Chapter 2

My mother held five-year-old me as we approached Julian's mother, Henrichs.

After learning that Julian and I were classmates, Henrichs invited us to eat together.

She eagerly ordered an ice cream cone. When she noticed my mother's gaze landing on her belly, she smiled.

"My husband is pretty strict with me. Since I got pregnant, he won't let me eat anything. I'm craving it so badly."

My mother asked softly, "Are you due soon?"

"Should be sometime this month. It's a boy."

My mother smiled. "Your husband must be very happy."

"Oh yes, he's so excited. It's our second child and he's still making such a fuss."

My mother said wistfully, "You two have such a good relationship."

Henrichs enjoyed my mother's words, the corners of her mouth lifting slightly.

"It's alright. I once ran off to study abroad in a fit of anger, and he came all that way to find me."

"To satisfy my vanity, he accompanied me to take ninety-nine sets of wedding photos."

I couldn't help but think of the loving stories about her and Dad that my mother had told me countless times.

She came to Seattle for college and fell in love at first sight with poor boy Dad. After graduation, they registered their marriage.

My mother was considerate of Dad's work, so they had no wedding ceremony or honeymoon—just a marriage certificate.

The photo on the marriage certificate was even photoshopped on, because Dad had no time to take pictures.

The day after the wedding, Dad went abroad. Even after I was born, Dad never came home, never even held me.

My mother would always console herself, saying Dad was just busy with work and couldn't get away.

But the truth later cut her to shreds.

Henrichs continued complaining sweetly:

"My husband is so good to me. He even wants to arrange the most expensive maternity center in Seattle for me."

"He won't let me do anything. He's practically spoiling me."

My mother's hands trembled slightly.

I remembered my mother saying she went to work without properly resting after childbirth, which left her with lasting health problems.

She worked three hundred sixty-five days a year, never willing to rest.

At this moment, Henrichs suddenly asked my mother:

"What about your husband? Can't he even make time to spend Children's Day with his child?"

My mother smiled bitterly. Henrichs seemed to understand and comforted her.

"Actually, all men are like that. When I was abroad, my husband also found someone else."

"But what's funny is that he pretended to be poor the whole time, afraid that woman would be after his money."

"He's a CEO, but every day he ate street food with that woman. I actually felt kind of sorry for him."

My mother forced a smile:

"Really? What happened to that woman later?"

Henrichs shrugged:

"I think she had a daughter, got a fake certificate, and is probably living in some dump somewhere now."

"Actually, she's pretty pathetic too. My husband even lied to her, saying he worked as some kind of undercover agent. She couldn't even get a decent house."

"Tell me, what could she possibly see in my husband? Surely not love?"

At that moment, a familiar voice rang out from behind us.

"Henrichs, sneaking ice cream behind my back again."