Rebirth: I Died as a Nobody, Came Back as a Legend

I woke up in a haze, the distinct smell of alcohol clinging to my shirt, complementing the vertigo and nausea swirling in my stomach. "Ugnnn..." I groaned, discomfort radiating through me.

Great—my first time drinking in this life had left me feeling terrible. I probably won't take it up again this time around. I pushed myself up from the large, fluffy bed, taking in my surroundings with confusion. The decor wasn't that of the Spencer mansion; it was more like someone had squeezed a Colosseum into the shape of a living room.

As the memories of the previous night flooded back, I recalled Aston ordering more drinks and the card game that followed. Strip poker, if I remembered correctly. I could almost hear the cheers of Aston and Damien encouraging me as I got a guy completely down to one sock before he quit. I could vaguely recall someone named Jason and I belting out off tune karaoke on a table in front of everyone, but that didn't explain where I was now.

Gathering what strength I could muster, I slowly got to my feet. Blood rushed to my head, forcing me to steady myself on the bedpost. "Hey there," I heard Damien's voice from across the room, and a wave of relief washed over me. Thank God I was with him. "Take the pills and drink the tea."

"Did I do anything embarrassing?" I asked, reaching for the hangover medicine.

"You didn't do anything Aston didn't do," Damien shrugged. "But even if you did, it's not like it would've left the room we were in. You had everyone captivated with your storytelling, though."

"Storytelling?" I raised an eyebrow, my stomach churning.

He held up his phone, and my heart sank. I knew that look. "You might want to see this."

"What did you record?" I braced myself, apprehensive.

"Oh, just a little something from last night." He pressed play, and the screen lit up with a blurry video of a crowded room. There I was, standing on a table, slurring my words as I spoke to an audience of intoxicated onlookers.

"Hey, everyone!" my drunken voice echoed through the room. "Let me tell you about my past life! I lived two lives, you know?"

Mortification washed over me as I watched myself continue, the crowd laughing and cheering me on.

"In my last life," I said, swaying slightly, "I loved someone so much that I gave up everything for him—my family, my friends, my goals! I built something for both of us, but the entire time, this man I loved had cheated on me!"

Gasps erupted from the crowd, and someone shouted, "What a jerk!"

I cringed again, but Damien stifled a laugh beside me.

"I thought I was the one he wanted, but no! He was in love with my sister the entire time!" I continued, my voice rising.

"Your sister? No way!" someone exclaimed, their disbelief palpable.

"I was heartbroken," I said, my voice getting louder. "Trying to be better than him, but it only destroyed everything further."

"Sounds like a real loser!" another person chimed in, laughter rippling through the crowd.

"I held onto him because he kept using my ideas to build connections. Just when I thought I would finally be the one to win him back, I was ignored and abandoned! For ten years, I tried to win him back, ignoring everything and everyone, including myself!"

"Ten years? Man, you deserve better!" a girl yelled, raising her drink in solidarity.

"Then," I slurred, the intensity in my voice rising, "on the day I was diagnosed with a terminal illness, they conspired to have me killed! My sister—who I loved and would do anything for—fucked my man and paid someone to kill me! In the end, I was left crushed under a car while my sister, now pregnant with the man I loved's child, was carried away by him!"

The crowd erupted in angry curses directed at the man I had just condemned. "What a scumbag!" someone shouted. "Kill him!" another voice chimed in.

"Seriously! You're better off without that trash!" a guy added, pumping his fist in the air.

I felt a mix of embarrassment and unexpected satisfaction as I watched their reaction, their outrage amplifying the drama of my tale.

"Mark my words," I continued, the drunken bravado turning into something more potent. "I won't let them get away with it! They thought they could crush me, but I'm rising from the ashes! And when I do, they'll wish they never crossed me!"

Applause erupted, laughter mixing with the cheers, and their engagement fueled my determination as I soaked in the wild reaction of the audience.

