Chapter 2

The fridge was packed with all the beef, lamb, and shrimp I'd bought over the past few days.

While everyone gawked at me in disbelief, I stuffed everything into bags.

Then I flashed them a perfectly composed smile.

"Come on, Allie, you're just teasing. I wouldn't dare piss off my mom," I said. "Honestly, I've never figured out how to make my mom happy. No matter what I do, it's never enough for her."

"But guess what? Just now, it hit me. I finally got it! So I've decided that starting today, I'm gonna take a page from my sister's book and really learn how to treat my mom right. What do you all think?"

Of course, I didn't wait for their answer.

I grabbed my bag, slipped on my shoes, opened the door, and walked out.

"Cherish!" By the time my mom's voice came through the door, I was already halfway down the stairs.

Downstairs, Braelynn ambled over with two carnations in her hand. When she spotted me, her eyes went wide in genuine surprise.

"Hey, is dinner ready?" she called out.

She looked obviously thrilled.

"Did you make hairy crabs? I even told Mom I wanted to eat them," she added.

I never even liked hairy crabs. So why did she suddenly make a point of telling me to buy them?

Good thing, when I headed out just now, the water in the crab pot was already gone. By now, those crabs were probably ruined.

I had just gotten home when my phone rang. It was Braelynn calling.

"You didn't have to do all that," she said. "You know what Mom's like. She just blurts things out sometimes without thinking."

I curled up on the couch, munching on sweet watermelon, and mumbled back to her, "Mom's mind is usually sharp. She only gets confused when it really matters.

She only gets confused when it really matters.

Has she ever been clueless about your stuff?"

When I was a kid, I told Mom the day before that my teacher was coming over for a visit, but she still forgot.

She kept the teacher waiting outside for a good hour or two.

When the teacher finally got in, I ended up being the one to bring her a glass of water.

Mom just kept a straight face and explained, "I didn't do it on purpose. I was just busy and forgot."

But when it was Braelynn's turn, Mom made sure to take the day off way ahead of time. She wasn't about to leave anything to chance.

The table was loaded with soda, coffee, and plain water, all ready to go.

The whole house smelled fresh and clean. She'd clearly cleaned up ahead of time.

When the teacher was about to leave, Mom wouldn't let her go without pressing a gift into her hands.

I whined about how unfair it was, but Mom just shot me a cold look.

She said, "Why do you always have to make a fuss? It was only after last time that I realized I had to pay more attention to this stuff. What, you want Braelynn to get singled out by the teacher like you did?"

Turns out she knew exactly what was going on.

She knew that if she got on the teacher's bad side, I'd be the one who paid for it.

But I was just a kid back then, and when she glared at me and yelled, I just wilted under her stare, totally deflated.

Instead, I started second-guessing myself, wondering if I was just making a big deal out of nothing.

"But you can't just ditch everyone and bail like that," Braelynn said. "Fine, leave if you want, but did you really have to clear out her whole fridge too? Not even Dad's favorite beef. You know he never did anything to you."

Braelynn's voice snapped me back to reality, and I snorted. "I paid for all that, so I'll take it if I feel like it It's not like you guys can't fend for yourselves. You won't starve just because I'm gone."

I hung up.

Suddenly, I realized I'd forgotten to cancel the cake order.

I hurried to call, but it was already finished and on the way.

"Can I change the delivery address? I'll pay the extra fee," I said.

The cake had cost over a hundred dollars. It would be perfect for tonight's dinner with my friends.

My vacation was almost over. I would be going back to work soon.

I needed to use up everything I'd brought back from Mom's place before leaving.

So, on my way home, I texted my friends and invited them over for dinner.

Not long after I hung up, Allie called. "Didn't you order a durian cake? Can you check on it? It still hasn't arrived. Darryl's throwing a tantrum because he wants some."

Darryl was Allie's grandson, and he was obsessed with durian.

I replied with a trace of regret, "I canceled it. I already sent Mom my birthday wishes, so I figured she didn't need the cake anymore. She always says a sincere wish is enough, right? Isn't that what she wanted?"

Allie blinked, then scolded me, "You really can't stand taking even the tiniest loss, can you?

"Your mom was just saying that. She loves you and your sister the same. You're both her daughters. She wouldn't favor one over the other. It's her birthday today, and you just..."

"Don't waste your breath on her!" Mom suddenly cut in, her voice sharp and threatening. "If she's got the nerve, then let her never come back!"

Then she broke down crying. "I must have done something terrible in a past life to end up with a daughter like you.

"Your sister is so much more considerate. You're always throwing tantrums, always trying to drag everyone else into your misery. You can't stand it unless everyone around you is unhappy too, can you?"