Reclining on the hospital bed, I, Andy Williams, an eighty-year-old man, was tethered to a ventilator, with tubes invading every inch of my being. My dwindling life force was akin to a candle in the wind, flickering, on the verge of extinguishing.
Beside me, Yvonne Smith perched at the edge of the mattress and fixed her gaze on me in quiet contemplation.
With the last vestiges of my strength, I mustered a bitter smile and queried, “Yvonne, in our sixty years of marriage, have you ever loved me? Even for a fleeting moment?”
Yvonne looked hesitated and kept silent.
No further queries escaped my lips because her silence spoke volumes.
Wearily, I closed my eyes and uttered in desolation, “Yvonne, my love for you is eternal, yet I’ve also been the bane of your life.
“If fate were to grant me a rebirth, I would sever our ties, ensuring we never crossed paths again until the day we perish.”
When I opened my eyes anew, I found myself reborn into the halls of my high school days.
In that past life, I had spent decades attempting to captivate Yvonne’s heart, only to fail.
This time, I resolved to distance myself from her.
Yvonne, however, tracked me to my school, pinning me against the stairwell wall with a cunning grin.
“Andy Williams, in this life, you won’t escape me so easily.”
…
I was reborn, my soul returning to the cusp of my senior year in high school.
Within the classroom, the familiar faces of teachers and classmates swirled around me. I felt that I had awakened from a long dream.
In my previous life, the Smith family was on the precipice of collapse due to failed management.
For the sake of her family, Yvonne forsook her first love and reluctantly married me.
Marriage saw me devote myself to her happiness, nearly sacrificing my own life in the process.
My love for Yvonne eclipsed my love for myself.
Yvonne succeeded in revitalizing both our families’ businesses and bearing me children.
But happiness eluded her. After our marriage, her smiles vanished.
In school, I was adept at fighting and evading classes.
Yvonne, a top scorer, was a paragon of beauty and intellect.
Perhaps she had never truly esteemed me.
While physically present, her heart remained with her overseas sweetheart.
For a lifetime, we shared a bed but suffered in our own ways.
Determined to live this new life free from the shadow of Yvonne, I vowed to forge my own path.
But fate had other plans; my family arranged a blind date for me at the city library.
They described the girl as a paragon of virtue, intelligence, and beauty, the campus belle of a prestigious high school, and insisted I seize this opportunity to secure her hand in marriage.
Without knowing her name, I knew it was Yvonne.
In my former life, Yvonne was the acclaimed beauty of a prestigious high school.
I ventured to her school. Driven by an insatiable urge to be near her, I brought my family to cooperate with the Smith family. In the end, I finally married Yvonne.
This time, I had avoided her, so how could she have sought me out?
Bewildered, I firmly declined my family’s proposal.
Then, I was berated by my mother.
“That girl is the epitome of beauty, kindness, and capability. She is more than you deserve!
“She came to our home, asking for you by name. If you refuse to meet her, I will disown you!
“I have chosen Yvonne as your wife-to-be. It matters not if you cease to be my son!”
The phone call ended, leaving me buffeted by the winds of fate.
In my past life, Yvonne was the epitome of gentleness and filial piety, adored by my parents.
Bowing to familial pressure, I reluctantly agreed to the date.
Before the fateful encounter, my mother presented me with the latest ring from Cartier, urging me to show enthusiasm towards Yvonne.
I opened the lavish box, extracted the ring, and replaced it with a toy ring worth a mere fifty cents from a local shop.
In a bid to repulse Yvonne further, I donned a disheveled outfit, dyed my hair a garish yellow, and adorned my skin with fake tattoos.
As I stood at the entrance of the city library, the peculiar glances from passersby affirmed my unconventional appearance.
Yvonne was seated near the glass window and bathed in sunlight, which made her exude an aura of cold elegance.
Upon entering, I caught my reflection in the mirror opposite and wore a bitter smile.
Perhaps, even without this charade, Yvonne’s disdain for me would have remained immutable.
As I stepped through the door, Yvonne gazed at me instantly.
Her were eyes twinkling with amusement as she grinned.
Was she actually smiling at me?
Throughout my past life, I had lavished her with luxury cars, prestigious watches, and designer handbags, yet her warmth had always eluded me.
It was the first glimpse I had ever caught of her genuinely smiling at me, and it was sweeter than I could have ever imagined.
“Andy, here’s a gift for you,” Yvonne announced.
She reached into her purse. To my astonishment, she revealed a pristine copy of The Transformers, complete with the author’s signature adorning the cover.
