Five years after my divorce, I ran into Ethan Sterling at a luxury department store. The sales associate was packaging the tie I had chosen for my husband. Seeing Ethan, her tone became warm and eager. "Mr. Sterling, you're here. The suit your wife picked out for you is ready." The man nodded slightly, his gaze lingering on the tie in my hand. "Pay for hers as well." I politely declined and placed the cash on the counter. He seemed to sigh. "Sarah, after all these years, do you still hate me?" I smiled but didn't speak. Who has the time to hate him? I let go a long time ago. I took the shopping bag, stuffed it casually into my canvas tote filled with groceries, and turned to leave. The early autumn wind howled. Walking to the bus stop based on memory, the wind whipped my hair into my eyes, making it hard to see. When I brushed the hair away from my face, I saw Ethan's car stopped in front of me. Seeing my red eyes, he frowned tightly. "Get in, I'll give you a ride." "No thanks, I'll take the bus." He looked me up and down, glancing at the canvas tote on my shoulder, and asked cautiously. "Have you been well these years?" "Pretty good." Ethan obviously didn't believe me. "Get in, just let me drop you off." The bus behind us honked incessantly, but he didn't move an inch. Under the public gaze, I helplessly got into the car. "Peace Gardens Apartments," I casually gave the address. The air fell silent for a moment, and the man's voice was difficult. "Why do you live in a place like that? It's been dilapidated for years, not to mention you're a woman alone, and..." He couldn't continue. But I knew what he wanted to say. That was where my mother died. Ten years ago today, she refused to attend my wedding with Ethan. And jumped from the rooftop of the 10th floor. The back seat was spacious, but the heater was too strong. I rolled down the window a bit. "You catch a cold easily in the wind, better close it. If you're hot, I'll turn down the temperature." I shook my head and smiled. "Not anymore. Do as you please." The man fell silent. A moment later, his phone rang. "Hubby, did you get the clothes? Where are you now?" The voice from the car speakers was familiar, but carried a passionate coquettishness strange to me. "Got them. Just ran into Sarah, giving her a ride." Silence on the other end. "Sarah is back? Long time no see. Why didn't you say so earlier? Should've invited her to hang out." Knowing Lily Evans for over a decade, I had never heard her speak in such a tone. Before, she was introverted and quiet, focused only on painting. When someone stole her competition spot, she would only hide and cry. It was me who took a baseball bat and smashed that person's entry in public, wrote letters to report the unfairness, and spent three days in juvenile detention to get justice for her. Sure enough, absolute favoritism gives people flesh and blood. "Just a chance encounter. She has things to do. I'll be back after dropping her off." "Chance encounter means fate. What's wrong with treating an old friend to a meal?" "Lily, stop it." The other end fell silent. Ethan was always gentle when coaxing people, but once he decided something, no one could stop him. Lily should know this better than me. When the call was abruptly cut off, the car stopped right downstairs at my apartment. "Thanks." After a polite thank you, I got out. The man withdrew his gaze from the surroundings and called out to me. 2 "Sarah, may I ask who you bought that tie for?" "My husband." The man rubbed his forehead and smiled bitterly, as if thinking I was still spiting him with these words. "Same brand and style, you used to buy for me five years ago too." "So?" I met his gaze, my eyes calm. "Actually, you don't need to be strong in front of me. After all these years, I just hope you live well, not like this." Like what? The glass of the apartment gate reflected my image. Casual outfit, ordinary flat shoes, plus a canvas tote full of groceries. Looking like an ordinary person bustling for a living. But for me, who was used to wearing designer clothes and jewelry, there was nothing wrong with this appearance. I smiled, not angry. "I think it's pretty good." The man's expression loosened for a moment. "Sarah, you seem really different from before." "Yeah, a lot of people say that." With that, I turned and left, never looking back. Climbed up five floors, opened the door. The furnishings inside were no different from this time last year. Next to the old TV was my mother's portrait, the candle in front of her long extinguished. I skillfully placed a new candle, put on an apron, and went into the kitchen. Soon finished three dishes and a soup. Opposite the table was a bowl of rice no one ate. I ate very slowly too. "Mom, I met Ethan Sterling." "Don't be angry yet. He can't bully your daughter. Besides, I'm not as stupid as before." Only boundless silence responded to me. Appetite gone, I put down my chopsticks and went into the bedroom, digging