Behind My Mother’s Second Marriage: I Decided to Avenge Her!Chapter 1
When my mom, fifty years old, remarried, I prepared a house and 30 thousand dollars in cash as a gift.
Not long after the wedding, I received a late-night message from her:
"Reina, are you asleep?"
I was working late on a project.
Since Mom usually went to bed early, I wondered if something was wrong.
Just as I was about to reply, she retracted the message.
Fearing she might be hiding something, I decided to take leave from work, bought a plane ticket, and flew back home.
As soon as I arrived, I spotted a familiar figure at the entrance of the neighborhood.
She was bent over, rummaging through a trash bin.
"Mom?"
I called out in surprise.
She looked up, momentarily stunned.
"Reina, what are you doing here?"
I dropped my suitcase and ran to her, pulling her into a tight hug.
"I missed you."
Mom looked thinner than before.
As she straightened up, I saw her trying to discreetly wipe away tears.
Looking down at the pile of drink bottles at her feet, I was puzzled.
"Mom, why were you collecting plastic bottles? If you needed money, you should have told me."
I sent her 1,000 dollars every month, and with her retirement pension, she should have had at least 2,000 dollars. How could someone who was always so neat end up collecting bottles?
Seeing my concern, Mom quickly reassured me.
"I wasn’t short on money, Reina. Don’t worry. I just needed something to do to keep myself occupied."
Seeing my expression soften, Mom finally let out a sigh of relief.
"You must have been hungry. Come on, Mom will make your favorite braised pork ribs."
I linked my arm with Mom’s and smiled, though my confusion only grew.
As we dragged my suitcase through the door, I noticed the house had changed.
The last time I was here, it had been immaculate. Now, it was in disarray.
Clothes and toys were scattered across the floor and the couch.
Mom began picking up the mess while gesturing for me to sit down.
I glanced at the haphazard doodles on the walls and frowned.
“Mom, why are there children’s drawings on the walls?”
Mom handed me a plate of freshly washed cherries and explained.
“That’s from Cody’s little son. Since it’s summer vacation, he’s been staying with us for a few days. Cody’s sister is here too…”
Cody Dalton was my stepfather.
She seemed uneasy, her anxious fingers betraying her concern.