Memory Restored, Love Destroyed Chapter 09
Mom?”
Oliver’s voice came through the glass. When I looked out, he was standing outside with slightly reddened eyes.
I called him in and asked, “What are you doing here?”
Pressing his lips together, he clutched the hem of his shirt and occasionally sneaked glances at Isabel. “I wanted to buy you something delicious after school.”
I was stunned. He had never done anything like that before or given me a gift, so it seemed the divorce talk had truly frightened him.
“Thank you. Let me take you home.”
I had thought about letting Oliver eat with us, but when I remembered his long list of allergies, I decided against it and took him back.
We waved goodbye to Isabel. In the setting sun, our shadows stretched long across the ground.
I wanted to tell Oliver not to overthink, but I wasn’t sure how I should start.
He kept his head lowered. After a long while, he carefully asked, “Mom, can you hold my hand? You used to always hold my hand.”
Only then did I notice he had been clutching the corner of my clothes the whole time.
As I reached out to take his small, cold hand in mine, I wasn’t sure what to feel.
In the past, he hated holding hands, or to be exact, hated my touch. To him, I was just a bad mom who was always controlling him.
I knew he was young and didn’t understand, so I never resented him. But now, with my memories washing my emotions away, he felt like a stranger to me, so I naturally pulled away.
“Mom, are you still going to divorce Dad?”
I didn’t want to hide anything from him. “Yes.”
“In that case, I’ll stay with you after the divorce,” he announced.
I fell silent for a long time after receiving that answer. At last, I said, “I want you to stay with your dad.”
Oliver was part of the source of my trauma, too. If we lived together, I wouldn’t know how to take care of him. That wouldn’t be fair to either of us.
I watched as tears slipped down his face. Despite feeling eerily calm, I pulled him into my arms.
When we got home, Maddie had dinner ready, and Jude wasn’t around.
After clearing the dishes, she sat across from me and looked like she had come prepared for a conversation.
“Ms. Braun, nothing has ever happened between Dr. Dixon and me. Though I had impure intentions, I never succeeded.”
I arched an eyebrow and was confused by her sudden confession. “Are you trying to talk me out of the divorce?”
Maddie shook her head, still smiling as shyly and brightly. “No. I like Dr. Dixon, so of course, I want you to get a verce. What I’m saying is that your divorce has nothing to do with me, so after Dr. Dixon and I get together, I hope you won’t cause trouble and tear us apart.
“You’ve repeatedly ruined things for us. Every night he spent caring for me, you were calling to interrupt and sabotage my chances. I hope that you’ll let go for real after the divorce and stop clinging desperately.”
I was rendered speechless by her words.
Ruined? Sabotaged?
Wasn’t she the homewrecker? Since when did mistresses speak with this much confidence?
I genuinely didn’t know what to say, so all I could manage was “I wish you the best of luck”.
