Chapter 4
Suddenly, I find myself missing my parents.
They passed away in a car accident four years
ago.
At the time, Archer and I were in the midst of a crucial period.
We were so busy that I didn’t even have time to
mourn.
I didn’t have many relatives. After hastily arranging my parents‘ funeral, I had no time to rest and rushed back to work.
Only in the stillness of night would I collapse into Archer’s arms, sobbing uncontrollably.
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Back then, Archer’s face was full of tenderness
as he held me tightly.
“Don’t be afraid, Gwen, I’m here.”
“I’ll be your family.”
“From now on, we’ll visit them every year.”
Maybe it’s because it was so long ago, but those memories have blurred over time.
My parents‘ accident resulted in a compensation of a million dollars.
I’ve kept that bank card safely ever since.
During our hardest times, I thought about using
that money.
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But Archer refused.
“Gwen, that’s the last gift your parents left you.
We can’t touch it.”
“Don’t worry, I’ll figure something out.”
In the end, Archer ran around, pulling all–nighters and winning over several partners until he secured the investment we needed.
That’s when Archer developed his stomach issues.
I think we truly loved each other back then.
And now, we truly don’t.
A few days ago, Archer called, saying the
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company was facing a financial shortfall.
I listened quietly, already guessing what he was going to ask.
And sure enough, I was right.
Archer said once the payments came through, he would return the money to me immediately.
I agreed.
He said the accountant would come by to collect the bank card; I only needed to hand it
over.
You see, Archer didn’t even want to come himself.
I took time off for Paige and boarded a train
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back to my hometown.
Ever since Archer’s company became stable, we hardly ever went back.
When my parents had just passed, he would still make time to visit their graves with me, but now, he doesn’t even think about returning.
I understand him.
When people become successful, seeing remnants of the past only reminds them of those darker days.
Archer wants to focus on his success in the
present, not the past.
Our hometown is a small northern city, the kind
that barely registers on a map.
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After taking a high–speed train, then a regular train, and finally a taxi, Paige and I arrived after a day of travel.
The old family house was no longer livable, so I found a hotel for us to stay in.
Paige had only been here once before, so everything felt foreign to her. She curiously watched the world outside the window.
After a long day, the little one was already exhausted.
By the time I finished unpacking, Paige, who had been lying there, had fallen asleep.
I tucked her in before getting up.
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Looking at my phone, I stared at the chat window with Archer.
In the end, I decided not to tell him that Paige and I had returned home
I had also given the housekeeper time off.
When Archer called, I was taking Paige to tour my old high school.
It was already our third day back. I suppose Archer had only just returned home to find us gone.co
I turned off my phone, ignoring the string of calls from Archer.
For the past few days, I had been walking around with Paige, showing her the places of
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my childhood.
This high school was, to be precise, the one
Archer and I both attended.
Our former homeroom teacher was still there.
We used to call him Old Perkins.
I was surprised he still remembered me after all these years.
Seeing me with my daughter, Old Perkins was overjoyed and insisted on treating us to lunch.
We went to a little restaurant just outside the school.
Back in high school, I used to love the sweet and sour pork here.
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But eating it now didn’t bring back the same feelings.
It was too sweet.
I didn’t like it.
But Paige ate it with gusto.
During the meal, Old Perkins asked how Archer was doing.
I smiled.
“He’s swamped. Otherwise, why would I be here alone with our daughter?”
Old Perkins smiled in understanding.
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Speaking of Archer, Old Perkins grew nostalgic.
At the time, Archer had lost both his parents and barely made it into high school with government aid and his excellent grades.
Even so, he still had to work weekends just to scrape by.
The teachers, including Old Perkins, all felt sorry for Archer, but life wasn’t easy for anyone back then.
They would often take turns bringing food from home for him.
It’s been over a decade now..
Time truly spares no one.
