Chapter 3

Chapter 3

I had been conflicted for weeks, unsure if I should terminate the pregnancy.

But in the end, I chose to keep the baby.

I didn't want to get married again, but I did want a child of my own.

Besides, Brenden had good looks and a solid background-excellent genes to pass on.

I waited until I was five months along, when it was too late to consider abortion, before I returned home, my belly noticeable.

The moment my mom saw me, she was stunned.

She glanced behind me, looking for someone.

I smiled and said, "Mom, it's only me."

She asked about Brenden.

I said nothing.

Mom sighed and began to wipe away her tears. She hugged me tightly, whispering, "It's okay. If he won't be there for you and the baby, you still have me. I'll help you."

I had expected her to scold me, maybe even try to force me to go to the hospital for an abortion. But her reaction was far more compassionate than I could have imagined.

Mom started to share her own story from when she was younger.

She told me that the reason she never spoke of my father was because he, too, had been an irresponsible man.

Mom had a happy life initially, but my grandparents were very strict with her. She felt suffocated.

During that time, the family was building a house, and one of the workers was a young man from another town.

He would bring her pretty hair ties and delicious treats, telling her about the exciting world beyond the village.

Gradually, Mom fell for him.

The man charmed her, took advantage of her, and then vanished without a trace.

When she found out she was pregnant, her belly had already begun to show. Only then did my grandmother discover what had happened.

They were furious and insisted she have an abortion.

But Mom couldn't bear to part with me.

So, one night, she secretly left home.

By the time she finished her story, Mom was sobbing uncontrollably. She blamed herself, saying, "All these years, I've wanted to go back and see them, but I was the daughter who let them down. I let them down."

I had no idea how much my mom had struggled raising me alone all these years. Now it was clear why she didn't want me to face the same pain.

I persuaded her to go back home.

Eventually, she agreed.

We returned to our village to visit our relatives.

Mom finally saw my grandparents, now with hair turned white from age. The three of them embraced, crying and forgiving each other.

All these years, my grandparents had been looking for her. They had even bought her a house, waiting for her to return.

To ensure a future reunion, Mom sold our old house, and we moved back together.

Even as we left, I couldn't shake what Brenden had said before he left: "Wait for my return."

I still harbored a faint hope in my heart.

But I knew, deep down, it might just be wishful thinking.