LOGIN
This Time, I Chose My Life
4
Share:
Report
When I was five, the wealthy Whitmores adopted me from an orphanage so their only son, Caleb, would have someone to grow up with. The first time we met, Caleb pulled his best friend Audrey Ellis over and gave me half his candy. After that, the three of us were inseparable. That changed in the summer after our college entrance exams, when Audrey confessed her feelings to me—and I accepted. Caleb quietly chose a university a thousand miles away. The night before he was supposed to leave, he went drinking alone. Someone dragged him into the alley behind the bar and beat and humiliated him until he died. Audrey and I spent the next two decades burdened by guilt. At forty, I was diagnosed with ALS. The night before I died, she held me and cried so hard she shook. "Julian, I love you. I always have." "But if there is a next life, I have to stay with Caleb. I can't let anything happen to him again." When I opened my eyes, I was back. I had returned to the day Audrey was going to tell me she loved me.
View MoreLatest chapter
This Time, I Chose My Life Chapter 9
"Okay. I'll come home for New Year's."Caleb answered instantly."Really?!""Really."Julian closed the group chat.There was a private message from Audrey."Congratulations."He looked at it for a long time before replying."Thank you."Then he switched off his phone and went to bed.He had an early start tomorrow.There was still so much life ahead of him.* * *On New Year's Eve, Julian finally came home.Caleb reached him first at arrivals and threw his arms around him."You heartless bastard. Five years! You waited five years to come home!"Julian laughed and patted his back."But I'm here now."Diane wiped her eyes. Richard stood beside her, too choked up to speak.Julian went over and hugged them."Mom. Dad. I'm home."That evening, the house was louder and livelier than ever.Diane cooked a feast.Caleb talked without stopping. About how adorably goofy Nina was. How busy work had been.Julian listened and smiled, adding a few words now and then.Audrey
This Time, I Chose My Life Chapter 8
Caleb always had a thousand questions."What are you eating? Is it good? Have you lost weight? Is anyone giving you trouble?"Julian answered them all.Slowly, sometimes. But every one.Audrey never said anything. She just saved every photo.A year passed.Julian's illness was fully under control, and the research project had made a breakthrough.The day the paper was published, he messaged Caleb."I'm listed as second author. Pretty impressive, right?"The reply came instantly."Amazing! I'm showing Mom and Dad!"Five minutes later, Diane was video-calling."Julian! I saw your name! I'm so proud of you. I've always said my boy was brilliant."He listened with a smile, his eyes growing warm."I'm doing well, Mom.""Good. That's what matters." She wiped away tears. "When will you come visit? I'll make all your favorites."He paused."Once things settle down here. I promise."After they hung up, he stood by the window and looked at the sky.His phone rang again.Audre
This Time, I Chose My Life Chapter 7
Julian watched her for a moment."What about Caleb? Aren't you two together?"She hesitated."We broke up."He waited."Neither of us was happy. He couldn't stop thinking about you. And I..."She trailed off."You couldn't stop thinking about me either?"She lifted her eyes to his.He smiled, a little bitterly."You don't have to do this, Audrey. You've done more than enough for me."You stayed beside me for years in our first life. Held me and cried while I was dying. This time, you were so determined to protect Caleb that you were too afraid to follow your own heart."You don't owe me anything."She shook her head, her eyes filling."It's not about what I owe you. Everything I've done in this life has been wrong."I thought keeping Caleb safe would make up for what happened. I forgot to ask what you wanted."I told myself pushing you away was for the best. But when you left the country to face this illness alone, where the hell was I?"Her voice shook."Come home wi
This Time, I Chose My Life Chapter 6
Neither of them asked the other to stay or demanded an explanation.They both knew this relationship had been wrong from the start.* * *Three days after the breakup, Audrey stood in the yard with a cigarette.She didn't know how to smoke. She coughed until her eyes watered.Diane came outside, saw her, and sighed."Come in, Audrey. We need to talk."Audrey stubbed out the cigarette and followed her.Diane sat on the sofa and handed over her phone.An email was open on the screen. Julian's university acceptance."He told us before he left. Asked us to keep it from you and Caleb."Audrey gripped the phone until her knuckles whitened.There was something conflicted in Diane's eyes."He's always been so considerate. Even as a little boy. He keeps everything bottled up inside and carries it alone."He said Caleb would stop him. That he didn't want you two to worry. But who's looking after him over there?"A buzzing filled Audrey's head.Then a thought struck her.ALS.In
Related Novels
Storm Warnings Never Meant for Me
AAA Builder82 viewsMy Wife Sent Her Ex To School
Hanging Willow81 viewsThe Bird Flies Away
Bowl of Rice80 viewsMy Fiancé and His First Love Set Me Up, but It Backfired Spectacularly
Kitty Purr79 viewsFour Years Later, Still Can't Earn His Devotion
Greencloud79 viewsRising From the Ashes
I. Winter79 views
New Release Novels
To Readers
Welcome to GoodNovel world of fiction. If you like this novel, or you are an idealist hoping to explore a perfect world, and also want to become an original novel author online to increase income, you can join our family to read or create various types of books, such as romance novel, epic reading, werewolf novel, fantasy novel, history novel and so on. If you are a reader, high quality novels can be selected here. If you are an author, you can obtain more inspiration from others to create more brilliant works, what's more, your works on our platform will catch more attention and win more admiration from readers.
