returned home at dawn. Julian hadn’t come back, but I didn’t care. As I packed my luggage, the news broadcast on the television was about the CEO of Winthorpe Corporation attending a gala with his fiancée, Olivia Reed. I watched the perfectly matched pair, feeling little emotion.
With my bags packed, I was about to leave. The sound of the door opening, and Julian appeared. The moment he saw me, Julian rushed over, seizing my hand. “Where were you last night? Why didn’t you answer my calls?”
I froze, then pulled my hand free from Julian’s grasp. “Last night, I was with my mother. I didn’t want to disturb her rest, so I turned off my phone.”
When I mentioned my mother, Julian seemed to remember what he had said the day before, and a hint of guilt crossed his face. “I‘ il arrange for the best doctors to care for your aunt.” He then pulled out a small box and pressed it into my hand. “This is what promised to give your aunt.”
I
I instinctively opened it; inside was a bracelet. It was the genuine counterpart to the cherished bracelet my mother had carefully kept. I froze. Julian had once held my mother’s hand, swearing earnestly and solemnly that one day he would give her a priceless original. My mother’s eyes had held a smile then; she didn’t care if the bracelet was real or not. As long as it was from Julian, from the good son–in–law she recognized, she would be happy.
But I thought, that was then. I closed the box and handed it back. “If you get a chance, you can give it to her yourself.”
Julian frowned slightly. Each time, I made the choice he most expected, yet my politeness now seemed unfamiliar to him. A hint of unease flickered in his heart. He grasped my hand, clenching it slightly. “Your aunt’s health…”
Just then, Olivia Reed appeared, wrapping her arm around Julian’s. “Julian, darling, I want to stay in this room!” She pointed to my
room.
“This room is occupied,” Julian said, then immediately explained to me, “She’s a friend, and she’s staying here temporarily for work.” He then stared at me intently, seemingly expecting me to refuse. But I nodded, agreeing without hesitation: “You can have the room. I’m going to stay with my mother.”
Julian paused for a moment, and Olivia, not giving me a chance to change my mind, immediately rushed into the room.
Only then did he notice the luggage in my hand. He pursed his lips, clutching my hand tightly, refusing to let go, his eyes deepening with guilt. Finally, urged by Olivia’s impatient calls, he spoke: “Tomorrow, I’ll go see your aunt.”
I carried my luggage back to my mother’s place, intending to collect all her belongings. But looking at her room, I couldn’t help but shed more tears. Her room was large, capable of holding many things. Yet, her room was also small, small enough to only contain the tiny fragments of my life with Julian.
On the wall, hung our joint photos. On the table, sat the cheap little duck dolls Julian and I had given her. In the corner, the milk I had brought her remained untouched; she hadn’t dared to drink a single bottle, saving it for Julian and me. The bracelet Julian had given her, she had carefully placed in a box, polished to a shine.
Other than that, her own possessions were only countless handmade craft components, endless embroidery projects, and a small mountain of leather bags. All of this was to save money to pay off Julian’s debts. And all of it was for my future happiness.
