Chapter 71
No matter how strong I tried to be, I couldn't hold back the tears rolling down my face. The pain and helplessness I felt made it suddenly difficult to breathe. I had never heard Ron talk about his background, nor did I know that his family was so wealthy. But I had never thought of being friends with him for money; to me, Ron was the beacon that saved me during the darkest days of my life. His mother's words, full of contempt and disdain, made it impossible for me to stay calm. A sense of frustration and shame overwhelmed me, making me want to cry out.
Many people on the street noticed and were curious about why I was crying. They pointed and whispered to each other. I quickly wiped away my tears and ran away. When I reached a quiet alley with few people, I finally sat down. I buried my face in my hands and cried silently, too embarrassed to sob aloud. I didn't know how much time had passed, but by the time I stopped crying, the sun had set.
"It's been five hours..." I murmured softly as I looked at my phone screen. I hurriedly made my way to Rollo's school to pick up the boy. When I arrived, there were hardly any students left. Rollo was sitting alone on the playground, looking dejected and pitiful.
"Rollo," I called out loudly. Rollo glanced up, then walked over to me. He didn't look happy or cheerful to see me.
"Today... Mom had some business to attend to, so I came to pick you up a bit late. Don't be upset, okay?" I stammered, scratching my head. I should have paid more attention to the time.
Rollo stared at me for a long time before asking, "Did Mom cry? You don't have to deny it because your eyes are all red." I felt even more embarrassed hearing that. I had tried to wipe away my tears and act perfectly normal before coming here.
I quickly changed the subject to divert Rollo's attention from my red eyes, but he continued to gaze at me intently and didn't respond to my questions. The atmosphere became tense, and I began to feel suffocated.
When we finally returned home, Rollo spoke to me.
"Mom, when are we going home?" I didn't understand what he meant. Weren't we already at home?
"What are you talking about, honey? We're already home. Mom will prepare dinner." But before I could even enter the kitchen, I heard Rollo speak nonchalantly.
"This is not 'home,' Dad said, 'home' is where every family member is present. When it's been divided, it's no longer 'home.'" Rollo's words sent shivers down my spine; I didn't argue or say anything more, just pointed to the kitchen to prepare dinner. I knew Enzo had said something to Rollo because if it weren't for Enzo's influence, Rollo wouldn't be so distant from me like this.
Rollo seemed to trust Enzo a lot and was now estranged from me. To him, I was the one dividing this 'family.' I couldn't deny that Enzo was skilled at pretending to be a decent man. He could turn a child who used to fear and despise him into someone who now idolized and blindly trusted him.
As I watched the water boiling, I thought about what Ron's mother had said. I felt uneasy and frustrated but couldn't do anything but run away at that moment. The ringing of the phone interrupted my daze.
It was Ron calling, [Flora, have you seen my mother today? Did she cause any trouble for you? Tell me.] His voice was hurried and concerned, carrying worry and care for me that made me almost want to cry.
But I just chuckled lightly and said, "Yes, I did see her today, but she only asked about you and what you've been up to. Nothing else." I said it very naturally because it was a phone call, and I didn't have to face him.
What if I told him that his mother had made insulting and condescending remarks about me? But Ron seemed skeptical and didn't believe me. He asked again, [Are you telling the truth? I know my mother's temperament; she wouldn't simply ask about me. Tell me the truth.]
But no matter how he questioned me, I only had the same answer. I didn't want him to have conflicts with his mother because of me, and I certainly didn't want his family to go through any more terrible things because of me.
Ron couldn't extract any more information from me, so he gave up. He asked gently, [I'll have to go back to deal with company matters soon. Can you come to the airport to see me off?]
Although it was just a very ordinary question, I could hear the urgency and a hint of emotion in his words. I didn't think much and immediately replied, "I'll come to see you off."
After the call ended, I felt a bit relieved. It was still Ron who made me feel safest and most at peace.
Rollo often played loud music while I was cooking dinner, so I couldn't hear any other sounds until the meal was ready and I stepped out of the kitchen to call Rollo to eat. That's when I was startled by the sight of that man.
