Chapter 2

It was my fault for being so stubborn and indirectly making Mom so mad that she collapsed. It was my fault for trusting Joanna too much and handing all my money over to her, so that when it really mattered, I couldn't even pull together Mom's surgery fees.

Joanna realized she had gone too far when she heard how miserable I sounded. Her voice softened a little. "Just unlike the post, and we can sweep this under the rug. I'll wire you some money later. Go get your mom some supplements or something. Cheer her up."

I just found it ironic.

Mom had only been short $7,500 for the operation, but Joanna had still gone ahead and spent the last of that lifesaving money on a watch for Larry. Then she'd ignored my calls and left my messages on read.

Now that Mom was dead, Joanna said she would transfer me some money. Wasn't it a bit late for that?

I was about to turn her down when I heard Larry's voice come through on her end. "Jo, my mom wants your casserole. She says it has to be the one you make."

"Alright. I'll be right there."

Joanna answered him tenderly, then seemed to remember she was still on the phone with me. She hurriedly hung up and transferred $30 to me in a half-assed attempt to appease me.

My eyes burned as I stared at the amount on my screen. The watch she'd casually bought Larry had cost $7,500, yet here she was, trying to fob Mom and me off with $30.

Larry messaged me while I was still dazed. The photo he sent showed a big pot of casserole.

"Callum, Jo made this casserole just for me and my parents. You two have been together for so long, but she's never cooked for you or your mom, has she?"

In our five years together, forget making a casserole for Mom—Joanna couldn't even be bothered to wash a dish whenever she was at my place. She would just sit there, waiting for Mom to finish cooking and serve her. If the food was a little too salty, she would even give Mom an attitude.

The stark contrast made my heart turn a little colder.

I ignored Larry's petty flex and transferred the $30 back to Joanna. After that, I stumbled my way through the paperwork for Mom's death certificate.

A living, breathing person had become a thin sheet of paper. It pressed on my chest like a boulder.

I sent Mom's body to be cremated after that. To pay the cremation fee, I sold the only valuable thing I still had on me—a crystal pendant that was supposed to be a protective charm.

Joanna had spent all her savings to buy it for me when I'd burned up with a high fever once. It had been our token of love.

I'd kept it on me all these years, carefully wiping it with wet wipes every day. But now, I listed it on a secondhand platform for $150.

After I laid Mom to rest, I grabbed a cab home. The first thing I did was fire up my computer to submit my resignation to Joanna's company. Then I pulled out my phone and called a big overseas firm.

Back in the day, I'd turned this firm down more than once just to stay with Joanna. But now Mom was gone, and Dad had died young. I had no reason to hang around this graveyard of memories.

"I accept your offer," I told them.

They were thrilled and asked when I could fly out so they could arrange someone to pick me up.

"In two days."

Taking two days to say goodbye to the last five years felt like more than enough.

After I hung up, I booked my flight and started packing. Five years of my life fit into one small suitcase.

By the time I was done, my stomach was empty. I suddenly remembered I hadn't eaten all day while scrambling to get everything ready for the wedding.

I'd gotten up at the crack of dawn for it. I'd picked out the roses and carefully decorated the venue myself, and in the end, this was how it all turned out.

Thinking about it now, it really hadn't been worth it.