Chapter 3

3

Ethan was perceptive. Sarah's hints had been obvious; he likely guessed. Due to long-term medication, my health wasn’t ideal for pregnancy. The doctor recommended termination. I didn’t want this child to tie me to Ethan any longer. Before the procedure, I moved out, avoiding any contact, any further drama. Though, Ethan probably didn’t care. He didn't try to find me, continuing his life as if nothing had happened. Sarah sent me a video clip: Ethan at an auction, presenting Olivia with a dazzling diamond ring. Olivia beamed, throwing herself into his arms. A perfect couple. How could I forget? Olivia was back. Sophia, and Sophia’s child, had to step aside. It was for the best.

The day before the procedure, I felt a sudden surge of anxiety. I remembered my mother's jade Buddha pendant, locked away in our safe. I decided to retrieve it. When I arrived at the house, the entry code had been changed. Locked out of my own home, I felt a wave of helplessness. Frustrated, I called Ethan. Olivia answered, her voice laced with triumph. "Sophia? It’s my birthday. Ethan's taking me to see the meteor shower. We won’t be back tonight." "I told him lovers who wish on a shooting star stay together forever. He remembered! I’m so happy!" "I can't give you the code. We’re not there, and it wouldn't be appropriate for you, an outsider, to be inside…" I hung up, then tried Olivia's birthday as the code. The door clicked open. The code was Olivia’s birthday. Inside, every trace of my existence had been erased. Our wedding photo on the mantelpiece had been replaced with a picture of Ethan and Olivia, young and happy, Ethan’s arms wrapped around her. My succulents had been thrown out, pots and all. My study was now Olivia’s music room, a grand piano taking center stage. Stunned, I went to the bedroom, opened the closet. Rows of lacy lingerie, not mine, filled the space. The safe was at the bottom. I pressed my finger to the scanner, my hand shaking as I pulled out jewelry, cash, documents. But my mother's jade pendant was gone. Olivia knew how much it meant to me. She’d thrown it away.

Olivia had always hated my mother and me. When we were in school, my mother worked as a housekeeper for Ethan's family. Olivia, visiting with her parents, met us for the first time. Ethan’s parents introduced me, praising my obedience, diligence, and intelligence. Olivia, feigning friendliness, suggested we become friends. Behind our backs, she sneered: "So what if she's smart? She'll slave away at some fancy college, then end up working for people like us." "And her mother? Always smiling. What's a housekeeper got to be so happy about? A poor woman raising a poor kid. Disgusting." When my mother picked me up from school and saw Olivia, Olivia would call her names in a language my mother didn't understand, grinning sweetly. My mother, oblivious, would praise Olivia’s beauty, offering her homemade sweet potato snacks. Olivia would toss them in the trash, mocking, "They stink. Even a dog wouldn't eat them." My mother, humiliated, would blush crimson, the object of cruel laughter. I’d drop my bag and fly at Olivia, pulling her hair. My mother, seeing me attacked, would shield me, only to be kicked to the ground by Olivia’s friends. That day, my mother began bleeding heavily. She was diagnosed with uterine cancer. The insidious cells had taken root, silently stealing my mother away. The jade pendant was my mother’s last gift, a desperate plea to the Buddha at the top of Spirit Mountain, a place where prayers were said to be answered. She told me it was a secret, couldn't tell me why she went. But I knew. Years ago, when I was gravely ill, she’d climbed that mountain, begging for my life. She offered half her lifespan in exchange for my health. I recovered. The benevolent Buddha took my mother instead. When Olivia found out, she’d scoffed, "Typical poor people, clinging to superstitions. What good is a useless trinket? Should’ve sold a kidney, at least her daughter would have some money."