Chapter 4

Chapter 4 I shook my head firmly. "The love from the past life was already put to rest long ago. Now, I love my husband and my son more." I didn't understand why he would ask such a question. After all, he had always said that there was no need to dwell on the past people and things. And I truly had let go completely. Unexpectedly, just a month later, Lyra's father, Orin Calder, was exposed for tax evasion, using cheap materials to build residential properties, falsifying data, bribing local officials, and other charges that made headlines. When I heard this news, I was also shocked. The once high and mighty rich girl, Lyra, now appeared so destitute in front of the cameras. Not only were all her assets seized by the court, but she couldn't even return to her home. And her father, due to various charges, would probably never get out of prison in this lifetime. Besides her family, the real victims were those common people who had spent their entire life savings to buy houses, only to get shoddy constructions in return. When I learned about this, I couldn't help but sigh, "That's really too much. There's no conscience in doing business." Cassian, standing beside me, said with a pitiful look, "Honey, don't misunderstand, I have a conscience." I smiled. Cassian has always adhered to creating the most cost-effective products. All of his products, hotels, and real estate are made with the best materials and sold at the lowest prices. That's why his company kept growing bigger, and his reputation became louder and louder. If a company treats its consumers with respect, they're likely to return the favor. But people like Lyra's father, who had cut corners on materials to make money, disregarding the safety of ordinary people's lives — that was just heartless! Not long after, I received a phone call from an unmarked number. After hesitating for a moment, I pressed the answer button. It was Elias's voice on the other end. "Did you see the news? Selene, I was the one who reported it." I frowned, not understanding why he was telling me this. "Well, on behalf of the people, thank you," I said. On the other end of the phone, Elias's voice sounded weak. "I want to see you. Is that okay?" I responded seriously, "I've told you before, I've already let go. You don't need to come anymore…" Before I could finish, his cough interrupted me. Elias let out a bitter laugh and continued, "I went to the hospital a few days ago for an exam… it's late-stage lung cancer. Can I see you one last time?" Hearing this news felt like something in my head suddenly snapped. I remained silent for a long time before hoarsely responding, "Bring your medical report, and come find me at my hospital." In the afternoon, Elias walked into my office, looking much thinner than before. He placed his medical report on my desk. I quickly skimmed through the report, frowning tightly. "You'd better get the hospitalization procedures done as soon as possible and cooperate with the doctors for treatment." At the moment, I didn't have any other cases to attend to. So I went with him to handle the hospitalization. Once everything was settled, Elias's eyes were red, and he looked at me with uncertainty. "I knew you wouldn't ignore me. You still have me in your heart, don't you?" "I know I misunderstood you before. It was all my fault. You treated me so well in our past life, and I still treated you like that. I've figured it out now. I don't regret being with you in the past life. I know I was wrong. Can you forgive me? Can we be together again? We can have our own child. Didn't you always want a child of our own?" he continued. I frowned as I looked at him, saying, "Look, I hope you understand. The moment we were reborn, we completely broke up. Now I have a new family, a child of my own. I hope you won't say these things anymore." Elias shook his head in disbelief and said, "You must still have feelings for me. Otherwise, why would you be running around taking care of everything for me? How could so many years of our relationship just disappear like that? You're just angry with me. Can't you stop being angry? I've already admitted my mistakes." A cold smile appeared at the corner of my mouth, and I pulled my hand away from his. "Because we were together for many years, I came to help take care of you when you were diagnosed with cancer. If my actions gave you the wrong impression, I'm truly sorry. You can contact your parents to take over," I said, my tone icy. "And also, marrying you in our past life was the biggest regret of mine. I don't love you anymore, and I don't want to have children with you. I hope you won't live in the past, because that past is something I don't want to go back to." After hearing these words, Elias stood frozen in place, his face filled with pain. I didn't care at all and turned around to leave the hospital room. He shouted from behind me, "All men in this world are the same! Do you really think Cassian likes you? Why would a rich man from New York want someone as ordinary as you? Wake up! You two can never be happy. I'm the one who's most suited for you!" Hearing those annoying words, I walked even faster. He hadn't changed at all, just like in our past life. When he was doing well, he looked down on those who weren't as fortunate as him. When he was struggling, he would envy those