Chapter 1
I was Jason Carter's old flame, and the one who died young.
But the very first thing he did after coming back to life was to abandon me.
Then he went straight to confess his feelings to my stand-in.
The man who used to cry his heart out, saying I was the one he loved most, now stood in front of the cameras, pouring his heart out to the girl who took my place.
Jason said, "Loving you has never had anything to do with anyone else."
Later, on the day I accepted another man, Jason lost all composure and crushed the wine glass in his hand.
Everyone said that night, Jason totally lost his mind.
*****
When I tumbled off the stage by accident, everyone crowded around me.
But Jason was the only one who turned and walked away.
I almost never saw Jason walk away from me. He used to love me so much. He was always the one chasing after me.
So every time, I was the one who left first.
Fighting through the stabbing pain, I grabbed the wrist of the person next to me right before I passed out.
"Can you get me a full-body checkup?" I managed to say.
According to the plot, I was supposed to die of stomach cancer in a year.
Then I'd become Jason's old flame, the one he could never truly have, and the one who died young.
But now, everything had changed.
Seeing the determined yet apologetic look in Jason's eyes as he walked away, I realized that I wasn't the only one who'd come back to the past.
It was obvious who he was leaving to find.
After traveling back to the past, Jason finally realized who he truly loved and went all in to find my stand-in, just to prove his love to her.
Their messy love-hate story didn't need me in the background anymore.
Chemo was pure torture.
I seriously couldn't go through dying again.
I was out cold for a whole day.
The doctor said I was healthy, except for gastritis.
My leg was in a cast, and though it felt awkward, lying in that spotless hospital bed, I felt strangely calm and safe.
While I was stuck in the hospital with my leg up, plenty of classmates and friends came by to check on me.
But Jason never showed up, not even once.
Back in my last life, I also took a tumble off the stage during rehearsal.
But unlike now, Jason didn't leave my side. He kept vigil by my bed for three days and nights.
He was head over heels for me then. When he saw the cast on my leg, he was furious but tried to keep it in, just biting back his words, his eyes going red with anger and worry.
That was probably when he loved me the most.
It was a week before I finally made it back to school, limping along on crutches, only to walk right into this grand confession scene.
Under the spotlight, Jason presented a bouquet of baby's breath to the girl who had just delivered a flawless performance.
That was my stand-in, Claire Evans' favorite flower.
The live stream cameras were still rolling.
Because of my accident during rehearsal a few days ago, Claire had now stepped in for me, performing the act I'd planned for the welcome party.
It seemed like anything that was supposed to be mine always ended up belonging to Claire.
Jason stood in front of everyone, the spotlight shining down on him, his eyes glistening with unshed tears.
I could see the barely contained emotion in his gaze, and the passionate love he thought he'd lost but just got back.
He poured his heart out to Claire, making a solemn vow.
Jason said, "Loving you has never had anything to do with anyone else."
I looked at Jason, lost in thought, and suddenly remembered the year I was on my deathbed.
The boy who was always so wild and untamable had his eyes red and swollen from crying. He was curled up by my bedside, quietly choking back sobs, pleading with me not to go.
Back then, he carefully slid a ring onto my finger.
But before I knew it, the sickness took me away.
Of course, I never got to give him an answer.
The grand confession brought the atmosphere of the whole party to its peak.
Claire's cheeks turned rosy as she reached out, eyes shyly downcast, to take the bouquet from Jason.
They were a match made in heaven.
The kind of couple everyone dreams about, perfect together in every way.
Mark Bennett jumped up on stage in a heartbeat, snatched the bouquet, and gripped it so tightly that his knuckles audibly creaked.
He threw the bouquet down at Jason's feet, petals exploding everywhere and scattering across the floor.
"Is this how you repay Evelyn?" Mark demanded.
Jason froze for a second.
He instinctively turned his head and spotted me at the edge of the crowd.
But he avoided my gaze, looking away almost immediately.
The guy who used to love me like crazy now kept his eyes down, but he still stood protectively in front of Claire, making it clear he wasn't going to let anyone mess with her.
I could tell he was there to shield her.
The moment a man finally figured out who he really loved, there was no way he'd let his girl get hurt again.
Before Jason could even answer, Mark threw a punch right at him, and in an instant, the whole grand confession turned into a complete circus.
I stood apart from the crowd, my fingers brushing over the crescent bracelet on my wrist.
It was a birthday gift from Jason.
Back then, he really put his heart into it. Usually so awkward, he actually spent an entire month designing this bracelet just for me.
When he fastened it on my wrist, he acted all fierce and told me I was never allowed to take it off.
He said it was one of a kind, something that belonged to me alone. It was his unique affection, reserved only for me.
But I was never the heroine of his story.
I was just the early-dead old flame, only there to push his romance with Claire forward.
If something wasn't meant for me, it'd never be mine.
I should find a chance to return the bracelet.