Chapter 120
Scott got home after a late meeting-it was nearly eleven by the time he walked through the door. He wasn’t bothered by Garth’s tantrum at all. Saw his mom? No way. He had been searching for that woman for three years now.
He had just taken off his coat and hung it up when he noticed someone sneaking around in the study. Moving quietly, he peeked in to find Garth rummaging through his suit jacket, clearly looking for something he shouldn’t be.
Scott, always the strict and proper type, frowned. “Garth, what are you doing p>
Garth jumped, startled, and quickly hid his hands behind his back. “Nothing, Dad. Why aren’t you in bed yet p>
“Hand it over.” Scott’s tone was cold, his expression serious.
Garth puffed out his cheeks, still shaking his head. “I’m not hiding anything p>
“Garth.” Scott stepped closer. “I’ve told you before, don’t lie p>
With one smooth motion, Scott reached out and took the wallet Garth had been clutching. He opened it, confused-there was nothing inside but a bit of cash and a couple of cards. Garth wasn’t short on money, so what was he after?
Garth’s face turned red, his eyes shining with tears. “Then give me the photo of Mom. I know you keep it in there p>
“I saw it before, a little picture. Dad, give it to me p>
Scott’s eyes narrowed, his breath catching in his chest. He took a second to steady himself. “Who told you that was your mother p>
“It was just a photo. I threw it away a long time ago,” Scott said, his voice flat.
Garth suddenly lost it. “How could you throw away Mom’s photo? Dad, you’re awful!” He started sobbing, each breath coming in sharp hiccups. “That was the only picture I had of her. I know it was my mom, I just know it. I even saw you talking to it. I hate you p>
With that, Garth turned and ran to his room, slamming the door behind him.
Scott felt a headache coming on. He pressed his fingers to his brow. “Garth, open the door p>
The door stayed locked. Garth wasn’t coming out, and he definitely wasn’t in the mood to talk. Scott stood there for a moment, exhausted and completely out of patience. He just didn’t have the strength for this tonight.
“I’ll come home early tomorrow. We’ll talk then p>
Inside his room, Garth cried until he couldn’t cry anymore. He wiped his nose, his eyes shining with a new determination. “Bad Dad
go find
Mom myself p>
The next day, Dorothea spotted Mamie sitting alone in the cafeteria. She grabbed her tray and sat across from her.
“How’s the food here? Does it suit your taste?” Dorothea asked with a friendly smile.
Mamie nodded, her voice soft. “It’s pretty good. No complaints p>
“Was that your husband I saw yesterday?” Dorothea asked.
Dorothea nodded. “Yeah, that’s him p>
“And the little boy-he’s your husband’s nephew p>
“That’s right p>
Mamie couldn’t explain why, but she couldn’t stop thinking about that little boy from yesterday, especially his red, swollen eyes.
“Is he okay p>
Dorothea shook her head. “I’m not sure. He cried himself to sleep last night. When I left, he seemed a little better p>
Mamie let out a small sigh of relief. “That’s good p>
Dorothea leaned in, curious. “Have you ever been back to the country before p>
Mamie shook her head. “I don’t think so. Maybe when I was really young, but I don’t remember p>
Dorothea sounded genuinely
“Your pronunciation is really et
surprised. “A lot of people who grew
up abroad have an accent, but you don’t p>
Mamie smiled. “My parents always spoke Chinese at home, so I just picked it up naturally. I guess that’s why p>
After chatting for a while, Dorothea
was sure no matter how much Mamie resembled her, she couldn’t possibly be Garth’s mom. After all, what mom would forget her own child And Mamie didn’t seem like she was pretending at all.