Reborn to Reject My Billionaire Ex

Margot gripped my arm, her nails digging so deep into my flesh I could feel the sharp sting. Her eyes were rimmed with red, her voice trembling. Jasper, please don't run away again.

I stared down at the woman before me, my expression hollow.

In my past life, I threw away a full-ride scholarship to an Ivy League school just for her. I willingly reduced myself to a pathetic, invisible accessory in her sprawling mansion.

Given a second chance at life, I tore that withdrawal application to shreds.

When she found out, she blew up my phone. I blocked her number in a single heartbeat.

When she showed up at my front door to corner me, I packed my bags overnight and moved out.

She offered me a condescending slice of charity, telling me to attend the same elite private college as her. She promised to cover my tuition, so long as I kept playing the role of her full-time nanny. I smiled and agreed. Behind her back, I quietly signed the acceptance letter for a full-ride scholarship at a top-tier public university halfway across the country.

My only goal was to erase her from my existence and never cross paths with her again.

Yet here she was, blocking my path, clinging to me with a desperate, white-knuckled grip.

Chapter 1

Right before the guidance counselor could stamp my withdrawal papers, I snatched the document, ripped it to shreds, and tossed the pieces into the trash can.

The counselor pushed up his glasses and glared at me. "Jasper, do you think this is a joke? You're the top student in the entire school, yet you insisted on dropping out to play babysitter to that rich girl. I fought the school board for a month to process this paperwork, and now what the hell are you doing?"

The commotion drew the eyes of every teacher in the office.

"Have you finally come to your senses?" one of the teachers chimed in, letting out a heavy sigh of relief.

As a senior, I maintained straight A's across all my AP classes. I was on the radar of multiple Ivy League scouts, and the counseling department was banking on my acceptance rate to secure their district funding.

The other teachers murmured their agreement. "Thank god. The whole school knew you were throwing your life away to become Margot's live-in housekeeper. You had us sick with worry."

These educators had always looked out for me. I wouldn't have reached the top of my class without their relentless push. But for the past month, my pathetic downward spiral had become the staff room's favorite trainwreck.

After all, Margot was stunning, brilliant, and threw money around like it was nothing. Half the guys at school worshiped the ground she walked on. But she had always treated me like dirt. If our families hadn't made that ridiculous verbal marriage pact when we were kids, I wouldn't even be in her orbit.

Thank God I woke up in time.

I looked the counselor right in the eyes, my tone grounded and steady. "I was an idiot before, but I'm done with that now. I appreciate you guys not giving up on me."

They offered relieved nods, telling me their office doors were always open.

When I walked back into the classroom, every pair of eyes locked onto me. Even Margot was waiting by my desk for once.

She had always been frail, her skin carrying that habitual, sickly pallor. Sitting there with her hair pulled back into a neat ponytail, she looked deceptively sweet and innocent. The second I approached, she started shoving my textbooks into my backpack.

I clamped my hand down over hers, stopping the movement. I faked a sigh of regret. "The paperwork didn't go through. Just head back to your seat."

The temperature in Margot's eyes dropped below freezing.

"Bullshit. Are you still jealous that I got into Pierce's luxury car this morning?" She flipped her hair over her shoulder, unbothered.

"I already explained this to you. We were heading the same way, and our families have business deals on the table. It's totally normal for us to ride together and talk."

My desk mate let out a scoff. "Spare me the PDA, would you? And Jasper, don't push your luck.

"Margot is actually lowering herself to humor you. Just say yes and pack your crap."

My heart didn't skip a single beat. "No. I'm serious."

I yanked my backpack out of Margot's grip and met her stare. "Back off. I've got studying to do."

Her eyes flushed red. "Fine."

The legs of her chair screeched against the linoleum as she shot up and stomped back to her desk.

Slam. An iced coffee hit my desk hard, splashing cold liquid across the plastic surface. Margot's lapdog loomed over me, glaring daggers. "Jasper, stop being such a clueless loser!"

I didn't even flinch. I wiped the coffee off my desk, pulled out a pen, and focused on the equations in front of me.

Graduation was less than a month away. Once I crossed that stage, she would be dead to me.

Chapter 2

After school, Margot climbed into the passenger seat of Pierce's car right in front of me.

