Chapter 2

After Vivian left, a young man stepped out from the shadows with a stunned look.

Henry never thought that Vivian was nothing like the innocent, pitiful girl he'd always believed her to be. He never imagined she could shamelessly say something like that.

He looked at me with a complicated expression, as if he was silently asking for help.

I got what he meant. He was hoping I'd come over and talk him through it, but I just ignored him and walked away.

"Coraline," Henry called out.

I stopped in my tracks.

"You're back too, aren't you?" he asked.

I didn't respond.

"Coraline, I'm sorry. You know how it is. Vivian's still young. She'll change as she grows up," Henry said.

"Oh, sure," I replied with a smile. But what did that have to do with me? I didn't plan on getting mixed up with them ever again.

"Wait," Henry shouted, starting to panic. He rushed over, grabbed my hand, dug around for some cash, and shoved it into my palm.

He said, "Take it. I owe you. I swear I'll figure out a way to get you out of here in two weeks... No, five days... Three days. I promise."

"No, thanks," I replied.

"Coraline, I swear I'll save you. Just wait for me," Henry blurted out and hurried off, not because he didn't want me to reject him, but because Vivian had just fallen and was crying out in pain.

I smiled. I knew that would happen. Good thing I'd already stopped expecting anything from Henry.

I had no clue what Vivian had whispered to the director before she left.

This time, the director was even more vicious, and his tactics were nastier. I barely had the strength to defend myself.

It'd been a month since Henry left, but he still hadn't shown up.

I got my arm broken in order to catch the director's dirty deeds on video. I managed to call the cops and even dragged a reporter over.

When the director got dragged away by the cops, all the boys he'd always looked out for crowded around me.

"Coraline, it was you, wasn't it? You damn backstabber," one of them shouted.

"I'm gonna kill you. The director's gone. What are we supposed to do now? You want us all to starve?" another boy yelled.

"Get her. Beat her up," someone else shouted.

"Beat her," they all screamed.

I barely managed to shield my injured arm and head. The pain was so bad that I couldn't even put up a fight.

I'd seen this coming.

After all, the five boys beating me up were the director's sons. Of course they'd defend their father.

Suddenly, just as the leader of the boys grabbed a rock and was about to smash it on my head, Henry ran over and blocked me.

The rock came down hard, and a scream ripped through the air.

Henry took the hit for me and got hurt.

My heart lurched. "Henry, are you alright?"

Blood ran down his forehead, getting in his eyes and making it hard for him to see.

He wiped the blood off his face, looking unsteady but happy. "This time, I finally protected you. I made it in time."

Hearing him say that, all my worry and guilt just melted away.

Back in my previous life, our kid was so young and cute, and he loved us.

But because of Vivian's lies, Henry abandoned my child and me in the freezing mountains, making me watch helplessly as our little one died. For three days, I wandered those woods like a zombie.

By the time the rescue team found me, I'd already lost my mind.

I was hell-bent on getting back at Vivian, and of course, Henry always protected her.

So we became enemies, dragging up every painful memory to hurt each other.

We were locked in a grudge match for decades, until he gave up his legs to save me. The once proud man was never able to stand again.

Back then, I was full of guilt and decided to put the past behind us and give our life together another shot, but he kept reminding me of his sacrifice, using it to guilt-trip me.

He sat in a hospital bed, looking weak. With red eyes, he pleaded, "Coraline, please let Vivian go for my legs' sake."

At that moment, I could barely think straight. Tears slid down my cheeks, and I murmured, "Alright, I promise."

Now, Henry was in high spirits. Though he was injured, he held onto my hand and wouldn't let go. "Coraline, I promised I'd protect you."

Suddenly, I was shoved to the ground. Vivian marched up and landed several hard slaps across my face.

"You jinx. Stay away from Henry. He's mine, not yours," she screamed.

Then she gently helped Henry to his feet.

"Stop it, Vivian. Apologize to Coraline," Henry said.

Just as expected, Vivian started crying. Henry couldn't stand her tears. He immediately went soft, doing everything he could to comfort her.

I ignored the smug look on Vivian's face, patted off the dust on me, and got ready to walk away.

"Hold on. Who said you could leave, you jinx?" Vivian shot me a bossy glare. "From now on, stay away from Henry. I won't let you hurt him."

"Vivian," Henry called out, instinctively stepping in front of her the moment he saw me turn around.

He always thought I'd hurt Vivian, always forgetting that my situation was way worse.

I said a few names and numbers.

Vivian had no clue what I was talking about. At the same time, she shot me a meaner look.

But Henry caught on immediately. Those names and numbers were the start of his family business's downfall.

In the previous life, I was the one managing the Carter family business. It took me years to uncover all this information, using every connection I had.

"Coraline, what are you..." Henry murmured.

"I appreciate you stepping in for me this time, but don't do it again. We're even now. From now on, let's just stay out of each other's way," I said.

Henry was left speechless. He stood there, frozen, unable to process what he'd just heard.

Maybe he never thought that the woman who once loved him so much would only want him out of her world.