“Stop trying to block my view. I’ve already seen it,” I told Sabrina with a wave of a hand.
“Maybe Aunt Isabelle has a reason being there with Crystal, like some important investment regarding her. Didn’t you also mention that Crystal had someone supporting her? I think there’s more to it than we think. Yup! That must be it. Haha.”
Although Sabrina tried her best to convince me, she gave the same reasons I used to persuade myself before. Therefore, the more I heard about it, the more I thought it was unbelievable. I tried many ways to convince myself back then, but now, I can no longer believe in those lies.
I let out a soft chuckle and pointed at the television. “You saw it for yourself. My mom has time to participate in Crystal’s television show, but she can’t even make time for me. Isn’t that hilarious?”
“Maybe…” Sabrina had run out of words to comfort me.
“You don’t need to find an excuse for her, for I’ve done the same thing many times. However, I can no longer be convinced by it.” Staring straight at the television, I saw that Isabelle was wearing a beige fishtail dress embedded with diamonds. Under the lighting, she seemed elegant with her classy make-up and high ponytail. When standing hand-in-hand with Crystal, the two of them were stunning. The coffee that sat in my mouth had long gone cold, tasting horrible. Placing the cup down, I continued to torture myself by watching the show. When the waitress went and switched the channel, I waved at her and handed her a tip. “Go on and change the channel back, and the money here is yours.”
Immediately, the waitress rushed off to change the channel, and the duo appeared back on the screen. Even until the show ended and the advertisement started rolling, I did not avert my gaze away from the television.
“How about we go out and take a walk? It’s been a long time since you saw my kid, too.” Observing my darkened expression, Sabrina tried to lighten the mood.
“It’s okay. Let’s go out and get some beer instead.” I took hold of her hand and pulled her to the door.
“What? Beer? But-” Before Sabrina could finish her sentence, I was already dragging her to a bar near the corner of the street. It was empty as it was still in the afternoon. Walking over to the bar counter, I ordered a cocktail and gulped it down. Then, I immediately called for another three glasses.
Sabrina was taken aback by how fast I was drinking. Tugging on my sleeves, she said, “Don’t chug it down! You’ll get drunk easily.”
“Stop worrying about me and just let me be.” Initially, I wanted Sabrina to accompany me drinking. However, I changed my mind after seeing the child in her arms. Pushing her out of the bar, I said, “It’s not appropriate for a child to be here. Go on and bring Freddie out of here. I’ll be fine on my own.”
While letting out a burp, I pushed Sabrina out of the bar and downed beer after beer. At that moment, I only wanted to get drunk and cry to my heart’s content. Perhaps when I wake up afterward, I won’t feel that miserable. I always thought that those I care about would reciprocate my feelings. However, I finally understood that I was only making a fool of myself for concerning myself about her. Although I understood that not every pay gets a return, she’s my mom, not some random person on the street!
“Hello, gorgeous! It seems that you have something on your mind. Would you like to talk about it?” After gulping down a few pints of beer, I felt that the whole world was spinning. Suddenly, someone walked over and placed a hand on my shoulder.
“Who are you? Anyway, what does my matter have to do with you? Get lost,” I yelled. Although the man in front of me was blurry, I could tell that he was just some wealthy playboy or thugs wanting to have some fun in the pub.
“Come on! Don’t be so closed-off. I’m here to save you. If you come with me, I promise to give you the time of your life and make you forget all about your worries.” The man placed a glass of beer before me, gesturing for me to come with him.
Just when I wanted to pick up the glass, he suddenly placed his hands on my waist. My expression darkened, and perhaps it was true that alcohol made one braver, I snatched the beer bottle before smashing it onto his head.
