Chapter 1

When my girlfriend and I got reborn back into our high school days, she dumped me on the spot.

She thought I was a loser with no future, so she turned around and accepted the school bully's confession.

Just like that, she became the trophy wife of a wealthy bad boy, winning at both love and her career.

Meanwhile, I was still just painting.

When we met again, she was clinging to the very bully who used to torment her. Looking down at me, drenched and shivering, she sneered,

"Without me, is the great artist Liam really living such a pathetic life?"

I just smiled faintly.

But later, when my childhood sweetheart—

Amelia, the sole heiress to the massive Montgomery fortune—wrapped her arms around mine and pouted,

Chloe's eyes went red.

"Liam! You promised you'd be with me forever!"

When I arrived at the reunion party,

I still spotted Chloe instantly in the crowd.

She was leaning against Zack’s shoulder, smiling sweetly.

The old classmates around them were practically kissing their feet.

"Chloe, you're so famous now."

"Yeah, a major influencer! You have over a million followers on TikTok, right?"

"And you actually snagged Zack. He was the school king back then."

Chloe smiled shyly.

Zack, clearly loving the attention, waved his hand dismissively.

"Tonight’s tab is on me. Drink up, everyone."

The crowd cheered.

Amidst the laughter, I heard someone mention my name.

"Where’s Liam? Why isn't he here yet? I know you guys broke up, but he was the school heartthrob back then."

Chloe’s smile faltered, and she gave a casual shrug.

"Liam and I just weren't compatible. We haven't kept in touch since the breakup."

Zack glanced around the room, his eyes turning cold.

"Let's not bring up the past."

Seeing that Chloe and Zack looked annoyed,

the others quickly changed the subject.

I walked in quietly, pretending I hadn't heard a thing.

A few old friends spotted me and immediately threw their arms around my shoulders.

"Look who finally made it!"

"Our former school heartthrob!"

"Whoa, dude, why are you so messy?"

"Hey, waiter, get some towels over here!"

I offered a polite smile, taking the towel.

I played it down.

"I had a little wipeout on my bike on the way here."

"I like riding my bike for exercise. The hotel wasn't far from my place, so I just rode over."

Chloe had been staring at me since the moment I walked in.

Feeling her gaze, I looked back.

Our eyes locked for a fraction of a second.

In that moment, I saw pure mockery and disdain in her eyes.

She snuggled closer to Zack, sporting flawless makeup

and a designer outfit that screamed luxury—a stark contrast to my mud-stained clothes.

Beside her, Zack was watching me too.

Zack came from a ridiculously wealthy family. They were practically royalty around here.

The two of them sat in the center seats like the perfect power couple.

And then there was me.

I wiped the dirt off my clothes, looking like a total mess.

But honestly, I didn't care.

When I paint, I often end up covered in paint anyway.

I gave them a polite smile, looked away, and started chatting with other classmates.

Zack smirked, his eyes dripping with contempt.

Since we hadn't seen each other in years, everyone had endless things to talk about.

"Hey, do you guys remember Amelia Montgomery from the Honors class?"

"The school queen? Of course!"

"Yeah, her! I heard the Montgomery family officially announced her as the sole heiress to their entire empire."

"Oh my god. Beautiful, rich, and the sole heir. Whoever marries her is set for life."

"But a girl boss like Amelia probably doesn't even care about men."

I looked down at my phone,

keeping quiet.

My wet clothes were clinging to me uncomfortably.

Since the food wasn't served yet, I got up to wash some of the mud off in the restroom.

My phone kept buzzing in my pocket.

I patiently replied to the texts on Snapchat. But when I stepped out of the restroom, I ran right into Chloe at the corner.

I knew she was with Zack, so I ignored her and tried to walk past.

But she called out to me.

"Liam, all these years, and you're still the same useless loser."

"Just thinking about the fact that I used to date you makes me cringe. You don't even have a decent car."

I turned to meet her mocking eyes and said calmly,

"I like my life."

"You—"

Chloe's face flushed with anger.

"Fine. If you love being a loser, I hope you stay one forever."

I smiled and turned to leave, but her voice followed me.

"You're still so stubborn, never willing to back down. If you had just listened to me back then, you could be driving a sports car right now, being worshipped by everyone—just like me."

"But I know you. Even if you claim you like this life, deep down, you regret it."