Chapter 2 -He Showed Up

Judy’s POV  

A wave of nausea washed over me as I reread the message on my phone.  

“We need to talk about your mother’s sickness.”  

My hands shook uncontrollably. My chest felt tight, and I couldn’t breathe properly.  

Who was this person?  

There was no name,

No photo,

No number,

Nothing,not even a familiar scent.

“Maybe it’s a scammer,” I whispered to myself.  

But my instincts screamed otherwise.  

Scammers always asked for money first,Threatened, pressured, demanded.  

This person… didn’t.  

They already knew about my mother. About her illness.  

No one knew that… except a few people.  

I swallowed hard and tried to calm myself. “Maybe I should just wait,” I muttered. “If they really want to help, they’ll send another message.”  

I dropped the phone on the couch, burying my face in my hands.  

Behind me, I heard quiet footsteps, Sophia was in the kitchen, making tea. She kept glancing at me, her eyes filled with worry, as if afraid I would break completely.  

“Judy… drink this,” she said gently, placing a warm cup in my hands. “You need to calm down. Breathe.”  

I nodded, taking a slow sip,her presence always steadied me. 

Sophia had been my backbone, my safe place, my protector since childhood. When people bullied me in school, she had stood in front of me, daring anyone to touch me. When I cried because my father had died six years ago and relatives forgot us, she had stayed up with me, holding my hand through the nights. She had fought for me when I had no fight left.  

And now… she was here again. My anchor in this storm.  

I barely had time to catch my breath when the doorbell rang.  

Sophia frowned. “Who could that be?”  

I felt my stomach tighten. “I’ll check,” I said, my voice small and shaky.  

As I walked toward the door, my chest felt like it was being squeezed. My heartbeat thundered in my ears. My fingers trembled.  

I opened the door.  

And there he was.  

Clark.  

Standing there with a bouquet of flowers in his hand and that infuriating, arrogant smile on his face.  

My vision went dark for a moment. My chest burned so intensely I thought I might rip him apart with my bare hands.  

“What the hell are you doing here?” I snapped, my voice trembling with rage and disbelief.  

He tried to smile awkwardly. “Judy—”  

“You have no right to be here!” I yelled. “Get out!”  

“Calm down,” he said, holding up his hands. “You’re overreacting. I just came to talk.”  

Overreacting?  

I laughed bitterly, the sound harsh and empty. 

“Overreacting? Clark, I gave you five years of my life! Five years of love, of sacrifices, of trust! And you married another woman behind my back! And you say I’m overreacting?”  

He sighed as if I was the problem. “Judy… I’m sorry it had to happen this way. But my parents never supported us. As the only son of the Knight Company, I couldn’t disobey them.”  

I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms. “So that makes it okay? Betray me after everything?”  

“Please, Judy,” he said, his voice soft. “You need to understand. I love you—” .He was still blabbing rubbish when I gave him the hottest slap I have never given to anybody in my entire life.

The sound echoed in the room.  

Clark staggered back, eyes wide with shock.  

“You want me to understand?” I screamed, tears blinding me. “You have the audacity to talk about love? After five years, you throw it away for money and status? You made me believe in you, Clark! You made me trust you!”  

He rubbed his cheek slowly. “Did you just…?”  

“Yes, I did!” I shouted. “I’ll raise my hand on you if you dare to step foot in my life after what you’ve done!”  

Sophia appeared in the doorway, her eyes blazing. “And I’ll raise mine too if he doesn’t leave!” she shouted. “Do you have any idea how cruel you’ve been? After all she’s given you?”  

Clark’s eyes flicked toward her, icy and annoyed. “Sophia… stay out of this. It’s between me and Judy.”  

I grabbed her hand and shook my head. “No, she doesn’t need to stay out. She’s my strength. She always has been.”  

He straightened and cleared his throat. “I… came to tell you that I’m married to Isabella now. But… we can still be friends… if you want.” The way he said it made him more foolish and stupid.

My ears rang. I felt sick.  

The image of him kissing her at the altar came crashing into my mind. The deep, passionate kiss… the way he looked at her like she was everything… like I was nothing.  

I took a step forward, shaking with fury. “That’s enough! Get out! Go back to your desperate, pathetic wife!”  

“Don’t insult Isabella,” he snapped. “She has nothing to do with this.”  

So he still defended her?Even now?What a shameless man!!

I couldn’t take it anymore. I pushed him toward the door. “Get out before I call the police on you”!!

I slammed the door behind him, my body trembling violently. Tears streamed down my face, but I forced myself to wipe them away.  

For me.  

For my mother.  

Later that day, I stayed in my room with Sophia. She sat silently, holding my hand, letting me cry, letting me breathe. I hadn’t realized how exhausted I was until I finally felt my body give in.  

I thought about my mother, lying weak in the hospital bed. How pale she looked, how slow her breaths were. How fragile life felt.  

I had to do something. I had to be strong. For her.  

Sophia watched me with concern. “Judy… you can’t let him ruin you like this. You’re stronger than that.”  

I nodded, biting my lip to stop myself from crying again. “I will be. I have to be.”  

She squeezed my hand. “I know you will. But promise me… don’t face this alone when it comes to him again. You have me.”  

“I promise,” I whispered, my voice shaking. “Always.”  

I sank back into the couch, exhausted. And then my phone buzzed.  

My heart jumped.  

Sophia leaned forward. “Judy?”  

I opened the message slowly. My fingers shook.  

“Location: Little Palm, Florida Keys.  

Room 309.  

Be on time. Don’t waste my time.  

3:00 PM.”  

My stomach churned.  

Little Palm. One of the richest hotels in town.  

I didn’t know who this was. I didn’t know if it was a trap. I didn’t know if I was walking into safety… or danger.  

Sophia’s eyes searched mine. “Judy… you don’t have to go.”  

I shook my head. “I do. If they know about Mom… if they can help… I have to try. I can’t ignore this.”  

She held my hand tightly. “Then you’ll be careful. Please. Promise me you won’t do anything reckless.”  

“I promise,” I whispered.  

My mind raced, my chest tight with fear, hope, and anger all at once.  

Who was this person really?How did they know about my mother?  

And why did they choose me?  

The questions swirled, and I felt my heart clench.  

But I knew one thing for certain: I couldn’t stay here forever.  

I had to find answers.  

And the moment to act was coming.