who were doing better and even tried to drag them down into his own despair. People like him will always regret, and they will never be satisfied. Everyone thought I married Cassian because I was climbing the social ladder. But I felt that in this relationship, we were equally matched. Elias thought I was just an ordinary doctor, not knowing the groundbreaking research and achievements I had made in the field of medicine. But Cassian was willing to learn more about me. He once gently held me and whispered in my ear, "Honey, your report saved lives—something money can't buy. You're the real superhero!" Because of Cassian, I finally understood what true love is. Love isn't about one side giving and the other taking; it's about two people striving together toward their dreams, supporting and helping each other along the way. At this moment, I wouldn't doubt our relationship because of a few provoking words from Elias. It seemed like Elias still hadn't given up. One day, he showed up at my office holding a guitar. He began playing and singing the song "Eyes Don't Lie," the same one he sang when he confessed his feelings to me. The familiar melody played, but I wasn't moved at all. In fact, I felt nothing but deep annoyance. This song was so ironic; every day after our marriage, he had been lying to me. I sternly told him to leave. He walked over and grabbed my hand, pleading, "Selene, I really regret it. I truly regret it! I don't want to break up with you. It's all my fault, I didn't cherish you enough. Please forgive me!" I looked at him coldly and said, "Didn't I make myself clear last time? Being with you is the biggest regret of my life. Do you know what I'm most thankful for?" There was a glimmer of hope in his eyes, but it was immediately extinguished by my next words. "We don't have any children between us—that's the only blessing I've received from the heavens. Please, don't come bothering me anymore." Elias's parents arrived in time and took him back to the hospital room. With a face full of apology, they said to me, "I'm so sorry, our son is sick now. He's done a lot of things that have affected you. But is there really no possibility at all for the two of you?" Looking at the parents who had treated me so well in the past, I spoke seriously, "I'm already married. I have a husband and a son. And even if I wasn't married, I still couldn't be with Elias because I really don't love him anymore. I hope he can actively accept treatment and not come to disturb me anymore." The two elders nodded with regret. Soon after, Elias was transferred to another hospital, and he never contacted me again. The next time I heard news about Elias, it was his mother who called me. "Elias is about to pass away. He wants to see you. Can you come and visit him?" I stayed silent for a long time. Finally, I hoarsely replied, "Okay." With that, I hung up the phone. In that moment, I suddenly wanted to recall all the little things from the time I had loved him in the past life. But unfortunately, I couldn't remember anything clearly. It turned out that time really does take everything away. The next time I saw Elias, he was so thin that he was barely recognizable. His cheekbones jutted out, and his appearance was unrecognizable. His eyes were lifeless as he stared out of the window, but as soon as I entered the room, a light suddenly appeared in his eyes. He looked at his own body, and gave a self-deprecating smile. "I must look really awful like this, right?" he said. I didn't answer. He continued, "I'm sorry. I was so insecure back then. I worked so hard to pursue my music dream, but all I got was failure. I couldn't face the results, so I pushed all the blame onto you. Maybe this is my karma. Selene, tell me, if we could start over, and this time I treat you well, would you choose me again?" Looking at his sparkling eyes and hopeful expression, I directly interrupted his fantasy. "No, life doesn't give us that many chances to start over. Besides, you'll never change. You'll never be satisfied." A person who is never satisfied, no matter how many times life gives them a second chance, will never find the happiness they want. Elias looked at me, tears of regret falling from his eyes. "Is there really no chance left? I really know I was wrong!" I gave him a firm, negative answer, "No chance." After that, I never went back to see him. After all, I cherish everything I have now. Regarding my research direction, there was an opportunity for an exchange program abroad. The dean directly recommended me for it. After I arrived in Germany, I found my husband and son had gotten there early and were already waiting for me at the airport. Cassian walked towards me, holding a bouquet of flowers, and my eyes were filled with surprise. He immediately hugged me. "How's that? Surprised? You're here to study, and the husband follows the wife's lead. Our little one and I came along to keep you company. Are you happy?" I nodded. "I'm really happy, so surprised!" During the exchange program, we also visited many famous spots. We created a lot of wonderful memories. During our trip, I received the news of Elias's passing. A wave of sorrow washed over me. But the moment I turned around, I saw two figures—one big, one small—running toward me. I opened my arms wide, ready to embrace the future that was truly mine.