Chapter 3

Stanley went silent for a moment.

After a while, he wrapped his arms around me from behind.

"You know how much I like her. It's only a fake divorce. Once she has the baby, I'll come back to you, all right?"

"Aren't you afraid that after the divorce, I'll marry someone else?"

He gave a helpless little laugh. "Anyone else might. But not you."

He'd grown so used to my meekness, my waiting, that he was certain I couldn't live without him.

That was the only reason he believed I'd stay right where I was, waiting for him even after the divorce.

"Besides, you're carrying my child. I promise you, after all this is over, we'll live a good life together."

I bit down hard on my lip, forcing myself not to make a sound as I cried.

Stanley.

Our child died a long time ago, and you're the one who caused it.

But there was no reason to tell him the truth.

"Fine."

Seeing how cleanly I signed my name on the divorce papers,

Stanley hesitated, thrown by an odd flicker of panic. "Teresa, I love you."

"When this is over, you'll remarry me, won't you?"

"Of course."

He'd deceived me seven times. All I did was deceive him once.

Stanley, this is what you owe me. What will your face look like when you finally learn the truth?

Just before I left with my luggage.

The hospital suddenly called. My mother had gone into cardiac arrest and been rushed into the ICU.

The surgery would cost fifty thousand dollars.

I begged Stanley to lend me some money first.

He was just about to make the transfer.

Then Cindy came rushing in, snatched his phone out of his hand, and scolded me with a face full of disapproval.

"If I remember correctly, you and Stanley are in your divorce cooling-off period right now. You've already signed the papers. How do you have the nerve to use his money?"

"Besides, good people are looked after by heaven. If your mother had done plenty of good deeds all along, she'd pull through this hardship without needing any surgery."

"Stanley, don't you think I have a point?"

Stanley looked at me, torn.

Every cent of the household finances was in Cindy's hands.

To get money, Cindy had to agree first.

I looked at my mother's face gone gray, and my voice trembled as I choked back sobs and knelt down to beg Cindy. "Please, I'll fill out forms. Fill out as many forms as you want, however many you say. She's all I have left."

"Don't try to guilt-trip me."

Cindy pried me off without a shred of mercy.

"I already told you. If you want money, go earn it yourself. Stanley works hard for every dollar. It's bad enough you don't appreciate him, and now you want to throw his money around."

My eyes went red.

I turned on Stanley. "Is that what you think too?"

"Stanley, if you lend money to your ex-wife, that proves you still have feelings for her. I’ll go end the pregnancy right now!"

Cindy shrieked, clutching her belly, and stormed off toward the maternity ward in a fury.

Stanley went straight after her.

I grabbed his hand, crying. "Stanley, just transfer the money first, please? I swear I won't show up in front of you two again for the next few days. I swear."

"Cindy's right. If your mother were a good person, how would something like this happen to her? I'll go calm Cindy down first. Wait for me to come back, and then we'll talk…"

He coldly pulled his hand free from mine and walked away without looking back.

At that same moment, a sharp, urgent sound rang out from the emergency room.

The doctor stepped out. "I'm very sorry, Ms. Cooley. We did everything we could, but your mother didn't make it. She's passed away."

"No—"

A thick, metallic sweetness surged up in my throat.

The world spun. I thought of my mother smiling as she watched me in my wedding dress, smiling as she said she couldn't wait for the day she'd hold a grandchild…

But now, she would never live to see that day.

I had my mother cremated.