With You Nevermore

Some people saw how plain my clothes were and couldn't resist making fun of me.

Ever since I arrived, Liana's gaze had been fixed on me.

I nodded to her in greeting. It was just a simple acknowledgement.

She seemed surprised, her bright eyes unreadable.

"Oh, Ryan. After all these years, you're still just as unambitious as ever." Serge shot me a cold look before pulling Liana closer, like he was staking his claim. "Sure, his life's a little rough. But let's not dwell on his failures. We're all classmates here."

He sized me up, his lip curling in disdain.

"But honestly, why would you show up at a class reunion looking like this? You're in your thirties. You should know, clothes make the man. What woman would go for someone who can't even be bothered to groom himself? I've got a spare suit in my car. Why don't you wear it, just to look a little more presentable?"

As soon as he finished, his words sent the entire crowd into laughter.

The contrast between us couldn't have been more obvious. He wore a pair of gold-rimmed glasses and a custom-tailored suit. His hair was perfectly combed, and every move he made showed his privileged upbringing.

Me?

I had just finished working on a pile of case files and hadn't slept in nearly twenty-four hours. I was worn out, and I looked terrible. My clothes were cheap, brandless casual wear.

Of course, I couldn't be compared to him.

"Thanks for your offer, but I don't need it," I said politely, then turned my attention to the food.

After an all-nighter, I was so hungry, I could eat a horse.

As I dug in, Liana suddenly walked over and handed me a check for twenty thousand dollars.

"This is just a little help for old times' sake. You don't have to pay me back. Go get yourself some decent clothes, find a steady job, and take better care of yourself.

"Ryan, let the past stay in the past. Don't get stuck there. If not for… Never mind. It doesn't matter anymore now. What matters is that you don't give up on yourself just because I left. It makes things difficult for me, too."

What was she trying to say?

I looked up at her, suddenly wondering what on earth I could have done in a past life that made her so quick to leave me behind in this one.

In our last life, we had dated as classmates and eventually married.

She dreamed of being a dancer, and I wanted to work in law. Both our paths were expensive and tough at the start. Because I loved her, I gave up my dreams. I turned down a chance at a PhD and started working early so I could support her. Whenever she failed or felt discouraged, I covered all the bills and comforted her with patience.

I thought she understood how much I loved her.

But one day, she wanted another pair of expensive dance shoes. When I had to say no because we didn't have the money, she tossed all her old dance shoes into the trash, then broke down in tears.

"Ryan! If it weren't because I loved you, if I'd just listened to Serge and gone abroad with him, I wouldn't be stuck living like this! Marrying you was the biggest mistake of my life!"

After that, she quit dancing and gave up on her dreams.

Meanwhile, her words haunted me. I lost sleep, heartbroken and alone.

But I didn't give up. I wanted to save my crumbling marriage.

I hugged Liana and quietly begged, "Liana, let's have a child, okay?"

She shoved me away with all her strength, her eyes filled with nothing but disgust. "Do you even have the money to raise a kid? Do you want them to spend their lives slaving away? I told you before, I hate kids. I'll never have a child with you, not in this life!"

That one sentence cut straight through my heart.

On the first day back at work after the new year, a runaway truck came barreling toward us and ended both our lives.

But I wasn't afraid. If anything, I felt relieved.

Now, with both of us regressing into the past, we had silently agreed to go our separate ways. There was nothing left between us.

I pushed the check back to her and said calmly, "It's fine. I don't want charity from a stranger. Thank you."

Liana looked unhappy, her brows furrowed. "Ryan, what's that supposed to mean? Are you calling me a stranger?"

I nodded slightly. "What I wear is my own business. I can buy my own clothes. As for my job, it's respectable, and there's nothing shameful about it. I'm not stuck in the past, either. If you want to help, give the money to someone who actually needs it."

Her hand holding the check trembled, but she didn't move.

Serge hurried over to her side. Seeing the check, it was like he instantly understood what had happened. His eyes were burning with rage, but he was forcing himself to act gentle.

