Chapter 153
"Since this is destined to be a painful relationship with no future, we might as well not start it at all. At least that way, we can just enjoy the physical side of things without complications."
After Lily finished speaking, she rubbed her face.
"Alright, it's getting late. I need to head back and sleep. I have to be on set tomorrow."
I stood up to see her out. "So what are you planning to do after this show wraps up?"
Lily chuckled, "Run away, of course. You don't actually think I'd keep tangling with Ryan, do you?"
The next morning.
I was in the sunroom tending to my plants.
Tamsin and I had bought way too much at the flower and bird market last time—I'd spent all afternoon on it and still hadn't finished.
While I was following a tutorial on repotting and fertilizing the plants, my phone rang.
Seeing it was Luke calling, I couldn't help but frown.
I waited a moment before answering. "Luke, what do you want?"
"Why didn't you answer when I called you before?"
Luke's tone was full of accusation.
I feigned surprise. "Luke, did you call me before? I didn't see it. Are you sure you didn't dial the wrong number?"
"I'm not so confused that I'd dial the wrong number!"
Luke said angrily.
I wasn't going to give him a chance to dwell on this, so I asked directly, "So what are you calling about?"
I had actually seen the call record and asked Jessica about it—I knew Luke had called.
But what did that have to do with me?
I didn't need to think hard to know why he was calling.
Luke was silent for a moment, his voice noticeably lower. "I got divorced."
Although Luke had mentioned before that he and Evelyn were going through a divorce, I didn't expect it to happen so quickly.
I opened my mouth. "Congratulations on your divorce?"
"Sue, what kind of thing is that to say? How can divorce be something to congratulate?"
Luke was furious.
I rolled my eyes and fiddled with a flower stem.
It was just something I said off the cuff.
Did he really expect me to comfort him with gentle words and a long, heartfelt speech?
But Luke couldn't have called just to inform me about his divorce, right?
Our relationship wasn't that close.
Sure enough, Luke continued, "Ever since I got divorced, Mom's been in a bad mood. Call her more often these next few days, talk to her, cheer her up."
I thought I'd misheard.
"You're asking the wrong person. If you want to comfort her, you'd better just hurry up and find another wife—that'd be more realistic."
Luke couldn't possibly not know how much Cora hated me.
Luke scolded coldly, "Sue, what's gotten into you? I say one thing and you have to talk back three times, is that it? Do you have any idea how hard it is to find a wife these days? Besides, I just got divorced—I have no plans to remarry right now!"
"And Mom isn't just my mom, she's your mom too. Now that she's feeling down, isn't it natural for you as her daughter to show some concern?"
I laughed. "When she's unhappy, wouldn't it be better if I kept my distance? Should I call her just to make her so angry she drops dead?"
Just thinking about Cora made my heart turn cold.
Images of the disgust in her eyes when she looked at me flooded my mind uncontrollably.
That's how much she hated me—she wished we'd never have to see each other again for the rest of our lives.
But Luke clearly didn't see it that way.
"Sue, we're family. Can you not be so cold-hearted? Mom's situation should be both of our responsibility. You need to handle it!"
At this point, Luke seemed to suddenly catch me in a fault, his tone becoming much more serious and loud, "And I need to talk to you about something else. When Mom was discharged from the hospital, why didn't you pick her up yourself? You actually had a stranger handle it, and not only did you not let Mom come to your place, you just put her in a car and sent her straight back to Sunrise City. Don't you think what you did was too much? Didn't you consider that Mom would be hurt?"
"Do you even know that because of what you did, Mom couldn't eat for several days after she got back!"
He got more worked up as he spoke, eventually shouting in anger.
I pulled at the corner of my mouth and sneered back, "Luke, while you're busy criticizing me, why don't you take a look at yourself?"
"What about me?"
"Who was it that said they'd take care of Mom in the hospital? And who was it that abandoned Mom halfway and ran off?"
"I had urgent matters to handle!"
"Your urgent matters sure took a long time. You ran off from the hospital and even took Mom's phone with you. You were that afraid Mom would call and ask you to come back and keep taking care of her. What right do you have to criticize me?"
"If you're going to play the role of the dutiful son, then actually do the work properly!"
My brow furrowed tightly, "Besides, from childhood until now, Mom has always favored and pampered you. You're the one who got all the family resources and all the love. Didn't you always pride yourself on being such a filial son? Well then, making Mom happy now is your job. Stop trying to guilt-trip me with talk of obligations. I'm not making that call. You go cheer her up yourself!"
There was a long silence on the other end of the line, only the sound of Luke's heavy breathing.
I didn't need to think to know he must be furious right now.
Just as I was about to hang up, Luke suddenly changed the subject, "The company transferred me to Seaside City. I'm coming here for work, and Mom will come with me. From now on, we'll both be living in Seaside City."
My hand shook, and I accidentally cut off a rose.
"The work transfer will take time to arrange and sort out housing. During this period, Mom will stay at your place. Get a room ready in advance—it needs to face the sun."
Luke spoke as if it were perfectly natural.
I refused without hesitation. "Impossible."
"Sue, what's wrong with you? Mom needs to stay at your place for a while and you won't even allow it?"
Luke questioned in a stern voice.
Of course I wouldn't allow it!
Just thinking about living under the same roof as Cora made me feel terrible all over.
Painful childhood memories flooded my mind uncontrollably.
When I was little and living at home, I felt like an outsider living under someone else's roof.
No matter what I did, I was met with disgust and disdain.
Even wanting a glass of water meant I had to watch Cora's mood.
Cora never gave me a kind look.
Every day at home, I was on edge, afraid that something I did would upset Cora and she'd unleash a torrent of scolding on me.
Before I left home and became independent, I never imagined that a person could feel relaxed and comfortable in their own home.
I was like a thief, greedily stealing every moment of peace.
If Cora moved in, knowing her as I did, she would definitely turn the house into a complete mess!
I was used to it myself, but Jessica and Jason also lived here.
I didn't want them to be dragged into this because of me.
I took a deep breath, pulled back my complicated and chaotic thoughts, and said coldly, "There's no way I'm letting her move in. At most, I'll arrange a hotel. That's it!"
"Sue! That's your mother!"
"If she weren't my mother, I wouldn't even arrange a hotel!"
With that, not giving Luke another chance to waste my time, I hung up directly.
My ears were instantly quiet.
I stared at the rose that had fallen to the ground and sighed.