Chapter 4

She had lied to me.

She had lied to everyone.

She wasn't working hard or suffering at all.

She was... with a rich man? Living a life of luxury?

Is that why she hadn't come home for ten years? Is that why she neglected us, throwing money at us just to keep us quiet?

Those massive wire transfers... were they all from this man?

No wonder... No wonder she could suddenly send so much cash...

A wave of intense anger and the agonizing sting of betrayal washed over me.

Blood rushed to my head, and my vision went dark.

I bit my lip so hard I tasted copper.

I couldn't go over there.

I couldn't tear open this ugly truth in a place like this.

Stiffening my back, I turned around and practically fled to the kitchen.

"What's wrong? You look pale," the manager asked with concern.

I shook my head, my voice trembling. "I'm... I'm fine. Just felt a bit dizzy."

I asked to leave early.

Stepping out of the restaurant, the afternoon sun was blindingly bright, but I felt freezing cold.

I walked down the street like a ghost, my mind in complete chaos.

The image of her in that emerald green velvet dress and the memory of her walking away in her ragged clothes ten years ago clashed violently in my head, suffocating me.

"Mom."

"My dear mother."

"So this is the 'faraway place' you worked so hard in. This is your 'suffering.'"

"Then what about Grandma and me?"

"What were we to you?"

"Just some shameful baggage you left in the countryside?"

"Did you send money just to ease your guilty conscience?"

Tears blurred my vision.

I squatted on the busy sidewalk, buried my face in my knees, and sobbed silently.

I didn't confront her right away.

Instead, like a pathetic detective, I started tracking her.

I found out the places she frequented: that restaurant, an upscale art gallery, a high-end yoga studio.

And... that man’s house, a beautiful, multi-million-dollar brownstone in the heart of the city.

She was living a wonderful life.

A thousand times, ten thousand times better than mine.

She would hold his arm, walking in and out of luxury establishments with a graceful smile on her face.

She looked so happy.

It was blindingly painful to watch.

Every time I followed her, it felt like a slow execution of my heart.

My longing for her slowly distorted into hatred and resentment.

"Why?"

"Why did you abandon us?"

"Why did you lie to us?"

If you were living such a great life, why didn't you visit Grandma even once? Grandma missed you so much!

If you had so much money, why did you always act so exhausted over the phone?

Was it guilt? Or shame?

Or did you think we weren't worthy of being part of your glamorous new life?

Countless questions swirled in my head, tightening like a noose until I could barely breathe.

Finally, I couldn't take it anymore.

One evening, I watched her get out of the man’s car and walk alone into a nearby park.

Taking a deep breath, I followed her.

The park was quiet, the setting sun casting long shadows on the grass.

She sat down on a bench, watching some children playing in the distance. In the twilight, her face looked soft, but also... incredibly lonely.

I stepped closer, my heart beating so hard it felt like it would burst out of my chest.

I stopped right in front of her.

Sensing someone's presence, she looked up.

The moment her eyes met mine, her expression froze.

Surprise, panic, disbelief, and a trace of... sheer terror?

She stood up abruptly, her lips trembling. "Ch... Chloe? Why are you here?"