"If you don't want money, we can get you a real job. I recently invested in a barbershop. You can start as an apprentice. Twenty dollars an hour. The pay isn't great at first, but once you learn the trade, you'll have a skill for life. Even if you can't find another job, you can always open your own shop someday. I'll give you the manager's number. Just contact him. What do you think? It's way more respectable than whatever you're doing now."

I kept my expression calm and kept eating. "Thanks, but I'm happy with my job. I'm not looking to change careers."

Some classmates chimed in as they watched the drama unfold.

"Come on, Ryan. Stop being so stubborn. They're just trying to help. Why not accept it?"

"Yeah, look at yourself. You can't even afford a decent outfit. Isn't that why you came to the reunion? To network and find a better job? Now that someone's handing you an opportunity, you act all high and mighty. Who are you trying to impress?"

Serge forced a smile. "Don't say that. Maybe Ryan really does like his current job."

He turned back to me.

"Ryan, we're only doing this for old times' sake. Don't turn it down just to save face."

Honestly, I couldn't understand this obsession with forcing money and jobs on other people. Truth be told, if we were serious, all of them put together probably wouldn't have as much money as I do.

"I really don't need it, but thanks."

Serge kept his smile, but the contempt in his eyes was plain to see.

Liana's grip on the check tightened, and she began her sarcasm.

"Just as hopeless as ever. You don't even know how to recognize an opportunity when it comes your way. No wonder you're broke!"

No sooner had she finished than the other classmates swarmed around.

A three-hundred-pound woman even tried to make me drink.

"Ryan, seeing that you're having such a tough time right now… Let's see. Drink a glass, and I'll give you a hundred dollars. If that's not enough, I can sweeten the pot a little more."

The woman didn't bother hiding her blatant enthusiasm, giving me an obvious leer with her eyes.

The others just laughed from the sidelines. Not one person tried to step in and help.

I frowned. This reunion was nothing like I had imagined. I would have left already, but I was still waiting for someone.

I was about to call security when Liana suddenly grabbed the woman's arm. The surrounding air seemed to drop, her whole demeanor icy and intimidating.

"Do you think this is a nightclub? If you want to act like that, do it somewhere else. He's not someone you can degrade like that!"

The woman grimaced in pain from Liana's grip, but didn't dare say a word.

Serge quickly grabbed Liana's arm. "Liana, what are you doing?"

Liana shot him a cold glare, her expression terrifying. "I'm just doing the right thing. Can't you see? Lady, if you're having another relapse, then maybe you should get your head checked!"

With that, she let the woman go. The woman could only glare at me with resentment.

Surprised, I glanced at Liana. I didn't expect her to stand up for me.

Serge's polite smile was barely holding together as he quickly tried to change the subject.

"I heard the president of Raising East Group and her son are upstairs. Maybe we'll get lucky and catch a glimpse of them today."

Everyone perked up with excitement.

"The boss of Raising East Group is the richest woman in Apex City. She's young, rich, and beautiful. She's only thirty and already has a five-year-old son. She kept her husband very well protected, though. No one knows who he is."

"So we might get to meet her husband today? I heard he's the top lawyer in the capital. Even the powerful and influential must wait years just to book him. The waitlist is already three years long!"

"That's amazing! If we see both the richest woman and the legendary lawyer today, I must get a photo!"

Just then, a group of bodyguards escorted a little boy into the hall. The entire room instantly buzzed with excitement.

"With that kind of escort, he must be the president's son! What a cute and handsome little man!"

The same woman who had just harassed me got close again.

"Ryan, if it weren't for Serge, someone like you would never even get to see him. If it were me, I would grovel at their feet and thank them. If you do, maybe they'll forgive you and give you that twenty-an-hour job. Maybe you'll even win over a rich woman who earns thirty dollars an hour like me!"

She was crazy.

I ignored her and turned my attention to the young boy. Everyone was crowding around him, snapping photos and taking videos enthusiastically.

Even Serge, who had been acting so condescendingly, was now all smiles as he hurried over to the boy. "Do you want to eat something? My treat."

He reached out to pinch the boy's cheek.

To everyone's shock, the boy, surrounded by bodyguards, didn't even spare Serge a glance. Instead, he walked straight toward me.

With a bright smile, he ran over and threw himself into my arms.

"Daddy, what took you so long?"