved Natalia Lawson, letting her take my place at university. I was mocked for supposedly failing to get into college, while Harrison turned a blind eye. After our marriage, every time he touched me, he would write Natalia a love letter as penance: “Natalia, even if I can’t be with you in this lifetime, you will forever be my only spiritual love.” My own children even saw me as an uneducated country woman, repeatedly urging me to divorce voluntarily so Harrison and Natalia could be together. Lucy, the factory director’s daughter, was swindled out of all her savings by Justin under the pretense of buying a house. Only when she fell seriously ill and tried to sell the property did she discover that the deed Justin had given her was fake—he had already bought Natalia a house in New York with cash. The price of one of Natalia’s dresses equaled Lucy’s entire monthly salary. When Lucy begged Justin to return her money, she was met with scolding and her children’s indifference. Justin said, “All you care about is money, while Natalia never covets wealth. No wonder you’re getting what you deserve.” Her child said, “Exactly. Only someone as kind and noble as Miss Lawson deserves to be my mother.” We both toiled our entire lives only to end up with nothing, dying in anger and frustration. Now that we’ve been given a second chance, I’m going to college, and she’s going to become wealthy. Without our help, they still think they can live the good life? Dream on! ***** The once-lively courtyard suddenly turned awkward and tense as Lucy and I embraced, crying and announcing our broken engagements on the spot. Guests whispered among themselves, their words filled with confusion and disapproval. Everyone knew the Stewart twins had bright futures ahead of them. If not for their prior engagements, many girls would have wanted to marry them. But as I held Lucy close, all I felt was relief and gratitude at breaking free from our bonds. In everyone else’s eyes, the Stewart family was an excellent choice. But to us, they were clearly bottomless pits. In this lifetime, anyone else could marry them—it certainly wouldn’t be us. Harrison and Justin never expected us to break off our engagements publicly. Their faces turned ashen with rage. Harrison, wearing a white shirt, furrowed his brow on his delicate, scholarly face. “Julia, marriage is a lifelong commitment. With all these people watching, don’t make a scene. The banquet is about to start, and now you’re talking about calling off the engagement. You’re just upset that I helped Natalia with a few math problems, aren’t you? Do you really need to be so petty?” I let out a cold laugh. He shouldn’t have brought that up—I’d almost forgotten about it. Harrison had once volunteered to tutor me. But every time he called me over, he would apologetically say, “Let me go check on Natalia,” and then disappear. Back then, he deceived me by claiming Natalia’s grades were too poor and she needed help more than I did. It wasn’t until decades later at a drinking party that I learned the truth from a drunk Harrison. Natalia had begged him not to let me score better than her, so he came up with this scheme to hold me back. When I still managed to get into college, he hatched the plan to use my acceptance letter for Natalia’s substitution. What had I done wrong to deserve such scheming? Just because I admired Harrison? Just because I studied better than Natalia? I could have had a bright future, but they destroyed it all. The thought deepened the hatred in my heart. “That’s right, I am petty, and you’re just realizing this today? We’re both taking the exam, and I’m your fiancée, yet every time you ask me to come study, you end up getting called away by Natalia. Do you have any idea how much precious time you’ve wasted? Stop using excuses like ‘she needs more help’ to brush me off. Her future matters, but mine doesn’t?” In my past life, I always considered Harrison’s feelings, afraid of upsetting him, so I never spoke these words. That’s exactly why everyone mocked me when my admission was stolen. This time, I won’t foolishly cover for Harrison anymore. My accusations rang out clearly, and the gossiping neighbors instantly fell silent, looking at Harrison with confusion. Just as I said, I was his long-promised fiancée, and with exam prep time so tight and precious, how could he do this? Harrison couldn’t explain himself, his face