Chapter 2

A few days later, his mother handed him an invitation. "The community dance is next week. Olivia's family will be there. You should take her."

"I'm busy that night," Ethan said without looking up from his book. "I have to study for an important exam." It was a lie, but it came easily. Any excuse was better than spending an evening pretending to be the happy, engaged couple.

His mother sighed. "Ethan, you've been avoiding her for months. She's a good girl. She even dropped off your favorite pastries yesterday. You didn't even say thank you."

He remembered the box of pastries sitting on the kitchen counter. In his last life, he would have been pleased by the gesture, seeing it as a sign of her quiet affection. Now, he saw it for what it was: a performance. She was playing the part of the dutiful fiancée, a role she had perfected over a lifetime. It was a hollow gesture, and it irritated him.

Olivia found him at the library the next day. She held a stack of books, her uniform crisp and neat. "I heard you were studying for an exam," she said, her voice soft. "I thought these might help."

He glanced at the books. They were exactly the supplementary texts he would have sought out. She knew his study habits, his preferences, his ambitions. In the past, this knowledge had felt like intimacy. Now it felt like surveillance.

"Thank you," he said, his tone clipped. "But I have it covered."

She didn't seem to notice his coldness. Or if she did, she ignored it. "Your mother told me you were upset that I was spending time with Daniel. It's not what you think. His family is going through a hard time, and I'm just helping out."

Ethan had to stop himself from laughing. The irony was thick. She thought he was jealous. The man who had spent sixty years married to her, only to find out she loved another, was now being accused of petty jealousy. "I'm not upset, Olivia," he said, his voice flat. "Who you spend your time with is your business."

Her explanation only solidified his decision. He remembered overhearing his friend, Kevin Green, talking a few days ago. "Can you believe it? Olivia Hayes bought the Lees a new refrigerator. One of those fancy imported ones. Must've cost a fortune. Her family must be loaded, but still, that's a huge gesture for a 'friend'."

A refrigerator. A significant, practical, and expensive gift. It wasn't a fleeting favor, it was a substantial act of support for Daniel's family. It was the kind of thing you did for family, for someone you cared about deeply. It confirmed everything he already knew. Her heart was with Daniel. Good. It made his plan easier.

Later that week, he was assigned to help organize the dance. A list of duties was posted on the community board. He scanned the names, his eyes stopping on one particular assignment: "First Waltz Performance: Ethan Miller and Olivia Hayes." It was expected, traditional. The town's golden couple. The thought made him feel sick.

He took a pen from his pocket. With a few quick, decisive strokes, he made a change. He crossed out his own name and carefully wrote another one in its place. The new pairing read: "First Waltz Performance: Daniel Lee and Olivia Hayes." He stepped back and looked at his work. It was a small act of sabotage, but it was a clear statement. He was not just avoiding Olivia, he was actively pushing her toward the man she truly loved. Let them have their dance. Let them have their life. He wanted no part of it.