He lit them for a whole hour and a half just to celebrate her getting first place in a PK match.
I curved my mouth slightly and blocked the person who sent it, lowering my head again to sort the plans for my mother’s death anniversary.
Everyone kept talking about how Maeve was the woman Zion kept beside him the longest.
I guess whether she might one day take my place.
But no one noticed that I no longer wished to fight anyone for this “Mrs. Payne” role.
On my mother’s death anniversary, I dressed in all black, a white flower fastened to my chest, standing in the middle of the living room.
The guests all wore serious looks, lowering their voices while speaking. After giving their sympathy, they nodded at me one after another.
Everything should have ended calmly and with respect.
Until just as I was telling the staff to guide the guests to their seats, a purposely softened but still pointed voice came from outside the doorway.
“Ya… why is everyone wearing black clothes?”
I lifted my head and saw Zion standing at the entrance.
Behind him stood a woman dressed in bright red with heavy makeup, curled hair hanging over her shoulders.
She carefully leaned half her body forward, her eyes moving across the room, finally stopping on the memorial photo of my mother in the center of the living room, as if she only just understood.
“Ah… today… Someone passed away?”
Then she seemed to realize she had spoken out of place, quickly pulling a red flower from her hair, holding it between her fingers as she walked toward my mother’s memorial stand.
“Sorry, sorry, I didn’t know… can I put this flower here?”
Seeing her reach toward my mother’s memorial, the blood in my body went cold. I almost acted on instinct and pushed her away.
“Leave! Who told you that you could come in!”
The woman stepped back in a rush, almost losing her balance, but Zion caught her with his hand.
I stared at Zion, my voice shaking from trying to hold myself together, “Zion, didn’t I tell you not to bring those cheap women from outside into this house, messing up the place!”
“And today is my mother’s death anniversary!”
All the guests went still, their eyes turning toward that woman.
Maeve clearly hadn’t expected me to actually push her. She stared at me for a few seconds, looking lost, then her eyes turned wet right away, tears dropping as if on command.