Rejected in Rebirth, Desired Too Late

Our two families, the Quintons and the Johnsons, had been family friends for years. Thus, once Calvin Johnson, my younger brother, and I reached adulthood, both families agreed to draw lots between the two of us for Julia Quinton's hand in marriage. They were well aware that the lottery was just for show, though, as my marriage to Julia was practically a done deal.I never could have guessed that everyone had been reborn before the draw except for me and that I was the one responsible for their deaths in the past life.That explained so many of the things that had left me bewildered. Mom and Dad, who usually favored me, suddenly allowed Calvin to belittle me and make cutting remarks at my expense. Julia, who had been hugging me affectionately a day prior and insisted on marrying me, treated me with complete revulsion the next day.I never could have guessed that the truth would turn out this way, though. Why did I do those things in my past life? Could I have killed them? Did

Julia seemed to have heard that something had happened to Calvin and came running over. She immediately laid into me the moment she walked in. "I've already told you that I don't love you anymore, Xander! Why are you still picking on Calvin?"I looked at Mom, Julia, and Calvin ganging up on me and saw no point in continuing the conversation. "I won't hand over the villa. If you want to cut all ties with me, go right ahead—I won't stop you. I also never bullied Calvin. He was the one who came here looking for a fight."I packed up my easel and got ready to leave.Calvin's eyes were filled with malice as he pretended to accidentally knock over the paint, ruining my painting.I had planned to submit this piece to the national competition. I was almost done with it, yet Calvin ruined it just like that.He shot me a provocative look, confident that I would have to take this sitting down.Unfortunately, Calvin had miscalculated.I didn't hesitate for a second before striking him acros

I laced my fingers through Irene's, our rings touching as they fit perfectly together. "I'll always be here for you, no matter what comes our way."Irene and I moved into our new home together after Julia and Calvin's wedding, though we slept in separate bedrooms.I had gotten married, but my life stayed mostly the same—well, except for one thing. I had majored in finance during college and was supposed to work for Mom and Dad's company right after graduation, but plans changed, and I ended up going to work for Irene's company instead.It wasn't until I stood at the company entrance that I realized Irene, who had always kept a low profile, had been running something this big behind the scenes.I became Irene's secretary. I was good at what I did, and together, Irene and I managed to close several big deals together.That evening, everyone from the company got together for dinner to celebrate the occasion.I started feeling a bit lightheaded after being surrounded by the smell of

I had assumed that even if Julia lacked Irene's talent, she wouldn't be completely hopeless. Julia had already secured a role within the company and was widely seen as the successor since Irene was disabled.Yet, even after being reborn, Julia's work performance hadn't improved. If anything, her competence had plummeted.Under her management, Quinton Group had started going downhill, and at this rate, it would go bankrupt within a year.Julia and Calvin, perhaps in a bid to salvage Quinton Group, hosted a banquet. Irene and I were among the guests invited.I knew Julia and Calvin couldn't be trusted, but I was ready to handle whatever they threw at us. Irene and I went to the banquet together.Upon arriving, I noticed that the banquet hall was illuminated by the soft light of crystal chandeliers, casting cold reflections off the silver and porcelain laid upon the tables. The champagne tower scattered faint golden reflections as orchestral music drifted through the hall alongside

Upon hearing my confession, Irene was overjoyed. She pulled me closer with the intention to share a passionate kiss, but Dad deliberately cleared his throat and interrupted us.Calvin had already been taken into police custody, while Julia was also brought in for questioning over her suspected involvement as an accomplice.Mom and Dad looked at me, guilt written all over their faces. "We were fooled by Calvin's lies and blamed you for something you didn't do. You'll forgive us, won't you, Xander?"I couldn't tell if their guilt was genuine, but I was clear on my own feelings. "I'll accept your apology, but I'm not going to forgive you."Mom burst into tears while Dad's eyes turned bloodshot. "X-Xander…"I took Irene's hand and walked right past the two of them.Irene suddenly spoke up, "Xander…"I turned to her and asked, "What's the matter? Do you want to talk me into forgiving them?"Irene shook her head. "I wasn't going to do that. I just wanted to let you know that I'll sup