I Paid for Mom’s Mistake Chapter 07
Mom opened her mouth, but she couldn’t utter a single word.
She forced a smile on her face. “I see. Take care out there.”
I nodded. Then, lugging my suitcase behind me, I left without even a glance back.
When I arrived on campus, I got enrolled without any issues.
No one there knew about my past, and I happily got along with all of my classmates..
I noticed myself smiling more each passing day.
I didn’t dare slack off in my studies, but I also spent my free time working part-time jobs.
I needed money, and lots of it, too. I needed enough to get away from Mom and live on my own.
For Pepper’s sake, I made it a point to go home once every semester.
Pepper seemed to be putting on a little more weight every time I saw him, and he was getting quite cocky, too.
By the looks of it, he was being fed well.
He seemed to know what was going on, for he always chose me over Mom.
In my fourth year, as I was nearing graduation, I went home once.
Mom’s condition seemed much better than before, and she seemed to have completely forgotten about the bad
blood between us.
“Have you decided where you’ll be working? If not, just come home. I can ask your Uncle Solomon to find a job for you. You’ll be in familiar territory here, and I can even look after you sometimes.”
Mom sounded cheerful, which was rare for her. It felt like we really were a mother and her daughter relying on no one but each other to survive.
She might have forgotten the past, but I would always remember it.
I crouched down and hugged Pepper. “Mom, I’m not staying for dinner. I only came back to take Pepper with me. I’ve already sorted out my internship and a place to stay. You can stop sending me money now. Mom… I won’t be coming home anymore.”
Mom dropped the spatula, which clattered onto the floor.
She said in a panic, “I see! Well, internships are always demanding at the start, aren’t they? When you’re finally free, you can come back for a visit. Or if you miss my cooking, just tell me. I can go over and cook for you. By the way, where exactly are you moving to?”
With Pepper in my arms, I headed outside. “I’m not talking about now. I’m really leaving for good. As for where I’m going, that’s none of your concern.”
Mom didn’t let go of me. “Then can you at least leave Pepper here? Don’t worry, I’ll definitely take good care of him. It’s tough to have a cat around while you’re staying in a rented place, right? I mean, I’ve gotten so attached to him. Now that everyone’s gone, he’s all I have left to hold onto.”
I suddenly found it ironic that things had come full circle, and Pepper had actually become her emotional support.
But just like what she did to me in the past, I cruelly took everything away from her.
When I closed the door, I heard Mom’s uncontrollable sobbing.
Later on, I received many messages from her, and she also sent over lots of things.
She said over text, “Dahlia, I know it’s been too long, but please allow me to apologize to you. I couldn’t think straight when your sister died in the accident.
“At first, I couldn’t come to terms with the fact that I was the reason Bernette died, so I pushed the blame on you/ In the end, everyone believed it, and even I myself believed that lie.
“I never once considered your feelings, but in comparison, you were intent on doing right by your sister. You’ve thoroughly humbled me. So, no matter what you choose to do, I understand.”
I never responded to a single message from Mom.
Later on, I heard from Aunt Greta that Mom got sick.
I didn’t go home. I simply sent over some money.
Some time later, I received an even larger sum of money.
Aunt Greta said, “The years of anxiety have taken their toll on your mom. She has aches and pains in every part of her body.”
As it turned out, when I used to go back home, Mom had always been putting on a cheery facade around me.
Pepper leaving was the last straw for her.
The money I received was her inheritance, and also the wedding gift she had been saving up for me.
It all added up to 680 thousand dollars.
I thought back on Mom, who had still shown no remorse even after the truth came to light.
There really wasn’t anything left for me to be sad about.
It wasn’t too bad.
From now on, I was completely free.
