Maurice wanted to stop me and called me from behind, but Tina's voice was louder, drowning out his.

"Maury, please don't leave me behind again."

This was the second time that Maurice didn't come back for me.

6

I returned to my maternal family. My father was still so kind.

"Why did you come back at this time? Why didn't Maurice come with you?"

I walked straight toward my father and threw myself into his arms.

I would always do this when I suffered injustice in childhood.

"He's busy."

I couldn't hide my dejection at all with my heavy nasal voice, but I still intended to pretend that nothing had happened.

I didn't know why, but I could always regain warmth in my father's arms.

My father stroked my hair and asked, "Have you eaten yet?"

With that, he got up and went to the kitchen.

After a while, my father brought out my favorite scrambled eggs and pork ribs in sweet sauce.

I stuffed food into my mouth and responded to my father vaguely.

"My little girl, if you can't stand it anymore, just leave him. I'll always be here for you."

It turned out that Dad knew everything.

I froze for a moment before I frantically put a few ribs into my bowl.

At this moment, the doorbell kept ringing, accompanied by knocks on the door at intervals.

"Dad, sorry to bother you. I'm here to take Ree home."

Maurice was standing at the door with disheveled hair, panting. Obviously, he came in a rush.

7

My father left space for me and Maurice to talk.

Maurice spoke first, "Ree, I shouldn't have left you on the mountain.

"But Tina suffers from depression. I was afraid she'd take it too hard, so..."

I knew it. Once the ex cried, the current partner would lose.

But we had been married for five years.

"On your wrist, instead of a scar, it was a mark left by a tattoo you got rid of. It was her name, wasn't it?"

I asked tentatively.

After a long silence, he finally sighed and answered with an "Mm".

I didn't understand his emotions at the moment. I had originally been prepared for his answer, but I didn't expect that my heart would still hurt as if it had been struck.

In this gloomy atmosphere, no one uttered again.

In the end, it was me who broke the dead silence.

"Let's... break up, Maurice."

8

Nothing had changed between him and me, but we couldn't go back to the way our relationship was at the beginning.

Now that he could ignore my safety, there was no way I could continue to wait for him.