Chapter 2The Truth I Found at Fifty-Five

Thinking back to my past life, how I’d scrimped and saved my entire life for Frank’s business ventures. Not only did I deprive myself, but I was also strict with our daughter, never giving her allowance, making her the poorest kid in her class, all to lighten Frank’s burden.

But while I was mistreating myself and our daughter, what was my wonderful husband doing? Out there, lavishing money on his mistress, $8,000 a night for a hotel. Frank, were you even human?

The thought made it impossible for me to forgive him. Looking at Frank, thirty years younger, I wanted to rip his heart out and see if it was black or red.

Some people really are like that: living in luxury themselves while making their wives forage for wild greens at home.

“Frank, if I didn’t show up for the license, it’s because I didn’t want to.” The current me wasn’t about to consider Frank’s feelings.

“Jenna, you were the one who wanted to get married, and now you’re the one calling it off! What the hell do you want?”

“Nothing much. I just got bored of playing, didn’t want to continue.”

Seeing Frank’s face turn ashen, I knew I’d successfully pissed him off. Frank always had a massive ego, and I’d always been the one chasing him. Now, telling him I was just playing around? Of course, he couldn’t take it.

“Jenna, don’t you regret this!” With that, Frank stormed off, furious.

Regret? Of course, I regretted it. I regretted not seeing your true colors sooner.

You could only share hardship, not wealth. Just because I saw you at your lowest, you couldn’t wait to get away from me. Marrying such an ungrateful man, I must have been truly blind.

After ditching Frank, I couldn’t wait to go home. In my past life, I’d cut ties with my parents to be with Frank.

For over twenty years, I could count the number of times I’d been home on one hand. Later, when things got bad, I was even more ashamed to go back.

It’s so good. Oh, fate, you’re so good. If there’s a next life, I’ll burn incense for you three times a day, morning and night, no take-backs.

“Mom, Dad, I’m home!”

Mom poked her head out of the kitchen. “How come you’re back? It’s not even the weekend.”

Looking at my mom bustling in the kitchen, a wave of emotion hit me. In my past life, after Frank’s embezzlement came to light, creditors came in waves. Tiffany kicked me out of my own house. When Mom found out how I’d ended up, she was so angry she passed away not long after.

Before she died, she said if only she could have stopped me one more time.

Frank wasn’t just ‘honest’; he was the type to get arrogant once he got a taste of success, and everyone around him suffered for it.

“Mom, Frank and I are over.”

My mom didn’t even look up. “What kind of drama are you stirring up now?”

It seemed my reputation as Frank’s devoted puppy was so ingrained, even my own mother didn’t believe I could break up with him.

But a small smile still played on her lips.

“Mom, I don’t want to work at the textile mill anymore. I want to change jobs.” My mom didn’t know it yet, but in another two or three years, factories all over the country would be failing, and nearly all the workers would be laid off.

The seemingly undesirable government jobs, banks, and similar positions, on the other hand, would thrive.

“Such a good job, and you just want to quit? Don’t tell me you and Frank really broke up?” Mom advised while stir-frying. “Even if you broke up, there’s no need to change jobs. You don’t know how many people envy your position.”

It seemed Mom didn’t believe that the big state-owned factory was about to collapse.

Right now, I had to quickly figure out a new path for myself.

A person suddenly popped into my mind: Chris.

Chris, the most inconspicuous worker in the workshop.