I didn't spare them a second glance. I just hopped on my old bike and pedaled at my own pace, letting them pull ahead. A growing stretch of asphalt separated us.

Back when our families were first starting out, our parents made a joking verbal marriage pact over dinner. But as Margot's family skyrocketed into the new-money elite while mine stayed stagnant, the dynamic shifted. Her family moved into a sprawling estate in the wealthiest zip code, while we were just ordinary residents stuck on the absolute fringe of their gated community. I could feel itMargot's parents looked at me like I was just some broke kid desperately trying to climb the social ladder.

Sure, they kept up a polite facade. But behind my back, they dragged Margot to every exclusive gala and country club mixer to introduce her to trust-fund kids. Pierce was their absolute favorite pick.

In my past life, I was blind to it. I severed ties with my own family just to cater to Margot's every whim. Whenever she and Pierce flirted openly, her parents rolled out the red carpet for him, treating me like the hired help.

In my previous life, Pierce crashed our wedding to drag her away. Margot's parents physically blocked me in front of hundreds of guests.

"Pierce is the heir to a top-tier Wall Street investment firm," they sneered. "What do you have to offer? You're just a broke housekeeper living off our charity!"

My own parents had sneered at my spinelessness.

"Look at the pathetic loser you've become. What girl from high society would ever give you the time of day?" my dad had snapped. "You insisted on throwing away your full-ride scholarship to be her unpaid nanny. Getting kicked to the curb is exactly what you deserve!"

Back then, dependent on her family's wealth, I swallowed the humiliation. I spent the next decade burning myself out, foolishly hoping she would finally notice my sacrifices. Instead of her affection, I earned myself a terminal cancer diagnosis from the relentless stress.

The twins I had raised single-handedly didn't even flinch. They just mocked me.

"Awesome! Now Mom can officially be with Uncle Pierce, and he can buy us limited-edition sports cars!" my son cheered.

My daughter just crossed her arms. "Hurry up and sign the divorce papers so you can get out. Don't die here and ruin the high-end carpets."

Even Margot, a doctor, stood there in stone-cold silence.

The betrayal didn't just break me; it felt like a serrated blade twisting in my gut. I signed the papers with a trembling hand. They tossed me out into the freezing winter night, where I died alone in the snow.

My vision snapped back to the present. I was standing in my own entryway, staring at my mother's furious face.

"Are you going to keep acting like a dog begging for scraps at their door? Have you thrown away every last ounce of your dignity?" she demanded. "We don't want a spineless coward in this house!"

My family had fought me tooth and nail over my insane plan to throw away my education for Margot.

I pressed my lips together and met her gaze. "Mom, I'm going to get my degree."

She stared at me for a long, quiet moment. Once she realized I was dead serious, the tension instantly drained from her shoulders. A massive smile broke across her face. She grabbed my arm and dragged me into the kitchen, shouting the news to my dad.

For the first time in months, our small dinner table was actually filled with genuine laughter.

I shoved a massive bite of food into my mouth, swallowing down the tight knot forming in my throat. In my last life, I destroyed my future for a woman who wasn't worth a damn, shattering my parents' hearts in the process. This time, I was strictly living for myself. I was going to make them proud.

Late that night, my phone buzzed on the nightstand. It was a text from Margot.

[Did you tear up the withdrawal application?]

A second later, an image loaded. It was a screenshot of an email from our guidance counselor. Margot had always aced AP Physics, so the counselor had originally paired us up as study partners, inevitably leaking the news to her.

I typed back immediately.

[Yeah. I woke up. My parents were right. I need to focus on getting into a good college first.]

Margots reply was dripping with her usual entitlement.

[My family has more than enough money to cover you. Why are you trying so hard?]

Then, the follow-up text hit.

[If you're busy studying, who's going to take care of me?]

Chapter 3

I typed the words out in the chat box, backspaced, and typed them again, but couldn't bring myself to hit send.

[Go find Pierce.]

Pierce didn't know the first thing about Margot. She was born with a weak constitution, requiring meticulous care and a strict routine just to stay out of the hospital. Her family was always busy expanding their empire and stubbornly refused to hire live-in help. That was exactly why I had originally come up with the stupid idea of becoming her full-time caregiver.

Since she already knew about my college plans, it was time to cut the cord.

I fired back a single text.

[We're done.]

