At my wedding to Michael, he left me at the altar without a second thought.

As he left, his face was full of disgust when he warned me, "Don't even think about stopping me from finding Melanie."

I knew then that he’d been reborn, just like me.

In our last life, Michael and I were trapped in a miserable marriage.

Even on his deathbed, Michael was still obsessed with his high school sweetheart, the one that got away, Melanie.

This time, he could go find his long-lost love, and I would go chase my dreams.

But later, he was the one who knelt before me, crying, "Can you just give me one more chance?"

……

The line for the book signing snaked through the store, a sea of eager faces.

I slipped past the crowd, heading for the backstage entrance.

But my path was blocked by two people.

It was Michael, the man who’d publicly humiliated me by ditching our wedding five years ago, and his precious Melanie.

Five years had been kind to him; Michael was dressed in a sharp suit, the very picture of a successful executive.

And Melanie, draped in the latest Chanel, was smiling brightly as she clung to his arm.

Clearly, Michael was doing well for himself and had finally won his prize.

I lowered my head, planning to just walk around them and pretend I hadn't seen them.

But the next second, Michael called out to me.

His voice was a mix of surprise and annoyance.

"Chloe, what are you doing here?"

"Are you following me?"

I stared at Michael, completely bewildered.

After seeing him at our disaster of a wedding post-rebirth, we hadn't had any contact whatsoever.

I had no idea where he got this delusion from.

Before I could answer, Melanie chimed in, her voice dripping with disdain.

"Michael, darling, is this the fiancée you dumped?"

"She's not much to look at, is she? No wonder you ran for the hills."

She looked me up and down, the mockery in her eyes growing more intense.

I glanced down at myself, dressed in a simple button-down shirt and a pair of jeans.

I’d been up all night finishing a manuscript and had rushed out of the house.

Compared to them, I suppose I did look a little shabby.

Hearing Melanie's words, Michael frowned, a slight, involuntary twitch.

His gaze was a disgusting cocktail of pity and contempt.

"Chloe, have you not changed at all?"

"It’s no wonder no one’s wanted you all these years, you’ve always had that worn-out housewife look."

I was speechless, staring at the two of them.

"Excuse me, I have somewhere to be."

My words seemed to strike Michael as the most hilarious thing he'd ever heard.

"Chloe, what business could you possibly have here?"

"If you can't get over me, just say it. You don't have to make up such a pathetic excuse."

"I know you've had it rough these past few years, otherwise you wouldn't be dressed so poorly."

With that, Michael coolly pulled out his phone.

"Give me your bank account number."

"Let's just say, for old times' sake, I'll send you ten thousand dollars. That should last you a good long while."

He then shot a look full of adoration at Melanie.

"But Melanie and I are getting married soon, so there's absolutely no chance for us anymore!"

"Take the money and leave. Don't ever bother me again."

I suppressed the anger bubbling up inside me and slowly shook my head.

"I had no idea you were going to be here today."

"I'm serious, I'm here on business, not for you."

Michael just scoffed. "Not enough for you?"

When I didn't respond, he spoke impatiently. "You love money, that's all you've ever wanted, right? Fine, I'll add another five thousand."

"I have something important to do today, so don't you dare ruin it for me."

Melanie stood by, smirking at me. "Chloe, you should learn when to quit."

"Fifteen thousand dollars is a lot of money."

"You know, people shouldn't be too greedy. You might end up with nothing at all."

Michael shoved his phone closer to my face. "Hurry up. Don't waste my time."