I grabbed her hair and started pulling. The
villagers and Shane rushed in to stop me, but I wouldn’t let go.
Shelly screamed as I ripped a huge chunk of
<
her hair out.
“You… Claire, you… you crazy bitch! Aren’t you
going to stop her, Shane?”
Shane wouldn’t move.
Ever since I’d mentioned the cops, he’d been hiding in the corner.
He loved Shelly, but he loved himself more.
If this came out, he was finished. Even if he went back to the city, he’d be ruined.
He and Shelly were childhood sweethearts, but they couldn’t live together without being married.
So, he bribed the village leader to say they were siblings.
That was a crime that could put him in jail.
<
He walked up to me, begging.
“Claire, let’s talk. Don’t make a scene.”
“I know you’re upset.”
He slapped himself.
“I’ve been worried about the baby. I’m sorry. I’ll change, okay? We’ll be married forever. Let’s forget what happened.”
I smiled and shook him off.
“You’re right. Let’s move on. We’ve said everything we needed to say. It’s not easy to
have Mom come all this way. I’ll get some meat.”
Shane was confused.
He hadn’t expected me to give in so easily. Then he smirked, figuring I was still obsessed
10:20
<
with marrying him.
68
I’d play along, give him a dream, and then crush
- it.
I walked into the police station and told them everything.
The police contacted the city, found out who Shane and Shelly really were.
They came and arrested the village leader,
Shane, and Shelly.
Shane’s mom was screaming.
Shane saw me, and tried to get to me.
Too bad he was in handcuffs, and the police were holding him down. He struggled, scraping his face on the ground.
“Why, Claire, why? I never did anything to you!
<
Why are you doing this?”
“You said you wouldn’t go to the police! You
tricked me!”
“Just wait, I’ll get out, and you’re the first thing I’m going for!”
I walked up to him.
“Why are you asking that?
Weren’t you the one plotting the whole time? Oh, right, I knew you were leaving the baby so
I’d find him, so I let him freeze. Poor little
brain–damaged orphan.
Who’s going to take care of him? He’ll be
abused for the rest of his life. Oh, wait, will he even grow up?”
I was laughing. Shane snapped, screaming that he’d kill me.
<
I’d lived two lives, I wasn’t scared of that.
Now that the truth was out, I got my chance to
go back to the city.
I gave everything to Maude. I couldn’t have
done it without her.
Last time, I’d spent my life broke, cutting every corner, wearing rags.
But I knew what would make money.
I bought a train ticket to Guangzhou.
They had clothing markets, and the prices were cheap. I’d bring back clothes and sell them up north for a huge profit.
I quickly made money, and opened my own clothing store.
<
I looked at the dresses and thought about last
time.
I’d had to bring up a child alone, and I made
every penny count. I patched my clothes until they couldn’t be patched anymore.
I remembered when I entered the city the first time, I saw my reflection in the window and I looked so poor, I just wanted to hide.
If I even took my child to a diner to celebrate their birthday, they would chase us out.
Now, I would never have to envy anyone again,
and I had clothes to wear.
Later, Maude told me that Shelly and Shane had broken up, and Shelly had run off with some
rich guy.
It turned out he was a con artist who sold her to some family in the country, and they had her
chained up, forcing her to have a son.
