Ms. Lee, I thought you weren't feeling well. If you need anything, you should just call for us. You don't have to come out." 2/12 13:54 Chapter 2 13:54 It was the same one who had called me scared. I smiled and politely declined her "kindness." After drinking my water, I quickly got dressed and left the apar tment. Walking on the street, breathing in the fresh city air, the knot of anger in my chest slowly began to dissolve In my past life, under Tiffany's "guidance," I had done one foolish thing after another. I could only imagine what the staff thought of me then, how often they must have laughed at me behind my back. I didn't confro nt them because, in my heart, I knew they weren't wrong. That's all I was. A pretty, useless thing. A canary Donovan kept to pass the time while Camilla was away. Once my emotions had settled, I found myself standing in front of my restaurant. The plan had been to hire cleaning crew today. But suddenly, I didn't want to see anyone. So, I grabbed a rag and started cleaning myself. Work a little, rest a little. By the end of the day, I had managed to clean half the space. I was exhausted, but felt a profound sense of accomplishment. Looking at this place, the place where I would build my future and earn my own living, tears of joy streamed down my face. That night, Donovan didn't come home. According to my memories of the last life, this was the night Camilla sprained her ankle, and he stayed witl her at the hospital. Without the sound of his breathing beside me, I tossed and turned for hours before finally falling asleep. II the middle of the night, a sharp, stabbing pain in my chest jolted me awake from a nightmare. My hear hammered against my ribs. After that, sleep was impossible. I just lay there, eyes open, until dawn. I told myself that the sooner I finished cleaning, the sooner the restaurant could open. I didn't bother trying to catch up on sleep. As soon as the sun was up, I was out the door. I was carrying a simple breakfast I'd bought from a street vendor. As I turned the corner to my restaurant, froze. The soy milk dropped from my hand, splashing all over my shoes. The steamed buns scattered across th sidewalk, I didn't notice. All I could see was the storefront. The large plate-glass windows were splattered with bright red paint, with ugly, insulting words scrawled acr oss them. The front door was splintered and broken. I didn't need to go inside to see the devastation. The interior was completely trashed. It was still early, so there weren't many people around, but a few morning joggers slowed down, pointing a me, at the wreckage. With trembling hands, I pulled out my phone and called Donovan. It was the first time I had initiated contac with him since my return. I called three times. Each time, it rang until it went to voicemail. Panic clawed a my throat. I didn't know what to do. Finally, a passerby gently reminded me, and I dialed 9-1-1. 3/12 13:54 13:54 Chapter 2 Discover our latest featured short drama reel. Watch now and enjoy the story!