flushed red as he stammered an apology: “I didn’t think it through, Julia, I’m sorry. But marriage isn’t trivial, and the exam results aren’t even out yet. You can’t call off the engagement over this, can you?” I was about to say I wouldn’t marry him when suddenly a strong force from behind pushed me toward Harrison. I barely managed to steady myself without falling into his arms. Turning around, I saw my parents standing there, their faces full of displeasure. My father said, “Julia, enough is enough. Don’t make people think we’ve spoiled you rotten.” My mother added, “Exactly, think long-term. If you miss out on someone as outstanding as Harrison, you’ll regret it.” Hearing my own parents say such things, my heart still clenched painfully. In my past life, when I still had a shred of self-respect, I had actually considered divorce. But when I shared this thought with my parents, they tore into me, saying I was ungrateful, that every woman goes through this, and as long as I was a good wife and mother, my husband and children would eventually come around. After that, I never mentioned divorce again. But why couldn’t I have a better life? Did I really have to depend on Harrison? I said, “I don’t want to marry him. If you like him so much, then you go marry him!” After saying this, I turned to leave. But my parents exchanged glances and each grabbed one of my arms tightly. My father said, “I think we’ve spoiled you too much. So many guests have already arrived. Today, whether you want to or not, this wedding is happening.” My mother said to Harrison’s parents, “Sorry about this, she’s going through a rebellious phase. Just lock her in the room and that’ll do it.” I struggled desperately, crying and pleading, but my parents remained completely unmoved. In their eyes, I simply didn’t know what was good for me. Harrison Christmas had become a high school teacher at such a young age, while I was just a recent graduate whose college admission was still uncertain. This marriage was me reaching above my station. They locked me in a dark room. Lucy, who also refused to marry Justin, suffered the same fate. Though her family was well-off with her father being a factory manager, she had a younger brother. Apart from a wedding gift they’d already prepared for her, everything else in the family would go to her brother. Staring at the locked door, Lucy and I exchanged glances, both our eyes filled with despair. I crouched miserably in the corner, and Lucy quietly crouched down beside me. In this cramped, dark space, we huddled together, as if returning to our previous life. Only we truly understood each other’s pain. She sighed softly, “People always say that unloved girls have no home once they marry. But it seems like we already have no home even before getting married.” I sighed too, “We learned this lesson in our last life. We can’t rely on anyone but ourselves.” The banquet outside continued, with no one caring about how we two brides felt. Everyone was congratulating Harrison and Justin, blessing my parents, and celebrating with Lucy’s parents. But what exactly was there to celebrate? Since we’d been given a second chance at life, we absolutely wouldn’t live as pathetically as we had in our previous life. Thinking of all the misery from our past life, I shook my head, “No, wait. We do have an advantage this time.” Lucy rolled her eyes, “We’re locked up, can’t fight them, and can’t escape. What advantage do we have?” I patted her shoulder and whispered in her ear, “In our last life, we knew nothing. But this time, we already know what Harrison and Justin really want. And I remember clearly that after the wedding banquet, we never actually got our marriage certificates. How about we play along with their game?” The Stewart family couldn’t keep us locked up forever. When the banquet ended, the door finally opened. Harrison stood in the doorway, his face flushed with alcohol, his usually handsome features tinged with red. He asked, “Have you had enough of this tantrum? If you’re done, then be a good wife to me, and we’ll live peacefully together.” He raised his hand to touch my head, and I instinctively wanted to dodge. But I forced myself to stay still, putting on a timid, pitiful expression, “Will you really treat me well from now on?” Harrison smiled and said, “Of course. You’re my wife. If I don’t treat you well, who else would I treat well?”
