Chapter 1

I came back from the dead, and the first thing I did was write my brother's name on the marriage license.

This time, I'm giving Chloe Sterling exactly what she wants.

I was the one who handed Justin the groom's tuxedo and slipped the engagement ring onto his finger.

I personally orchestrated every one of their 'destined' encounters.

When she took him to New York City to start their new life, I didn't say a word and headed straight for the West Coast to attend university.

I remember my past life too clearly―the way she and our son knelt before my hospital bed when I was fifty, begging me for a divorce.

All so she could finally be with my brother in the twilight of her life.

In this life, I'm done with love. I just want to fly.

1.

"Just sign it and give it back to me."

Chloe tapped the desk impatiently, her eyes flickering with annoyance.

I stared at the marriage application, my fingertips tracing the rough texture of the paper as my mind drifted.

In my last life, I had treated this document like a sacred decree, signing my name with trembling, joyful hands before dragging Chloe out to buy wedding favors.

Back then, she had screamed at me in the middle of the street, furious because she was in a hurry to go home and make soup for a sick Justin.

"I've got it," I said dismissively. "I'll get it done."

I looked up at her anxious face and noticed her checking her watch for the third time in a minute.

She was wearing a crisp white shirt dress today, the sleeves rolled up to her elbows to reveal her slender forearms.

I remembered Justin once telling her she looked clean and refreshing in that outfit. It was his favorite.

"If you're busy, just go," I said, forcing a casual tone to hide the bitterness rising in my throat. "I'll drop this off myself when I'm finished."

She looked visibly relieved, and her sharp posture softened slightly.

"Look, we're getting married, so I'll take care of you," she said, her voice dropping an octave.

"But you have to stop being so jealous of Justin. If people hear about it, it'll ruin his reputation."

I stayed silent. In my previous life, I had spent years explaining that my brother was the one crossing lines.

But in her eyes, I was just the petty, envious older brother who couldn't stand to see his 'kind-hearted' sibling happy.

She didn't say another word before rushing out the door.

I took a deep breath, trying to steady my racing heart while flashes of the past played like a horror movie in my head.

I remembered our wedding night, when she stayed out until dawn claiming Justin needed her. I remembered her moving to the city and only taking him along because he 'hadn't seen the world' yet.

I even remembered our son's first birthday, which she missed because she was too busy comforting a recently divorced Justin.

Even on my deathbed, my own son had whispered in my ear, "Dad, just let her go. You were never as good as Uncle Justin anyway."

"Mom has spent so many years being miserable with you. Just sign the papers."

I had looked at my cold, silent wife standing by the window, and her silence was all the confirmation I needed.

I bit my lip until I tasted iron.

No. Not this time.

I picked up the pen and, in the space meant for the groom, I slowly wrote two words:

Justin Thorne.

Chloe, since you love him so much, you can have him.

I handed the completed form to the clerk, took the receipt, and walked out of the government building.

I wasn't sad. For the first time in two lives, I felt like I could finally breathe.