Then, I blocked her number.

Half an hour later, the doorbell buzzed in a relentless, unbroken shriek, accompanied by the sound of Margot coughing.

"Jasper, open the damn door!"

I slipped on my noise-canceling headphones, tuning out the noise. Finally, my parents threw on their coats and opened the front door. Margot's shrill voice pierced the dead silence of the night.

"Where the hell is Jasper? Tell him to get his ass out here right now!"

The heavy thud of her footsteps stomped closer to my bedroom. Then, I heard my mother intercept her in the hallway, her voice a low, firm murmur. A few minutes later, the front door slammed shut. Margot was finally gone.

A moment later, my mom knocked lightly on my door and pushed it open. Her tone was gentle. "Since you've finally cut ties with her, your dad and I want to fast-track that move we've been talking about for ages."

I sat up immediately, nodding without hesitation. That was perfect.

The next day, my parents called the school to excuse my absence. When Margot showed up at our empty driveway to ambush me, she had no choice but to head to campus alone. I took a few days off before finally returning to school.

The next time I saw Margot, she was wrapped in a custom designer trench coat, her face sporting that habitual, sickly pallor. She stood with her arms crossed, aggressively blocking my locker.

"Blocked my number. Moved your entire family out of the neighborhood." She glared at me, grinding her teeth. "Jasper, are you seriously trying to play hard to get with me right now?"

The stares of the students around us snapped in our direction. Realizing she was causing a scene, Margot grabbed my arm, trying to drag me down the hall. "We're talking outside."

The second we hit the empty courtyard, I yanked my arm out of her grip. "Spit it out. You're wasting my study time."

She pulled a slightly cold breakfast sandwich from her bag and shoved it toward me. This was her signature moveher lazy version of an apology. In the past, all she had to do was snap her fingers, and I would instantly roll over like a loyal dog, convincing myself everything was fine. Back then, my obsession painted over every toxic thing she did.

But after burning in the hell of my past life, whatever affection I had left for her was dead.

I didn't reach for the food. "I already ate. Give it to someone who actually wants it."

Margot's eyes widened, then quickly narrowed into a dark scowl. "What the hell is wrong with you lately?" she snapped. "Pierce and I are strictly platonic.

"Our parents dragged us out together a few times. Are you seriously still throwing a jealous fit over that? We haven't even hung out alone."

I raised an eyebrow. That was actually news to me. So they weren't just blatantly flirting right in front of my face; they were already hanging out behind my back.

It didn't matter if they hadn't been "alone" yet. Everyone in their elite circle knew exactly what was going on. Following the timeline of my past life, Pierce would eventually get accepted into the university right across town from hers. In the end, they were always going to be hopelessly tangled up with each other.

The memory of dying in the freezing snow flashed behind my eyes. I let out a low exhale.

I refused to live that nightmare again.

Taking my silence as a victory, Margot's posture softened slightly, though she kept her chin tilted up in arrogance.

Chapter 4

"Fine, I'll allow you to apply for college. You're coming to the East Coast with me. It'll be easier for you to take care of me that way." She sounded like she was handing out charity to a beggar.

"My family and Pierce's are looking at a corporate merger through marriage. It's just a PR stunt." She looked at me like she was tossing table scraps to a stray.

"As long as you behave, I'll keep you around after I secure my inheritance. Stop acting like a desperate housewife and grow up."

She opened her mouth to keep going, but I cut her off.

"Got it." I forced myself to meet her eyes, locking my gaze so she wouldn't catch the lie. "When the application portal opens, I'll put down the East Coast schools."

Margot let out a heavy sigh of relief. "See? Was that so hard? You put me through all this drama for nothing."

The morning wind picked up, triggering a harsh fit of coughing from her. She just stood there, waiting for my usual programmed response. Pure muscle memory kicked inI stepped up to block the wind and rubbed my hand in slow circles over her back.

Her breathing evened out. The color returned to her face, along with a smug, victorious little smirk.

I swallowed the urge to turn around and walk away, matching her slow pace all the way back to the classroom.

The second I hit my desk, I buried my head in my textbooks. My current GPA was still a few points shy of securing that full-ride to the out-of-state public university. But once I locked that in, we would be separated by thousands of miles. I would never have to see her face again.

