Chapter 2
An hour later, after changing my clothes, I still decided to check out the café downstairs from Judson's office.
I didn't trust him at all.
I had to see with my own eyes if things in this life had really gone off track.
I took a cab to Judson's office building. The heavy rain blurred the city, casting everything in a washed-out gray.
I didn't go inside. Instead, I stood under the eaves across the street, quietly watching the café entrance from afar.
It wasn't long before two familiar figures appeared in my line of sight.
They were Judson and Paloma.
Judson was holding a black umbrella, and Paloma stayed close to him, trying to squeeze herself under its cover.
My heart dropped instantly.
See, Anna, men never changed.
Old habits died hard. Everything he said was another lie.
In my previous life, he sheltered Paloma with that umbrella, leaving our baby and me to perish in the storm.
Nothing had changed, even in this life.
I clenched my fists, ready to walk away from this place that disgusted me.
But as I turned, I caught sight of something that would be burned into my memory forever.
Judson suddenly stopped in his tracks.
Unexpectantly, he handed the umbrella to me.
No, he didn't hand it over.
It was as if he'd calculated exactly where I was standing. With a swift motion, the black umbrella traced a perfect arc through the air and landed precisely at my feet.
In that instant, he and Paloma were left completely exposed to the pouring rain.
The rain instantly soaked his expensive suit, icy water running down his sharp jawline.
Paloma screamed in disbelief, "Judson, are you crazy?"
She was drenched, her makeup smeared, looking completely disheveled as she stared at Judson. Then she looked in the direction he had tossed the umbrella and spotted me across the street.
Her eyes were suddenly filled with jealousy and hatred.
Judson ignored her. His gaze pierced through the sheets of rain, landing squarely on me.
Those deep eyes of his were storming with emotions I couldn't even begin to understand.
Paloma sobbed uncontrollably in the downpour, clutching his arm and demanding, "Didn't you promise you'd always protect me? Why did you throw the umbrella away to her?"
The rain was so loud that I couldn't hear what they were saying.
But I saw Judson's lips move.
Without even turning around, his voice was quiet, but it crashed through the rain like thunder, exploding in my ears. "I meant it in the previous life."
Another bolt of lightning lit up the sky, casting a harsh light on my pale, stunned face.
I stood there, frozen.
He... He traveled back, too?
I stood there, frozen, my mind completely blank.
The rain hammered against the black umbrella at my feet, each heavy thump matching the frantic pounding of my heart.
I couldn't believe Judson traveled back, too.
Honestly, realizing this freaked me out even more than remembering how he stood there and watched me die in my previous life.
Across the street, Paloma heard him loud and clear. She was totally dumbfounded, staring at Judson like he was talking crazy. "Previous life? Judson, what are you talking about? Are you out of your mind for standing in the rain?"
Judson didn't even bother to look at her, or at me.
He turned away, face blank, pulled out his wallet, took out a bank card, and pressed it into Paloma's hand. "There's 150 grand dollars in there. The PIN is your birthday. Take the money and don't ever show up in my life again."
His voice was icy, not a shred of warmth or regret.
Paloma clutched the card like it was burning her hand, tears streaming down her face even harder. "150 grand dollars? You really think you can toss me aside with this money? Judson, after all these years, is that all we're worth to you? 150 grand?
"Did you forget what you told my mom? You swore you'd look after me forever."
There was a flash of pure impatience and mockery on Judson's face. "Forever? Paloma, when you ran off with that old man for his money, did you ever think about forever then?
"Now that he's bankrupt, you suddenly remember me. I'm not a garbage dump, meat to collect two-faced bitch."
Every word was a dagger, hitting right where it hurt.
Paloma's face shifted from ashen to livid, all her sorrow and grievance hardened on her features, leaving nothing but embarrassment and hatred.
She glared fiercely at Judson and then shot me a look full of spite from across the street.
"Fine. Fine! Judson, you wait. You'll regret this." With that, she clutched the card and dashed into the rain, sobbing.