Chapter 3
The air froze instantly. The silence was so heavy I could hear nothing but our breathing.
My whole body tensed up. Sweat gathered on my back and palms.
I bit my lip hard, bracing myself for Mom to lash out at me again, to curse me and say I should die together with that devil.
I didn’t know how long it took before I finally heard her loving voice. “Alright. After your 18th birthday, my Noelle will be an independent adult.”
Tears welled up and spilled onto Mom’s hand. Only then did I realize what she said.
I jerked my head up, looking at her in disbelief.
Tears blurred my vision. I wiped them away hastily, but the more I wiped, the more they fell.
I bit my lip so hard my whole body trembled, and then mom pulled me into her warm embrace.
Instinctively, I wanted to hug her back, but my hands froze midair.
At last, I dared to hug her back, but she gently let me go.
Her voice was soft and gentle. “Did you already pick out a cake you like?”
My heart sank, wrapped in a crushing sense of loss. The sting in my nose made me want to cry.
I had missed my chance to hug her again.
But if she was willing to be close to me, to spend my birthday with me, then I was already satisfied.
Still, I was too greedy. Once I had my mom’s love, I wanted more.
Forcing the tears back, I opened my phone and carefully showed her the cake pictures I had saved for a long time.
Mom let out a soft sound of wonder and guilt as she helped me choose. “I didn’t realize I missed so many of Noelle’s birthdays.”
I quickly shook my head, trying hard to keep my voice steady. “No… It’s not like that. I just couldn’t decide. Every cake looked so pretty,”
Suddenly, a text notification popped up on the screen.
When I saw the sender’s name, my chest tightened. I hurriedly snatched the phone from Mom’s hands and absent- mindedly picked a cake. “Mom, let’s choose this one.”
After speaking, I stole a cautious glance at her.
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Chapter 3
Mom lowered her gaze to the floor, her brows slightly furrowed. The setting sun cast a warm glow over her hair, giv- ing her a gentle beauty.
I had only ever seen Mom this beautiful in her old photos.
The mom in those pictures was radiant and kind. In my memories, her face had always been marked by fear, exhaus tion, and sorrow.
Suddenly, mom lifted the sleeve of my arm, exposing the overlapping scars, both new and old. “Noelle, does it still hurt?”
I shook my head firmly. “No, it doesn’t.”
Every time Mom lashed out and beat me, I secretly wished she would just kill me.
That way she wouldn’t suffer anymore.
After a long moment, Mom turned her gaze toward the window.
With her back to me, her voice came out low and filled with guilt. “Noelle, I’m sorry. This time, I want to be selfish.”
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