I was married to Elara for twenty years, and for ten of those years, I cared for her bedridden mother, Mrs. Albright. I put my own life on hold, helping Elara’s mother rise from a local community college instructor to a renowned university professor. Everyone praised me as the perfect husband, the greatest asset to the Albright family. On her deathbed, Mrs. Albright clutched my hand, her voice weak but firm, wishing I could be her son-in-law again, even in the next life. Elara hugged me tight, her voice thick with gratitude. “Leo, you’ve sacrificed so much for us these past years. I promise, I’ll make it all up to you.” I thought my suffering was finally over. But before Mrs. Albright’s grave was even settled, Elara shoved a divorce agreement into my hands, then turned and embraced Caleb, my supposed best friend, the guy I’d grown up with. She said, “Leo, I’ve tolerated you for twenty years. I’m finally free.” “The man I truly love has always been Caleb.” I walked away with nothing but the clothes on my back. I ended up on the streets, lost and broken, until a car accident brutally cut my life short. Then I opened my eyes again, and I was back. Back at my blind date, twenty years ago. Ms. Gable, the matchmaker, was practically gushing, rattling off Elara’s virtues: “This young lady is a real catch, a diamond in the rough! She’s got a wonderful heart, so dedicated to her family. Any man who marries her will be set for life!” I looked at the refined, seemingly sincere woman across from me, and a cynical smile touched my lips. Then I crumpled the profile sheet in my hand and tossed it straight into the nearest trash can. “I’m sorry, but I don’t think we’re a good match.”
The smile on Elara’s face froze. She adjusted her glasses, her tone still mild. “Mr. Hayes, have I given you the wrong impression?” “We can take our time getting to know each other. No need to rush to conclusions.” Ms. Gable looked frantic, grabbing my arm. “Oh, Leo, what are you thinking?!” “A brilliant young woman like Ms. Albright? They don’t make them like her anymore! You’d be lucky to find someone half as good!” “Don’t mess this up!” I gently pulled my hand away, my gaze calm as I looked at Elara. In my last life, that gentle, refined demeanor had fooled me for an entire lifetime. I believed her humble background was just a temporary hurdle, and that her integrity was beyond reproach. So I emptied my savings, passed on my scholarship to art school, and settled down with her in that quiet town. I cooked, cleaned, entertained her superiors, and navigated the politics, paving every single step of her path to success. And what did I get? Once she achieved everything, she just kicked me away like a worn-out stepping stone. I curved my lips into a slight, bitter smile. “Ms. Albright, it’s not a misunderstanding. You’re a wonderful woman. I simply don’t deserve you.” With that, I stood up, grabbed my bag, and walked away. “Leo!” Elara grabbed my wrist. I turned back, my gaze cold. She seemed to realize her lapse in composure and loosened her grip. “Mr. Hayes, I just feel it’s a shame.” “I promised my mother I’d find a reliable and caring husband, just like you.” “I…” “Then you should keep looking,” I interrupted, shaking her hand off forcefully. “Ms. Albright, please stop following me. It’s a bad look.” I walked out of the noisy coffee shop without looking back. The early summer breeze kissed my face, carrying a hint of warmth. I exhaled slowly, a long, deep sigh of pure relief. It felt good. Everything could still be changed. Just then, my supposed best friend, Caleb, called. I swiped to answer, and his voice, thick with feigned concern, immediately came through. “Hey, Leo, how did the blind date go?” “Ms. Gable said Ms. Albright is a really wonderful woman. Did you meet her?” I leaned against a sycamore tree on the sidewalk, watching the dappled shadows dance. A cynical chuckle escaped me. “I did.” “That’s great! How is she? Is she everything Ms. Gable said?” “Yeah, she’s a diamond in the rough,” I said, my voice deliberately flat. Caleb on the other end seemed to let out a breath of relief, his voice overflowing with thinly veiled excitement. “I knew it! Leo, you have to seize this opportunity!” “A man, you know, getting a good wife and settling down is more important than anything!” “Don’t worry. If you and Ms. Albright get together, I’ll definitely treat her like family and get along with her well.” He’d said the exact same thing in my last life. Then, while I was overwhelmed caring for my mother-in-law, he, in the very shirt I’d bought him, went to ‘comfort’ Elara in my stead. While I was scrambling, practically begging for her research grants, he, posing as her intellectual confidant, escorted her to academic conferences, hobnobbing with the elite. Finally, he stood there, arm in arm with my wife, and had the audacity to tell me, “Leo, I’m sorry, but you can’t control who you fall in love with.” I closed my eyes, forcing down the bitter, searing hatred that clawed at my gut. “Caleb, if you think she’s such a catch, why don’t I just pass that ‘blessing’ on to you instead?” On the other end, Caleb’s breathing hitched, a sharp gasp.
