Chapter 2
"If you don't get out of here, I'll beat you!" Clifford shouted.
In my previous life, I had been too naive.
I had held onto the door handle stubbornly, determined to find out who the woman hiding inside was.
Clifford had lost his temper completely. He kicked me hard in the stomach, sending me stumbling toward the stairs.
He snapped, "I'm giving you a chance to back down, but you just won't take it. What are you making such a fuss about?
"I told you the lock's busted, but you just won't quit making a scene. If you can actually get this door open today, let's see how tough you really are!"
Clifford had dragged me all the way down to the basement.
When we finally returned upstairs and opened the door, the house was empty. The woman had long since fled without a trace.
Because of this, I had filed for divorce from Clifford that very day.
At first, he had refused. He had called me paranoid and insisted that he was innocent.
Two days later, he had contacted me on his own initiative and agreed to go to the city hall with me.
We had just finished signing the divorce papers when he suddenly spat out a mouthful of blood.
That was when I found out the truth.
Two days earlier, his jump from the window had caused a severe concussion.
He had barely dragged himself out of the hospital, and after splitting up with me, he handed everything he owned to his side chick without a second thought.
And my cousin, the matchmaker who introduced me to Clifford, looked at me with a smug grin.
She said to me, her voice full of pride, "Thanks for letting me have him, Brynn.
"Being Mrs. Gonzales was always supposed to be my destiny."
*****
Now that I had traveled back to these days, I would never file for divorce again.
I was going to hold onto my position as the hostess of the Gonzales family no matter what.
"I believe you," I said.
I pouted, let go of the door, and nervously grabbed his sleeve.
I said, "You came all the way back; how could I not trust you?
"Honey, it's all my fault. I was wrong to suspect you.
"You're swamped at work, and I dragged you back for this mess. Sorry for being such a hassle."
Clifford was stunned by my sudden change in tone.
Just a moment ago, I was shouting to see which woman he was hiding behind the door, and now I was suddenly playing the innocent wife.
He couldn't understand why I had changed my attitude so drastically in the blink of an eye.
He had been fully prepared to drag me away by force if necessary.
But now, it felt like he had swung with all his strength only to hit a pillow.
"Glad you realize you crossed the line," Clifford said.
"I was in the middle of a meeting, you know. Do you have any idea you almost cost me a deal worth over ten million?" he added.
Clifford's tone mellowed out, but he was just putting on a straight face and spouting nonsense.
I said it in my most sheepish, guilty tone."Sorry, honey. I promise it won't happen again."
Clifford let out a relieved sigh and gave my hand a gentle, reassuring pat.
"Alright, let's go grab a bite to eat," he said.
I knew he was desperate to get me out of here so his side chick could make her escape.
I gently turned him down, making sure to sound caring.
"I already ate, honey. You're swamped at work, so you should get going," I said.
"I'll call the locksmith and wait here for them to fix the door," Daisy jumped in, all eager to help.
She added, "My grandson locked himself out last time, and I called these folks.
"I've got their number right here, miss. Jot it down if you need."
I thanked her and dialed the number she gave me.
The locksmith said they'd be here in fifteen minutes.
Clifford frowned, barely managing to hold back his annoyance.
After I hung up, I gently looped my arm through Clifford's, acting all sweet and caring.
"Honey, let me walk you to your car," I said.
I had no intention of ending up with a hard kick to the stomach like I did in my previous life.
Just as I finished speaking, a loud noise suddenly came from inside.
I jumped in surprise.
That hadn't happened in my previous life.
"Honey, what was that noise?" I asked.
"Probably just a chair fell over," Clifford replied.
Clifford stiffened up, his voice coming out awkward and forced.
"I, uh, forgot to close the window when I left this morning. Must've been the wind," he said.
Wind strong enough to knock over a solid wooden chair?
Did a hurricane blow through?