Chapter 1

1

I went back to high school with my husband.

Neither of us mentioned staying together in this life.

He started chasing his dreams, heading abroad with his childhood sweetheart after graduation.

I threw myself into my studies without a second thought.

Six years later, he became a famous pianist.

I was still working my way through my postgraduate research.

When we met again, he was performing at a grand theater.

He looked at me as I picked up the discarded trash after the show, his eyes full of mockery.

"All those years of studying, and you ended up as a garbage collector?"

I didn't even look at him.

Later, when the real piano prodigy, Parker Finn, acted like a spoiled child in front of me and called me his wife...

Zach panicked.

"Harper, how could you marry another man?"

......

On my birthday, my husband handed me a glass of laced wine.

I drank it without a single suspicion.

"If it wasn't for you, I would've been with her a long time ago. This is all your fault. Just go to hell!"

The pain was suffocating.

My consciousness began to fade.

"Teacher, I want to change seats."

When I opened my eyes, I heard my husband's youthful, shaky voice in my ear.

"I don't want to sit next to Harper anymore."

I froze for a second, then realized I had been reborn.

In my past life, Zach's grades tanked because of a confession letter from his childhood sweetheart.

He ended up only being able to get into a mediocre community college.

Because I loved him, I didn't want him to throw his future away.

His dream was to get into a top-tier music conservatory.

So, I told the teacher and handed over that letter.

Worried about his grades, the teacher called his mother.

His mom stormed into the school and caused a massive scene.

She slapped him right in front of everyone.

"Zach Vance! I worked myself to the bone to pay for your school, and you're wasting time on these trashy relationships?"

"Do you have any respect for me? For your dead father?"

"Our family starved ourselves to pay for your piano lessons so you could be someone, not so you could play house with some girl."

"Her family is rich. Do you think they'd ever accept you? She doesn't need an education, but you do!"

Zach had never told anyone he came from a single-parent home.

He was desperate to keep his dignity in front of his classmates.

After his mom's outburst, the whole class knew his secret.

He ran out of the classroom, sobbing.

He disappeared for a week and then quietly returned.

No one knew what had happened during that time.

When he came back, he started studying like a madman.

During that period, he grew very close to me.

He eventually found out I was the one who snitched.

But he didn't blame me.

Instead, he made a promise that we'd get into the same elite university together.

Later, we got married as if it were destiny.

On my birthday, we went to the beach he always talked about.

He handed me that glass of red wine that ended my life.

I drank it, trusting him completely.

The pain in my gut was unbearable.

I could only see his crazed, cruel face: "If it wasn't for you, I would've been with her. It's all your fault. Die!"

"Do you have any idea how much it hurt to give up my dreams?"

"You should've minded your own business!"

The ghost of that pain still lingered in my chest, but I didn't say a word.

Because in that one moment our eyes met, I knew.

He had been reborn too.

"Harper is the top student in class. Sitting with her will help your grades," the teacher said, trying to mediate.

"No thanks. I can do it on my own. I'll study hard from now on."

The teacher eventually gave in and moved him.

After class, the room was buzzing with whispers and prying eyes.

The noise was annoying, but I didn't care about the drama anymore.

This time, I was going to work even harder for myself.

Neither of us brought up our future together.