I tugged at the corner of my mouth. I learned one truth in my past life—men’s words can’t be trusted. Before getting his acceptance letter, Harrison had put on quite the act of loving me. I pretended to believe his words, following him out with a mix of shyness and tenderness, playing the obedient role. Lucy watched my expression and couldn’t help but want to laugh, her shoulders trembling slightly. She only restrained herself when Harrison turned back to ask her to get something from Justin’s room. Over the next period, Lucy and I found an excuse, claiming we had our periods, to avoid those things that shouldn’t have happened. Perhaps because they still wanted to use us, or maybe out of some guilt, Harrison and Justin actually acted like decent husbands. The day Natalia came, the four of us were gathered together tending to the vegetable garden. Harrison helped brush away my scattered hair, while Justin laughingly fanned Lucy, who was sweating from the heat. Seeing this scene, Natalia’s smile clearly faltered. Fortunately, Harrison and Justin noticed in time, immediately standing up and creating distance, which eased her expression. She said, “Julia, Lucy, sorry to intrude. I need to discuss something with Harrison and Justin.” I couldn’t help but want to laugh. Her tone was so intimate—her intentions were way too obvious. How had I not noticed her little schemes in my past life? Lucy clearly showed similar confusion. But neither of us called her out, just watching as Harrison and Justin eagerly followed her into the house. Before leaving, Natalia made sure to give us an apologetic smile: “I’ll just borrow them for a little while—you don’t mind, do you?” She was clearly expecting us to show disappointment or resentment. But we just smiled cheerfully at her. What was there to mind? We’d gotten used to this kind of thing in our past lives. I said, “Don’t mind at all—feel free to use them however you want.” Natalia was momentarily speechless, like throwing a punch into cotton with nowhere to land. When she turned back and saw that Harrison and Justin’s expressions looked oddly displeased, her heart skipped a beat, and she quickly urged them inside. Lucy and I stood in the courtyard, both unconsciously rubbing the goosebumps that had risen on our arms. No choice—we still had to endure for a while longer. Natalia coming to us actually suited our purposes perfectly. We didn’t need to think hard to know that the timing was about right—she was here about the acceptance letter and money. After chatting for a few minutes, she hurriedly said goodbye and left. Of course, she carried with her the food Harrison had insisted she take, along with the hair ribbon Justin had just picked out for Lucy. The three of them stood at the door in a reluctant farewell, then turned to find Lucy and me watching with knowing smiles. Harrison explained somewhat frantically, “It’s not what you think. My mom adopted Natalia as her goddaughter—Justin and I are just looking out for our sister.” Both men felt uneasy, afraid we might throw a tantrum. After all, they both knew Natalia had taken food I liked to eat, and Lucy had wanted that hair ribbon for a long time. But we still wore smiles. I said calmly, “Since she’s your goddaughter, of course you should take good care of her. It’s fine.” Seeing their relief, Lucy and I quietly exchanged a glance. We knew our opportunity had come. In my previous life, my acceptance letter arrived at this exact time. And it was also at this time that Justin asked for money to buy a house. During this period, Lucy and I had been very compliant with them, making it seem like we had returned to our former state of being unable to live without them. When I said I was going grocery shopping, they didn’t suspect anything. Before I left, Harrison said to me gently, “Julia, thank you for all your hard work. Go buy some spinach—I remember you love spinach the most.” I love spinach? That was from my previous life. Ever since Natalia stopped liking spinach, our family hadn’t touched the stuff for thirty or forty years. No matter how much I once loved it, I had long since gotten used to not eating it. I calmly agreed, but as soon as I stepped out the door, I took a different route. Instead of going to the market, I headed straight for the school. Acceptance letters were always sent to the school in batches. Harrison would definitely intercept my mail. Using the excuse of picking something up for him, I successfully entered his office. Harrison’s office was neat and clean. Only one cup stood out as particularly exquisite, completely out of place among the other furnishings. I remembered this cup vividly. In my previous life, Harrison had always treasured it like a precious gem. Even after retirement, he would only drink from this cup at home. Later, when I accidentally broke it while mopping, he flew into a rage and slapped me across the face. I felt so wronged and wanted to explain, but even my son frowned and told me how precious that cup was. Because it came from Natalia. I looked away expressionlessly and pulled open Harrison’s drawer. My fingers brushed past several love letters he had written to Natalia, and I accurately pulled out my acceptance letter that was pressed at the very bottom. I opened the envelope directly, stuffed the contents into my jacket, then found a piece of paper, wrote a few words, and resealed the envelope. After finishing all this, my heart was beating a bit faster, so I quickly left the office. At the school gate, I sat under a tree, waiting anxiously for a long time until I finally saw that familiar figure. I said, “Lucy, you scared me to death. I thought you wouldn’t be able to get out.” Lucy had practically jogged over, out of breath. Hearing this, she rolled her eyes. “It’s all that bastard Justin’s fault!” she said through gritted teeth. “I was afraid he’d get suspicious. When he said he wanted money to buy a house, I refused no matter what, and he spent ages trying to convince me. “He’s usually so dull, but when it comes to Natalia’s affairs, he’s particularly attentive. “After getting the money, he even said he’d buy me a silver bracelet. Julia, do you know? In my previous life, right up until I died, he never kept that promise.” That silver bracelet had simply been taken by Natalia after she took a liking to it. I sighed softly and gently patted her shoulder. “Don’t think about it anymore—it’s all in the past. Did you get the money?” Lucy said, “Of course I did. This time, no one’s going to touch my money!” As she spoke, she linked her arm through mine. The light in her eyes was no longer dim and lifeless; instead, it seemed to hold tiny points of starlight. She said, “Julia, let’s go—to a broader world!”
