Chapter 3: The Watch, the Wrestler, and the Water

4

I turned back, confused, and met the young man’s eyes.

He frowned. "Why pretend with me?"

"You’ve gone out of your way to avoid me so many times—don’t you just not want to see me, like in the last life?"

"Too bad you didn’t get your wish."

Hearing these cryptic words, I suddenly understood.

So this was Ethan Carter.

He looked like he’d stepped off a magazine cover.

My sister was wrong—it wasn’t that he slept with me for seven years, but that I slept with him for seven years.

Seeing I didn’t respond, Ethan’s tone turned colder.

"You avoid me like I’m poison?"

"You won’t even say a word to me?"

His hand clenched so tightly his knuckles turned white. His sharp gaze landed on me, full of dissatisfaction.

But honestly, I really needed to pee, and my sister forbade me from talking to him.

I turned and ran.

Ethan called after me, "Annie Chen, we were husband and wife! Even if I messed up, can’t we at least be friends?"

He stood there, tall and thin, looking a bit hurt.

I truly didn’t understand what he wanted.

Did he really want to be friends that badly?

Back at the gala, I dutifully reported my encounter with Ethan.

My sister crushed her wine glass and sneered, her glare practically burning a hole through the curtain separating the men’s and women’s sections.

On the other side, not far away, was a graceful figure in white—clearly Ethan Carter.

I kept my head down, eating quietly, not daring to make a sound.

After three rounds of appetizers, a woman arrived late.

She was delicate and graceful, and when she greeted everyone, even the men’s side went quiet for a moment.

She introduced herself: Grace Shen, the Carter family cousin.

She was skilled at conversation and soon had several ladies singing her praises.

Everyone called her a talented woman.

Grace quickly demurred, "When it comes to learning, I can’t compare to my cousin at all."

"I haven’t seen my cousin these days, but when I was in Savannah, I heard he was exceptionally talented—a rare man indeed. I admired him greatly and only wished for a chance to meet..."

Her voice was gentle and measured.

Behind the curtain, the man in white paused mid-toast.

Clearly, her words had reached Ethan’s ears.

My sister sneered, "What a performance."

Suddenly, a thought struck me—

Could she be the reason for my divorce from Ethan?

I picked at my salad, trying not to look too interested, but inside, my thoughts raced. Grace’s voice drifted over the soft clinking of glasses and the low hum of party chatter, and for a moment I wondered how many other people were playing their own secret games at these fancy town gatherings.

5

This suspicion was confirmed when Ethan stopped my sister and me.

He asked, "Annie, you didn’t make things difficult for Grace just now, did you?"

"I’ve already told you, she has nothing to do with it..."

Before I could answer, my sister pulled me behind her.

Her acting was flawless—nothing got past her.

I saw doubt, anger, protectiveness, and even a hint of fear on her face.

"Mr. Carter, how can you address my sister so casually?"

"My sister isn’t married yet. If her reputation is ruined, what will we do?"

Ethan froze.

He’d rushed over and only now realized—this wasn’t the same as the previous life.

His gaze lingered on my face, but all he saw was my confusion—'What’s wrong with this guy?'

"Please, Mr. Carter, show some respect."

With that, my sister tried to pull me away.

Ethan instinctively reached out to grab my sleeve.

I jumped back, hiding behind my sister like a chick behind its mother hen.

My sister’s jaw clenched, her hand gripping mine so tight I almost winced.

Ethan’s expression stiffened.

"Do you hate me touching you that much?"

I nodded firmly, without hesitation.

Ethan’s face darkened.

"Then those seven years of sharing a bed with me must have been torture for you."

As soon as he finished, my sister slapped him across the face. She was furious.

"Cut it out!"

"Mr. Carter, if you keep ruining my sister’s reputation like this, I’ll call the police!"

Ethan’s head snapped to the side—my sister clearly hadn’t held back.

Before he could react, my sister and I had already slipped away.

After that, Ethan seemed convinced I hadn’t been reborn.

He sent someone to our house with an apology and a peace offering, claiming he’d been drunk and confused that day.

The gift? A Rolex worth thousands.

As expected from the Carter family’s golden boy—truly generous.

But my sister scoffed, "Bad luck."

"In your last life, you gave him three kids, and he never gave you a thing."

"He said, ‘As the lady of the Carter family, whatever jewelry you want, the staff can buy for you—no need for me to give you anything.’ But then he turned around and bought all sorts of gifts for that cousin."

"Now he pretends to be so thoughtful."

I turned the heavy watch over in my hands, the gold catching the kitchen light. It felt cold and pointless—so I took it to the local pawn shop, traded it for a stack of twenties, and bought takeout for the whole family.

A few days later, Ethan came again, wanting to apologize in person.

