Sarah’s mother’s eyes showed pity; she
patted my shoulder.
“Son, words once spoken are like water
spilled. Your parents‘ assets will be
transferred to my name; live well abroad.
く
“Forget Sarah. She didn’t appreciate you. You
didn’t do anything wrong.”
My nose twitched. For the first time, someone
told me I hadn’t done anything wrong, that I
hadn’t wronged Sarah.
Sarah’s mother quickly sent me abroad.
She even transferred ownership of a house
there to me.
I tried to refuse, but Sarah’s mother said it
was what she should do.
She had my domestic ID canceled and got me
a new one abroad.
From then on, Tom ceased to exist.
Before Sarah’s mother left, she seemed
hesitant and said, “If you change your mind in
two years, you can come back.”
I was stunned. I never expected Sarah’s
<
mother, always a woman of her word, to go
back on the agreement.
I shook my head.
“Mrs. Miller, thank you for taking care of me
these three years.”
Hearing my altered address, Sarah’s mother’s
eyes reddened, filled with regret as she left.
“Why couldn’t Sarah just look back?”
A forced marriage is never sweet, that’s the
truth.
After Sarah’s mother left, I snapped my SIM
card.
Before throwing away my old phone, I
inexplicably opened the hidden album.
They were all photos of Sarah.
Ten–year–old Sarah, eighteen–year–old
Sarah, twenty–year–old Sarah…
く
She was always beautiful; she always insisted
I take her pictures whenever we went
somewhere new.
I couldn’t bear to delete these photos from
more than ten years. Even when I changed
phones, I had to transfer them.
I threw the phone in the trash without another
look.
Half a year into my life abroad, when I
thought things would remain peaceful,
Sarah’s mother called me across the ocean.
Her voice was urgent.
“Tom, Sarah wants to see you…
33
I hesitated, then decisively refused.
“Mrs. Miller, we agreed. You would keep her
away from me.‘
<
“I did, but I never expected her to threaten
suicide.”
“I gave Mark a sum of money, and he
immediately abandoned Sarah. Sarah couldn’t
find Mark and came to question me. That’s
when I told her about our bet.”
“She’s gone crazy wanting to see you. I have
no choice…”
