He Hurt Me For Her, I Left, He Lost His Mind

Chapter 3

My mother instantly became awkward and nervous. She hurriedly turned the space heater toward Vivian.

"You're Simon's friend, right? You must be freezing. I'll get you some water."

Vivian didn't even acknowledge my mother. Still cradling the dog, she sat down and deliberately pulled two tissues from her purse to line the couch cushion first.

Then, without warning, the poodle sprang from her arms and charged straight for the roast beef on the table.

The plate crashed over. Meat scattered across the floor, and the dog immediately buried its nose in it.

My father bent down to gather it up, but his injured hands wouldn't cooperate. The more he struggled, the more miserable the scene became.

Vivian's face darkened. "Lucky!"

She snatched up the dog and looked at the meat on the floor in disgust. "What even is this? Can dogs eat something like this?"

My father's face turned crimson.

"It was freshly made in the cafeteria today," he explained hurriedly. "It's clean. Nobody touched it."

Vivian looked over at Simon. "Simon, do you think Lucky will get an upset stomach from this?"

Simon frowned and turned to my father. "Mr. Green, if you bring food home from the factory, don't leave it on the table next time. It's unhygienic."

My father went completely still. His damaged hands remained suspended awkwardly in the air, as though they no longer belonged anywhere.

My mother was already crouching on the floor in a panic, gathering the meat and wiping away the grease with the hem of her shirt. She was terrified of contaminating Vivian's pet.

That was it. The last thread inside me snapped.

"Enough!" I stared at Simon, feeling the whole thing was absurd.

For years, I had believed he was kind and reliable. Back in my junior year, I had taken on three jobs to help pay off his debts and eventually collapsed from hypoglycemia.

Holding me tightly in his arms, eyes rimmed red, he had whispered, "When my company takes off, I'll give you a real home. I'll never let you struggle again."

In the end, I turned down the opportunity to go abroad. I stayed, worked, helped pay off his debts, and looked after him. My parents had welcomed him into the family as if he were their own son.

Only then did the truth finally sink in. Every moment of it had been part of a revenge scheme.

I slowly slid the ring from my finger.

Simon's expression shifted at once. "Nora, don't."

I placed the ring on the table and spoke in a voice colder than winter, "The wedding isn't happening."

The roast beef in my mother's hand slipped and landed back on the plate. The blood drained from her face.

"Nora, haven't you and Simon always been doing fine?"

Cradling her dog, Vivian spoke with deliberate ease, "Nora, stop throwing a tantrum. Simon's already stretched thin dealing with debt collectors. Making a fuss now is only going to make things worse for him."

As she finished speaking, her eyes landed on a paper shopping bag beside the couch. She seemed to discover something amusing. "Oh? Is this your engagement dress?"

My mother nervously rubbed her hands together. "Yes. We picked it up earlier today."

Vivian reached in and pulled it out. One look, and she laughed out loud, "Seriously? Don't tell me this came from a sidewalk vendor."

My mother immediately looked embarrassed. "No, it came from a clothing store. We bought it on sale. It was a little over $200. The quality is actually very nice."

Vivian ignored every word. Her laughter only grew louder, "Mrs. Green, did you spend hours trying to haggle the price down?"

She blinked with mock innocence. "But, Mrs. Green, between you and Mr. Green, one crippled and one fool, would either of you even know how to bargain in the first place?"

I finally lost control of myself.