Chapter 2
The next day, I drove Sophie to school to finish up some paperwork, just like any other day.
She was quiet the whole way.
As we got close to the school gate, she finally spoke up, her voice barely above a whisper. "Mom, I could always apply for a student loan."
My grip on the steering wheel tightened.
She added softly, "I could work part-time or apply for work-study. Please don't argue with Dad because of me."
I turned to look at her.
She was only eighteen.
Other kids her age were busy talking about what to buy for their dorms or what to pack for military training.
But she was already thinking about student loans, part-time jobs, and trying not to be a burden on me.
Suddenly, I remembered something from years ago.
Back in middle school, she won first place in a competition, and the school gave her a spot in a training camp out of town.
She was so happy for days, but when I mentioned it at dinner, David just shrugged and said, "It's just a little competition. Why bother? If she's got real talent, she'll ace the college entrance exam anyway."
Sophie paused for a moment, then whispered, "Then I won't go."
That night, when I brought her some milk, I found her with her head buried under the blanket, tears streaming down her face.
After that, she never got to take art lessons, wore the same puffy winter coat for two years straight, and missed out on the school summer camp.
Every time, she always said, "I don't really need it."
I pulled over and reached out to gently touch her face.
"Sophie, remember this. When you go to college, you should have everything you need. It's not charity."
Her eyes instantly turned red.
After we finished the paperwork, I didn't go home. Instead, I took her straight to the bank.
The balance in my account looked even uglier than I expected.
All these years, I'd been working, and my salary wasn't bad. But when it came time to actually use the money, I realized there was barely anything left for me to use.
I suddenly realized how little I actually had access to.
Most of it had already been taken by David.
After leaving the bank, I went straight to the jewelry store.
I took out the pair of gold bracelets my mom gave me for my wedding. I never had the heart to sell them, not even once.
Back then, she told me, "A woman should always keep something for herself."
I didn't understand before.
Now I finally get it.
Selling them is for the best.
It's better than holding onto them, just to remind myself how naive I've been all these years.
After I got the money, I took Sophie to the mall.
First, we went to buy a laptop.
She couldn't hide the excitement in her eyes, but the first thing she asked was if there was a discount on the cheapest one.
When the salesperson started suggesting something a bit nicer, she immediately shook her head. "No need for anything fancy. I just need it for homework and research."
I looked at her, and my heart twisted with pain.
"Let's get this one," I said, pointing to the mid-range laptop.
She blurted out, "Mom, that's way too expensive."
"It's for your education, so it's not wasting money," I reassured her.
After that, we picked out a new suitcase and a few sets of clothes.
When we got to the clothing section, I picked out a light trench coat for her.
She tried it on, stood in front of the mirror for a long time, then finally said softly, "Forget it. I won't even get to wear it during orientation week. They make us wear uniforms."
I walked over and handed the coat to the salesperson.
"Wrap it up," I told the salesperson.
Sophie looked up at me, her eyes growing misty.
I didn't let my feelings show. I just took her hand and kept moving forward.
It really wasn't a lot.
But she'd never gotten to have any of it without worrying.
When we got home that evening, the smell of food hit me as soon as I walked in.
To my surprise, David was in the kitchen.
He glanced back at us, sounding totally casual. "You're back? Go wash your hands and get ready to eat."
Sophie's favorite, ribs and tomato egg soup, was already set out on the table.
Sophie froze, her steps coming to a halt.
I know this routine all too well.
He hurts you, then offers a bit of surface-level kindness, like that's supposed to make everything okay.
At dinner, David picked up a rib and put it on Sophie's plate, acting like the perfect dad. "Did you get all the paperwork done?"
Sophie just nodded, keeping her head down.
He nodded, then said offhandedly, "Emily's kid handed in the summer camp paperwork today. The paperwork was pretty complicated, but they managed to get it done just in time."
I held my fork in midair.
He kept going, "That kid's got real grit, always been independent, not like most kids these days who can't handle any hardship."
Sophie suddenly clenched her fork, her hand tightening in a flash.
Seeing her knuckles turn pale, I couldn't hold back any longer.
"So Emily's kid is worth 100,000 dollars to you, but our Sophie gets into a top university and doesn't even deserve a laptop? Is that it?" I shot back.
David's face darkened. "When did I ever say that?"
"Then explain yourself," I pressed.
He was just about to say something when his phone rang.
The moment the ringtone sounded, he snatched up his phone and hurried out to the balcony.
He bolted so fast, he didn't even try to cover it up.
A few minutes later, he came back with a worried look on his face.
"I'm stepping out for a while," he said.
"Emily's short on a deposit last minute, and her kid is freaking out. I'm going over to help."
As soon as he said that, Sophie's face went pale.
I looked at David, and a strange calm washed over me.
"Go ahead," I said.
He looked surprised for a second, like he hadn't expected me to say that, but then he grabbed his keys and headed out.
After the door closed, it was just me and Sophie left at the table.
The food was still warm, but all I could taste was the bitterness.
Sophie kept her head down for a long time before finally asking in a small voice, "Mom, was I never the most important person to Dad?"
I crouched down and gently took her hand.
"It's not that you're not important," I said softly.
"He just isn't worthy of you."