Chapter 2
In my sophomore year of college, I drop out to take care of Carter. That was when my mom finally ripped off her façade for good.
“For a man, you’ll ruin your life?! How did I end up with such a hopeless, brainless daughter?!”
“How can a woman who drove her own husband to his grave ever understand love?”
I knew I shouldn’t have said it, but the rage consumed me, and I wanted to wound her, deeper and deeper.
“So you’ve finally said it…”
ו”
gave you everything I could, loved you like no one else could! Now leave! I never want to
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sesee you again!“!”
YeYet every year, like clockworkrkslesent her
mmoney.
OrOn holidays, when other daughterersevere hdhonoring their parents, I still keptphthe traradition for her.
BuButewe became nothing more than ghoststis) 1 eachobt other too familiar to be strangers geve totodislistant to be family.
At/niglight, the woman who once swore shehe hadanondadalighter traveled countless mileses, her stepspasasdaeavy as the regret she carriede
The years of bitterness and denial had not ot been kind to tienershsharp, cold, and haughtyty once, she wasasorowanshadow of her former er self. If.
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She entered the room with a poised facade, trying to mask the tremors of age that betrayed her once proud stature. But when her eyes fell on the body lying still, the air in the room seemed to crack.
A smile–a strange, twisted thing–curled at her lips.
“She… she can’t be my daughter!” she hissed, voice trembling, not with sorrow, but with disbelief.
She took a step back, her heels clicking louder now, almost frantic. “My daughter could never die like this.
“Carter promised me! He promised he would protect her!”
But when the results of the test were handed to her–silent, damning–her hands shook
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violently.
“No! This–this can’t be! My daughter is alive! You’re lying to me!”
Her voice, now cracked under the weight of her fury.
“This isn’t her! This isn’t my daughter!”
Her hair tie had fallen off, and her hair tumbled wildly.
She had also lost one of her high heels.
Limping, she staggered out of the police station, her eyes vacant and lost as she gazed at the dazzling neon lights of the strange city.
Suddenly, a thought crossed her mind. She dug through her handbag and pulled out a
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crumpled piece of paper.
It had a phone number written on it, but after all these years, the handwriting had faded.
She pulled out her phone, dialing repeatedly, trying and failing to get through.
Frustrated, she dialed the wrong number over and over, until the person on the other end snapped.
Half an hour later, she finally managed to dial the right number.
“Carter, it’s Aunt Sara…”
It took Carter a moment to remember who “Aunt Sara” was.
“I broke up with Ariya.”
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“I also gave her ten million as a breakup fee.”
“If you’re not happy with that, you can contact my lawyer…”
“Aunt, that’s not what I mean, Ariya… she…”
The call ended abruptly.
When I was with Carter, his family was drowning in debt, and then Liela broke up with him.
Two heavy blows, and that month, Carter was in the ICU twice.
My mother never approved of me being with Carter, especially since I would have to drop out of school to care for him. Later, Carter built a mafia gang, slowly rising to power, and became ruthless.
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My mother had cursed us with the cruelest words.
She didn’t give up.
She sent Carter another text, only to discover that he had blocked her.
Then, she received a message: My fiancee Leila has depression. I don’t want her to overthink…
No guilt, no apology, just stating the fact and asking my mother to stop bothering him.
I don’t know why my mother kept digging for her own misery.
Maybe she wanted to tell Carter I was dead.
Maybe she just wanted to understand what had really happened between Carter and
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1er
nd
Dr
rome…
MMy mother stood frozeneh holding her pho le letting the cold auturon wiwind turn her lip pipurple.
PaPassersby glanced at her stranglegely,sas i ththey were looking at a madworoaman.
“MMom, let’s go back…”
N&No matter how many times I whisperedeid heierear, she couldn’t hear me.e
Foranthe first time, I regretted not havingng setdated things with her while I was still alia
Suddenlyly/she rushed out again, grabbing passerbyby.
“Excusesmen&Shadow Group?”
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She asked over and over, searched every corner, until a kind–hearted stranger, moved by her plight, helped her hail a cab.
It seemed like my mother had just remembered that taxis existed.
“Aunt, are you looking for someone?”
My mother’s expression had become dazed.
“I’m looking for my son–in–law, he’s the head of a mafia gang shadow…”
The kind stranger’s face twitched, looking like they regretted helping my mother hail a cab.
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