Chapter 2

I was a bit puzzled, not understanding why her reaction was so strong.

Isn't it normal to delete an ex after breaking up?

Moreover, I have someone at home who gets jealous easily. If she knew I still had my ex-girlfriend's contact information, who knows what kind of fuss she'd kick up.

"Wasn't it you who said you hoped I wouldn't come looking for you after we broke up?" I asked.

Ava's face turned cold. She looked like she wanted to say something but held back.

My tone was flat as I added, "And the breakup money isn't necessary. I don't need it."

After these repeated setbacks, Ava's expression worsened. She said coldly, "Why are you still pretending in front of me? If I didn't see how down and out you are now, I wouldn't even bother saying a word to you."

Derek gently comforted her. "Ava, you're just too kind-hearted. In my opinion, why bother with a man like this? Look at his shabby appearance, he's just a hopeless case!"

His tone was contemptuous, seemingly forgetting that ten years ago, he was in an even worse state than me.

In my previous life, the reason Ava's family didn't approve of her being with Derek was because he was an uneducated, lawbreaking hooligan.

The first time I met Ava in college, she had just bailed Derek out of the police station and was being forced by her family to break up with him.

During Ava's most depressed period, I was the one who stayed by her side, helping her get through it.

She loved photography, so I used the money I had originally planned for starting a business to buy her expensive equipment worth tens of thousands of dollars.

In scorching summers and freezing winters, I carried equipment weighing dozens of pounds, following her around, just hoping to see a genuine smile on her face.

Who would have thought that it was Ava who confessed to me first?

I knew about her past with Derek, and I had seen her occasionally staring at their photos in her album.

So when Ava confessed, I very seriously asked her.

Had she really gotten over Derek?

At that time, she hugged me tightly and said firmly, "That's all in the past. I've long since realized who truly cares for me. Ethan, I love you. Let's be together."

We dated for seven years. Even her best friend couldn't help but be surprised.

"She liked Derek so much, I thought you two wouldn't last long."

But what no one knew was that Ava had rejected my proposals countless times in private.

"Ethan, I'm against marriage. Isn't it good for us to just stay like this forever?"

It wasn't until Ava's parents started pressuring her about marriage that she agreed to get married.

During our honeymoon, when news of Derek's accidental car crash came, she jumped off the cruise ship, leaving only a suicide note.

In the note, it was full of her love for Derek, without a single word left for me.

At the end, she wrote in blood, "Derek, all I ever wanted in this life was to be your bride. Now, I'm coming to find you."

My love for her also turned to ashes at that moment.

So when Ava wanted to break up with me after my rebirth, I didn't stop her.

Because I knew it was unstoppable.

Watching them get back together, I deleted all of Ava's contact information, thinking there would be no chance to meet again in this life.

But I didn't expect to encounter her here.

I wanted to leave, but Derek wouldn't let it go, insisting on humiliating me in front of everyone.

"You've really gone to great lengths to hook up with Ava. Looking at how you're dressed, I bet you don't even have a job to make ends meet."

"How about this, I'll introduce you to work as a waiter here. If you learn to serve people well, you could make five figures a month."

Someone nearby, wanting to please him, added with a grin, "This is a hotel in the prime location of Bay City. Being able to work here would be extremely fortunate for you. Hurry up and thank Mr. Graham!"

Surrounded by people and unable to leave, I said helplessly, "Thank you, but I already have a job."

"It's photography."

As soon as the word 'photography' came out, Ava immediately looked at me. Her eyes flashed with complexity, and her lips moved a few times.

She turned her head away, not looking at me, her tone cold.

"How much can you earn from photography? You can't make a living from a hobby. Given that we all know each other, I can arrange a job for you."

I was stunned, immediately realizing she had misunderstood.

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