Chapter 2

To make money, I picked up three part-time jobs. Whatever brought in the most cash, I'd do it.

Except for sleeping and taking care of my mom, I barely had a second to myself.

During that time, Bryant sent me a message.

It was three words: [Don't regret it.]

Bryant would probably never know why I changed so suddenly.

It was like I still couldn't understand how, after five years together, someone else could come between us so easily.

But the Bryant from the future had more to say.

He told me, "You don't have to push yourself this hard.

"Even if you kill yourself working, you can't save your mom. Is it worth it?"

When I saw the message, I was out in the scorching sun, handing out flyers for ten dollars an hour.

I didn't have the energy to say another word.

That night, one of the women from our part-time job group chat asked if I could cover her night shift.

She said, "The people who go there are loaded. The tips they give out are more than we make in a month.

"If my kid hadn't been sick, I'd never pass up a chance like this."

Of course, I said yes.

But I never expected that when I pushed open the door to the private room, I'd run into Bryant again.

He was sitting in the middle of the crowd, and our eyes locked in the haze of the dim lights.

Edith, all smiles, was pressed up against him.

Bryant's friends looked me up and down, one of them speaking with a mocking grin.

"Hey, Bryant, isn't this your ex who wouldn't marry you unless you paid up? The gold-digger?

"Working as a waitress here? What, hoping to land another rich guy?"

The whole room burst out laughing, with Edith's laugh the loudest.

I bet she'd been talking trash about me behind my back this whole time.

Now that she'd finally taken my place, she didn't have to pretend anymore.

She leaned against Bryant, her smug grin impossible to hide.

She said sweetly, "Bryant, Andrea's been broke lately. She's hit up all our friends for money.

"Should we help her out?"

Bryant's eyes were unreadable. After a moment, he let out a low chuckle. "Sure."

He tapped his toe against the row of hard liquor on the table.

With a smirk, he said, "Three thousand dollars a glass. Drink it or not?"

He knew I was allergic to alcohol.

He was trying to make me look bad.

But what he didn't expect was that I'd meet everyone's mocking gaze head-on.

Without even blinking, I grabbed a bottle, threw my head back, and started chugging.

The booze burned all the way down my throat, and my stomach instantly started churning like crazy.

My nails dug into my palm as I tried not to throw up.

By the time Bryant grabbed the bottle from me, I'd gulped down most of it.

He snapped, "Andrea, are you out of your mind?

"What's all this for? Why are you so desperate for cash?"

The booze burned my nose, and before I knew it, my eyes started to water.

I wanted to tell him how tired and miserable I was.

But the Bryant from the future had made it clear to me.

Even if I told him the truth, it wouldn't make a difference.

I wiped the booze from my mouth and raised my phone to him with a blank face.

I said, "That should be worth 40 thousand dollars, right?"

He muttered a curse, transferred the money, and pointed at the door, telling me to get lost.

Once I stepped out of the private room, I finally collapsed, leaning against the wall and dropping to my knees.

When I saw the money Bryant sent me on my phone, I couldn't help but laugh.

But as I laughed, tears started streaming down my face.

With this money, plus what I'd borrowed and earned these past few days, it was finally enough for my mom's treatment.

But right then, a sudden phone call shattered all my hopes.

The nurse said, "Ms. Bernard, your mother's condition has suddenly worsened.

"It's an emergency. Please come to the hospital right away."

I couldn't even keep track of how many times I stumbled and fell on the way.

By the time I got to the hospital, blood was streaming down my knees.

One of my shoes was gone.

But I was still too late.

I didn't get to say goodbye to my mom. All I got was a piece of paper saying she was gone.

I held my mom as her body grew cold, sobbing my heart out. "Mom, please don't leave me.

"Take me with you. I'm begging you, please."

Even the nurse, who'd seen countless farewells, couldn't help but get choked up.

"Ms. Bernard, my condolences," she said softly.

She handed me a tissue, gesturing for me to wipe my tears.

We had a tradition. People shouldn't let their tears fall on the face of someone who had passed away.

Otherwise, the departed wouldn't rest in peace and might take their loved one with them.

I wished that the rumor was true.

My mom was the only family I had in this world. She meant everything to me.

Now that she was gone, I had no reason to keep going.

At that moment, Bryant from the future called. "Andrea, your mom..."

"Why, Bryant? Just tell me why!" Before he could get a word out, I clutched my phone and shouted at him.

It felt like I was finally letting out all the pain and anger I'd been holding in these past few days.

I lost it. "Why can't I change anything? Why did my mom have to die, no matter what I did?

"Why did you and Edith turn your backs on me when I never did anything wrong?

"Why did the man I loved for five years end up in bed with my best friend?

"Tell me why, Bryant. Say something."

There was a deathly silence on the other end.

Maybe it was my imagination, but I thought I heard a soft, choked sob.