Chapter 1 (1/2)

Mom shouted loudly through the phone: “What? Separating? Why?”

I frowned. My ears hurt and I took the phone further away from me.

Divorce concerns two parties only. It is a marriage between them and yet, it is not them, but others, who constantly ask for the reason for their divorce.

“Mom, we have signed the papers today. Your objection is overruled.” I said.

Mom prompted further, “Who initiated the divorce?”

I replied, “It’s me. I like someone else.”

Mom did not believe me and said, “You are my daughter. I know what kind of person you are!”

I laughed for I do not even know what kind of person I am. “Mom, you don’t have to worry. There are so many couples divorcing every day. We are just one of them.”

Mom retorted, “But in this world, there are countless of couples who spend the rest of their lives together. Why are you not one of them?”

I replied to Mom out of the corner of my strained smile, “We didn’t manage to master that skill well enough.”

Mom sighed, “Dan Xin, Dan Xin[1]… We didn’t name you well. You always make me worry.”

Tears welled up in my eyes. Only Mom would unconditionally love me this way.

I said, “Mom, I’m fine. I’m still young and still have a chance to find a good man.”

“Both of you have been together well and all… Why separating suddenly… The house and the car…” Mom mumbled and repeated the same sentences again.

When I hung up the phone, she was still shouting for my name at the other end of the line.

There was a moment of complete silence. I felt really tired and exhausted. There was only me and my cat in the empty house. I looked around the luxuriously decorated master bedroom and saw the photo of us still hanging on the wall. It was taken during our trip to Jiuzhaigou. At that time, his charm was accompanied with a touch of immaturity. At that time, I was completely in love with him.

I stood up on the sofa, took the photo off the wall and threw it into a corner of the sofa.

When I mentioned the divorce, he was sitting on this sofa.

I said bluntly, “Cheng Rui, I want to get a divorce.”

It was as if I was telling him nothing special.