out an old photo album. "Let's look at Mom's peerless beauty. Looking at that black and white one is boring." Before opening the album, a photo fell out onto the floor. Bending over to pick it up, I saw the faces clearly. Ethan, me, Lily. Three faces brimming with youth smiling wantonly at the camera. I stood in the middle holding their arms, laughing the happiest—a missing canine tooth on the right made me look a bit silly. That was the midsummer when I was 13. Debt collectors found Ethan's home shouting to kill. None of the neighbors dared to help, not even my parents. But I rushed up. The fist meant for Ethan's face hit mine unexpectedly. Teeth shattered on the spot, face swollen for half a month. My mother felt sorry for me and told me not to associate with the Sterling family. But unexpectedly, Ethan's mother dragged her disabled legs and knelt before my parents, kowtowing and thanking incessantly. So she softened. For nearly ten years, a set of tableware belonging to Ethan was often added to my family's dinner table. During festivals, new clothes added a boy's style. She helped Ethan's mother set up a stall when not busy. When someone bullied them, she fired full power scolding until that person dared not come again. They called each other sisters. But no one expected that the sister, always cowardly and stuttering, climbed into her sister's husband's bed. When I got home, everything was smashed to pieces. Mother stood in the middle of the room crying out of breath, five finger marks on her cheeks clear and terrible, while father protected the woman in his arms tightly. "Let's divorce. Everything goes to you, I only want Susan." Standing beside me, Ethan was panicked, wanting to grab Susan Lin's hand. But was slapped twice by my mother. I pushed her, watching her fall to the ground, looking at me in disbelief. 3 I cried too then, but said heartbreaking words. "Mom, why did you hit Ethan?" Memories chaotic, fixed on this small photo in my hand. After divorcing Ethan back then, I burned everything related to him. Didn't expect a survivor here. Just as I was about to throw it in the trash, a knock suddenly sounded on the door. Thought it was Aunt Zhang who habitually visited at this time of year, so I opened it directly. Didn't expect to see Lily holding Ethan's arm. She was smiling: "Sarah, long time no see! Haven't seen you for so many years, you haven't changed a bit." "Ethan insisted on coming. Our sudden visit won't disturb you, right?" I looked at the two calmly. "I won't invite you in. What's up?" Lily hit a soft nail, looking aggrieved at the man beside her. "Lily just wanted to see you and brought you a gift. No other meaning." After speaking, the man placed the thing in his hand directly on the entryway cabinet. Lily immediately started introducing actively. "This skincare set is what I've been loving recently. Just happened to have an extra set at home. We used to share things often, so I thought of giving it to you." I glanced down, looked like the one my housekeeper used. "That photo..." Lily suddenly teared up: "Sarah, after so many years, you still haven't let go." I crumpled the photo and threw it into the trash can casually: "Not really." She seemed to want to hold my hand, but stopped in mid-air. "I know you still hold a grudge. If you and Ethan were still together, today would be your wedding anniversary." "I had no choice back then. If you really don't care anymore, let us treat you to a meal. Tell us if you need help in life, we are old friends." Almost without thinking, I prepared to refuse. The candle in front of the shrine suddenly popped. I smiled faintly, suddenly changing my mind: "Okay." Lily talked more than before. Small actions were frequent too. While talking about the romantic trip to Turkey with the man last month, she used her finger to apply her lip balm on the man while waiting for the red light. "Every autumn and winter I have to remind you. Last time you kissed too hard and it bled, don't you remember?" The man grabbed her moving hand, seeming a bit annoyed: "Stop it." "Oh my, I forgot Sarah is here. Sarah, you won't mind, right? Ethan and I are used to getting along like this..." I interrupted her extremely magnanimously. "Of course not." "I've seen you two rolling in bed together. Why would I mind this little scene now?" The car fell into silence. Finally quiet. Looking at the scenery along the way, thinking if mother were still here, she would also marvel at the changes now. Back then father insisted on divorcing for Susan, almost driving her crazy. And the fact that I secretly became husband and wife with Ethan directly took her life. At first, I only hated father and Susan. It was they who betrayed mom, forcing her from an indestructible woman to a resentful woman who made a fuss over small things in a short time. Time seemed to flow exceptionally hard on her, taking away her vitality bit by bit.
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