“Leo, you… what are you talking about?” Caleb’s voice suddenly sounded flustered. “We’re best friends, how could I possibly…” “Between brothers, good things should always be shared.” I cut him off, my voice dangerously light. “Didn’t you always say you wanted an ambitious woman, someone dedicated to her family, someone who’d be good to you?” “Elara checks every single one of your boxes.” “But, but she’s your blind date!” “I already turned her down.” I looked at the bustling street, feeling as if the whole world had brightened. “So, she’s a free agent now.” “You have Ms. Gable’s number, right?” “Don’t drag your feet. A ‘diamond in the rough’ like her won’t last long on the market.” With that, I hung up before he could even react. I could picture Caleb on the other end of the line, a mixture of shock and glee plastered across his face. In my last life, he’d sung Elara’s praises countless times, urging me to settle down quickly. He just wanted me to clear all the thorns from her path, to do all the heavy lifting, and once I’d helped Elara climb to the top, he’d swoop in and steal all the glory. This time, I’d let him have it. I’d love to see how, without my family’s support and savings as startup capital, without my network and sacrifices paving the way for her, Caleb will manage to build that ‘good life’ he dreams of with his beloved ‘diamond in the rough.’ Back home, my mom, Carol, was waiting for me on the sofa. Seeing me, she quickly asked: “Well, how was it? Is Ms. Albright alright?” My dad, Robert, also poked his head out of his study. My parents were working-class, a bit old-fashioned. They always believed the most important thing for a man was a stable family. In my last life, they were incredibly pleased with Elara as their cultured daughter-in-law. I sat down next to them, speaking calmly. “Dad, Mom, I wasn’t interested in her.” “What?” My mom’s face fell in disappointment. “Why not? Ms. Gable said she was…” “She mentioned her mother’s poor health, needing medication year-round. And a younger brother in college, with her salary being the sole support for all of them.” I stripped away Elara’s carefully constructed image of ‘family dedication’ and ‘responsibility,’ exposing the harsh reality of her situation. My mom’s expression visibly changed. “That’s… that’s a lot of burden, isn’t it?” “Yeah,” I nodded. “Besides, I don’t want to get married so early.” “Dad, Mom, I want to pick up my paintbrush again. I want to apply for grad school for art.” This was a dream I’d buried deep in my heart for twenty years. In my last life, for Elara, I gave up my guaranteed scholarship for grad school. She had solemnly promised, “Leo, once I’m settled, I’ll fully support you going back to school.” Later, when she was settled and a professor, she told me: “You’re almost forty. What’s the point of stirring things up now? Wouldn’t it be better to just settle down at home?” My dad listened to me, silent for a moment, then finally nodded. “Alright. If you want to apply, then apply. Don’t worry about things at home.” My dad had always been more open-minded than my mom. My eyes welled up, and I nodded emphatically. The next day, I was at the bookstore, poring over grad school application guides, when Elara suddenly appeared, blocking my path. “Mr. Hayes, I know this is audacious, but I wanted to try again.” I closed my book and looked at her. “Ms. Albright, I think I made myself quite clear.” “I know,” she said with a bitter smile, her voice laced with a hint of plea. “My mother, she found out yesterday that you weren’t interested. She didn’t sleep a wink all night and woke up sick this morning.” I smirked inwardly. In my last life, I was too soft. When her mother ‘fell ill,’ I went to visit, only to be ambushed by their entire family, guilt-tripped and emotionally blackmailed until I reluctantly agreed to marry Elara. I met her gaze directly, speaking each word with deliberate clarity. “Ms. Albright, if your mother is sick, she should be in a hospital, seeing a doctor.” “Not coming to me, a stranger you’ve met once. I’m not a doctor, I can’t cure her.”
