Belated Repentance

coincided with

teenth year since I fir

rs ago, when a young boy stumbled toward

changed, and so

ssing the moment when Jeff

e, as if I had exhausted all

.

pathetic gaze pi

l, I tossed the crumpled t

e cold wind, mixed with snowflakes, brushed against my f

winter cam

from my coat pocket, dialing a number I knew by heart. After

and o

one ans

ers turning blue and numb, like a f

uz

ed, and I quick

st a noti

backer behind the po

but against my better ju

sionately, had striking features and exuded desire. Especially fro

fect match

n wasn't my hus

erhaps one moment he was sending me a goodnight message, and

quickly

it, and now I didn't even have the

.

casually turned on t

this house was paid by Jeffrey and I with our first ea

house when we had more money. But when we did have money,

t terrifyin

went to the kitchen to pour a cup of hot

e beef stew on

the fridge, there was filling I had prepa

e ingredients, while my mind dri

ad just moved here. Back then, we had to stretch every

m a second-hand market. We made the beef stew, and ate it

ted like home. But we were both orphans, so where was

hat small table. After all, sometim

was done and

f work soon. I rushed to put the finished beef stew in an insulated

promised to spend every Christmas Eve with

to, r

side the insulated container slowly dissipate, w

still didn't

at the door, no mes

, I kept reassuring mysel

come back in th

.

ong, di

istently, and I hurri

young man supporting Jeffrey said helplessly, "Mrs. Hug

aside to let him help

e bed, then turned to me and said, "Mr

, he left

dow to air it out. Remembering Jeffrey often suffered from headaches after

f vomiting reached my ears. I returned t

jamas and dragged him to the guest room

t no longer surprised me. At least I h

nd self-sacrifice for me. I had no job, no social life, a

sh back to the kitchen to serve the cooled re

ady the middle of the night. It wasn't until my sto

wave, taking the opportunity to throw Jeffre

to the machine, such a simple task became dishea

a conspicuous lipstick mar

It wasn't that I didn't care, but I was just too afraid to confro

nothing, saw nothing. Like many women in simila

e shirt into the washing machine, as if cle

path

.

ther sleep

uth to muffle the sound. The old house had poor s

ned habit. I would watch over his health, rem

alling me his personal care

had truly becom

rning, I go

e a pot of soup and warmed up the lef

of strong arms wrapped around me, and a

s hangover is

in my shoulder, drawing out his w

ut tilt my head, saying to him, "Jeffrey, stop fooling

kiss on my cheek before letting go an

lled up inside me, leaving me frozen until he r

his head, his freshly was

more like the fresh-faced college student

"Go dry your hair, it's wet, if you don't want

before smugly saying, "Darling, were you just staring at me

playfully at the end