Chapter 100
There were seven photos, each featuring a girl. The first four were her and Neil, under cherry blossom trees, on lover’s bridge, and with a Ferris wheel They were wearing matching outfits and grinning like they had won the lottery. The next two were a stark contrast, filled with sorrow She was crying in a selfie, and her wrist was stained with blood. The last one was the worst. It was a corpse, presumably drowned. Soaked to the bone and tangled in seaweed, her skin was pale and bloated
It took me a few minutes to regain my bearings, and my voice was shaky, “Mom, who is she?”
“Ever seen anyone who looks like her?‘ Faith gently shot back another question
I nodded Yeah, Bonnie was practically her doppelganger.
Faith put the photos away, sighing, Trene, her name is Karina, a girl Neil once had a thing for.”
“Mom, spill it What’s this got to do with me?” I was starting to freak out
With Faith filling me in, I learned that there was more to Neil than I knew. Turned out that it was around graduation when I and my buddies, like Stella, were away for an internship. That was the only time I was away from Neil that long, trying to find something to chat about online every day I remembered how Neil changed his Facebook background to a cartoon peach, which threw me into a tizzy, fearing he was in love
My gut was right.
Neil met Karina during that time, the first girl he really fell for. It was different from his past flings; he was serious about Karina, but his family was dead against it.
Neil’s grandpa was seriously ill, and wanting to see Neil get married, they set out to find a suitable match. They thought I was a good fit. When I learned I was to marry Neil, I didn’t hesitate to say yes, which only fueled the Whitmore family’s opposition to Karina
“Why didn’t you tell me then?” I asked.
“We were adamant about keeping Neil and Karina apart. We thought since they hadn’t been together long, once he agreed to marry you, they’d drift apart. But that girl Faith’s eyes were filled with regret and guilt.
Now I know why Neil was so mean on our wedding night, every word was a stab in my heart. And his promise that I would regret marrying him and suffer my whole life finally made sense. The girl he loved killed herself by jumping into a river on our wedding day
“Irene Faith’s face was pale, “I know it was wrong to keep you in the dark, you had a right to know. But we were desperate, and by the time she jumped, you and Neil were already married. It was too late.”
My heart sank, and my smile was bitter, “I got it.”
I stood up, and grabbed my coat, “Can I get a lift home? I need to clear my head.”
Faith sighed, helpless, “Irene, I’m telling you this hoping you’ll reconsider Neil. It’s our fault for being so harsh back then. Neil’s a victim too.”
“Mm.“I didn’t want to talk, so I just nodded.
Soon, someone Faith arranged drove me back to Rosemont. My emotions were all over the place as my mind filled with memories of the past.
Turned out, Faith knew how Neil felt about me but wouldn’t tell me what happened, making me believe it was my fault.
Turned out, Neil had someone he loved. Karina was his true love, and Bonnie was just a stand–in.
Turned out, I’m the joke, clueless about why Neil kept hurting me.
Turned out, I’m not even the second lead in this story.
I rolled down the window, letting the chilly wind dry the tears on my face.
“Are you cold? You’ll catch a cold.” The driver warned.
“Not cold.” I was so cold that my temples hurt, but I stubbornly replied. Perhaps the cold could blow away my stupidity and ignorance.
By the time I got home, it was pitch dark. My parents were surprised to see me back so soon.
But they quickly guessed something had happened at my in–laws‘ place.
“What happened, Rena? Your eyes are so red” my mom asked worriedly.
“Nothing, they just tried to talk me out of divorcing Neil. Got a bit upset and shed a few tears.” I lied; my demeanor was now considerably calmer, and i even managed a smile.
They’ve got some nervel Why didn’t they teach that scumbag son of theirs a lesson earlier?” My dad fumed
“Exactly” My mom agreed.
“Dad, Mom, don’t worry. After New Year’s, I decided that I’ll stay with Harold for a couple years, then get the divorce” I replied.
“Decided?” My mom probed
“Decided “I didn’t want to be the third wheel anymore. This marriage had a death on its conscience, it shouldn’t continue.
My dad nodded approvingly. “Good, we respect your decision”
“Alright, now that you’re back, let’s cook together. Keep busy, and stop overthinking” my mom dragged me into the kitchen, giving me a few tasks.
I complied, worked as her sous chef and we whipped up a feast before midnight.
This was the first New Year’s Eve dinner without Neil in five years of marriage. There wouldn’t be any more; I needed to get used to it starting today
Dinner with just the three of us was also warm and harmonious. My mom regretted not having another child; it would’ve been livelier. My dad agreed and
started advising me, “Rena, after you divorce Neil, find a good man. Trust me, have more than one kid. It’s more fun when everyone’s together”
Just for the sake of fun, I should have another man?” I was a little tipsy after a few drinks, my cheeks were flushed
“Of course, having kids is all about making holidays more fun. Otherwise, why have a bunch of little troublemakers?” my dad candidly expressed his view.
My mom and I exchanged a glance, and she scolded, “You men sure talk the talk. If you can, give birth yourself. Having one child is already a trip to hell, i don’t want my daughter to go through that twice!”
When my dad heard this, he seemed to think it made sense, “Huh? Seems like you’re right. When your mom was giving birth to you, she bled a lot Scared the hell out of me I was thinking, is this kid here to take my wife or what? Better shove it back in!”
“What kind of ill–omened crap is that? Spit spit spit!” My mom got pissed and started hitting my dad’s mouth with a spoon
My dad snapped back to reality and went “spit spit spit” too. I was cracking up watching these two old lovebirds. Suddenly, there were the sounds of fireworks outside. I turned my head towards the window and saw the beautiful fireworks illuminating the night sky. They were just gorgeous.
Another new year, huh? I silently watched the fireworks, praying in my heart that the world would let me start a new life.
