Chapter 8
After finishing all her work, Rosa returned home exhausted. Hugo had arrived before her and was sitting on the sofa in the living room. Seeing her enter, he stopped her with a shout. “Stop!” “Why do you work in those kinds of places? Haven’t I given you enough money?” Rosa, changing her shoes at the entrance, replied in an indifferent tone. “I’m bored at home, with nothing to do, just experiencing the diversity of life.” The anger on Hugo’s face eased a little, but his voice was still cold. “I don’t want you to go back to those places.” Rosa didn’t really need to go back anymore. She nodded twice, and with her head down, she walked up the stairs. In the following days, Hugo hardly returned home. For her part, Ana sent him many photos every day. Rings, wedding photos, the ceremony location, the bouquet; each image was overflowing with the happiness and joy of getting married. Rosa didn’t reply to any of them, she was busy packing her bags. Three days before her departure, she met Hugo on the stairs as he was leaving and stopped him. “Uncle, could you spare me an hour to celebrate my birthday in three days?” She had been raised by him for many years and wanted to say goodbye properly. To Hugo, however, her words sounded like a provocation. Because in the past few years, every birthday, she had dragged him into making declarations of love that defied social conventions. So, without thinking, he refused her request. “I have told you many times not to make such requests.” Seeing him getting angry again, Rosa hurriedly explained. “This time I won’t do anything to upset you, I won’t declare myself like in previous years, I just want to… say goodbye properly.” There was a distance between them and her voice faded until it was almost inaudible; Hugo didn’t hear her. Hearing a few reasonable words from her, he finally calmed down and nodded. On his birthday, Rosa waited from morning until night, but Hugo never showed up. With her flight time approaching, she finally picked up her phone and called. After ten seconds of ringing, she heard Ana’s voice on the other end. “Hello? Hugo is taking a bath, he can’t answer now.” Ana’s ambiguous tone made Rosa’s heart race. She looked at her watch, her gaze full of determination. “How long will it take him to get out? I can wait for him to finish.” From the phone came a mocking laugh. “Rosa, why are you bothering? He’s already taking a bath.” “I’ll tell you the truth, we’re in a hotel. You’re an adult, after the bath, you know what’s next, right? Do you want to see the whole process? Even though you like him, he’s about to get married and you haven’t moved out yet, harassing him every day, do you have to be so shameless…?” Ana’s humiliating tone stabbed Rosa’s heart like needles. She bit her lip, holding back her tears. After venting her emotions,Ana hung up directly. Looking at the “Call ended” message on the screen, Rosa dejectedly dropped the phone. She didn’t know how much time passed before she pulled a candle out of a box; the cream on the cake had melted a little from the heat, and the “21” was crooked. She lit the candle, leaned over to blow it out, and silently made a wish. Rosa’s birthday wish, at 21, was no longer to be with Hugo forever, but to wish him a long and safe life, and that in his future life, she would not be present. After blowing out the candle, she wiped away all traces of her existence, leaving only three things in the place where she had lived for more than a decade: A bank card with ten million dollars, to repay all his gratitude for raising her. A wedding gift, wishing him and his beloved eternal happiness. And one last farewell. [Hugo, I give up, I wish you happiness.] After putting down the pen, she picked up her suitcase, took one last look at the house. He turned around and walked away, without looking back.
