Chapter 2 Memories

Chapter 2 Memories

My husband ran a business and was always out and about, busy with work. I took care of our family and raised our children. Our family was quite well-off. Apart from taking our kids to various extracurricular classes, my daily life involved playing mahjong, going shopping, and getting skincare treatments at beauty salons. Life was fairly comfortable. Our marriage, with him focusing on work outside and me managing the household, wasn’t filled with intense romance, but it was stable.

Then one day, I received an invitation to a high school class reunion—and after that, my life took a drastic turn.

Thinking it had been over 20 years since we’d last met, I didn’t want to embarrass myself in front of my classmates. So I dressed up nicely and attended the reunion. There, I ran into Olivia Davis, my dearest best friend from my younger days, and James Taylor, a male classmate who had once had a crush on me.

Emotions in our younger years are always beautiful—whether it’s love or friendship, it’s pure affection without any trace of self-interest. Sharing memories of our youth brought us all closer again.

This was especially true for Olivia and me. After the reunion, she often asked me out to go shopping or meet up. Even though we were getting older and fine lines were starting to appear around our eyes, Olivia—who had been tall and good-looking since our student days—still took excellent care of herself. I couldn’t help but feel envious.

Once, after we finished shopping, my husband Michael came to pick me up by car. When Olivia saw my husband in a sharp suit and the BMW parked nearby, she kept praising me for having good taste and marrying such a wonderful man.

Since she had no other plans, I invited her to join us for dinner.

Unexpectedly, halfway through the meal, Olivia suddenly burst into tears.

“Why are you crying? Did something upset you?” I asked, concerned.

“It’s nothing,” she said. “I’m just really happy for you—seeing how well you and Michael get along.”

Her out-of-the-blue comment left my husband and me confused. After I pressed her to tell me more, she finally poured out her sorrows: her husband had cheated on her, and she’d been divorced and living alone for years.

“It must be so hard raising a child all by yourself,” I sighed deeply. After that, I started inviting her out more often. My husband also expressed his understanding, saying, “You two are good friends. Go spend more time with her and cheer her up.”

Whenever our family went on trips during holidays, we always invited Olivia, worried she’d feel lonely being by herself.

Our kids got along well too. Since we spent so much time together, Olivia took the initiative to set up a WeChat group with my husband and me, making it easier for us to communicate daily.