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510words
The bodyguard glanced at me,pity in his eyes,and pressed on.“Sir,I’m not lying.Emily told you multiple times her mom was deliberately hit by a crazed driver.You just wouldn’t believe her.”
Then Sophia spoke up.“Nathan,it’s true.I didn’t want to stress you out while we were together.You’ve been so busy with my situation.”
She shot me a triumphant look.“I just didn’t expect you’d ignore Emily after she told you so many times.”
“Nathan,I’m sorry for your loss.The driver’s been caught.I’m sure your mom’s spirit will rest in peace.”
Nathan’s eyes widened.He stared at the drifting ashes,dazed,then roared,cutting Sophia off.“No way!You’re lying too?”
Sophia,unprepared for his outburst,grabbed his hand,stammering.“There’s video online.I can show you…”
Nathan flinched,shaking her off.Sophia yelped in pain.
“Why didn’t you tell me before?”
Tears still wet on her face,Sophia looked pitiful.“Nathan,are you blaming me?”
“Didn’t you say you wanted to focus on us and not hear about their family?”
“And I’m your real girlfriend,your future wife.Why do you call Emily’s mom‘Mom’?Why do you care so much about her?”
…
I watched the couple, who had been so affectionate moments ago, start bickering.But I felt no joy.
Even the bodyguard couldn’t stand it. He shot them a look of utter contempt, then helped me gather the remaining ashes of my mother.
Nearly half of them were gone, scattered by the wind. I carefully placed what I could recover back into the urn.
My hands shook so violently that it took me ages to close the urn.
The sound of the urn clicking shut interrupted Nathan and Sophia’s argument.
Nathan approached,his lips trembling.“Is that really Mom in there?”
I glared at him with disgust,turning away and clutching the urn tightly.
My gesture seemed to wound him.He retracted his outstretched hand.
I sneered,“Mr.Brooks,finally facing reality?”
“Yes,those are my mom’s ashes.”
“When you scattered them into the air,that was the last time you’ll ever see her!”
As if struck by lightning,Nathan stood frozen.
I didn’t want to waste another second on him.I just wanted to bury my mom properly and left.
To my surprise,he followed.
At the cemetery,I buried her myself.
Nathan watched silently the whole time.
As I prepared to leave,he rasped behind me, “I’m sorry. I didn’t know it would come to this.”
His words stirred nothing in me.I almost laughed.
Without turning,I said,“If you’re truly sorry,can you stop the online attacks on my mom?”
I watched him clench his fists and sneered.“What,still worried about Sophia?Not surprising.You two have been inseparable since childhood, closer than family all these years, haven’t you?”
Once,Nathan had solemnly told me that my mom and I were his only family.
The word“family”seemed to strike a nerve.His fists loosened,and he deflated.“I’m not protecting Sophia.I’ll have it cleared up.”
I turned away,ignoring him.
But he followed me all the way back to my hometown.
At my doorstep,I couldn’t hold back my rage.I slammed the door in his face.“Why are you still here?You’re not welcome!”
A moment later, he pushed his way inside.
