She remembered that when Lila was three years old, she would run over with milk in the same way, only then the child would softly call "Mommy feed me," rest her chin on her knees, stare into her eyes and say "Mommy is the prettiest."
But now, the little dumpling who used to cling to her has become the one who hates her the most.
She wanted to refuse, but then she thought of her three-year-old daughter and that this might be the last time she would drink milk poured by her daughter, so she eventually took the cup.
The milk was slightly cool to the taste, with a strange, cloying sweetness. Clara frowned, but still forced herself to drink it down.
She thought that even if it was the last time, she wanted to preserve some of the warmth between mother and daughter.
That night, Clara was trapped in a hazy, half-awake state.
The bedroom door wasn't closed properly, and Liam's voice, mixed with suggestive breathing, drifted in, clear as if right next to his ear: "That waist... it's so damn thin... Teacher Vanessa, you're even more alluring than when she wore a dance dress back in the day..." This was followed by the rhythmic rustling of fabric and Vanessa's soft, sweet laughter: "Mr. Liam, be gentle... Lila's still in the next room..."
Clara spent a chaotic night, unsure whether it was a dream or reality. Her heart felt like it had been struck by a heavy hammer, the pain almost suffocating her.
She vaguely remembered that seven years ago, Liam had whispered the same thing in her ear, saying that her waist when she danced Swan Lake was "God's masterpiece" and that he would give her the best things in the world.
But now, his sweet words are given to someone else, his tenderness to someone else, and even the desire he once showed only to her has become a knife stabbing her.
The next afternoon, Clara was woken up by her cell phone ringing.
A strong wave of dizziness washed over her. She propped herself up on the headboard, her head feeling heavy as if it were filled with lead. She raised her hand to touch her forehead, and the burning heat made her heart clench.
I turned on my phone, and the screen showed 3 PM.