Chapter 3
Perhaps Antonio had realized how indifferent I was. The next morning, he got up early and made breakfast, which was quite surprising.
It was pancake, my favorite. As we sat across from each other, neither of us said anything. Only the clinking sound of spoons against bowls filled the room.
Suddenly, he said with his head lowered, “How about I come back with you?”
I was startled and accidentally spilled some milk onto the table. Seeing this, he pulled out some tissues and handed them over.
I took the tissues and was trying to come up with an excuse to say no when I heard someone enter the password to the door’s combination lock. Then Zoe rushed in, threw herself into Antonio’s arms, and said sweetly, “Daddy!” Antonio turned to me, smiling awkwardly, “Don’t take it to heart. She’s just a kid, she doesn’t mean it.”
I ate the pancake without looking up. Seeing this, he turned back to Zoe and asked, “Zoe, how come you went here alone? Where’s Sofia?”
Zoe answered in a childish voice, “Mommy said Mrs. Kaufman doesn’t like her, and she was too scared to come back here.”
I couldn’t help but chuckle. Zoe was three. Of course, a certain shrewd woman taught her to say this.
Zoe pouted and said, “I think Mommy is feeling unwell. She didn’t get up when I went to say morning to her.” Hearing this, Antonio looked worried and immediately picked her up. He hurried to the door and then realized I
was at home. He turned back to look at me, saying, “Sofia… I’ll go check. on her. Wait for me.”
I scoffed and waved my hand, signaling him to go. It was probably for the best; I no longer needed to come up with an excuse to come back home.
alone.
The purpose of my visit today was to have my parents take me to the Kaufman’s home to get a divorce. Though it was an arranged marriage, the families‘ elders who shook their hands on it had passed away, and it wouldn’t be hard to persuade Antonio’s parents.
All I needed to tell them was Antonio was about to get very rich, and I was not good enough for him.
Residents in the village barely had a nightlife. Occasionally, I could hear dogs barking from some households, which only made the night even quieter.
A dim oil lamp was hung under the eaves, and its light flickered, making me wonder if it might go out at any second.
“Are you sure about this, Grace?” Antonio’s mom, Regina Kaufman, broke the silence. As I was about to speak, my mom imperceptibly shielded me and beat me to it. “We’re very grateful to Earl, and we know this request seems a bit much. But… Grace no longer wants to marry him. It’s her decision to make.”
Antonio’s dad, Richard Kaufman, sighed, “Perhaps you’re right. She shouldn’t be confined to the arranged marriage decided by someone else.”
He took out the engagement agreement, exchanged it with my dad, and then went inside.
On our way back, Dad and Mom said nothing. They were probably
42.57%
wondering what had gotten into me; after all, I loved Antonio so much.
But of course, I couldn’t tell them what had happened to me in my previous life. They wouldn’t believe me anyway.
I stayed with them for a week; before I left. I told them about my teaching plan.
“Will the life there be very hard?”
My mom’s eyes turned red.
Meanwhile, my dad looked at me. After a moment of silence, he said. “If you aren’t happy, come back.”
