Chapter 3
Since neither Arturo nor Paloma wanted me here, sticking around would just be humiliating myself.
Just as I was about to leave, Paloma grabbed Arturo and Lisa by the hands and dragged them outside, muttering under her breath, "Ugh, she's such a pain! Why does she stick around like a leech? No matter what, she just won't leave. So freaking annoying!"
Tears spilled uncontrollably down my cheeks as I rushed out of the school gate and scrambled into my car, feeling like a total mess.
With despair crashing over me, I closed my eyes, sinking into hopelessness.
When I opened my eyes again, I saw Paloma's rosy little face.
I reached out to hug her, but my hand passed right through her, like a dry leaf caught in the wind.
Turns out, I was already dead.
In a fancy restaurant, the place was fragrant with roses. Arturo was slicing Lisa's steak like a true gentleman.
Paloma, grinning from ear to ear, poured Lisa some red wine.
Her awkward moves had Lisa bursting out laughing, unable to hold back her smile.
I couldn't help but envy Lisa.
But me, her biological mother, was nothing more than a nobody, completely invisible to them all.
After their cozy family dinner, the three wandered through the mall nearby, laughing and chatting as if nothing else in the world mattered.
Lisa spotted a pricey diamond necklace, and Arturo bought it for her on the spot, not even blinking at the cost.
Lisa glanced at the tag, feigning reluctance, but eventually let Arturo fasten the necklace around her neck himself.
She clung to Arturo's arm, her voice teasing, "It's not even a special occasion. Why are you showering me with such a lavish present?"
Arturo pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead, doting as ever. "This diamond suits you, absolutely stunning."
Paloma chimed in, "The diamond necklace is pretty, but Lisa, you look even prettier."
Paloma always knew just what to say to charm Lisa and Arturo.
So my daughter wasn't quiet at all. She just didn't care about her real mom.
The diamond necklace was expensive, and the salesperson also gave them a set of elegant crystal glasses as a gift.
Arturo told the clerk to wrap up the glasses so they could take them home.
Paloma asked curiously, "Dad, why do we need to wrap up the glasses?"
Arturo rubbed his temples with an impatient look.
Arturo said, "They're for your mom. Our wedding anniversary is the day after tomorrow, and this way she won't go on and on about how I don't care about her."
Lisa, standing off to the side, flashed an even bigger smile, her eyes glinting with a touch of triumph.
Arturo only bothered to remember our wedding anniversary because it happened to be Lisa's birthday. He never cared about the anniversary itself.
Every year, I'd rack my brain trying to come up with surprises for him, but he never gave it a second thought.
Now, for once, he actually remembered me, but all I got was the bonus gift that came with Lisa's diamond necklace.
If this had happened before, it would've felt like a knife to my heart.
But now, everything just felt hollow and meaningless.
As night fell, after dropping Lisa off at home, Arturo got a call from an unknown number.
The woman on the other end sounded anxious. "Is this the owner of the car with the license plate 0527? Your car is blocking me, and I really need to get home."
She added, "There's a woman sitting inside, but I've been trying to get her attention for a while and she won't respond at all. Can you please come over and check on her?"
0527 was my license plate number. In our language, 527 sounded just like "I love my wife." When Arturo chose that plate for me, my heart melted.
But 0527 meant even more. It was the day we got married, our anniversary.
But now, I couldn't even move the car if I wanted to.
My heart pounded in my chest. If Arturo showed up now, he'd discover the truth. I was already gone.
But instead of rushing over, Arturo just hung up, his face darkening as he dialed my number over and over. Of course, no one ever picked up.
Annoyed, he opened up WhatsApp and tapped into our chat. That was when I realized he'd set my messages to 'Do Not Disturb'. He really couldn't stand hearing from me.
He sighed, then blasted me with a barrage of texts, not holding back at all.
He texted: [Why aren't you answering my calls?]
[What kind of drama are you pulling now? Seriously, are you that bored?]
[I keep calling, and you won't answer. What's your deal?]
[Move your car already! You're almost forty, and all you do is make trouble for people.]
To Arturo, I was always the one causing problems.
But I never, not even once, brought him any trouble.
Even when I got gallbladder cancer, even when it reached the final stage, I endured the agony of chemotherapy all by myself.
I ignored his calls and left his messages unread, but Arturo just kept blowing up my phone, relentless as ever.
Fueled by anger, Arturo raced through the streets and slammed on the brakes right next to my car, tracking my location on his phone.
When he saw me sitting motionless inside, his temper flared even hotter.
He snatched a hammer from his own car and started smashing my window, taking out all his rage on the glass.