Chapter 14 - Repay her Kindness (1/2)
”W..what?” He stared at her straight in the eyes and asked her to repeat it again.
Without a hint of happiness on her face, a bitter smile appeared as she repeated, ”I'm getting married with Tian Yuo.”
”Why? Didn't you say that you were going to give up on him?” Chen Mu's mind felt like the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy; a mess.
”It was difficult making this decision, but...” She faced her mother's photo album and hugged it to her chest.
”But this was my mother's last wish. She and Auntie Shen Wen agreed to Tian Yuo and my engagement. It's been set before my mother's death. Look at these pictures, she loves me so much that every single picture was all smiles. And Auntie Shen Wen treats me like her own daughter. I want to treat her like my own mother and be a filial daughter to her.”
”Even so, you could treat her like your mother without getting married to him! If your mother was here, she wouldn't want to see you suffer like this. If you don't want to marry him, then don't. If you have to marry someone, then you can marry me instead! I'll make you feel much happier!” He began spouting words without thinking.
”Chen Mu, I've never told anyone how I've lived through my childhood. Every time I saw families laughing happily, I would stare for extra seconds wondering what life would've been like if my mom was still alive. I wish I could cook, clean, and spend time with her like every other family. I felt empty all these years, and I felt useless because there was nothing I could do for her.”
”When I saw Karen crying and her mother comforting her, I would always be envious because never will I ever get the chance to feel a mother's hug. This is something that I can never get. So right now, I found out that she had a last wish and that was for me to marry Tian Yuo. Even if I am marrying him not out of love, I am willing to because it would fill this emptiness inside of me.”
”I don't care if Tian Yuo treats me like his wife or loves whoever the heck he wants to love. All I know is that I want to treat the elders with care and respect like how my mom would treat them.”
Seeing her hug the photo album to herself made his chest feel tight. He felt heartache for her, her sufferings, and her loss. She always hid her feelings and never allowed anyone to find out how she really felt. The loneliness, self blame, and desires weighed heavily on her emotionally and psychologically.
Everything that she wanted to do with her mother, she couldn't. When she saw a happy family walking around, she would subconsciously stare for an extra few seconds. His temper slowly cooled down and in his gentle voice, he asked, ”What if your marriage with him doesn't work out?”