Chapter 3

One day at work, feeling a bit lightheaded, I opened a bar of chocolate Chloe had given me and ate a piece.

"How dare you eat that?"

This was the first time Dylan had spoken to me since being reborn. But his next action was to slap the chocolate out of my hand.

"That's for Chloe! Where did you steal it from?!"

His words chilled me to the bone. He actually accused me of "stealing."

"What are you doing?! I gave this to Scarlett myself!"

Chloe immediately stepped in to protect me. Dylan gave an awkward laugh.

"Oh, right. My bad then…"

"Chloe, this chocolate is really expensive. It cost me half my salary. Could you maybe eat it yourself?"

"I can give it to whoever I want! What's it to you?! Scarlett, let's go, I'll take you out to eat!"

When Dylan said "steal," the look in his eyes was like he was looking at a complete stranger. He didn't even consider that I might have been reborn too.

After all, we'd spent sixty years together, started a business, built a home, raised children. Even if there was no love, surely there was some family bond.

His cold tone towards me, laced with hatred, as if he feared I'd contaminate him. He even begrudged me something he'd given to someone else.

"So, Chloe, when are you and Dylan going to make it official?"

Chloe sighed, adding some food to my bowl.

"His family background is pretty bad. Besides his military service, he doesn't have much else going for him. I'm still thinking about it."

Despite her words, less than two months later, the news that Dylan and Chloe were an item spread throughout the company.

Many said Dylan was chasing Chloe because she was the company Manager's daughter, hoping to be a gold digger and climb the ladder fast.

But Dylan, to show his "true love," got a tattoo of Chloe's face on his arm.

I remembered how in our past life, when our son got a tattoo of my photo and his, Dylan had ripped into him, humiliating him. And now he was using that exact same move to chase Chloe.

Chloe's parents were even more disgusted by Dylan's behavior, especially with the rumors of him being a gold digger spreading through the company.

Chloe's parents ordered them to break up immediately. But young people are like that; the more you try to stop them, the more they cling to each other.

To prove he wasn't a gold digger, Dylan swore he'd buy Chloe a proper house in the city, outright, by next month.

Listening to the gossip, a question suddenly struck me.

Dylan, from a poor background, where would he get the money to buy a house?

And he set himself a deadline for next month?

Wait, what?!

I suddenly remembered that next month, the city was hosting the first National Bridal Gown Design Competition. In my past life, I entered it on a whim.

My design won the gold prize and was bought by an industry expert for a staggering fifty thousand dollars.

That was fifty thousand dollars in the 80s.

That money later became the seed fund for Dylan's and my business.

My mind raced. In my previous life, I only submitted the design sketches. If I could actually produce the gown, wouldn't I earn even more?

I worked overtime for over a month, burning the midnight oil.

The moment I arrived at the competition venue, I heard exclamations of admiration.

"Who designed this? It's a work of art!"

"This level of skill could compete on the world stage!"

"I totally underestimated Dylan! This intricate craftsmanship is absolutely masterful."

...

The praises kept coming.

I looked towards the huddle of people.

A gown identical to my design from the previous life was on a model.

The intricate details, the choice of jewels, the lace patterns—everything was identical.

The only difference was, this piece was credited to "Dylan."

I'd forgotten that in my previous life, he had seen this award-winning design countless times, often using it as a company endorsement for various projects.

I looked at Dylan, and our eyes met.

I had no intention of questioning him, but his eyes were full of provocation. He then turned to all the contestants present and declared,

"Competitions should be about sincerity. I think those who only bring sketches shouldn't even bother!"

"My work started over a month ago; every stitch is a piece of my heart!"

He was clearly implying that I, just like in the previous life, had only brought design sketches.

The onlookers praised his dedication, and those who had only brought sketches lowered their heads in shame.

My mom, who came to help me, saw Dylan's work and instantly panicked.

"Honey, how is his work identical to yours?"

Mom's words were overheard by Dylan and the people around him.

There was a moment of silence.

Dylan then seized his chance.

"Scarlett! We're from the same company. You weren't peeking while I was designing, were you?"

"This is a major competition! Is someone already cheating in the very first year?!"

Dylan was clearly prepared, firing off a barrage of accusations. Mom, furious, immediately opened my bag and started arguing with him.

"This is my daughter's hard work! Who is the real copycat?!"

My gown had just been finished this morning. The basting stitches were still in, and the threads weren't even trimmed.

This immediately solidified the accusations of me being a "copycat."

The whispers grew louder, people pointing at me, trying to prevent me from competing.

Even Chloe, standing beside Dylan, looked at me as if I were a thief.

If I hadn't lived through a previous life and seen every kind of situation, I would have fled right then!

But I remained unfazed, my expression calm. I registered, filled out the forms.

Seeing my composure, Dylan feigned concern.

"Forget it, I guess Scarlett was just blinded by ambition. We're all colleagues; let's give her some slack."

"Designs can sometimes be similar. I believe she didn't do it on purpose this time."

He played both the good guy and the bad guy, pretending to be magnanimous despite being wronged. The crowd's approval of Dylan soared.

"For fairness, Scarlett, your piece isn't even finished, and it's identical to mine. You should just withdraw from the competition to save yourself further embarrassment!"

I suddenly smiled.

"Dylan, I never said this was my competition entry."