Chapter 2
When I got back to the office, the girl at the front desk glanced at me with an odd look.
"Claire, you don't look well," she said.
I managed a weak smile, saying nothing.
I ran into our department manager, Ryan Jones, in the elevator.
He gave my shoulder a friendly pat. "Claire, stick close to Eric's project this afternoon."
I nodded, but my fingers were trembling.
It was this same project in my previous life. Eric said the client wanted the payment through a personal account and asked to borrow my card for a day.
He said, "Just a quick transfer. I'll pay you back right away."
He smiled so gently, his eyes sparkling like stars.
And I fell for it, and it ruined everything.
By the time I got to my office, Eric was already in his seat across from me.
He wore a clean white shirt, sleeves casually rolled up to his forearms. The watch on his wrist was plain to see.
It was the one I bought.
Last year, for his birthday, I had saved up three months of salary to get him an Omega watch.
Looking at it now felt bitterly ironic.
He looked up at me and smiled. "Hi, Claire."
His voice was still as smooth as a cello.
I used to love listening to him talk. Now, it just grated on my nerves.
"Didn't you sleep well last night?" he asked, raising an eyebrow as his gaze lingered on the dark circles under my eyes.
"Yeah," I replied, pulling out a chair and sitting down.
I deliberately took my time opening my laptop.
I was waiting for him to ask to borrow my card.
Sure enough, he tapped on my desk.
"Oh, by the way, for the client payment this afternoon, can I use your card?" he asked.
Here it was. I tightened my grip on the mouse.
The file popped up on my screen. It was the proposal I hadn't finished last night.
I stared at the screen, ignoring him.
"My card got eaten yesterday," I replied calmly.
Eric froze for a second.
"The ATM ate it?" he said.
"Yeah, the machine was acting up," I said, turning to him with a faint smile. "I just went to the bank and had it canceled."
His smile stiffened for half a second, then slid back into place.
"I'm sorry to hear that," Eric said, trying to sound casual.
"Yeah," I said, keeping my eyes down and pretending to sift through paperwork. "Why don't you ask someone else for help?"
He didn't say anything.
I could feel his sharp gaze on me, sizing me up, trying to see if I was lying.
After a moment, he finally said, "Alright, I'll ask someone else."
His tone sounded neutral, but I knew he was suspicious now.
Good. He should know that I was not the same fool I used to be.
The client's payment came through at three o'clock in the afternoon.
Eric ended up using another girl's card from our department.
I watched him holding his phone, smiling at her so sweetly—exactly the same way he used to smile at me.
It stung, but I didn't feel much pain.
That girl was Megan Jackson.
In my previous life, Eric deceived her, too. He swindled her out of 15 thousand dollars.
She came to me later in tears, saying he had taken the money and disappeared.
Back then, I couldn't even help myself, let alone her. I could only stand there and watch her cry.
This time, I wouldn't let her walk into that trap again.
As I was clocking out, Megan stopped me.
She said, "Claire, thank you for covering for me this afternoon. Eric said he wanted to take me to dinner tonight."
I paused, turning to look at her.
Her eyes were sparkling with excitement. She was definitely smitten.
"Why does he want to take you out?" I asked, raising an eyebrow.
"He said I seemed really nice," Megan mumbled, blushing a little and lowering her head.
I took a deep breath.
I looked her straight in the eyes, making sure she caught every word. "Megan, stay away from Eric."
She was stunned.
She said, "Claire, why are you saying—"
"Trust me." I cut her off, my tone firm. "It's hard to explain."
I walked away without looking back.
I didn't know if she would listen, but I said what I had to.
As I stepped out of the building, my phone buzzed.
It was my mom.
She said, "Claire, are you coming home for dinner tonight? Your dad cooked some pork ribs."
Hearing her voice made my eyes sting and tears prick the corners.
In my previous life, the last time my mom spoke to me was at the hospital entrance.
With tears in her eyes, she roared, "I can't believe I have such an ungrateful daughter."
After that, she got sick.
When I visited her in the hospital, she just lay there with her eyes closed.
I choked out, clutching my phone. "Sure. I'll come home for dinner tonight."
"Great. See you then," she said softly.
After I hung up, I stood on the curb and watched the traffic. The sun cast my shadow long across the ground.
I was so glad that they were still here, and that we were still a happy family.
Look, Eric. This was what I treasured most.
If you dared harm them again, I would make sure you pay in the worst possible way.