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The others immediately laughed and jeered at Calvin’s boldness, while Sheryl stared at him with an expectant smile. Calvin returned her gaze with an affectionate look before turning to the group and sneering.
“Why wouldn‘ t I dare? Lana‘ s like a cotton doll–she won’t get mad at all. Besides, she can’t live without me. It’s just canceling a wedding,” he said casually.
His words suffocated me. It was true, just as Calvin described. I had been like a cotton doll, enduring everything he did or said without showing any pain or anger.
I remembered vividly the time Calvin joked in front of his friends, including Sheryl,
“Lana’s an orphan, wanted by no one, loved by no one. As long as I treat her slightly better, she won’t leave me. She’s practically my lifelong slave. Tangled up with me, ha!”
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I had been present that day, though slightly tipsy from the wine I’d had. I pretended I hadn’t heard him. Calvin always believed his words wouldn’t hurt me because, in
our seven years together, I’d never lost my temper with him.
But this time, I wouldn‘ t remain that cotton doll–numb, unfeeling and incapable of reacting.
My aunt called me again, asking about my plans. She must have sensed that my relationship with Calvin had fallen apart.
“You’ll finally see I was right,” she said over the phone, her tone triumphant.
“You‘ ve ignored the path I arranged for you all these years, thinking you knew better. But people change.
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This time, I didn’t argue or lash out like an irritable cat. Instead, I listened silently as she talked, her words hitting harder
than usual.
Back in my senior year of high school, my
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aunt had tried to bring me abroad. She‘ d even completed all the paperwork, preparing for me to join her.
Aunt Mary was a strong, independent woman who had never married or had children. She had built a successful career abroad through her sheer determination and hard work.
When I was thirteen, my parents died in a car accident. The driver responsible committed suicide and his elderly parents. were unable to provide compensation.
Left orphaned and a financial burden, I was shuffled between relatives. My uncle called a family meeting and it was decided I would rotate between living with him, Aunt Mary and another uncle.
For eight years, I lived under others‘ roofs like a parasite.
Years later, Aunt Mary–who had been estranged from the family–learned of my situation. Despite the distance and time,
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she stepped forward to help, likely out of gratitude for my father, who had paid her tuition and living expenses when she was younger.
Aunt Mary wanted to repay that kindness by taking me abroad and giving me a fresh start. But back then, I stubbornly refused. Having spent so many years reliant on others, I wanted to stand on my own. And truthfully, I didn’t want to leave Calvin.
Even though I rejected her offer, Aunt Mary never gave up on me. She covered my high school and college living expenses and returned every year during the holidays to take me traveling.
During these trips, she opened my heart, little by little, telling me stories about how
my father had loved and cared for her.
“He was the one who believed in me the most,” she often said. “And now, I’ll treat you the same way.”
Her words brought me comfort back then, but now they felt like a reminder of
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everything I’d given up for Calvin.
I heard footsteps at the door and moments later, Calvin walked in. I quickly ended the call with Aunt Mary.
As Calvin took off his shoes, he shot me a mocking glance. “Talking to your aunt again, huh? She’s probably off with some old man abroad, thinking she can marry you off to someone like him too. Does she think you’re just an object? Why are you still in contact with her?”
I forced a smile, but it came out bitter and
sarcastic.
He was the one who treated me as an
object. I had never even told him about Aunt Mary’s true identity. No matter how wealthy she was, it was her success–not mine. I didn’t want Calvin to think I relied on someone else’s wealth to measure up to him.
“Calvin, I’ve decided,” I said firmly. “I’m going to live with my aunt.”
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He froze for a moment, staring at me in disbelief. Then, he laughed nonchalantly.