The Transformers was my all-time favorite comic, but how could Yvonne possibly know?
Was it a coincidence?
I averted my eyes and forced myself to calm down, steeling myself not to repeat past mistakes.
“I’m not into childish things. Please take it back,” I said coldly.
Instead of being upset, Yvonne maintained her smile after I rejected her.
She smiled at me and asked, “Where is the gift your mother asked you to bring me?”
I handed over the Cartier box.
She covered her lips and feigned surprise as she unveiled the toy ring within.
“I spend fifty cents on buying it from a street vendor. I wonder if they suit your taste,” I teased.
Without hesitation, Yvonne slipped the ring onto her finger, locking her gaze with mine. “Are you proposing?” she asked with a playful seriousness in her tone.
I noted the plastic ring on her ring finger.
It would have filled me with overwhelming joy in my past life.
But forced love bore no sweetness. Resolved to free us both, I masked my emotions with a stern facade.
“Frankly, I have no interest in you.”
Yvonne gazed downwards. Her smile dimmed, replaced by a controlled anger.
As she rose, she pressed the comic into my hands before storming out of the library.
The autographed book lay heavy in my grasp, a weight that seemed to anchor me to the spot.
Suddenly, a handmade wooden bookmark slipped from its pages.
I bent to retrieve it. My gaze fell upon the familiar script that was penned by Yvonne herself, [Love remains forever.]
Watching her leave, I was flooded with conflicting emotions.
It was only as she stepped across the threshold that I noticed the ring I had once given her still encircling her finger.
Whatever her intentions were, they mattered little now.
From now on, we were now but strangers.
The following day, as I returned to the familiar embrace of my school, my heart stumbled at the sight of Yvonne on the podium.
Why was she here?
Beside Yvonne stood John Blake, her childhood sweetheart, who had been abroad.
Their auras were mingling in a harmony that seemed to silence the world around them.
The teacher, Lily Chase, announced, “Please join me in welcoming our new transfer students, who will be joining us for their senior year.”
The room was filled with the sound of applause as Yvonne and John introduced themselves.
Their resumes were glittering with achievements. John, in particular, was a mathematical prodigy who had spent three formative years abroad.
His return was laden with accolades and honors that spoke of his brilliance.
I retreated into the shadows of the last row. With my back against the wall, I took a nap.
The boy in the row ahead nudged me. “Andy, the new girl is gorgeous. She’s your type.”
I brushed him off irritably. “Leave me alone!”
Lily pointed at someone. “Make room for the new students.
“Your grades are commendable; learning together can only benefit you both.”
My heart sank.
Yvonne had married me in my past life.
To witness her getting close to another man ignited a flame of sorrow that threatened to consume me.
Unexpectedly, Yvonne approached me with her schoolbag cradled in her arms. The eyes of the world were upon her, yet she stood before me.
Her smile, as sweet as ever, graced her lips as she spoke, “Andy, would you mind moving over? I’d like to sit beside you.”
John, from his perch on the podium, could only gape in surprise.
“Yvonne, what am I to do if you sit with him?”
But Yvonne did not turn. “Do as you wish. It matters not to me.”
I feigned indifference and buried my head in the crook of my arm, slumbering peacefully on the desk.
Upon awakening, I discovered a woman’s coat draped over my shoulders.
Yvonne sat beside me with her chin cradled in her hand. A gentle smile played upon her lips as she watched me.
A few friends in the rear row snickered and whispered with amusement.
Yvonne, however, remained unfazed, allowing them their moment of mirth.
I was once again ensnared in confusion, unable to fathom her intentions.
The impending end of class loomed.
John approached Yvonne and furiously yelled, “Yvonne, we’ve been companions since childhood. Why forsake my company for that loser in the back row?”
I cared not for John’s pursuit of Yvonne, but his vitriol was insufferable.
With a swift motion, I seized John’s collar. “What the fuck did you just say?”
My friends converged and got ready to beat John.
John, undeterred, retorted with arrogance, “You idle in the back row, squandering your days without a thought for study. Are you not losers?
“If you hit me, I shall report it to the authorities, ensuring your expulsion!”
The specter of the impending college entrance examination loomed large, so none dared risk disciplinary action.
I restrained my friends, whose fists were poised, and simultaneously released John’s collar.
John’s pride swelled. “You lack even the courage to fight. You loser.”
Yvonne moved with precision and landed a crisp slap on John’s cheek.
Her action left me bewildered.
John, hand to his face, voiced his disbelief, “Yvonne, you slap me for a waste?”
