Chapter 3

“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.”