Don't Cry, My Darling

"You're not worthy of her!" Jake yelled.

Ansel was thoroughly infuriated by what he had said.

He kicked the chair aside in anger and raised his fist to hit Jake. "How am I not worthy of her?

"During my darkest moments, she divorced me and aborted our child to be with you! She betrayed our love!

"She was the one who left, not me!

"Jake, go home and tell Julie that I'll treat her the same way she treated me back then! Tell her to wait and see!"

After that, Ansel and Anne left together.

Jake was detained for stalking.

As he watched Ansel leave, Jake sneered. "Ansel, you'll find out the truth one day, and you're going to regret it!"

Ansel did not hear him.

I followed and left with him.

Anne took out her phone. "Maybe we should delete these photos."

Despite what she had said, she looked very reluctant to do so.

Ansel hesitated. "You don't have to delete them. Keep them."

Ansel drove Anne home, but he did not look as if he intended to get out of the car.

Anne looked pitifully at him. "Can I stay with you? I'm scared of being alone at home. I'm afraid that there'll be other nasty people following me."

Ansel shook his head. "I'm going home to pack up. You can move in after some time. The security in this neighborhood is very tight, so there won't be any nasty people."

Anne wanted to say something else, but then she nodded and got out of the car, because she had seen the impatience in Ansel's face.

When Ansel returned to the Lovean Sea, he stood beside the trash can at the entrance. The cardboard box that he had thrown out a few days ago was no longer there.

He looked conflicted.

He was the one who had thrown it away. Why was he upset?

"Why are you staring at the trash can? It's so cold outside. Come in, quickly."

It was my mother-in-law, Emily Patterson.

"Mom, why did you come back so suddenly? You should have told me. I would have gone to the airport to pick you up!"

Ansel stubbed out his cigarette and got out of the car.

Emily frowned. "I know the way home. I don't need you to come and get me.

"You've been back for over ten days. Why didn't you bring Julie home? I miss her!

"Didn't you tell me that you and Anne were just friends and that you didn't have any feelings for her? Why have you announced that you're going to get married?

"If you marry her, what's Julie going to do? Don't you want Julie anymore?"

When I heard Emily's concern for me, I burst into tears. I wanted to hug her and tell her that I missed her so much.

When I saw her rosy complexion, I felt reassured.

She was much healthier now compared to six years ago, when she had been unconscious and swollen all over because we'd had no money for her dialysis.

It was a pity that she did not know that I missed her.

Ansel remained silent at Emily's nagging. Finally, he went to the study. When he saw that Emily was drinking out of the handmade cup that I had given her, he could not help complaining.

"Mom, stop talking about Julie. I hate her!

"She divorced me and abandoned both of us back then. What use is it for you to miss her now? She's probably off having fun somewhere. Why do you want to go looking for her? Do you want to be abandoned by her again?

"Besides, she was the one who abandoned us first. You didn't even scold her, and now you're complaining that I'm not bringing her home? Be reasonable!"

Emily blocked his path angrily and said sternly, "Ansel, I adopted Julie and brought her home when she was six years old. She lived with us. She's such a kind child. She must have had a reason for abandoning us during that difficult time!

"Julie grew up with you and was always following you around. You were her world, and after she grew up, she married you and became your wife. You loved her so much, and she loved you. Shouldn't you try to investigate why she divorced you so suddenly?

"Julie's such an obedient child. I won't believe that she's as callous and cruel as they say she is on the Internet!

"Tell Anne to delete those negative comments at once!"

Tears rolled uncontrollably down my cheeks as I listened to Emily.

For so many years, she was the only one who could understand my suffering.

I said silently, "Mom, you treat me so well. You're willing to believe that I did all of this because I had a reason, but I'm dead now. I can't take care of you properly anymore.

"Thank you for looking after me for so many years."

Upon hearing what Emily had said, Ansel's expression of anger turned to hesitation, and he looked conflicted.

He knew that she was right and that what she had said made sense.

After a long moment of silence, Emily told him, "I don't care how busy you are. Go and bring Julie home tomorrow. I miss her.

"I've been feeling uneasy for the past two weeks. It feels like something bad has happened, and I'm worried that something has happened to Julie.

"I'll only feel reassured when I see her!"

Ansel nodded and took out his phone to send me a message: "Julie, Mom misses you very much… I miss you very much too…"

He typed out the last few words but deleted them again and changed them: "Can you come and see her tomorrow?"