Yvonne restrained her smile and retorted in an icy tone, “Andy is spirited, yet his character is sound, never stooping to slander.
“Those who cloak themselves in the guise of erudition casually hurl insults.
“Besides, the people sitting in the back row may not end up worse off than you in the future.”
John, chastised and slapped, glared at me before storming off in indignation.
I was left in disbelief that Yvonne slapped John to defend me.
Upon reflection, I figured out the truth.
The Smith family, ensnared in debt, had sought a financial lifeline.
Her overtures to me were likely an attempt to secure my family’s patronage for her kin.
I confronted her directly. “Yvonne, I am aware of your family’s plight and their need for funds.
“If you seek alliance with my family, I shall not impede you. But you must stop your pursuit of me henceforth.”
Thereafter, I beckoned my friends to the playground for respite.
Yvonne remained at her desk, her head bowed. No one knew what her thoughts were.
Upon reaching the playground, a friend inquired, “Andy, with such a beauty vying for your attention, are you truly unmoved?”
My heart was a tumult of emotions, yet I offered no reply.
In my previous life, my union with Yvonne had cast a pall over her, whose grades faltered. Her dreams of enrolling in a prestigious university were dashed.
This burden had weighed heavily upon her.
To unite with her now would only lead us both to lives unfulfilled, devoid of joy.
With this in mind, I dialed my father.
I sought his aid in assisting the Smith family, to foster a partnership that would spare me further entanglement with Yvonne.
To my astonishment, my father was perplexed. “Son, what are you talking about?
“The Smith family’s crisis was self-resolved two weeks ago. Our family played no part.
“It is said that it was your wife-to-be who devised the strategy and steered them to safety…”
I hung up the phone. My mind was a whirl of confusion.
The wife-to-be my father alluded to was none other than Yvonne.
How could she possess the acumen to navigate such a corporate tempest?
Having resolved her own crisis, why did she still seek me out?
Abruptly, a hand descended upon my shoulder.
I spun around and met John, whose expression betrayed his resentment.
“Andy, Yvonne is mine. Keep your distance from her henceforth!”
I was rendered momentarily speechless. “With which eye did you witness me drawing near to her?”
From our first encounter to the present, it had been Yvonne who persistently approached me.
Yet, her motives remained an enigma to me.
A friend intervened, shoving John aside. “Do you want me to beat your fucking ass?”
I had no desire to engage in conflict with a fool like John, so I led my companions away.
Before my departure, John warned me, “Stay away from Yvonne in the future!”
Shortly, a contingent from beyond the school’s gates descended upon the playground, arranging heart-shaped candles in its center.
Clutching a bouquet, John stood amidst the candles as he shouted Yvonne’s name.
The crowd rallied, their voices joining his in a chorus.
Amidst the cacophony, Yvonne descended the stairs, joining John at the epicenter of the candles.
I stood at a distance and felt a bitter taste in my heart.
Memories of my romantic moments and marriage with Yvonne, including the tapestry of our decades together, flickered before me like a kaleidoscope.
At that moment, I desperately yearned to hear Yvonne say she loved me before my previous life’s end.
Had she uttered those words, I would have surged forward without a second thought, wresting Yvonne from John’s grasp!
Instead, I was left to witness her with another man.
In the distance, Yvonne cast aside John’s flowers and swept the candles aside in the crowd’s stunned silence.
She lifted her white, ethereal gauze skirt and hastened towards me.
Yvonne tilted her head and smiled, “Do you not feel a pang when I accept flowers from another?”
I was stunned.
Might it be possible that Yvonne had intentionally prolonged the moment of accepting John’s flowers to stir the embers of my irritation?
Dressed in white, Yvonne looked innocent and adorable. Her charm was irresistible to me.
My heart raced, and I averted my gaze to flee.
Yvonne swiftly caught up with me as her fingers lightly tugged at my sleeve. “Have you seen the bookmark I bestowed upon you?
“Do you fathom the meaning of ‘Love remains forever’?”
I dared not meet her eyes, so I strode away and responded dismissively, “I am ignorant.”
Yvonne yelled, “No, you know it!”
As we reached the stairs, Yvonne darted before me. Her hands were tender as she pressed me against the wall. Her manner was both flirtatious and commanding. Even her sly smile was endearingly captivating.
“Andy, do not delude yourself into thinking you alone have been reborn.
“In my past life, you married me.
“In this life, I shall accompany you forever.
“For all eternity, you shall be mine, and mine alone…”
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