Half an hour later, Assistant Lena brought me to my mother.
We hadn’t seen each other in five years.
She looked more polished and formidable than ever.
Her sharp eyes swept over me.
I instinctively felt timid and wanted to hide.
She saw right through me.
“What are you afraid of? Still so spineless.”
Just like that, always like that.
Even when I was this miserable, my mother’s first words were still sarcastic.
My eyes grew hot, and my nose stung.
“Yeah, I’m useless. That’s why my life is such a mess.”
I was full of resentment.
He promised to love me forever, and now, just a few years later, his heart
had changed.
My mother completely ignored my emotions and kept poking at my sore
spots.
“What else can you do besides throwing a tantrum in front of me?”
“You can’t even keep your man. Stunned, aren’t you?”
The more she said, the sadder I felt.
The tears I’d held back all morning finally fell.
“Waaah… Yes, I’m useless, I’m trash. I don’t even know what to do when my
husband cheats.”
“Go ahead, yell at me. Do whatever. I don’t even want to live anymore.”
I cried hysterically, my vision darkening.
I slumped onto the sofa, grabbing tissues between sobs.
My mother glanced at Lena.
“You, record this. This pathetic look is perfect for posting online.”
My crying stopped abruptly. I was stunned.
“Mom!!!! You’re my biological mother! How could you?”
My mother looked at me for a moment, walked over, and poked my forehead
hard.
“How did I give birth to such a pushover?”
Yeah, she was incredible.
After having me and discovering my father’s affair, she divorced him without
a second thought.
She built a tiny electronic components company from the ground up.
Then took it public, and sold products to dozens of countries.
At her toughest, she was negotiating with an overseas client while on an IV
drip with a 102-degree fever.
An Indian businessman tried to swindle her, and she shoved the sample box
in front of him aside.
“Do you think we’re easy to bully?”
“If you dare cheat us out of payment, my lawyers will make sure you regret
it.”
As formidable as my mother was, she gave birth to a cowardly daughter like
me.
Since childhood, aside from decent grades, I was nothing like her.
And an ultimate romantic fool.
I knew Caleb was hard to handle.
But obsessed with his looks and so-called charm, I married him against all
advice.
My mother glared at me for a while.
But eventually, her heart softened.
She sighed.
“He’s keeping a woman, can’t you keep a man? It’s not like we can’t afford it.”
“I have over a dozen sponsored students from disadvantaged backgrounds.”
“Pick whichever one you like.”
I was incredulous. “??? Mom, are you telling me to cheat?”
My mother shook her head. “No. I’m teaching you to love yourself.”
I was confused.
I didn’t understand how this related to self-love, but her advice, based on
my life experience, was usually right.
“Relationships between men and women are about value exchange.”
“When you first married, you were young, pretty, and compliant. So he was
willing to dote on you and put in the effort.”
“But now, five years later, the novelty is long gone.”
“You’re holed up at home every day, sloppy, like a nanny.”
“To Caleb, you offer neither business value nor emotional value. What else is
there for him?”
I stammered, “B-but… I gave him two children…”
“Any healthy woman can have children! And you are not a baby-making
machine.”
My mother lit a cigarette, a half-smile on her face.
“Annabel, you were raised by your grandparents. I was busy with my career
and didn’t have time for you.”
“I know they instilled many traditional values in you.”
“Those values aren’t inherently right or wrong. Loyalty, for instance. A clear
conscience.”
“But if you apply them to someone unworthy, it’s foolishness. It’s being weak
and easy to bully.”
“I don’t find Caleb’s cheating hard to understand.”
“To be blunt, if I were in his position, with so many temptations and a dull
marriage, I might slip up too.”
“After all, there’s no real cost.”
“He’s sure you’ll just swallow your anger.”
Her words were as piercing as ever.
I wiped my face.
“So what should I do?”
“Find yourself a young, vibrant guy. Date. Enjoy life.”
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