Chapter 2

Olivia Porter strutted toward us in a tailored tweed dress, an LV bag dangling from her arm. She moved with the kind of practiced elegance that made sure everyone noticed her.

"It's been forever," she said brightly. "Actually, I should really thank you."

She hooked her arm through Henry's, smiling like she was posing for a magazine. "Henry told me you dumped him because he was broke and had no connections. And that's when he finally saw me and realized what real love looks like. Jessica, you're practically our matchmaker."

As she spoke, her eyes swept over me from head to toe, judging every inch before she clicked her tongue twice.

She continued, "But honestly, a woman really needs to know her place. Look at you. Your life clearly didn't turn out that great. Not surprising, though. No wealthy man would ever be into someone like you."

I stared at her, completely confused.

In this timeline, Henry and I had never even dated. So, where exactly did this "she dumped me because I was poor" fantasy come from?

Henry, desperate to impress her, had actually made up an entire story about me. That was unbelievable.

I opened my mouth to shut them both down, but a small voice behind me called out. "Mom!"

Ethan came walking toward me, carrying his lunch tray with both hands.

Olivia immediately rushed over, crouched down, and plastered on a warm smile. "Hi there, sweetheart. I'm Olivia. I'm your mom's friend."

Then, without warning, she reached out and pinched his cheek hard.

Ethan's skin was so soft that a bright red mark appeared instantly.

I shoved her hand away and snapped, "Olivia, what is wrong with you?!"

She flicked her wrist like she'd touched something dirty. "Oh, please. I just thought your kid was cute. You can't handle anyone touching him? What, is he made of glass?"

She glanced at Ethan again and added, "If you really cared, you'd notice his lips are chapped."

Before I could react, she grabbed a steaming bowl of soup from the counter. It was so hot that the steam was practically boiling.

I yanked Ethan behind me. "We're good. He doesn't need it."

"What, you think you're too good for the food here?" she snapped. "It's just soup."

Ignoring me completely, she stepped toward Ethan with the bowl.

I didn't even think—my arm shot out, and I pushed her away.

"Ahhh!"

The bowl tipped forward, and the scalding soup splashed all over Olivia's chest and arms. Her skin immediately turned bright red.

But she didn't seem to care about the burns at all. Instead, she grabbed a handful of napkins and started frantically wiping her outfit and her bag, mumbling under her breath, "These are brand-new. They can't get wet... absolutely can't get wet."

The other parents nearby took one look at her outfit and accessories and instantly understood how expensive they were. When their eyes shifted to me, all I saw was pity.

After wiping for what felt like forever, Olivia finally looked up and snapped at me, "Jessica, I know you're jealous that Henry chose me. You can't stand that I'm the one he loves, and you hate seeing someone better off than you.

"But I didn't think you'd be this calculating—ruining my bag and clothes on purpose!"

She jabbed a finger at me. "Don't think I'll let this slide just because we went to school together."

The more she talked, the more dramatic she became. "You're paying for this! I don't care if you can barely afford groceries. You're still paying me back."

Henry rushed over then, shoving me hard, his voice sharp with anger. "Jessica! You've gone too far. Olivia offered your kid soup out of kindness. You refused to appreciate it, and then you threw it all over her?"

Kindness?

What kind of "kindness" involved feeding a seven-year-old boiling soup?

The shove made me stumble, but I managed to steady myself and immediately put Ethan behind me.

Ethan put down his tray, wrapped both arms around my waist, and shouted, "Don't bully my mom!"

Henry shot Ethan a look full of irritation before turning back to me. His eyes narrowed, as if he could see exactly what I was thinking.

And then he said it—loud enough for everyone to hear, "Jessica, you saw that my wife is young, pretty, and loaded, and you just couldn't control yourself, could you? You wanted to hurt her because you're bitter she replaced you."