LOGINAfter that day, my father and Mary only grew closer. Meanwhile, the preparations for my wedding with Miles were moving full speed ahead. Miles went along with everything I wanted and never pushed me into anything I did not feel comfortable with.The venue was decorated simply but warmly. For the head table, I made sure to save spots for my father, Mary, and Miles’ parents.Before the ceremony started, I was sitting in the wedding car, waiting for the convoy to head to the venue. Miles sat next to me, holding my hand tightly.I gazed out the window at the passing scenery, feeling hopeful and excited about every day I would get to spend with Miles.Then, something caught my eye.By a trash can on the side of the road, a woman in faded, dirty clothes was bent over, rummaging through the garbage. Her hair was a mess, her face was smudged with grime, and she wore old, tattered gloves. She looked thin and worn out.When I looked closer, my heart sank. It was my mother.G
Half a month had passed. One afternoon, my father called me on the phone. “Selena, I’m having Mary over for dinner tonight. Bring Miles along, too, so everyone can officially meet.”Around 6 p.m., we arrived at my house. Mary Watson, my father’s girlfriend, was already there.Soon, the food was served, and the four of us sat around the table. The atmosphere was warm and harmonious.My father kept piling food onto Mary’s plate, urging her to eat more. Mary occasionally looked up with a shy expression. She also served food to Miles and me from time to time, gently reminding us not to overwork ourselves.As I watched them together, I felt a genuine sense of comfort. It was good to see my father finally letting go of the divorce and building something new for himself.Miles was also very considerate. He took the initiative to chat with my father and Mary, sharing amusing stories from work, which made everyone burst into laughter.Unfortunately, that warm moment was cut
After that day, my mother fell into a slump for quite a while. She also stopped mentioning anything about being a heroine or building a career.I thought that after getting scammed, she would finally learn her lesson and would just settle down and live a normal life from here on out.However, I should have known that a leopard could not change its spots.Within less than a month, my mother asked me to meet her at a cafe.This time, my mother said gently, “Selena, sweetie, how have you been lately? How’s work? How has that boy Miles been treating you?”When I heard her asking about me like this, I started feeling wary.I could not be bothered to beat around the bush, so I frowned and said directly, “Cut the small talk. Just tell me what you want.”She was caught off guard by my bluntness. She paused for a few seconds before finally speaking hesitantly.“Selena, honey... I’ve been in a rough spot lately. I’m a little short on cash. Do you think you could get me a supplementary
The office was a mess. It was completely ransacked.The luxury desk, leather couch, and medical equipment my mother had bragged about were all gone.Discarded wrapping paper and torn scraps littered the dusty floor.It was obvious that my mother had been scammed. The so-called “Dr. Parker from Korvia” was nothing but a con artist who had been scheming about how to take her money from the very beginning.Seeing this, my father quickly took out his phone and called the police.The police arrived swiftly, reaching the scene in less than ten minutes.My father and I recounted the whole story from beginning to end in detail.Before we could finish, my mother shouted at me agitatedly, “Who said you could call the cops? There’s no way Mr. Parker scammed me. “It’s got to be a misunderstanding. What if he had an emergency and just had someone clear the place out for now?”As she spoke, she shook her head.“But I’m the heroine here! A heroine is supposed to be loved by everyone. Eve
My mother was serious about starting a studio.Only a few days later, I started hearing news about her from relatives, and the details were quite specific.One relative sighed and told me that she had taken all the cash from the divorce settlement and poured it into renting an entire floor in the busiest office building downtown for her studio.However, she had been a stay-at-home mom for decades. She spent her days scrolling through her phone, reading novels about “great heroines.” She only knew that a great heroine had to build a career and be independent, yet she had no idea what exactly to do or how to go about it.On one random afternoon, she called me. When I answered her call, she spoke in excitement and confidence. “Selena, guess what? My studio’s finally opening!“In two days at 10 a.m., bring your dad and your little boyfriend and come see me launch my career.”On the opening day, my father, Miles, and I arrived at that office building on time.As soon as we walk
I felt guilty as I watched my mother leave the courthouse.“Dad, is this my fault? I… never meant for you guys to actually get divorced.”My father looked at the divorce papers in his hand and let out a gentle sigh.“Don’t blame yourself. Your mom has gotten way too deep into those ‘heroine’ stories. “Her way of thinking has been warped for a while now. Even if it didn’t happen today, she would’ve done something even worse sooner or later.”I lowered my head, still feeling uneasy inside. The one I felt most guilty toward was Miles.He had been falsely accused of being a murderer for no reason and taken to the police station. He had suffered such a great injustice all because of me.“Dad, let’s go to the police station and pick up Miles.“He’s innocent. We owe him a real apology, and we need to explain everything properly.”He nodded and agreed, saying, “You’re right. He was wronged. We definitely owe him that much.”By the time we arrived at the police station entrance, we