Naturally, I refused.

My sister said, "We’ve accepted Mr. Carter’s gift, so there’s no need for a face-to-face apology. Let’s just drop the matter."

But Ethan wouldn’t give up—maybe he wanted to see for himself if I’d really been reborn.

When he came to our door again, my sister refused him outside.

Through the door, he said:

"Miss Chen, I sincerely apologize. May I have the honor of seeing you..."

My sister raised her voice:

"Mr. Carter, my sister already has someone she likes and has no intention of seeing you."

"If you keep coming and damaging her reputation..."

Ethan’s voice suddenly cut off.

Worried he might not believe her, my sister added:

"That person will come to propose soon, so please, Mr. Carter, leave quickly."

It was quiet outside for a long time.

I watched from the kitchen window, peeking through the blinds. Our golden retriever, Butter, barked once at Ethan’s retreating form, then flopped back down on the rug. Even he seemed relieved the drama was over for now.

6

Before leaving, Ethan said:

"No need to make up such excuses. If Annie doesn’t want to see me, so be it."

"I owe you. If you ever need my help in the future, I’ll do everything I can."

This ‘owe’ certainly wasn’t about those two awkward sentences from a few days ago—it was about those seven years in the previous life.

After that, Ethan didn’t show up again.

But my sister still wasn’t at ease.

She pulled my stepmom along and earnestly started looking for suitors for me.

Meanwhile—

Maple Heights’ only real coffee shop buzzed with gossip—baristas pretending not to listen, old-timers hogging the corner booth. People gossiped about Ethan and Grace.

Grace was harassed by a jerk, and Ethan happened to save her—a classic hero rescuing the damsel.

Grace was moved to tears and sent him a poem.

Ethan pitied her, and soon they were always seen together at events.

As for me, I met several suitors, but didn’t like any of them.

My sister wasn’t discouraged and asked what I was dissatisfied with.

I couldn’t really say—just that none of them were as appealing as barbecued pork ribs.

Maybe there just wasn’t a spark.

After thinking for a few days, my sister sent someone to Savannah to find a man named Wade.

She said that Wade Nelson would only come to Maple Heights for college and succeed several years later.

Later, after my divorce, I lived alone, and he happened to live next door, taking good care of me.

She said that by then, she’d already moved away with her husband’s family, so she didn’t know the details between me and Wade Nelson.

"Though his family background is lacking, if you truly like him, I’ll support you."

I replied listlessly.

I thought he was just a broke college student.

But when I actually met him, my jaw nearly dropped.

We met in a lakeside gazebo.

The sun glinted off the lake, and the air smelled like cut grass and sunscreen. Wade’s laugh was low and easy, the kind that made you want to laugh too.

He was at least six feet tall, dressed in a fitted T-shirt.

His bare arms were muscular, with broad shoulders and a narrow waist—a powerful build.

His face was tanned and honest, and when he smiled, his teeth were dazzlingly white.

My sister noticed my daze and added,

"He’s a wrestling champ."

With that, she glided away, leaving me stunned.

The atmosphere grew awkward.

After a moment, Wade pointed to the empty plate and spoke up, a bit shy but surprisingly direct:

"Annie, you really can eat. It’s awesome."

It was the first time anyone had praised me like that.

I smiled sheepishly.

"Thanks. I think so too."

I reached for another piece of cake, but the plate was empty, so I awkwardly withdrew my hand.

I sipped my sweet tea, fiddled with my bracelet, and touched my hair clip.

Suddenly, the pearl on my clip popped off and rolled into the lake.

Before I could react, Wade dove in without a word.

The splash was like a cannonball hitting the water, drenching my face.

The housekeeper hurried to get help, while I leaned over the dock, calling his name. My heart hammered as I scanned the water, calling his name. For a second, I pictured the worst—then he burst up, grinning, water streaming down his face.

Moments later, a strong hand gripped the edge of the pier.

With a big splash, Wade shot out of the water like a black lab.

He almost bumped into me as I stared down at the lake.

His T-shirt had come undone, water streaming down his chiseled jaw, his chest muscles and abs rising and falling with each breath.

For some reason, my face grew hot.

I quickly said, "It’s fine if you can’t find it—I have plenty of hair clips..."

Wade grinned, like a big dog eager for praise.

He opened his palm—there it was, the little pearl.

"Here you go."

My mind went blank, like a roast ham fresh out of the oven, as I stared at him.

He seemed... even more tempting than barbecued pork ribs.

Time seemed to freeze.

The house staff watched from a distance, not daring to interrupt.

It was at that moment that Ethan Carter appeared.

From the far end of the dock, Ethan’s shadow stretched long across the dock, his eyes locked on Wade and me. For the first time, I wondered which one of us was about to get pulled under.