"HEY! Who allowed you into my house? GET OUT!" I nearly lost control, pointing straight towards the door and shouting at him.
Enzo just glanced at me and approached. "Why? I came to visit my son; don't I need permission for that?" His arrogance and self-assuredness were evident on his face, a face that made me utterly disgusted.
I didn't want to argue with him, so I immediately ordered, "Well then, please leave now. I don't welcome you here!" I expressed my annoyance and anger clearly, but Enzo acted as if he didn't see it.
"I'm not leaving; tonight I want to sleep here. I just smelled something delicious – you just finished cooking dinner, right? It's quite a coincidence; let's eat together." Enzo took a step forward, and I took two steps back, glaring at his fake smile, which irritated me greatly.
I wanted to send him away, but how could I invite him to dinner at the same time? But before I could say anything, Rollo rushed in and hugged his legs, looking at me with reproachful eyes.
"Why did Mom chase Dad away? Mom is so heartless, and it's raining outside now. Dad might catch a cold!" Rollo raised his voice.
I angrily scolded the little one, "I told you not to open the door for anyone without my permission." Rollo, startled by my sudden outburst, hid behind Enzo. I glared at Enzo and pointed straight at his face.
"And as for you, if you don't want to catch a cold in the rain, then don't come here. I don't have any love to spare for you. Now, get out." I didn't care about Enzo's nobility, power, or how wealthy he was. I didn't care about his social status. Remembering the words Ron's Mom had said, she also thinks that becoming Enzo's wife would be an honor, a step up, turning a duck into a swan, the wish of every girl in the world.
But I had never needed any of those things.
Because of my anger, my eyes turned red, and I breathed heavily, glaring at the two people in front of me. Enzo still held that fake smile, tilting his head to express his amusement even more clearly.
"What are you laughing at? Is there something funny?" I snapped, if it were before, he would either give me a cold look or leave immediately, but now he was laughing like a fool in front of me.
It was only now that I noticed Enzo had come here alone without Min. It seemed like he had also realized this, so he said, "Min came to visit your place and have dinner there. I'm not used to having dinner alone, so I came here. You know, eating alone makes me feel lonely, and it makes me sad and scared."
Enzo spoke with a hint of sadness, and his face looked genuinely hurt as he gazed at me. He moved closer and gently took my hand, stroking it lightly. Normally, the old me would have been moved and wouldn't pursue the matter any further.
And it seemed like he thought so too, but I found it ridiculous and absurd. Inside, I couldn't help but feel mocking and ridiculing this man. I forcefully pulled my hand away, giving him a cold look.
"Don't you understand what I'm saying? I said, GET OUT OF HERE NOW! Your presence just makes me nauseous and disgusted."
Enzo furrowed his brow, and his smile faded away. He stared at me intensely, like a wild animal. I laughed because this was his true self.
Enzo said, "You once said you wouldn't forbid me from visiting our son."
I did say that, and I could have cut ties with Enzo and taken my son back to old home. But at that time, I had to tell the truth for Rollo's safety, yet he didn't trust me right away; he only believed it when there was a DNA test.
"Now you're using the kid as an excuse for your convenience and reckless actions?" I smirked, noting that this man hadn't changed at all. It used to be Min, and now it's Rollo. I secretly admired how well he knew how to exploit my vulnerabilities to get what he wanted.
Enzo wasn't pleased with my words. He gently placed his hand on Rollo's head and said, "I would never do that, you can't just say things like that casually." He spoke as if I were fabricating things about him. I wanted to say more, but suddenly, Rollo stood in front of Enzo, his eyes welling up with tears as he looked up at me.
"Mom, you can't say that. This is my Dad. I called Dad here because I want to have dinner with him. Why do you keep trying to stop this? Is it a crime for me to want to have dinner with my dad?" Rollo sobbed and spoke.
Enzo quickly knelt down and comforted the child. I watched this scene in front of me, seething with anger but unable to do anything. I clenched my fists in frustration and turned away, preparing to go to my room.
Before heading upstairs, I said, "After dinner, study, and I'll check on you later." I quickly went to my room. If I stayed any longer, those two would definitely infuriate me even more.