Scattering the Tears of Parting
Chapter 1
The day Dad brought Monica home to the mansion, Mom spent the whole night on the balcony, staring at the wind.
Before that, my mom’s coworkers at the research institute envied her.
They said she should be enjoying the good life, why bother working so hard? Just focus on managing the family finances.
But Mom didn’t care much for that.
“Those things are all superficial,” she’d say. “As long as we have each other, money doesn’t matter. If he ever stops loving me, I’ll walk away.”
Mom’s words turned out to be prophetic. Dad really did fall out of love with her.
When he showed up with that woman in public, Mom didn’t hesitate – she flew overseas, leaving everything behind.
Looking at my fiancé’s intertwined hands with someone else on my Facebook feed, I knew it was time to follow Mom’s example.
1
The day after Dad brought Monica home, he called a family meeting.
He shoved a divorce agreement onto Mom’s side of the table.
“Emily, Monica’s having some trouble, and you know how close we are, so I have to help her.”
“Us three living together isn’t a good look.”
“I promise, the divorce is just for show, we’ll still be a family. It’s to quiet the gossip, don’t worry.”
I stared at Dad, speechless. “What?! She’s having trouble? He could rent her an apartment, even buy her a house. Why does she have to live with us?”
Mom stopped me, shaking her head.
She signed the papers without a second thought.
A smile spread across Dad’s face.
“Honey, believe me, you’re the only woman I’ve ever loved. Once she’s through this rough patch, we’ll remarry.”
He smiled and left. Minutes later, the news broke.
“Businessman, Robert Lee, Officially Announces Divorce.”
Mom and I sat in the living room, staring at the news, heartbroken.
“Mom, why did you agree? Who is this Monica?”
She wiped away a tear. “She’s your dad’s first love, the one he’s always carried a torch for.”
“What kind of trouble needs this much help?”
“Monica has a daughter, a year older than you. Of course, he’d help her.”
Everything I’d learned in my twenty-four years felt shattered.
So many people envied my parents’ perfect marriage. Never did I imagine this kind of drama.
“Mom, do you think Dad still loves her?”
More tears welled up in her eyes.
“I don’t know, but I think she’s stopped loving me.”
I nodded, a deep sadness settling in my heart.
“Honey, I’m leaving. You should move out too, this house won’t be ours for long.”
I hugged her tightly, tears streaming down my face.
The next day, Mom and I went to work at the institute.
At the institute, Aunt Sarah, from HR, greeted us warmly.
She’s the mother of my fiancé, Jason.
“Aunt Sarah, I tried to take Jason out to dinner last night, but he said he wasn’t feeling well. Is he better?”
Her face tightened. “Oh, you know how it is with young men, he’ll be fine after a good night’s sleep.”
I didn’t press it, and went to the lab.
A fellow intern, gossiping, approached me with her phone.
“Lucy, wow, I heard your family is loaded. That bracelet you got Jason, twenty grand, right?”
I froze. She pointed to Jason’s Facebook – a picture of two hands clasped together. Matching bracelets.
I’d noticed Jason acting distant. He’d cancelled almost every date.
Now it all made sense.
I couldn’t see these posts myself, so I borrowed my colleague’s phone.
Amusement parks, Michelin-starred restaurants, late-night sports car rides…
And a woman who looked exactly like Dad.
Those were her important things.
Jason and I had been college sweethearts. It was love at first sight on my part. It turned out his mom and mine were coworkers. My mom even set us up.
After that dinner, Mom took me for a walk. She took my hand.
“Lucy, I like you too, from the moment I met you.”
That night, under the streetlight, we embraced.
Now, I see we both had terrible judgment.
This engagement had to end.
2
After work, Mom stayed late.
I bought some fruit and went to Jason’s place.
Aunt Sarah answered the door. She glanced at the fruit then blocked the entrance.
“Lucy, Jason’s not home, you should go.”
I stood there awkwardly, it was the first time she’d ever turned me away.
“Aunt Sarah, please take the fruit. He wasn’t feeling well, he should eat some.”
She refused. “We have plenty of fruit. You can take it back for your mom, goodbye.”
She slammed the door.
I heard her mutter, “They’re so rich, but so cheap! All these years, not a single decent gift for Jason. He’s the one paying for our dinners.”
Defeated, I headed down the stairs.
A red sports car pulled up. Jason and the woman from his Facebook pictures got out, arm in arm.
“Do you think my parents will like this cordyceps?”
“Of course, my mom made a feast, knowing you were coming.”
Suddenly, everything clicked. They’d shut the door to keep me from ruining their evening.
My simple fruit paled in comparison to her cordyceps.
“Jason!”
I stopped him. He flinched, pulling his hand away.
