- 2.
I exhaled, taking in my surroundings.
This was our house before the divorce. Lily,
John, my mother–in–law, and me.
L
Lily was at school, John was on a business
trip, and my mother–in–law was out line
dancing.
The house wasn’t big. Three bedrooms, one
living room.
My mother–in–law had a room, Lily had a
room, Lily’s piano and books filled another.
John, always traveling, rarely came home.
When he did, he slept in his mother’s room,
and she’d take the largest bed with Lily.
I slept on the sofa bed in the living room.
Sofa by day, bed by night. I was treated like a
guest in my own home.
く
My personal belongings were crammed into a
small cabinet in the piano room.
Even then, Lily complained my things took up
too much space, threatening to throw my
clothes away.
The house was jointly owned. It should have
been mine after the divorce.
But John and his mistress were cunning, and
my mother–in–law added fuel to the fire.
I gave up the house to keep Lily. I left with
nothing but my daughter, moving to a small
apartment near her school.
Lily resented me for it.
She claimed the house was John’s and I
should have left without her.
She constantly accused me of withholding
child support, complaining about her
allowance.
John never paid a dime.
She believed I kept her from her father
because I was afraid he’d take her away.
The truth was, I didn’t want her to see John
and his mistress’s happy life, their soon–to-
be–born son. They never cared about her.
Lily adored John, believing he was the best
father in the world. She loved her
grandmother too.
She never knew they resented me for not
く
giving them a son.
My kindness was repaid with bitterness.
I gave her my life, only to be met with
misunderstanding and hatred.
Tragic and absurd.
But I was reborn.
This time, I had a chance to choose my own
life.
I called the music store, arranging to sell the
piano.
In my past life, all my savings went towards
that piano.
Lily’s old one was out of tune, beyond repair.
With the competition six months away, I
couldn’t let a faulty piano ruin her chances.
And she?
She smashed the gift I carefully chose.
If she didn’t want it, I’d take it back.
Just then, Lily walked in, a smug smile
plastered on her face.
“I’m home,” she cooed into her phone. “See
you later, babe.”
The smile vanished when she saw me.
Her eyes held the same disgust she might
<
I was in the piano room. “What are you doing
here, you old hag?” she yelled. “Spying on my
practice again? You’re so pathetic!”
“I told you, I don’t want to play! I hate it!”
“Other parents are so cool. Why can’t you be?
They let their kids do what they want after
school. Watch TV, read, play video games. I
have to practice every day, and you even
make me go to bed early!”
Even though I’d decided to let her go, her
words stung.
I remembered when she was little, her eyes shining as she declared she’d be a pianist.
John refused to spend money on her, and her
grandmother called her a burden.
く
Only I, against their disapproval, paid for her
lessons, nurturing her dream.
Now she claimed she hated it? That I forced
her?
An hour of practice each night to prepare for
a life–changing competition was restricting
her freedom?
Pushing her to excel, to attend a prestigious
university, wasn’t that for her own good?
She stayed up until 2 am playing games when
she had to wake up at 6 for school. Asking
her to sleep wasn’t a crime.
I wasn’t angry anymore. Just heartbroken.
“You’re right,” I said calmly. “I won’t force your
to practice anymore.”
