Chapter 5. Pretend

Reese

“I have something to discuss with you inside the house, please…” he said, and I bet it was about the filing of divorce. “Please, she’s not going with you. You can leave now,” he told the old man as he draped his arm around my shoulder, but I shook it off violently.

The old man decided to step between us. “I don’t think there’s anything to talk about. This young woman seems not wanting to talk to you, son.”

“Reese…” Troy tried to stop the old man, but he had already put a comforting arm around my shoulder, and steered me towards the car. He opened the back passenger door, and I climbed inside without taking a glance at Troy. After he shut the door, he walked round, and popped back into the driver seat. “Reese, wait!”

Troy tried to chase the car, but it had already driven away.

“Thank you…” I spoke to the man behind his back, and he looked up, meeting my gaze in the rearview mirror.

“You’re welcome, sweetheart. I’m Vincent…” he smiled before he turned his focus back to the road in front of him.

I avoided responding to him. I could tell that he wanted to know my name as well, but I chose to remain silent. The only thing I did was tell him to take me to the residence of my mother-in-law.

“Thank you again, Mr. Vincent…” I told him as I bid goodbye, but before I climbed out of his car, he handed me a calling card.

“Call me if you need my help again.” He smiled, and I watched his car speed off until it disappeared from my sight.

I shrugged my shoulders and shoved the card in my bag, before pulling out the keys to the main door.

The living room was peacefully quiet, and this was what I needed right now. Mia was most likely now asleep in her room at this time. I just hoped that she brought her mom dinner before she took a rest.

I sighed as I padded my way up the stairs, but I immediately stopped in my tracks when all of a sudden, I heard a voice coming from the balcony. I turned my head to look at the person who was carrying a phone and having a call with someone.

My eyes widened in surprise when I realized that it was my mother-in-law who was standing there as if she wasn’t sick. Her back was facing me, so she didn’t notice when I quietly slid the glass door open, and slowly walked closer to her, only to freeze when I heard the words she said.

“Oh, dear… now that you plan to divorce Reese, who will take care of me?”

So, she was aware that her son would divorce me. Was she also aware of the fact that he was having an affair with my mother?

“Do you think it would be easy to find a maid who can serve me well and clean the house? Son, she is without a doubt the most wonderful maid I’ve ever had.”

As I listened more to my mother-in-law’s words, I stood at the doorway in a daze, my chest tightening. So, it turned out that in her eyes, she was only seeing me as a maid and not her daughter-in-law.

What made me even more upset was the fact that I had been so nice to her over the past two years, and had assisted her in everything she needed. Well, she’d been so nice to me as well, but it turned out that she was just pretending.

But why?

I don’t understand why she would ever do something like that to me.

“Oh… I forgot that Reese is an idiot, empty-headed woman. Just bring her a bouquet of her favorite yellow roses and she will crawl back to you without hesitation. Right, my son?” her voice followed by a mocking laugh, and I gritted my teeth in wrath.

Yes, I was so stupid for loving him. It’s not like I have never gotten into a fight when I caught him having an ambiguous relationship with his personal assistant. I ignored Troy the whole day, but placated by three yellow roses that he had bought for me after he came home from work.

I harshly wiped away my tears and stepped out of the house in a hurry, ignoring the cars honking, the drivers cursing and shouting at me.

I kept moving, letting my feet carry me anywhere.

I sped up my movements, although I did not exactly run. I couldn’t manage the proper functioning of my limbs. I wished I could run. Run away from everyone. Run away from them forever.

I continued to walk in a hurry until I reached the park.

I had no idea what time it was, but night had already blanketed the city.

I walked further, looking around for an empty bench that I could sit on. As I moved, the wind messed up my long ginger hair and it whipped my face like it was trying to slap me awake.

I looked up at the dark sky full of stars, blinking my tears away before I roamed my eyes around the park, and still couldn’t find a seat. Couples and lovers were everywhere.

I didn’t stop walking until I found myself standing at the Green Island Bridge. I couldn’t see anyone here. It was only me. And that was just what I needed right now. To be all alone by myself.

I took off my shoes and climbed over the balustrade and sat down on the cement ledge, allowing my legs to hang loosely in the air.

I didn’t dare to look down at the dark waters below. I was so scared to look at it, it might invite me to jump off. I didn’t come here to end my life. I just wanted to think. Think on what to do next after everything that I found out.

But if I were to jump off, maybe I wouldn’t feel this kind of pain anymore.