Elara’s face instantly darkened. She took a deep, shaky breath, her voice weighted with desperation. “Leo, I just want to beg you to see her.” “She truly adores you. She hasn’t stopped talking about how you’re exactly the son-in-law she always dreamed of.” “Just… out of pity for an old woman, could you please just go see her?” Her voice trembled slightly, and her eyes were a little red. I put my book back on the shelf and turned to leave. “Leo!” Elara’s voice suddenly rose sharply. “Are you really so heartless?!” Heads turned, eyes drawn to our little scene. I stopped, my gaze calm as I met her slightly displeased stare. “Ms. Albright, please watch your words.” “Between us, there’s nothing but a single, failed blind date.” “Your public outburst right now is making me incredibly uncomfortable.” Her chest heaved, a clear sign of her barely contained rage. “Fine. Fine. Fine.” She spat out the words, a dark, unsettling glint in her eyes. “Leo, I’ll remember this.” With that, she turned and hurried away, her back radiating a certain defeat. That night, I received a call from an unknown number. On the other end was a frail, elderly woman’s voice. “Is… is that Leo, dear?” I instantly recognized the voice: Elara’s mother, Mrs. Albright. “Mrs. Albright, hello,” I replied politely, a hint of detachment in my tone. “Oh, Leo, dear.” Mrs. Albright sighed heavily on the phone. “Auntie knows. It’s our Elara who’s simply not good enough for a wonderful young man like you.” “But, but I just desperately want to see you, to say a few words to you in person.” “Otherwise, my heart will feel so heavy, so choked up, I’m afraid… I’m afraid I won’t last much longer.” As she spoke, her voice started to break with sobs. I gripped the phone, a heavy silence hanging in the air. She was just like this in my last life. Every single time Elara wanted something from me, Mrs. Albright would conveniently fall ill, claim her heart was heavy, or say she couldn’t go on. And I, time and again, would soften, time and again, I’d compromise. “Leo, dear, Auntie doesn’t ask for anything else. Just please, come to the hospital and see this old woman, alright?” “Just… out of pity for me.” Her voice was full of pleading, as if I had no choice but to agree. I took a deep breath, knowing that if I didn’t deal with this once and for all, they’d cling to me like a stubborn stain, forever. “Alright,” I agreed. “Send me the address. I’ll come tomorrow afternoon.” After hanging up, I stared out at the inky black night sky, my gaze growing colder with each passing second. Elara, if you and your mother insist on performing this little drama, then I’ll be more than happy to play my part. But this time, the script is mine. The next afternoon, I arrived at the city hospital as promised. Just as I reached the hospital’s main entrance, I saw Caleb waiting there. He was dressed in a crisp white T-shirt, wearing an expression of perfectly calibrated concern. The moment he saw me, he rushed over. “Leo, you finally made it! Mrs. Albright, she… she hasn’t eaten anything since this morning, just keeps asking for you.” He instinctively reached out, trying to sling an arm around my shoulder, as if we were still the closest of brothers, sharing every secret. “Really?” I subtly sidestepped him. “Then let’s go in quickly. We shouldn’t keep an elderly person waiting.” Caleb’s eyes flickered, a momentary lapse, before he smoothly slipped back into his ‘helpful friend’ persona, guiding me toward the ward. As he pushed open the病房 door, a heavy, cloying scent of antiseptic and stale medicine instantly assaulted my senses. Mrs. Albright lay weakly on the hospital bed, Elara perched on a chair beside her, gently offering her water. The moment she saw me enter, Mrs. Albright’s eyes lit up, and she struggled to sit up. “Leo, dear, you’re here…”
“Mrs. Albright, please lie still.” I pulled up a chair and sat down a comfortable distance from the bed. Mrs. Albright grabbed my hand, tears instantly welling up in her eyes. “Such a good boy. I knew you had a kind heart.” “See? Our Elara, aside from her humble origins, what’s not to love about her?” “She’s smart, dedicated to her family, and she’s going to achieve great things, I promise you.” “Will you… just give her another chance? Please?” The moment she finished speaking, Caleb, though a flicker of irritation crossed his face, quickly piped up in support. “That’s right, Leo. Elara really is a wonderful woman. It would be such a shame if you two missed out!” Elara, meanwhile, kept her head down, feigning an expression of guilt and helplessness. Three actors, one pitiful play. I looked at Mrs. Albright and spoke slowly. “Mrs. Albright, there are many successful women out there. But I’m not interested in charity work.” One sentence, and the entire room fell silent. Mrs. Albright’s tears were still clinging to her face, but her expression had frozen. Caleb’s mouth hung open, looking utterly bewildered. Elara suddenly snapped her head up, her face instantly flushing crimson. “You… what did you say?” “I said, I’m not interested in charity work.” I repeated, meeting her furious gaze with unflinching calm. “Ms. Albright, what’s your monthly salary?” “Is it enough to buy your mother’s medication, pay your brother’s tuition, and support an entire household?” “My parents raised me for over twenty years, not for me to marry some woman and struggle through life right alongside her.” “Leo!” Elara shot to her feet, pointing a trembling finger at me. “You, you’re practically insulting me! Don’t you dare mock the less fortunate! I…” “I’m not mocking you. I’m simply stating facts,” I cut her off. “And besides, Ms. Albright, you’re talking to the wrong person.” “The person who truly appreciates you and is willing to fight alongside you… isn’t me.” My gaze slowly shifted to Caleb, who stood nearby. “Caleb, didn’t you always say Ms. Albright was a diamond in the rough, a woman of good character, and that whoever married her would be set for life?”
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