Chapter 2

I never, in a million years, expected to run into Fiona Vance again.

At this glamorous San Francisco gala, she stood in the center of the crowd, her arm wrapped around Julian Sterling. Her smile was elegant and poised—a far cry from the insecure girl she used to be in college.

The people surrounding them were practically dripping with flattery, their faces stretched into sycophantic grins.

"Fiona, you’re truly a force to be reckoned with! Winning that municipal tech-hub project at such a young age—your future is absolutely limitless!"

"And this handsome gentleman next to you must be your fiancé? You two look like a match made in heaven."

Julian looked down at Fiona with eyes full of cheap devotion and said softly, "We’re actually planning our wedding for the end of this year. We’d love for you all to come when the invitations go out."

Another wave of congratulations washed over them. Then, someone in the crowd asked curiously, "I heard you guys have been together for ten years. How come you’re only getting married now?"

Honestly, I was a little curious about that myself.

In our past life, Fiona loved Julian so much she was willing to die for him.

After we were reborn, she had broken up with me almost instantly to be with him.

I figured they would have gotten married right after college. I didn’t expect them to still be unmarried ten years later.

Hearing the question, a flicker of stiffness passed through Fiona’s face, but she quickly masked it with a polite laugh.

"Career first, then family. I wanted to make sure I could give Julian the absolute best life possible."

She looked at Julian, her eyes practically overflowing with warmth.

Back in our past life, when she was with me, I had proposed to her multiple times.

It wasn't until her parents put immense pressure on her that she finally, reluctantly, agreed to marry me.

I guess the difference between loving someone and just settling for them really is that obvious.

I was about to turn around and slip away when a tiny, familiar shadow caught the corner of my eye. My body reacted before my brain did, and I quickly followed.

*Clash!*

Champagne spilled all over the marble floor. A waiter holding a tray glared at me, his face twisted in annoyance.

"Where did you even come from? Watch where you’re going!"

His voice was loud enough to draw the attention of the nearby guests.

When Fiona turned and saw my face, her eyes widened in shock.

"Ethan? Ethan Miller? What are you doing here?"

I kept my head down, apologizing to the waiter. "I'm sorry. I'm just here looking for someone."

Someone in the crowd asked Fiona, "Fiona, do you know this guy?"

Fiona’s hand tightened around her champagne flute, her expression turning cold and distant.

"Yes. He’s my ex-boyfriend."

An awkward chatterbox in the crowd chimed in, "Oh, I thought you and Julian were each other's first and only loves since you've been together for ten years."

The smile on Julian’s face dimmed. He took Fiona’s hand and said in a dismissive, breezy tone, "We were young back then. We had a silly fight and parted ways for a brief second. Who doesn’t make a few wrong turns when they’re young?"

Fiona didn't say anything. She let her eyes drift over me before looking at the waiter.

"Put the damage on my tab. Just let him leave."

She stood there, perfectly composed. Aside from that initial look of shock, she didn't even bother giving me a second glance.

Clearly, she wanted to make it absolutely clear to Julian that I was nothing more than a "wrong turn" she had long moved past.

The waiter immediately started pushing me toward the exit.

"Miss Vance is being generous by cleaning up your mess. Don't let there be a next time."

He glanced at my wrinkled, casual loungewear and sneered. "This isn't a place for someone like you. Get out."

I shook his hand off my arm, keeping my voice level and polite.

"I told you, I'm just here to find someone. Once I find him, I'll leave on my own."

The waiter scoffed, rolling his eyes. "I’ve seen plenty of social climbers like you trying to sneak into these events. Do you even have an invitation? If you don't leave right now, I'm calling security!"

"Wait."

Fiona’s voice sounded from behind him.

She lifted her gown slightly, walking over to us. She let out a heavy sigh, looking at me with a mixture of pity and exhaustion.

"He's here for me. Let me talk to him."

Julian stepped up beside her, wrapping a possessive arm around her shoulders.

"Ethan, Fiona and I are getting married soon. I’d like to think a man with any self-respect wouldn't show up to bother his ex at a time like this."

Fiona’s expression hardened, and she spoke to me in a low, pleading tone.

"Why are you still so obsessed with me, Ethan? Even if you’ve waited ten years for me, I’m telling you, I will never love you."

"Being with you in the past was a mistake. Now that I finally have the chance to correct that mistake, I really hope you can just let go of the past and move on."

Julian looked me up and down, a mocking smirk playing on his lips.

"Honestly, I get why you're trying so hard to cling to Fiona. Times have changed. She's a highly successful CEO now. Naturally, losers are going to try and crawl back to her for a handout."

Maybe my rumpled clothes gave him a massive ego boost, because Julian sneered, "You went to an Ivy League school, didn't you? How did you end up looking like a total bum? If I were you, I’d be too embarrassed to even step outside!"

Fiona frowned, pulling out her phone with a trace of impatience.

"Look, if you feel like I owe you for how we broke up, I can give you a buyout."

"Is a hundred thousand dollars enough?"

Her thumb hovered over her screen for a second, then she froze.

"Did you... delete me on Snapchat?"