Chapter 2

Back then, Mom had changed my high school application behind my back and turned down an offer from the top institution in the city. Instead, she made sure I got into the worst vocational school, despite my ranking third in the entire city.

When I broke down and threw a tantrum, she had cried in front of all our relatives and neighbors, claiming I didn't understand how hard things were for the family and only wanted to go to some elite high school to chase after a boy.

She had even said that educational background wasn't as important because back in her day, vocational students had bright futures too.

Her act had been so convincing that everyone came over to advise me that I could still get into college from a vocational school and that it wouldn't affect my future.

Later, when it was time for me to take the college entrance exam, Mom had torn up my exam docket and caused all my year-long preparations down the drain.

When I angrily confronted her, she had spoken to me in a grave tone, saying that college graduates these days couldn't find jobs anyway. It was better to accept the secure job the school had offered.

No one knew that the so-called "secure job" was working on a production line, screwing bolts all day. And thus, they had obliviously sided with Mom and persuaded me to be realistic.

After my graduation, under the guise of "doing what was best for me," Mom had set me up on a date with a terrible man, insisting that with all her life experience, she knew better.

The man, she had claimed, was dependable and would take good care of me.

Outsiders had simply said I was being rebellious and didn't appreciate Mom's sacrifices.

However, little did they know, the man she had perceived to be caring was a divorcee. To her, the fact that he had a child was even better as I wouldn't have to give birth to one. She had called a poor, unambitious man "dependable" because rich men, in her view, always turned bad.

When I refused to marry the mama's boy she had picked, she had boycotted my wedding with Trent. She had said Trent was merely a spoiled rich kid with no ambition and marrying me was nothing but a game to him.

Unsurprisingly, everyone had sided with her again.

They all had said, "She's your mother. Everything she's doing is for your own good."

Was she really doing it for my good though?

"Monica! Did you even hear what I just said?" Mom became frustrated by my silence. "What are you standing around for? Come with me! You're going to divorce him right now!"

My feet felt like they were rooted to the floor. No matter how hard she tugged, I wouldn't budge.

"What are you doing?" She hadn't expected me to be so stubborn, and her eyes blazed with anger. "Are you going to turn against your mother for a man?"

The onlookers started commenting again.

"That's right. You shouldn't hurt your mother over some man and money."

"Parents always look out for their children. Besides, your mother is doing this for your well-being."

"Ms. Laurent, it's never too late to make the right choice."

I caught the disappointed, judgmental looks of the guests, and my heart went cold.

Without a doubt, my art exhibition—three years in the making—was about to be ruined. All the guests I had painstakingly invited would leave because of Mom.

Every step I had taken to get here had been soaked in sweat and blood. And now, with just a few casual words, she was going to erase all of it.

Why?

My head snapped up, and I looked Mom right in the eyes. I uttered loudly, "Mother, I've already told you! Even if Trent did cheat on me, I'm going to confront him myself and hear what he has to say!

"Even a condemned criminal gets a chance to speak before their sentence. I'm not going to convict him of cheating based on one side of the story. That wouldn't be fair!"

My words echoed through the hall, and for a moment, all the guests were stunned.