This Time I Refuse To Choose You Novel by ElaraThorne _ Novel




This Time I Refuse To Choose You Chapter 01

Kendrick Martinez was the untouchable golden boy of our school, yet he fell hard for me, despite my fragile health and history of heart problems.
Throughout our three years of marriage, he was the very picture of restraint and gentleness. Fearing that any physical exertion might trigger a relapse, he never once had sex with me. My comfort always came first.
Then came the day I saw him in the cemetery and heard him say, "Claribel... I can barely remember your face anymore. I'm starting to forget you. What should I do?"
He stood there, sobbing like a lost child.
I finally realized where he went on that day every month—and that even the most composed people had a breaking point.
Later, I snuck a look at Kendrick's diary and uncovered the truth: Claribel Lloyd was his first love, and my survival had come at the cost of hers.
Countless bitter, restless thoughts flooded my mind.
I wanted to scream, to ask Kendrick if he had ever truly loved me.
But before I ever got the chance to voice the question, word reached me: Kendrick had committed suicide at Claribel's graveside. He left behind only a single sentence: "Death is not the end; being forgotten is."
The shock was too much. My heart gave out then and there. Despite the doctors' best efforts, I still died.
But when I opened my eyes, I was eighteen again.
"It's a miracle. That high school boy actually managed to bring his girlfriend back to life."
--
Hearing the nurse's words, I froze for a split second.
Then, I ripped the IV needle from my arm and stumbled toward the ward door.
There was Kendrick Martinez, on his knees outside the operating room. His face was buried in his hands, and his blue school uniform was drenched in blood.
A doctor reached out to steady him, giving his shoulder a gentle pat. "She's out of danger. Thankfully, you performed first aid in time.
"Son, you're heading to college soon, right? If you go into medicine, you'll have a bright future ahead of you."
Kendrick finally let out a long, shaky breath. A relieved smile appeared on his face.
Then, for some reason, he paused, and his gaze drifted slowly toward my hospital room.
Just before our eyes met, I ducked out of sight, my heart lurching in my chest.
Aside from me, no one else in the world knew how he had managed to save Claribel Lloyd at the critical moment after the car crash.
In that diary, which Kendrick kept locked in his safe, he had recorded everything that happened after the accident.
Back then, he gave up finance to study medicine and even simulated the crash 36,700 times.
Over and over, he replayed the tragedy in his mind, each time managing to keep Claribel alive.
So when the moment came a second time, he moved with calm, practiced precision—snatching his love back from death's grip.
As I stood there, the realization hit me with icy clarity: Kendrick had come back, too.
And he had chosen Claribel without a moment's hesitation.
Truth be told, Kendrick hadn't actually done anything wrong to me.
Whether during our four years at university or after we married, he treated me with the utmost care and tenderness—though he still kept a corner of his heart for his deceased first love.
Whenever I cried, he would panic, scrambling to comfort me.
My classmates and friends used to say that Kendrick was hopelessly in love with me.
Back then, I felt a secret, smug joy. How cruel that all his devotion was just for the heart beating inside my chest.
In my previous life, when the truth came out, I was overwhelmed with resentment at how he had treated me.
If he couldn't let go of Claribel, why marry me?
Why make me fall in love with him?
But as I looked at him just now, a new thought took hold.
I suddenly felt that everything was back on its original track. After all, those years of happiness in our previous life were never truly meant for me.
The next moment, Gavin Merrill, my stepbrother, pushed open the door and walked in.
Seeing me sitting on the bed, staring blankly ahead, he assumed I was planning another little escape from the ward for fun. He handed me an acceptance letter. "Congratulations, Del. You got into Princeton."
I looked up stiffly.
Seeing that letter felt like a physical blow to the chest.
I couldn't hold it back anymore. I broke down, sobbing uncontrollably.
In my previous life, Kendrick and I met at Princeton when the cherry blossoms were in their full bloom. Back then, nothing made me happier than strolling through the campus with his hand in mine. But now, Claribel was still alive.
So Kendrick would go to Columbia University—the one he had originally planned to attend—with Claribel. There, they would study finance together and become the couple everyone envied.
He and I... would probably never see each other again.
What we had was finally becoming a closed chapter for good.
Gavin looked down at me, his eyes brimming with heartache. He rested a hand gently on my shoulder to comfort me.
He didn't know why I was crying, but he didn't ask. He simply stayed with me. After a while, I spoke through my tears, "Gav... the person I love doesn't want me anymore."
Gavin went rigid. "What... did you say?"
I didn't answer.
Silence stretched through the room for a long time.
Finally, just before the nurse opened the door to remind me to take my medicine, I made my decision. "Gav, I'll do what you said. I'll go abroad for treatment."

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