After the final bell, Pierce was leaning against his flashy Porsche, waiting for Margot. She had been held back in the AP Lit classroom. The second Pierce saw me step out of the front doors, he stepped into my path, deliberately blowing a thick cloud of smoke right into my face.

"Heard you finally grew a brain, broke boy. Thinking you can scam your way into college just to stay glued to Margot?"

I stopped dead in my tracks. "Do you have a point?"

Pierce let out a dry scoff. "I'm saying you should know your place. Your family is practically living in the slums now.

"You guys just moved to the absolute edge of town, right? Wouldn't it be easier to just embrace your role as her little servant?"

I just stared at him.

He kept going. "I sure as hell ain't taking care of her. Without you wiping her nose, she's too fragile for us to actually have any fun.

"I've got it all figured out. Once Margot and I get married, I'll let you stick around to be her live-in nurse. Deal?"

Pierce flashed a provoking, arrogant grin.

I didn't take the bait. My voice was dead flat. "Whatever you want." I looked at him.

"But you might want to start learning how to take care of her yourself. Because after graduation, I'm cutting all contact with her."

Pierce's eyes widened before his lips twitched upward. "Are you serious?"

I narrowed my eyes at him. So all this trash talk was just a cheap tactic to piss me off and push me out of the picture.

"Consider it done," I said.

A guy walking past the parking lot couldn't stomach it anymore. "Hey, do you have zero shame? Literally everyone in this school knows Jasper and Margot are together.

"You acting like a massive tool right now doesn't change the fact that their families already made a pact!" He looked over at me. "Jasper, if you can't out-talk him, just clock him!"

Pierce gave the kid a slow, degrading once-over, his face flushing with defensive rage. "Mind your own business, loser! Margot and I belong together.

"I'm picking her up today to finalize our official engagement. That stupid childhood pact is garbage!"

So the timeline had shifted in this life.

Or maybe it hadn't. Maybe in my past life, while I was busy playing the devoted idiot, she was already getting engaged to Pierce behind my back.

The student opened his mouth to fire back, but I held up a hand. "Thanks for stepping in, but Pierce is right." I looked back at the rich kid.

"Those ridiculous verbal agreements should have been trashed years ago. So whatever you and Margot do tonight has nothing to do with me. Have a great night, you two."

Chapter 5

The sharp click of heels echoed from behind me, followed by Margot's furious voice. "Jasper, what the hell kind of crazy are you pulling right now?"

Pierce slipped on a mask of deep affection, walking over to naturally snake his arm around her waist. He shot me a slow smirk.

Margot let him hold her, looking down her nose at me with superiority. "I've given you way too much leash. If you love playing these rebellious games so much, fine.

"Our verbal engagement ends right here. Don't come crawling back!"

I squared my shoulders, barely able to suppress the smirk tugging at the corners of my mouth. "Perfect. You better keep your word, Princess."

Margot's eyes flushed red. She took a sharp breath before descending into a violent coughing fit. Pierce tightened his grip around her, rushing her toward his car. As he passed by, he deliberately tried to shoulder-check me.

"You're gonna regret this, broke boy. Don't go crying and begging when reality hits."

I sidestepped him and walked away without a backward glance.

The weight lifted off my chest. I went home, inhaled dinner, and buried myself in my prep books. Finals were only twenty days away.

Later that night, right as I was about to pass out from exhaustion, I mindlessly opened Instagram. Margot, who almost never posted, had just uploaded a new photo. It was a candid shot of her and Pierce at some high-end gala.

They were both wearing matching deep-blue formal wear, clinking champagne glasses under crystal chandeliers. From the back, they looked like the perfect billionaire power couple.

I didn't even blink. I just locked my phone, turned off the lamp, and went to sleep.

The next morning, a dry, defensive text was waiting on my screen.

[Don't overthink it. My family's PR team posted that.]

Such a pathetic excuse. I left her on read.

When I bumped into Margot in the hallway the next day, I simply stepped aside to let her pass, keeping my eyes dead ahead. In my peripheral vision, I saw her freeze, glaring daggers into my back.

After that, her social media updates became manic. Her posts with Pierce grew increasingly intimate. Someone eventually couldn't hold back and cornered me by the lockers.

"Is Pierce actually getting engaged to Margot?"

I just shrugged, completely detached. "Probably. They look like a good match."

