Chapter 4

"Mom?"

Violet was already dressed in the latest designer clothes, standing beside a well-dressed middle-aged woman.

My faded old jacket and mud-spattered pants looked totally out of place.

A hint of satisfaction crossed her face:

"Look at you. What happened—did that rich guy dump you?"

I looked up.

Our eyes met—mine red-rimmed, hers suddenly stiffening.

I handed back the scattered papers and turned to leave.

"Mom!"

She grabbed my arm:

"My new mom... she treats me really well."

Of course I knew that.

But I still managed a smile:

"Really? That's great."

She held onto my arm when I tried to pull away, her eyes getting a little red:

"What I mean is, if you can't make it anymore, you can tell me!"

"I'm not... I'm..."

I clutched the painkillers tightly. "I'm doing okay."

"Are you?"

She tugged my hand, revealing the worn old bracelet on my wrist.

When she was five, she'd used her saved allowance to buy materials and weave this bracelet for me.

"Don't tell me you can't even afford a new one now!"

She said it through clenched teeth.

I noticed she wore an elegant watch on her wrist, no other jewelry.

Our eyes met. A flicker of hope crossed hers.

The next second, I ripped off the bracelet and tossed it into the storm drain.

"Mom!"

Her voice mixed with the rain, angry but tight with emotion.

Tears streaming down my face, I kept walking. I didn't look back.

That night, I went back to the same spot in the pouring rain.

A leaf? No... A pebble? No...

Where's my bracelet?

I dropped my umbrella and knelt on the ground, digging with my hands.

Dizzy. Nauseous.

But... I can't lose it...

A dog barked.

I lunged toward the sound frantically.

Where the little dog had been, I found the bracelet in the muddy water.

I reached out to pet the dog's head.

But instead, I collapsed face-first into the mud with a splash.