“Of course, that doesn’t matter anymore. What’s mine will still be mine. My daughter can’t get married without a proper dowry!” Isabelle smiled.
She wants to give me everything? Naturally, my first response was to refuse her offer. “I don’t want any of that, Mom. You know how I’ve always preferred drawing since I was a kid, right? I’m getting kind of famous now and a lot of people have acknowledged my artistic skills. I’m really happy to do what I like for a living, and I don’t need anything else.”
Isabelle gave me a strange look and said after a brief pause, “You silly girl! Why would you defend that scumbag father of yours after all the suffering they’ve put you through? You should spoil yourself a little sometimes, you know? I’d grant your requests even if they are selfish.”
“In that case, could you spare the Tanner family? I mean, we’re already free to live our own lives now. We don’t need to bother with certain things anymore,” I said softly.
I did sometimes want to be a little selfish but I couldn’t bring myself to do so with anyone other than Christopher. Isabelle and I seemed to have this barrier between us; things simply didn’t feel the same anymore. The cost of being selfish with her was far too great and I was afraid of losing what I had.
“Enough. Look, I know what I’m doing. Nathan wants to protect the Tanner family but he chose to send you while he hides in the back. How smart of him, treating us both like fools!”
Hearing that, I knew better than to say any further because she would get mad if I did. She then brought me shopping for clothes and had me try on a ton of them. She also bought a lot of clothes after simply asking for my size without me even trying them on.
This was the longest Christopher and I had been separated, and I had been feeling increasingly uneasy since he left. It was as if I had lost my pillar of support. The past two days without him felt like two years.
However, I knew Christopher had left to give Mom some time to cool off and slowly accept him. He knew that having me cling to him at all times would only anger my mom even further, so he decided to take things slow and easy.
My mom came over and got me to move out today, Chris. She even bought a mansion because she knows I don’t like to live with the Goldsteins. I can feel that she’s really making an effort just for me. I know you’re probably mad about me leaving, but Sabby’s right: a brief separation is necessary for the sake of a better time together in the future. You tried getting closer to me in your own way, and now I’m trying to do the same. I love you, Chris.
That was what remained of the long text I sent Christopher after a lot of editing. I didn’t expect him to reply at all. I was flipping through a magazine with pictures of Remington’s artwork for an art exchange in Fleynia when I heard my phone vibrate. I quickly turned around and grabbed my phone, only to see a text message reminding me that I had a package to receive.
Feeling a little disappointed that it wasn’t from Christopher, I texted the delivery man and had him bring it to the mansion instead.
The delivery man brought the parcel over to me before dark that day, and I quickly opened the package in my bedroom. It wasn’t until I saw the content inside that I froze on the spot. I carefully took the box of lollipops out of the package and saw a note on it that read: Remember to have these lollipops whenever you’re feeling down.
Lollipops were my favorite snack. He would give me lollipops every now and then, so I knew Christopher was the one who sent these.
My phone vibrated again all of a sudden, and I quickly swiped at the screen in response. What greeted me was a text message from an encrypted number. You’re such a naughty girl, moving out all by yourself! Don’t expect me to go pick you up when you move back in next time! I’m angry. I’m not going to talk to you unless you coax me!