“Lucy, what are you doing here?”
I ignored him. “Who is she? What’s going on between you two?”
Jason waved his hands frantically. “It’s not what you think.”
“Didn’t your dad tell you? That’s your sister, Jessica, she just moved here, so my dad asked me to show her around.”
I looked at her, then saw their matching bracelets.
Jason quickly hid his hands.
Jessica held them out. “Matching bracelets, my gift. Got a problem, sis? You’re so cheap, you don’t want me to spoil him?”
That was the last straw. I slapped her.
She hit back, harder than me, knocking me to the ground.
Jason rushed over. “You’re sisters! My mom made dinner, why don’t you join us?”
I shoved him away.
“Your mom didn’t even let me in the door! Eat what, dirt?”
“Jason, why did you lie to me? We can’t even be honest with each other?”
“If you don’t want to marry me, just say so, I won’t keep you!”
I ran home, dirt-covered and heartbroken.
3
I walked into Dad and Monica enjoying a candlelit dinner.
“Honey, this is Aunt Monica, I didn’t get to introduce you yesterday.”
I glared. “Oh, so like mother, like daughter. You both look so innocent, but all you do is steal other people’s husbands.”
Dad’s face turned red. He slapped his hand on the table.
“How dare you talk to your elders like that? You’ve become so disrespectful!”
I scoffed. “Disrespectful? Maybe I learned it from you, making my fiancé wait on your daughter. That’s disrespectful.”
Slap! He slapped me.
“She’s my daughter too! You’re sisters, what’s the big deal about your fiancé spending time with her? So petty!”
“Do you really think I’m that terrible, Dad?”
He was furious, breathing heavily.
Monica comforted him. “Lucy, it’s my fault, don’t let us ruin your relationship with your father. I’m sorry.”
Dad hugged her tightly. “No, dream, it’s not your fault, I didn’t raise her right.”
The door opened; Jessica rushed in, concern etched on her face.
“Dad, who upset you?”
Dad noticed the faint redness on her cheek. “Sweetheart, are you hurt? Did you fight someone? Does it hurt?”
Jessica gave me a pointed look.
“Dad, my sister hates me. She’s had your love for twenty years, I’m so jealous.”
“I just want a little bit of your love, Dad, it’s not too much to ask, right?”
Dad’s eyes welled up. He glared at me.
“Are you really my daughter? She’s my child too! Why can’t you accept her?”
I pointed to my face.
“Dad, I’m more hurt than her! You haven’t even noticed, you only care about them now. What about Mom and me?”
He stared.
“I’m sorry, I just didn’t notice…”
“Dad, don’t say anything. I know, Mom and I don’t matter anymore. I don’t need your fake concern!”
I ran to my room and cried.
4
The next day, Jason waited for me outside the institute. The bracelet was gone.
“Lucy, I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have hidden it from you. Please forgive me.”
I looked at him coldly. “The engagement is off.”
His eyes welled up. He grabbed my hand. “Don’t do this, I promise I’ll never see her again, you know I love you.”
His sincerity wavered me. Maybe I was wrong.
My tone softened.
“Jason, I’m giving you one chance.”
I went inside.
Mom was in the lab, looking disheveled.
“Mom, did you stay up all night?”
“Yes, the director contacted me, a research project overseas, it’ll take five years. I’m still thinking about it.”
I knew she was disappointed in Dad, but she couldn’t let go.
“Mom, you missed many opportunities to be with Dad, if you miss this one again, at your age, you won’t get another chance.”
She shook her head. “It’s not just that, I can’t believe he just stopped loving me after twenty years. What if he’s just confused…”
I sighed. We were both softies.
That night, Dad said he wouldn’t be home, he had a product launch.
Mom and I watched the livestream.
Mom’s eyes shone when Dad was on stage.
But at the end, he announced, “I’d like to make two announcements.”
“I’m appointing Monica as Vice President, and Jessica as General Manager of the new project.”
Monica went on stage and kissed Dad. Jessica stood beside him; the three of them smiled at the cameras.
A reporter asked, “Mr. Lee, are you announcing your new relationship with Ms. Monica? You two are a perfect match.”
I looked at Mom. The light had gone from her eyes.
Like stagnant water, dark and lifeless.
“Honey, he doesn’t love me anymore.”
“Take care of yourself after I leave.”
I sighed, a bitter smile touched my lips.
“Mom, would you mind if I moved in with you?”
She stared at me. “What about Jason?”
I showed her a screenshot.
In the front row of the launch, Jason, dressed up, wearing that twenty-thousand-dollar bracelet.
A bouquet of red roses. He looked so happy.
“Mom, there’s no place for us in that home anymore.”
