5
A few days after the party, Sophia finally
called.
She cautiously asked, “Willow, are you mad?”
I was mixing paint. “Mad about what?”
She sighed, “Willow, I have a question… do
you still like Jackson?”
I nearly fell out of my chair. I asked, amused
and incredulous, “What gave you that
impression? Tell me, I need to adjust my
behavior.”
She hesitated. “Because… Jackson… it
seems like he regrets marrying Lily. And… he
asked me about you several times before you
came back.”
She told me gossip I’d missed. After I left for
Paris, Jackson’s mother strongly opposed his
relationship with Lily.
He truly loved Lily and stayed in the country
with her, working his way up without family
<
help.
“Honestly, we felt sorry for you then, but we
were also touched by Jackson’s actions for
Lily. It was true love.”
“Eventually, the family relented. He was their
only son. They agreed to let him marry Lily
after a year of resistance.”
The wedding was a disaster. Lily’s large
family, including many distant relatives,
showed up uninvited, making a spectacle.
Jackson tried to maintain appearances, but
the noisy crowd, running children, and Lily’s
boisterous family embarrassed his family.
Apparently, one of Lily’s uncles demanded
that Jackson kneel and kowtow something
he’d probably only done at his family’s
ancestral shrine. Jackson’s mother ended up
in the hospital that night.
Lily’s family constantly used Jackson’s name
and wealth for their own gain: Lily’s brother’s
L
drunk driving accident, her uncle’s house
purchase, her niece’s tuition, her disabled
father’s job…
These incidents drained Jackson’s affection
for Lily.
I listened impassively, recalling Jackson
explaining his feelings for Lily:
“Willow, you’ve always had everything. Lily
has nothing, but she’s tenacious and radiant.”
“I truly love Lily, her vitality and spirit.
99
His words still echoed, but his admiration
seemed to have vanished.
Had Lily lost her vitality and spirit?
How ironic.
I interrupted Sophia coldly. “I don’t care what
happens to him and Lily. It’s none of my
business. I’m not interested. If you mention
him again, we’re done.”
“Okay,” Sophia apologized quickly. “I won’t. I
just wanted to help. After all, you…” She
<
trailed off.
I knew what she meant. I had deeply loved
Jackson.
But that was the past. Who only loves one
person their whole life?
Especially someone who hurt them.
I was still civil with Jackson, but he was
irrelevant.
I wanted nothing to do with Jackson and Lily.
But only I felt that way.
