His business eventually took off, and we moved into the big house he had promised.
I often thought about the pendant and visited the pawn shop repeatedly, but it had long since turned into a snack shop, and I never found it again.
Once, at a fancy dinner, we met a distinguished elderly couple. There was something familiar about them, and a friend mentioned I resembled the woman when she was younger.
After the dinner, while waiting for Mike outside the hotel, the elderly lady
approached and asked about my mom’s age and her jade pendant.
Before I could answer, a car pulled up, and the old woman’s daughter stepped out. She was stunning and looked nothing like my
mom.
The moment she saw me, her expression changed. She approached, took her
mother’s arm, and murmured, “Mom.”
The old woman seemed to know what her
daughter was thinking. She glanced at me, then gently patted her daughter’s hand.
She reassured her, “Don’t worry, dear. I only have one daughter, and that’s you.”
When Mike arrived, I was alone outside.
He looked at me, puzzled, “What’s wrong? Why are you crying?”
I wiped my eyes, “I thought you had left me. I waited so long…”
Mike laughed softly and pinched my cheek, “Crybaby! Don’t worry, I’d never leave you behind.”
Hearing those words, I finally felt like I had a place to belong.
My Mike said he’d never leave me.
Mike’s Extra Story
Jessa came back.
She was just like when we were kids,
always clinging to me, always looking for attention.
But then she handed me a report. She had cancer, and she didn’t have long to live.
Like when we were younger, she grabbed my sleeve and said, “Mike, I just came back and don’t know anyone here. I’m really scared. Can I stay at your place?”
Looking into her eyes, I just couldn’t say
- no.
I planned to settle Jessa in and then find the right time to explain things to Lynn.
I figured Lynn loved me so much that even if she didn’t want me around Jessa, she’d come around if I ignored her for a few days.
Jessa needed chemo and said she was scared of the pain, so she asked me to stay with her. That’s why I canceled the trip to the ski resort with Lynn. To avoid upsetting Jessa, I even blocked Lynn’s
number temporarily.
I didn’t expect to see Lynn at the hospital.
The cold look in her eyes made me uneasy, but I was sure she loved me too much to
leave me. I figured she’d come around like always, with just a little coaxing.
The experimental drug from overseas wasn’t fully tested. The doctors suggested that instead of giving it directly to Jessa, we find someone with a similar body type who hadn’t taken any medication to test it first. Even if there were side effects, it wouldn’t
be too serious.
I already knew who I wanted for the job–I wanted Lynn to test the drug for Jessa.
It was a matter of life and death, and Lynn was so kind–hearted. I was sure she wouldn’t just stand by and let Jessa die.
I never expected Lynn to refuse me. I was furious; she had never said no to me
before.
Small disagreements were one thing, but this was life and death. Lynn shouldn’t have been throwing a tantrum.
She was less sensible than Jessa, who even told me not to make things hard for her.
Then Lynn said she was pregnant with my child.
I didn’t believe her.
But after forcing the medicine down her throat, Lynn fell like a butterfly with its wings clipped, lifeless on the floor.
I kept telling myself everything would be fine. She was so healthy; a little medication
wouldn’t hurt her.
But then she started bleeding, a lot, pouring down my hands and staining the hallway.
She really had been pregnant.
Lynn barely made it out of the ER alive. As she lay there on the bed, I suddenly felt like she was slipping away from me.
When she woke up, she said the baby
wasn’t mine.
I knew it was mine. But I couldn’t bear the guilt of being the one who caused my own child’s death, so I chose to believe Jessa’s lie, convincing myself it wasn’t my baby.
