Chapter 2

I couldn't help but glance at my son, Edward.

He was my only child, the only family I had left, and my last hope.

I wished so badly that he'd stand up and speak up for me, even if all he said was, "Just stop."

But he didn't.

He just shot me a quick, nervous glance, then ducked his head and went right back to shelling the lobster for Bella.

He even picked out the black line from the lobster meat and carefully set it on Bella's plate.

In that moment, the last bit of fire in my heart was snuffed out.

A bone-deep cold spread from my feet all the way up to my head.

Bella's brother, William, whose wedding apartment I'd just shelled out for, leaned back, picking his teeth, and sneered, "Bella, don't get worked up.

"Richard is just old and a little selfish, only ever thinking about himself. Edward, you really ought to keep your dad in check. Don't spoil him so much."

Bella's mom chimed in right away, "That's right. Bella should be the one holding onto that money. Old folks shouldn't have so much cash lying around. Sooner or later, someone's bound to scam them."

"Exactly," echoed a few others.

Everyone started squawking at once, like a flock of noisy crows, tearing apart the last shreds of my dignity.

I stared at their smug faces, and somehow, the rage boiling in my chest just settled down.

I actually found it a little funny.

I, Richard, a senior engineer at a big government company, a top tech expert with special recognition from the government, respected all my life, was now getting humiliated by this bunch, right to my face.

I didn't bother arguing and didn't even look at them again.

I bent down and picked up the crushed pack of cigarettes from under the greasy table.

I smoothed it out and carefully slipped it back into my pocket.

Then I straightened up, scanned the room, and took in eighteen faces: indifferent, sneering, and greedy.

Finally, my eyes landed on Edward, his head bowed so low that I could barely see his face.

Without a word, I turned and headed straight for the door.

Bella's vicious shout echoed behind me, sharp and mean. She yelled, "Eat your food before you drop dead outside!"

I didn't stop, didn't look back.

I pulled open the heavy door, leaving all their nasty words behind me.

Outside the hotel, a light rain was falling. The cold wind hit me, and the chill cleared my head.

I didn't go home.

That so-called "home" wasn't mine anymore.

I flagged down a taxi.

"Hey, can you take me to the old neighborhood on Riverside Road?" I said.

That was my old place: my folks left it to me, and it'd been sitting empty ever since Edward tied the knot with Bella.

The taxi sped through the rainy night, neon lights outside melting into blurry streaks like the wild ride of my earlier life.

I pulled out my phone, and my old, composed face looked back at me from the cold screen.

I found a number and sent a message: [John, get a statement of property separation ready for me. I'll drop by tomorrow.]

After sending it, I turned off my phone, leaned back in the seat, and closed my eyes.

I knew deep down, the moment I stepped out of that private room, the battle had already started.

The taxi pulled up at the entrance of the old neighborhood on Riverside Road.

I paid the fare and, my body heavy with exhaustion, made my way up to the fifth floor, one step at a time.

The sensor light in the stairwell was broken, so I felt my way through the darkness, unlocking the dusty iron door with my key.

A thick, musty smell hit me as soon as I stepped inside.

I didn't turn on the lights. I just stood there in the dark for a long time, until my eyes finally adjusted and I could make out the shapes of the furniture.

Everything was covered in white sheets, like a bunch of silent ghosts.

I didn't go back to that house to pack up right away. I was afraid that if I saw that face, the one that had killed every last bit of hope in me, I'd just lose it.

I found the couch in the dark, sat down, and pulled out that crushed pack of cigarettes from my pocket.

I lit one and took a deep drag.

The sharp smoke hit my throat, and I started coughing so hard that tears came out.

I didn't even know if I was crying anymore; my face was wet, and I couldn't tell if it was rain or tears.