Rebirth: Unrepentant Love Is Always There

Hearing my words, Brennan breathed a sigh of relief.

Hailey excitedly jumped onto him, wrapping her legs around his waist. "I knew it, you were always meant to be mine. But you took so long to agree to be with me, you owe me."

Brennan asked, "Okay, what do you want as compensation?"

"I want to feel the thrill of riding on a motorcycle," Hailey replied.

"It's easy, no problem." He agreed.

"I want to sing on top of a mountain," she told him.

He answered confidently, "Sure."

"I want to taste every drink in all the bars." Hailey continued on her wish.

"No problem," he said.

***

Brennan looked at her dotingly, as if gazing at a long-lost treasure.

The crowd clapped and cheered in unison, "Kiss! Kiss! Kiss …"

My roommates, indignant on my behalf, said, "Brennan is too much. Isn't this cheating in public? He talks about understanding his true feelings, but why wait until now to say it and break up?"

Exactly, calling all the classmates here for a proposal to me and then breaking up in front of everyone to immediately be with someone else. What a jerk.

I turned to them and said, "Let's go. Didn't you say a new bar is opening today? Come on, my treat."

Seeing me calmly drink one glass after another, they grew worried and advised me to let it go, saying it wasn't worth being sad over such a jerk. I smiled, hugged them and said I was actually happy. I truly felt relieved to be free from him.

Speaking of which, Brennan and I were neighbors, childhood friends. Our families were well-matched and an arranged marriage was inevitable. Both families automatically paired us up. We encouraged and supported each other, promising to date once we got into college and to marry after graduation. Everything progressed smoothly.

In our past life, after marriage, our lives gradually became consumed by work, daily chores and raising children. Our feelings for each other slowly faded. He often complained about the lack of passion in life, saying it was too smooth and boring.

By then, Hailey had become a moderately famous rock singer. Her bold and passionate performances at music festivals often captivated Brennan. Even just a video of her would be watched by him repeatedly.

Later, he found excuses to get close to her. At that time, Hailey lived by the principle of enjoying life to the fullest, advocating against marriage and had just broken up with her last boyfriend.

With one intentionally approaching and the other being carefree, it didn't take many words for the two adults to have multiple intimate encounters. Naturally, I questioned him when I found out, but he told me I could find other men too and we shouldn't interfere with each other.

Seeing his indifferent gaze, which no longer held the tenderness and affection it once did, I proposed a divorce. He initially refused, knowing our property division would be complicated, but he eventually conceded to my persistence.

However, his gaze was mocking as he said, "Being with someone spontaneous and carefree is truly the happiest. The past half month with Hailey has been more joyful than all the years of my life. The wild exuberance I never had in my youth is now finally mine."

He continued, "You, brought up in a prestigious family with a methodical approach, always rational and concerned with gains and losses, will never understand what a passionate and flamboyant life is like."

I only wondered why I hadn't noticed his foolish simplicity before. He believed he had grasped the essence of life, unaware that without a foundation of material support, even the freest and most carefree life is just a castle built on sand, ready to be blown away by the wind.