Chapter 4

There was gauze stuck to the back of Charlotte’s left hand. She looked at me disdainfully and said, “It’s so messy in here! Don’t you know how to clean?

“You don’t even know how to cherish my daughter when she’s agreed to be with you. You really want to ignore the household chores?”

Deanna’s parents had never liked me.

Every time we had dinner at their place, Charlotte would bring up Deanna’s ex-boyfriend.

Apparently, he was dashing, generous, and sensible. That was how she had always described Harvey.

When it came to me, I was lazy and a layabout who spent all of her daughter’s money.

I turned to Deanna.

She pretended as though her mother had not just insulted me. All she did was go put a bag of fruit into the fridge.

“Mom, Harvey bought you these. Make sure you eat them.”

Charlotte beamed.

Then, she shot me a sideways glance. “Harvey’s the best! He even buys me fruit. He’s so much better than a certain person who’s always such a jinx. I even got scalded right after the wedding! Such bad luck!”

I gritted my teeth. I saw Deanna in the vestibule typing away on her phone.

Her mouth was slightly upturned. She must be sharing something funny with Harvey.

“I didn’t jinx you. You getting scalded has nothing to do with me.”

Charlotte scoffed.

“Nothing to do with you? You impatiently made Deanna hold a wedding even before you got your marriage registered! You’re now shamelessly living in the house she bought with her money! You’re definitely a jinx.”

My chest felt tight.

That hurt, especially with how Deanna was ignoring everything like she could not hear it.

“Deanna and I each paid half for this place. We also shared the renovation costs. I’m not freeloading here.”

Charlotte laughed disdainfully. She turned to Deanna. “Didn’t you tell him how similar this place is to the one you rented with Harvey back in college?”

Deanna’s hands froze.

She looked up. “That’s in the past. Why are you bringing it up?”

I stood there, frozen in place.

Charlotte seemed to be very pleased with my reaction. She handed me her phone.

It showed texts Deanna had sent her during college.

The pictures showed a rented apartment. It looked exactly like our current home.

[Mom, Harvey really loved this open balcony. We’ll have to get one in our future home.]

[Harvey wants a cat, but the landlord doesn’t allow pets. We’ll have to get one in the future.]

I felt numb as I recalled the time we had chosen the tiles for this house.

Deanna had been extremely demanding. She wanted the colors and designs to be exactly how she wanted them.

As for all the drawers, she had drawn up designs personally. Even the cushions for the window seat had been custom-made. She had even specified the paintings we hung on the wall.

I asked her why she had a cat room when we did not even have a cat.

She had hugged me in the middle of the living room and chuckled. “Because this is my dream home! Two people, one cat, three meals a day, and four seasons a year is all I want.”

What she had said then remained with me, and I had tolerated countless days when she had ignored me.

Had this place been designed for her and Harvey all along?

I took in a sharp breath and looked up. “Do you have something to say about this, Deanna?”

Deanna let out an irritated “tsk” and told Charlotte to save it.

“Harvey and his parents are waiting for me at the bus station. We’ll talk things out when I’m back. Take good care of my mom. Stop thinking so much.”

Deanna left just like that after dumping Charlotte here.

Charlotte rolled her eyes in annoyance.

“Alright! What are you standing there for? Make me some breakfast. I’m going to take a nap.”

There was a buzzing in my ears as I balled my fists tighter. I could barely hear what she said.

When I came back to myself, I was dragging my luggage outside.

Charlotte was snoring away in the guest bedroom. She did not even hear the sound of the door closing.

When I got into the cab, I got a text from my mother telling me that they were heading back home.

I called her. “Wait for me, Mom. I’m never coming back here again.”