Chapter 2

Back when we were about to graduate high school, Madison told Ethan how she really felt, but Ethan turned her down.

Ethan and I spent three years sitting next to each other in class, and honestly, feelings grew over time.

But ever since Ethan applied to the university back in our hometown with me, he'd been repeating the same kind of things for years now.

At first, I thought he was just joking around, maybe trying to hint at how much he cared about me, or how much he was into me. Or maybe he wanted me to know how much he'd sacrificed for me.

It wasn't until later that I realized he genuinely felt regret about it.

So after the car accident, we unexpectedly time-traveled back together.

On the day we filled out our college applications, Ethan left me behind without a second thought and followed Madison to a university out of town. I stayed in our hometown.

We both knew the other had time-traveled back as well, but without saying a word, we kept our distance from each other.

I always thought Ethan and I would never cross paths again for the rest of our lives. But seeing him now, it was clear he was deliberately waiting for me.

When I didn't respond, Ethan smirked. "So now you finally realize what staying in this hometown gets you. Look at yourself, and look at these losers. Who else is doing better than I am?

"But it's way too late for you to regret. I've already decided to marry Madison."

As he spoke, he pulled out a ridiculously big ring from his pocket. The diamond was massive, easily five carats.

The only reason I could tell at a glance was that his diamond was actually a bit smaller than the one I had sitting at home.

Ethan looked so pleased with himself when I stayed silent. He sneered, "If you hadn't been so dramatic, this ring would've been yours."

Back in our previous life, when I married Ethan, he wasn't nearly this wealthy, so the ring he bought was nothing special. Now, he was not even trying to hide how much he wanted to show off.

"Well, congratulations to you both," I said with a casual shrug, walking right past him.

I could feel Ethan's gaze burning into my back, and he seemed seriously pissed off. Honestly, I didn't get it.

What did he have to be upset about?

He chose his own path, and now he was living the life he had always dreamed of in his previous life.

Did he really need to see me regret it before he could finally feel happy?

I sat back down in my chair when my phone suddenly rang.

I picked up, and my husband's anxious voice came through the line. "I just landed. I'm coming over right now."

"You don't really have to come. I can head home by myself in a bit," I said.

"No way am I letting my wife go to a class reunion and come home alone. I'll be there in twenty minutes."

I smiled and didn't say anything else.

Just as I set my phone down, someone suddenly walked up beside me.

"Chloe," Madison greeted me with a glass of wine in hand. "It's been a long time. Let me toast to you. Actually, I should really thank you."

She smiled. "Ethan told me that if you hadn't tutored him back then, he never would've gotten into a top university."

"No need to thank me. We just helped each other out," I said, waving it off.

"Anyway, you helped Ethan get where he is now. So let me raise a glass for you, on his behalf."

As Madison spoke, she tried to pour wine into my glass.

"I don't drink," I said firmly.

"Oh, just a little."

Ignoring my protest, Madison reached out and started pouring wine into my glass anyway.

As I gently raised my hand to block her, she let out a shriek, and the wine splashed all over her designer outfit and purse.

She quickly grabbed some napkins and started dabbing at the mess, grumbling nonstop. "Oh, no. My clothes and purse can't get wet at all."

Everyone around knew how pricey her outfit was, so they all watched anxiously.

Madison wiped at her clothes for a while, and then looked up at me with a sour expression. "Chloe, even if you're jealous of me, you shouldn't do something like this.

"You ruined my outfit and my purse. Do you even have enough money to pay for them?"

What was this about?

I was just about to defend myself when Ethan stormed over. "Chloe, you've really crossed the line!"

"It was an accident," I tried to explain.

Seriously, I didn't mean it. I wasn't even pushing the bottle that hard. I just wanted to stop Madison from pouring me a drink.

But somehow, the wine burst out of her bottle and splashed all over her.

I barely got a few words out before Ethan cut me off with a wave of his hand.

He sneered in front of everyone, "All I did was tell you I'm marrying Madison, and you're already losing it? Seriously, Chloe?"

My classmates nearby couldn't help but start whispering among themselves.

"Seriously? I always thought Chloe was pretty chill. I don't see her as the jealous type."

"You never know, right? Sometimes the people who act like they don't care are the ones who care the most deep down."

"Yeah, I heard Chloe and Ethan used to date back in the day. But then Ethan left for college out of town and they broke up. Now that Ethan's doing so well, maybe she's regretting not leaving with him."

Hearing all the gossip swirling around me, I was honestly at a loss for words. Still, I forced myself to stay calm and explained again, "I swear, it was an accident.

I already said I don't drink, but Madison wouldn't take no for an answer and tried to pour me some anyway. That's why this happened."

Madison put on a sincere look and said, "I really appreciate you helping Ethan with his studies back then. But honestly, I hope you can finally let go of whatever you're still holding onto.

"I know you've never really gotten over Ethan, but he's with me now."