Chapter 2

The future Brent's chuckle came through the line. "Zoe made it out safely, right? Madelin must be thrilled."

My voice was barely a whisper. "Juliet is dead. Because you led me to save Zoe instead."

The line went silent, but then Brent let out a dismissive laugh. "How is that possible? In my timeline, Juliet is currently locked away in a behavioral reform facility. If anything happened, the wardens would have called me."

A shiver ran down my spine. "What did you just say? Why on earth would you put her in a place like that?"

"Because you spoiled her rotten," he said indifferently. "She grew up fighting with Madelin constantly, becoming rebellious and vicious. But since you saved Zoe, I'll consider pulling her out this month."

Terrified that altering the present might inadvertently worsen my daughter's future fate, I swallowed my pride and begged, "Can you go get her now?"

He gave a low, patronizing hum. "That depends on your performance."

The implicit threat in his voice cut through the static. Sure enough, his very next words stripped away any remaining illusion of safety.

"If you don't behave, I might just stop covering your parents' medical bills."

"What?"

"Oh, you don't know yet, do you? Your dad had a heart attack after he found out I was cheating. Your mom is a vegetable because Madelin hit her with a car. So, don't make a scene, or things will end up just like that."

I lost my mind, screaming into the receiver. "You're a monster! If you don't love me, why won't you just divorce me?"

He listened to my hysterical breakdown with a terrifying calm. "If I had heard you say those words five years ago, it would have broken my heart. Now? I feel nothing."

He hung up the phone, and I collapsed onto the floor, feeling completely powerless in the face of a predatory future.

The only thing I could do now was protect my parents. That same night, I bought two emergency plane tickets and sent them back to our hometown.

Once they were safely in the air, I texted Brent: [Let's set a time to finalize the divorce.]

At first, he ignored the message entirely, assuming it was just another tantrum. But the moment I sent over the formal paperwork, he finally came to find me—only to tear the divorce agreement to shreds right in front of me.

"What kind of sick joke is this?" he snarled, throwing the shredded remnants into my face. "You want to throw our marriage away just because I stepped up to care for a late friend's grieving widow? Is a living person not more important than your petty, jealous grudges?"

I let out a bitter, mocking laugh. "You're right. I do hold a grudge. I hate Madelin, and I despise you."

His eyes flickered with profound disappointment. "When did you become so unreasonable? I should have never saved you back in high school."

My tear ducts had dried up hours ago, but those words cut deep, making my eyes sting again.

Back in high school, when a group of thugs cornered me in an alley, Brent charged in with an iron rod to fight them off.

And later, when the trauma left me suicidal, he had cupped my face in his palms, swearing, "That doesn't change a thing. I will love you forever."

He never once complained about my insecurities. Every day, he left me love notes and small surprises. But after Madelin appeared, the notes stopped, and all his patience went to her.

Now, one call from her was enough to calm his anger.

"I'm not divorcing you. Calm down by yourself," he said before leaving again.

Soon after, the future Brent called again. Before he could speak, I said sarcastically, "Your past self just told me he regretted saving me back in high school."

The line remained silent for a few heavy seconds. Then, his voice came through, as gentle as always. "Don't listen to him. Whether he regrets it or not, I would still make the same choice to save you.

"After all, Madelin hired those thugs to teach you a lesson. I stepped in because I couldn't let her commit a real crime."

With the revelation, a crushing pain squeezed my heart.

Everything finally made sense. It wasn't a sudden change of heart; I was never the love of his life—just an obstacle in his and Madelin's love story.

Nearly ten years of his supposed devotion had been nothing but a lie.