Harrison and Justin returned home, standing at the door for a long time, hesitating to enter. The door that usually opened with just a gentle push now felt as heavy as a thousand pounds. Justin sighed softly: “Did we go too far?” Although they had no romantic feelings for Julia and Lucy, they were married after all and would spend their lives together. A trace of guilt appeared on Harrison’s face, but when he thought of Natalia’s excited and delighted expression when they gave her those things, he felt it was all worth it. After all, when they were children, Natalia had saved both his and Justin’s lives without asking for anything in return. She was so kind and wonderful, she deserved the best of everything in the world. He said: “Don’t overthink it. At worst, we’ll make it up to them more in the future. Besides, Julia and Lucy love us so much, they’ll understand us.” He looked down at the fish in his hand, thinking that Julia had just gone grocery shopping, so he could make a nutritious dish. She was too thin and needed to nourish her body properly. Harrison knew in his heart that he wasn’t completely indifferent to Julia. Years ago when their engagement was arranged, he already knew Julia would become his wife. Standing beside him was Justin, looking dazed, his hands empty – the bracelet he had originally bought for Lucy had been given to someone else, no wonder he felt so guilty. Harrison suddenly felt an inexplicable sense of superiority and pushed open the door with a relaxed mood. However, the house seemed unusually empty for some reason. Looking carefully, he realized that neither Julia nor Lucy was anywhere to be seen. Harrison’s heart tightened inexplicably. Just then he saw his mother Freya Stewart coming home and hurried forward to ask: “Mom, did you see Julia?” Freya was startled: “Didn’t she go grocery shopping? She’s not back yet? Then who’s going to cook?” Justin also showed a worried expression: “What about Lucy? She’s not here either?” Freya said: “Oh, she seemed to say she was going back to her family’s house after you two left. What’s wrong?” Hearing this, Harrison and Justin’s faces instantly turned pale. The uneasy premonition in their hearts seemed to be coming true. Without bothering to answer Freya’s question, they turned and ran outside, preparing to look for Julia and Lucy. But just as they took a few steps, they ran straight into Natalia, who had come rushing over in anger. Her small face was flushed red, and in her hands she clutched the acceptance letter and money that Harrison and Justin had just given her. Both men’s hearts immediately sank. Just as they were about to ask what had happened, Natalia couldn’t wait to speak: “Harrison, Justin, Julia and Lucy are playing us! Look what these are!” Harrison stared blankly at the items in her hands. Inside the acceptance letter envelope was only a piece of paper. On it was written: [Stop fantasizing about things that don’t belong to you. As for those two pieces of trash, you can have them back.] The handwriting was wild and sloppy – Harrison recognized Julia’s writing at a glance. Justin also stared at the money. He clearly remembered that Lucy had five hundred dollars, which was all the inheritance her father had left her. But now, that money had been replaced with a single penny. Harrison and Justin looked at each other, seeing terror and unease in each other’s eyes. It was over, everything was over. They actually knew everything!
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