Another guy seized the chance to kick me while I was down. "Man, Jasper, you played the lapdog for years and ended up with absolutely nothing. You deserve getting dumped."

I ignored them all. That was the routine right up until the final bell of our high school careers rang.

To maintain their flawless image in high society, Margot's parents privately shoved a blank check in my face, ordering me to publicly announce that I was unworthy of their daughter and was backing out of the engagement myself.

When Pierce caught wind of it, he swaggered over, practically glowing with arrogance. "Exactly. That archaic garbage needs to be thrown in the trash. Dealing with your lingering mess was getting exhausting."

He smirked. "But since you took decent care of Margot back in the day, I'll toss you an invite to our engagement party."

I gave a brief nod. "Sure."

After that, I packed up the antique family heirloom Margot's family had given us years ago and shipped it straight back to their private estate. Returning the token sent shockwaves through her family's ranks. I didn't stop there.

I had a lawyer draft a formal declaration explicitly stating that the verbal marriage pact between our families was permanently void, severing all ties. Terrified that a public scandal might tank their corporate stock prices, Margot's family was forced to swallow their pride and handle the fallout quietly.

While waiting for the final university acceptance letters to roll in, I spent every waking moment at home. In my past life, I neglected my parents to the point of cruelty; this time, I was determined to make up for every lost second.

Yet the anticipated engagement announcement between Margot and Pierce never came.

Chapter 6

I ran into Margot while picking up groceries. The second she spotted me, she closed the distance, her fingers digging into my arm like a vice.

"Finals are over. Why haven't you even tried to come crawling back?" she demanded. "We have a marriage pact! Do you seriously think dodging me is going to change facts?"

I stared at her, my brow furrowing.

Did she seriously not know her own family had paid me off to legally void the engagement?

I didn't bother explaining. I just looked at her. "Aren't you and Pierce doing great? He even tossed me an invite to your engagement party."

Margot's eyes flushed red. She glared at me, her chest heaving. "Why didn't you even think about crashing it and taking me back?! I don't want to get engaged to him!

"I don't want to be with him! When I said the pact was off that day, I was just trying to get a reaction out of you! Why don't you understand that?!"

Oh, I understood.

I kept my face blank. I had already seen what it looked like when she loved someone. In my past life, she was so deeply obsessed with Pierce that if he casually mentioned liking a discontinued vintage tie clip, she would memorize it and move heaven and earth to track it down for him.

But when it came to my birthday, even if I texted her the exact restaurant reservation that morning, she would still forget to show up, tossing me a half-hearted apology the next day.

I kept my mouth shut.

"Pierce matches you perfectly, both in looks and social standing," I said evenly. "He'll even secure your family's corporate mergers. What exactly are you complaining about?"

Margots eyes flushed red, her voice cracking with the edge of a breakdown. "But I don't love him! I tried to play along with the family, but my stomach turns at the thought of him touching me! You're the only one I want!"

She grabbed my collar, her knuckles turning white. "Why aren't you angry? Why aren't you jealous?! What did you do to the Jasper who used to look at me like I was his entire world?!"

My affection for her had burned out.

In this life, without the dead weight of her dragging me down, I had an entire world wide open in front of me. I finally realized her so-called love was terrifyingly cheapnowhere near enough to make me sacrifice my own future.

Margot kept going, her voice dropping to a desperate whisper. "We agreed we were going to the East Coast to attend an Ivy League together. You can't just abandon me. I promise I'll stop playing those stupid mind games"

I stared at the tears pooling in her eyes. I reached out, my thumb lightly brushing away a stray drop on her cheek. My voice was soft. "Okay."

The corners of Margot's mouth instantly tipped up. She threw her arms around my waist, pulling herself tight against my chest.

The low growl of a luxury engine tore through the street.

A sleek car pulled up to the curb. I watched Pierce step out of the passenger side, a designer women's coat draped over his arm. He looked straight at us. "Margot?"

The girl in my arms went rigid. She shoved herself away from me. "What are you doing here?"

Pierce flashed a flawless smile and strolled over, smoothly settling the coat over her shoulders. "You rushed out the door so fast, I was worried you'd catch a cold. I just tracked your phone."

He carried himself with calculated poise, stepping right between Margot and me, cutting off our space.

