Chapter 1

JoJo and I were high school sweethearts, yet we lived as strangers for most of our lives.

She blamed me for using an old debt of gratitude to trap her.

She felt I was the shackle preventing her from chasing the man she truly loved.

So, when I was withered and dying in a hospital bed, she didn't hesitate.

She reached out and pulled my oxygen plug.

She wanted to spend her remaining years with my brother, the true master of her heart.

Now that I have been reborn, I've decided to grant her wish.

I stepped aside and let my brother take my place at the altar.

I watched them walk into the church, hand in hand, with a smile on my face.

I gave them my blessing and walked away from the city I called home for twenty years.

In this life, I only want to live for myself.

1

"Hurry up! I'm on a schedule here!"

JoJo stood in front of City Hall, tapping her foot impatiently.

There wasn't a hint of bridal joy on her face.

I stared at the sign for the Clerk's Office, my mind spinning with a thousand thoughts.

In my last life, I had reached for our marriage license with sacred reverence.

But JoJo had been faster.

She snatched the papers and threw them into the trash can right there in the lobby.

Ignoring the shocked gasps of the staff, she sneered at me.

"Congratulations, Nate. You finally got what you wanted."

"I've paid you back now. Don't ever bother me again. Looking at you makes me sick!"

The memory hit me like a physical blow, making it hard to breathe.

Suddenly, JoJo shoved my shoulder.

"I'm talking to you! Don't think acting like a statue will make me stay."

"In my heart, you aren't even worth a single hair on your brother's head."

"If you keep wasting time, we aren't getting licensed today!"

I looked at her beautiful, frustrated face and spoke two words.

"Fine then."

JoJo blinked, looking stunned. "What did you say?"

"Let's not get licensed today. You're right."

"Nate, what kind of game are you playing? Do you think this pathetic threat will work?"

A threat?

Just like before, everything I said was viewed as a scheme in her eyes.

I looked at her calmly. "Aren't you and my brother catching a flight?"

"The line inside is probably huge. I don't want you to miss your plane."

JoJo's eyes narrowed with suspicion, but her voice softened.

"Are you sure? Nick and I don't know how long we'll be gone."

"I'm sure," I said, forcing a casual shrug.

"City Hall isn't going anywhere. We can do this whenever. My brother needs you more right now."

I saw the massive wave of relief wash over her.

Without a second thought, she turned to walk away.

After a few steps, she paused and looked back.

"Nate, you're the one who called it off today. My parents…"

"Don't worry. I'll tell them it was my fault we didn't sign the papers."

JoJo studied me for a long time, searching for a lie.

I met her gaze with complete indifference.

Finally, she spoke again.

"I promised to marry you, and I won't back out. But Nick's situation is an emergency."

"I'll come back as soon as I can. Don't start a fight with him over this. He works so hard, you need to be more understanding."

I nodded without expression.

She didn't wait for another word before sprinting toward the parking lot.

I watched her back disappear, feeling the familiar bitterness swirl in my chest.

Memories of my past life replayed like a tragic movie in my mind.

Last time, she stayed long enough to sign the papers, then abandoned me that same afternoon.

She followed my twin brother, Nick, across the ocean.

She didn't return for five long years.

When she finally came back, I thought I could win her over.

I thought if I gave her everything, she would eventually see my worth.

But she never gave me a chance.

She rarely stepped foot in our home.

When she did, she only had venomous words for me.

We became a couple defined by resentment and cold silences.

In the end, she was the one who signed my "Do Not Resuscitate" order without blinking.

As I lay dying, she stood by my bed with ice in her eyes.

"Nate, you used that childhood accident to tie me down for a lifetime. I hate you."

"I just want to spend what's left of my life with Nick."

"If there is a next life, I hope I never have to see your face again!"

Her final words echoed in my ears.

I slowly unclenched my fists.

This time, I won't let history repeat itself.

JoJo, if you love my brother that much, you can have him.