"Wow, I really went for it, didn't I?" I muttered, covering my face in shame.

Damien laughed, shaking his head. "You definitely stole the show, Jack. You've got a knack for storytelling, even when you're wasted. Yet even though you were completely wasted, why do I feel like this is your real story?"

I cringed at the thought. When I got drunk, I always told the truth, and I had fucked up by doing that last night. "It's just a story," I insisted, trying to deflect.

"A stupid one that held no meaning. Not to mention the protagonist had zero spine."

"You—"

"Getting mad about just a story? I don't think so. If what you said was true, then everything you're doing now would make ten times more sense to me," Damien said, his expression earnest.

"I said it was just a story." I avoided his gaze, chugging more water.

"Listen, if you really had two lives, you came to me for help. And as the person you chose in this life, shouldn't I be the one person you can be 100% honest with?" Damien pressed, and I felt a tremor of anxiety at the sincerity in his voice. I was afraid he'd think I was crazy and conspire to get me committed. "How about I don't force you to open up about it, and you just answer some burning questions?"

"Sure," I agreed, though it felt like I was admitting everything I said was true.

"That man you fell in love with in this other life is Eli, right?"

"Yes."

"And Debbie was the one who paid someone to kill you?"

"Yeah, I saw her pay him in my last moments," I admitted, my heart heavy.

"You died of terminal illness?"

"I caught the brain cancer when it was at the point of no return."

"So you weren't the heir in your last life? Why?"

"Eli convinced me to do everything to get disowned. So I had to start from scratch to make money."

"So that's why you're so sure your parents will abandon you?"

"Yes."

"Why did you really approach me in this life instead of just avoiding Eli? If you asked to study abroad, wouldn't your parents let you go and you could just run away from there?"

"You hit on me a few times, so I thought maybe you were a better option," I admitted. "And my parents aren't invested in me enough yet to send me abroad."

Damien looked conflicted by my answers. "What was I like in the last life?"

"I don't know, but from what I heard, you were a real scumbag playboy. You married Rose Jiang, and you cheated on her consistently," I said.

"How did we meet?"

"You asked me if my wedding ring was just for show, and I called you an asshole."

"So that twenty bouquets of roses thing was a lie, right?"

"No, that really happened. In the workplace too. It put me in such a terrible spot. You were a fucking handful," I shook my head bitterly at the memory. I had to fight so many rumors because of this asshole! "So do you think I'm crazy now?"

"Crazy or not, the results have been speaking for themselves. Here I was going crazy trying to figure out how you were so sure about the future, and why no one else had the luck you did. Turns out you're just reborn and paranoid," Damien chuckled. "Last question: did you enjoy the kiss last night?"

Right, Damien had given me that lovely kiss to contemplate. "I'm not used to affection."

"You're not used to straight answers either."

"Fine, it was nice. I liked it."

"Real last question now! Even if I was a cheating piece of shit in your last life, are you really going to give me a chance to have you catch feelings for me in this life?" he asked, earnestness in his eyes.

It was nice that he was considering what I'd gone through, but I really just wanted all that to be over with. I wanted a new life that didn't include my sister and her boyfriend.

"I already said I'd give it a try," I mumbled, barely loud enough for him to hear. "Until then, just play your role."

"Hey, if things fall apart or become too much, run away with me. We'll both empty our bank accounts and just take off somewhere far where no one can find us," Damien offered.

As childish as his offer was, there was something oddly comforting about it. He created the possibility of escape in my mind, giving me a choice to live with the next safest option. I wasn't trembling like a weak child anymore out of fear of going home. And now that he'd figured out the truth, I felt... comfortable.

Strange how, when I was around Damien, I felt warmer than I ever had around Eli. Good feelings I'd never even felt before. Just what had I been denying myself?

"I'd like that," I nodded. "It goes without saying this is a secret, right?"

"Of course. Now I know more about you than that damn butler, Erwin."