Chapter 10

“Mom, I didn’t want to cut off ties with you!” I cried. “I’m a waste without your care! I couldn’t live without you, Mom! Please don’t leave me…”

Brock stared at me with vacant eyes, as if looking at a stranger. Jamie begged for a long time, but I remained indifferent. The terrified, crying boy had no choice but to turn to his father, screaming heart-wrenchingly, “Dad! Didn’t you say Mom was just angry and didn’t mean it? You lied to me! You lied to me!”

He pleaded, “Can you help me tell her I’ve realized my mistake and will behave better in the future… Can you please help me tell Mom?”

Brock turned away, covering his eyes. After calming himself, he looked at me. “Maliyah…”

I interrupted coldly. “Take Jamie back and never show up again.”

Chapter 11

Ignoring Brock and Jamie’s pained expressions, I closed the courtyard door. Back in the living room, Grandma sat in a sunlit corner, mending a worn Mr. Bunny.

I poured tea—one for Grandma, one for myself—then sat before my laptop, preparing to work. It was the fifth month after the divorce. I picked up Haylee from school for Sophie, who was working overtime.

As soon as Haylee got in the car, she began gossiping about recent school events. She recounted how, last Monday, a ninth-grade boy named Jamie, in the advanced class, jumped from the fourth floor while going to evening study, following a fight with his alcoholic father. He was in intensive care, his survival uncertain. The school held special lectures on adolescent mental health, disrupting several of Haylee’s lunchtime piano lessons.

After listening to her innocent complaint, I remained silent, gently brushing her stray hair from her forehead. “Haylee, we can’t be as foolish as that boy. Life is long. Even if we make mistakes, as long as we have the courage to start over, there’s no obstacle we can’t overcome.”

Haylee nodded, then held my hand coquettishly. “With my mother and Maliyah’s protection, I’m not afraid of anything.”

“That’s right. What do you want to eat? We’ll go now.”

Neon streetlights flickered as I gripped the steering wheel, slowly merging the silver-white sedan into traffic. The road lay before us. With determination, we could reach anywhere.