Part 3The Price of Dignity

After dealing with Chloe, I lay in bed and closed my eyes.

Even though I was reborn, I didn't sleep well.

Just like when I had cancer, I kept dreaming of our past.

When we were kids, Julian was introverted. His mother, a strict teacher, used to beat him.

Often at midnight, while I was asleep, he would still be doing homework in his thick glasses. His mom would stand there with a stick, hitting his back for every mistake.

I lived across the street. Seeing him beaten made me pity him.

So on the way to school, I would sneak candy into his backpack and whisper, "Julian, eat one when your back hurts."

The first time I did it, he turned red and ran away. A hundred meters later, he whispered, "I... I don't eat candy."

I waved at him. "Julian, you should talk more. Your voice is nice."

After that, it became a habit. The lonely boy started waiting for me in the alley, waiting for his candy.

We walked through countless springs, summers, and winters together.

When we were 18, Julian became the top student in the county and got into a prestigious university. He awkwardly handed me a slip of paper.

"I checked. This college is near mine. Ten minutes walk. Your scores aren't good enough for a bachelor's, but you can do an associate's degree there."

I looked at his nervous face. I didn't tell him my parents had already decided to pay for a private university so I could get a bachelor's degree.

I secretly changed my application to be near him. My parents gave me a mixed-doubles beating, but I never regretted it.

We went to the same city.

Away from his mother, Julian blossomed. He got contacts, grew out his buzz cut, and changed his style.

He traded plaid shirts for white button-downs and black sneakers for white ones.

I didn't know why he changed until I was screaming at a concert for my favorite idol. Julian grabbed me, eyes red.

"I changed into the type you like. Can't you like me yet?"

The word "like" hit me like a hammer.

Even at different schools, I heard of the legend of Julian. The tech god. Freshman year, he led the team to win a national competition.

Sophomore year, he got offers from big tech giants.

There were even forum posts tracking his "glow up."

I thought an ocean separated us, that we'd only ever be friends. But he said he liked me.

Thick-skinned as always, I stood on my tiptoes and kissed him without hesitation.

We started dating. My life became feeding him bubble tea and desserts. I had no career plans, just planning our dates.

Julian's life was on a rocket ship. Graduate school, startup, multiple rounds of funding. By the time he got his PhD, his tech company was top 10 in the industry.

My life went the opposite way.

I failed the transfer exam to a bachelor's program. After graduation, I lived off Julian.

Then my doting parents died in a car crash rushing to see me when I was hospitalized for pneumonia.

Orphaned, I cried over their bodies.

Julian knelt beside me, ignoring his mother's glare, and swore to take care of me forever.

We got married.

I had multiple miscarriages.

Then he met Chloe. He started disliking me for having no depth.

I only knew how to ask what to eat.

Chloe could talk about art and the future of the internet with him.

Tears soaked my pillow. When I opened my eyes, it was dawn.

Just like in my last life, I woke up crying.

Julian sent a WeChat message.

"Visiting my mom at the nursing home this afternoon."