Blair shot me a look brimming with hostility.

She possessively tightened her arm around Nolan's and said sweetly to the crowd, "Alright, Nolan, don't say that. It's been hard enough for her. No need to rub salt in the wound."

She looked me up and down, her smile dripping with condescension. "But seriously, Ava, what's with the outfit? No makeup, you look so frumpy. Once a woman hits thirty, if she doesn't invest in herself, she just lets herself go."

I had just come from the operating room and hadn't slept in nearly twenty-four hours. I knew I looked drained and exhausted.

I was wearing my most comfortable sweats, a simple set of casual clothes. Compared to her designer dress and flawless makeup, I might as well have been from another planet.

"No, thank you. I'm fine," I replied simply, finding a seat and starting to eat. I was famished after the high-intensity surgery.

As I was quietly eating, Nolan suddenly approached. He placed a black card on the table in front of me.

"For old times' sake," he said gently. "Use it. Buy yourself something decent. Find a better job, get some new clothes. Learn to love yourself again. Ava, let the past go. Don't get stuck in it. If it weren't for you…"

He trailed off. "Never mind. It doesn't matter now. Just… don't let yourself fall apart because of me. Promise me you won't give up on yourself, okay?"

I looked up at Nolan, bewildered.

His unfinished sentence echoed in my mind. What on earth had I done in our past life that made him avoid me like the plague this time around?

In our past life, we fell in love in high school and married after graduation.

He had his Wall Street dream; I wanted to study medicine. Both paths required a huge commitment, and one of us had to make a sacrifice.

Because I loved him, I gave up my spot for advanced studies at Johns Hopkins. I entered the workforce early, supporting us both on my salary.

He failed in his investments, time and time again. With each failure, he grew more dejected, more defeated.

I was his constant source of support. No matter how exhausted I was when I came home from work, I always found the energy to comfort him patiently.

I thought he saw my love.

But after he missed out on an investment opportunity with a startup hedge fund, he finally broke.

"You know what?" he yelled. "If I had listened to Blair and accepted her father's funding, I wouldn't be in this mess! I regret being with you, Ava. I really, truly regret it."

After that, he stopped talking about his dreams.

Because he said he regretted being with me, I cried myself to sleep most nights.

Despite it all, I made one last effort. I pulled him close and whispered, "Nolan, let's have a baby, okay?"

He shoved me away so hard I nearly fell, his eyes filled with disgust. "With our finances? Are you serious? Is now really the time to have a kid? Besides, I've told you—I hate kids! And I don't want one with you!"

Those words shattered the last fragment of hope in my heart.

That Christmas Eve, an out-of-control truck crashed into our car, ending both our lives.

In that final moment, I felt no fear, only release.

Since we had both been reborn and had chosen to stay away from each other, there was no reason to cling to the past.

I pushed the black card back toward him. "That's not necessary. I don't accept gifts from strangers."

He frowned, looking both confused and offended. "Ava, what are you talking about? You think I'm a stranger?"

I met his gaze. "I can afford my own clothes. And my job is perfectly respectable. I haven't given up on myself, Nolan. Save your money for someone who actually needs it."

He stood there, clutching the card, his lips pressed into a thin, silent line.

Then, Blair sauntered over. Her eyes scanned the black card in his hand, and a look of understanding dawned.

Rage flashed in her eyes, but she forced a smile, feigning a calm, gentle demeanor.

"Ava, are you really refusing our offer?" Blair said with a faint smile. "Well then, let's offer you something more practical. A friend of mine opened a gallery in SoHo, and you could work there as a receptionist. The pay isn't great, but it's an easy job. How about it? It's definitely more respectable than whatever you're doing now."

I continued eating calmly, unfazed by her tone, and refused again.

"Thank you, but I'm quite satisfied with my job. I have no plans to change it."

A few nearby classmates called out, their tone a mix of jest and scolding.

"Ava, what is wrong with you? Nolan and Blair are trying to be nice! Just take it!"

"Seriously, Ava? Just look at the state of you. I'm surprised you even showed up looking so down on your luck. Isn't this kind of thing all about networking? Drop the high-and-mighty act."