Reborn, Reawakened, Rekindled novel Chapter 679

For five whole years, Irene had been head-over-heels for Neil. She couldn’t help but be impressed with herself; never before had she been so fixated on someone. Despite Neil’s clear disinterest and outright rejections, Irene never lost heart.

After college, Irene had bonded with Stella, Alicia, and Barbara. Initially, they all encouraged her to chase after true love. However, as graduation approached, their tune changed to suggesting she might be better off joining a convent.

Though disheartened, Irene vowed to move on from Neil. Yet, every time she saw him, her resolutions dissipated like mist.

"Rena, he's just a handsome guy with a fat wallet, nothing special. Forget him, and I'll set you up with someone even better!" Stella would always try to persuade Irene in this way.

Irene, nursing her drink and sighing deeply, had just seen Neil the night before, looking cozy with another girl. It wasn’t the first time. Neil was notorious for his fleeting relationships, changing girlfriends as often as he changed his shirts.

"This time, I swear I'm done with him for good!" Irene declared, raising her glass in what felt like the umpteenth vow of her life.

Touchingly, Stella and the girls, no matter how many times Irene swore off Neil, chose to believe her each time.

They even started setting up mixers for her, a covert operation to find her a match. If sparks flew, great; if not, they'd move on.

"Seriously, Rena, those guys are lemons. None of them are worthy of you," Stella whispered conspiratorially a few days later, a mischievous grin on her face.

"It's not that they're lemons; I just can't feel it," Irene mused, her mind crowded with images of Neil. "If only there were two Neils in the world."

Stella chuckled again, then launched into a pitch for her brother, Simmons Wallace. "Why not consider my brother? He's been single because he's waiting for someone like you. Handsome, great character—I'd stake my life on it!"

Stella’s eyes sparkled at the mention of her brother. She had long harbored dreams of Irene becoming her sister-in-law.

The problem was, Irene wasn’t interested in Simmons, despite his long-standing feelings for her. If there had been even a spark of interest, things wouldn’t have dragged on like this.

Irene quickly changed the subject, not wanting to lead Simmons on.

Just then, as Stella was about to continue her persuasion, Irene's phone rang with an unfamiliar number. Curiosity piqued, she answered.