Watching him operate, I couldn't help but mentally applaud the masterclass.

No wonder Margot was so obsessed with him. The guy could dismantle a rival and mark his territory without breaking a sweat or raising his voice. Completely different from the pathetic, jealous tantrums I used to throw in my past life.

Through the gap between Pierce's shoulder and the coat, I caught a glimpse of Margot. She was beaming up at him, her eyes devoid of the disgust she had just claimed to feel.

I knew the truth.

This was exactly how she had fallen for himpiece by piece, completely willingly.

Chapter 7

In the weeks leading up to the final exam results, Margot started showing up at my place all the time. Our new house was way across town from her family's estate, but no matter the weather, I could always look out my window at exactly 10 AM and see her standing by the curb.

When I walked out the front door, shed shove expensive French pastries and custom-ordered lattes into my hands, then drag me into her luxury car to go blow her trust fund all over town.

She played the sweet role, dropping that icy persona she used to wear around me. But every single time the day was winding down and she leaned in to hug me, Pierce would miraculously appear. Hed flash a polite smile and claim he was just there to escort Margot home.

I never fought it. I just dropped my arms and took a step back. Margot would always scowl and put on a show of reluctance, but she never actually snapped at Pierce or told him to back off.

It happened so often that even my mom started giving me weird looks. "Why does that girl keep showing up here? Do you want me to chase her off for you?"

I shook my head and turned down the offer. "It's fine. We're just hanging out as friends."

Since Margot wanted to play games and string two guys along, I figured I might as well enjoy the free high-end perks. Why not?

But the very next day, Margot was a no-show. I opened Instagram and saw a new post from Pierce. Turns out, the two of them had flown out of state for a private getaway.

Margot sent me a frantic text to explain.

[It was supposed to be a family trip, but our parents had to cancel last minute.]

I just typed back.

[Have a great time.]

A few days later, they got back to town. Margot didn't show up because she'd caught a bug from the trip, but Pierce sure did. He strutted up to my driveway, radiating arrogance.

"So what if she slums it with you every day? With our parents running the show, you two are never going to happen. Not in this lifetime." Pierce blew a puff of smoke.

"Do yourself a favor and give up. Drop the pathetic dream of following her to the East Coast. It's not going to change anything."

I looked him dead in the eye. "I'm not going to the East Coast. You can relax."

Pierce froze, clearly thrown off. "Are you serious?"

I nodded, my voice dead flat. "I'm telling you right now: I'm not going to the East Coast, and I'm sure as hell not getting back together with her.

"Margot is the kind of girl who only chases what runs away. The more you push her, the harder she clings. Instead of exhausting myself trying to dodge her, its easier to just feed her the lie she wants to hear."

"Besides, you know how oblivious she is. If you hadn't kept your mouth shut, she would've figured out the pact was voided weeks ago."

Pierce choked on his words. He opened his mouth, but couldn't scrape together a single comeback.

I kept pushing. "So let's just keep this little secret going until the day I leave for college."

Pierce let out a harsh scoff, his face twisted in disbelief. "You better not be playing me, broke boy. Or I swear I'll make you regret it."

The final test scores dropped shortly after.

Seeing my grades smash the cutoff for that out-of-state full-ride, I exhaled. The chains finally snapped.

My parents practically tackled me into a hug, cheering. "We knew you could do it, Jasper!"

Right on cue, the guidance counselor sent an email reminding me to log into the college portal and finalize my enrollment decision.

The second I walked out the front door, I spotted Margot leaning against a sleek SUV. Pierce was standing right beside her. The moment she saw me, she frantically waved me over to get in.

Once I slid into the back seat, she couldn't stop talking. She was vibrating with excitement, painting a picture of what our lives were going to look like together on the East Coast. It was obvious she had nailed her finals.

From the passenger seat, Pierce took in every single word. I caught his eyes in the rearview mirror. They were dark, locked onto me with a cold, hard glare.

When we pulled up to the high school parking lot, Pierce deliberately brushed past my shoulder and muttered a warning. "Remember what you said."

He was stressing over nothing.

Behind Margot's back, I quickly tapped the "Accept" button for that public university on my phone. Just as she leaned over to peek at my screen, I closed the browser and locked my phone.

Before she could start grilling me, I offered a deadpan excuse. "My thumb slipped