During the height of summer, my girlfriend, Lisa Hewlett, went hiking with her childhood friend, Billy Tompkins.

A sudden storm hit, and my mom, worried about Lisa, went up the mountain to bring her an umbrella.

She didn't find Lisa and instead encountered a flash flood.

When the rescue team found her, she was still holding an umbrella tightly in her arms.

After seeing my mother's body, I was devastated.

I called Lisa, but she was out of service.

I initially thought she might have been in danger, too.

Unexpectedly, that evening, Billy's Instagram updated with a post.

The photo showed two plane tickets and two hands tightly clasped together.

It read: [A spontaneous trip because we care about each other.]

[With you, I am the happiest person in the world.]

I wiped my tears and left a comment.

[Since the mood is right, I wish you both happiness.]

The day after my mom's tragic death, Lisa finally sent me a message.

It was simple. She and Billy had gone to Turkey for a vacation.

How long would they stay? It depended on their mood.

Reading this, I felt a calm detachment.

I didn't ask her why she lied to my mother. I just replied with an "OK".

On the seventh day, after handling all of my mother's affairs, I returned home carrying her memorial photo.

Just as I arrived downstairs, I saw Billy dropping Lisa off.

As they and their bodyguards got out of the car, my gaze was cold.

My hands holding the photo began to tremble slightly.

Lisa and I had been together for three years.

She came from a wealthy family and was a billionaire.

I was just an ordinary employee in her company.

Our relationship started because I saved her life.

Because of the disparity in our backgrounds, my mom always humbled herself in front of her future daughter-in-law.

She adored Lisa and catered to her every need.

When Lisa wanted fruit, my mom would go to the store and pick out the freshest and most expensive.

If Lisa found the maid's cooking unsatisfactory, my mom would fire the maid and cook all the meals herself. f, serving her three meals a day.

When Lisa craved soup, my mom would go to the market, rain or shine, buy the ingredients, and spend hours making it, personally serving it to her.

I couldn't stand it and tried to advise my mom.

"Mom, you've worked hard all your life. Now that things are better, there's no need to tire yourself out like this."

She gave me a look and said she was just taking care of her future daughter-in-law, and it was all routine work she was used to.

Hearing this, I smiled bitterly.

My father died of illness when I was still a toddler.

With my mother's meager salary, it was difficult to even make ends meet.

Yet, she managed to raise me single-handedly by working multiple jobs and doing manual labor.

Due to overwork, her body had many ailments. Her knees and back would ache terribly in bad weather.

Even so, she went up the mountain with an umbrella for Lisa and encountered the flash flood...

Thinking of this, my gaze towards Lisa and Billy grew even colder.

Seeing my expression, Billy smiled.

That was a meaningful and somewhat sinister smile.

Lisa frowned and asked what was wrong, why I was looking at them like that.

She had just spent a week abroad with Billy; it wasn't the first time.

"Why do you have to throw a tantrum?" Lisa must think.

Indeed, this wasn't the first time Lisa and Billy had gone on a trip together.

Since the year we started dating, I knew their secret, and my mother knew it too.

My mom knew about their outings and found it improper but didn't dare confront Lisa. She subtly hinted that I should talk to my girlfriend.

I brushed it off, thinking it was fine. They were like siblings, having grown up together.

Looking back now, I realized how stupid and naive I was.

My mom, with her life experiences, saw through Billy's intentions.

I shook my head and said I wasn't throwing a tantrum.

Lisa scoffed. "If you're not, then why the sour face? You look like Billy owes you millions."

Billy's smile widened.

I gave him a cold glance and then spoke, "Lisa, let's break up."

This sentence hit her like a bolt from the blue, leaving her stunned on the spot.

"Neal, what did you just say?

"Say it again?"

I looked at her calmly and repeated. "Lisa, let's break up."

"Just because of a spontaneous trip, you want to break up with me?"

Lisa bit her lips lightly.

"Are you out of your mind, or did you get hit by a door this morning?"

I replied coolly, "My mind is fine. I thought about this for a whole week before deciding."

Lisa frowned slightly. "I need a reason!"

"There's no need. Let's part on good terms."

No sooner had I spoken than Billy Tompkins stepped forward, righteously declaring, "Neal, do you think of Lisa as some stray cat or dog you can just pick up and discard?

"You need to explain yourself!"

Looking at his vicious expression, my inner rage burned fiercely.

If it weren't for his idea of a spontaneous trip, my mom wouldn't have died in that flash flood trying to bring an umbrella.

"Billy, this is between Lisa and me. It has nothing to do with you!"

"Of course, it has to do with me! Lisa and I have been like brother and sister since childhood. Her business is my business!" Billy declared self-righteously. "Even if you're her boyfriend, I won't allow you to mistreat her!"

Hearing this, Lisa's eyes showed a hint of gratitude, and she looked at him with a touch of admiration.

"Billy..."

"Lisa, I've always said Neal Mannino isn't good enough for you. He's just an ordinary employee in your company. He doesn't deserve to be your boyfriend.

"If it weren't for that accident three years ago, he wouldn't even be in your life. Having you as a girlfriend is his best luck, and he doesn't appreciate it at all. It's disgraceful!

"Lisa, since Neal doesn't cherish you, you shouldn't waste your time on him. Break up with him.

"There are plenty of fish in the sea.

"You are outstanding, and you have so many admirers. After you break up, I bet he would regret it!"

He was talking excitedly, and I just stood there silently, watching Lisa.

As I was unmoved, Billy got angry and said, "Neal, I'll give you one more chance. Why do you want to break up with such a good girl as Lisa?

"What did she do wrong?"

I remained silent.

"Alright, you think my words are nonsense, huh?"

Billy rolled up his sleeves and shoved me hard.

Caught off guard, I stumbled, nearly falling.

Fortunately, I held onto my mom's photo tightly, so it didn't fall to the ground.

After regaining my balance, I glared at him.

"Don't push it!"

"It's nothing compared to how you've treated Lisa!" Billy sneered. "She's a kind and good-hearted girl. Do you know how much it hurts her for you to break up with her?"

Then, he punched me in the face.

I was hit so hard that my eyes went dark and my vision became blurred. The photo frame covered with a black cloth slipped out of my hand and fell heavily to the ground, breaking into two pieces.

Seeing my mom's image, they fell silent.

Lisa and Billy were stunned.

"Billy, I'll kill you!"

I yelled, eyes red with fury, as I lunged at him.

However, I was intercepted by Lisa's two burly bodyguards, who held me firmly in place.

Without a doubt, protecting Billy was an order from their employer.

Lisa looked at me, disbelief in her eyes. "Neal, is this... Tess' memorial photo?"

"Are you blind? Can't you see for yourself?" I shouted.

"Watch your mouth!"

Billy rushed forward and slapped me hard, causing my head to ring and my mouth to bleed.

Lisa screamed. "Billy, why did you hit him?"

Billy retorted, "Lisa, he dared to shout at you. He deserves it. He's a worthless piece of trash without proper upbringing!"

I glared at Billy and wanted to fight him, but I was restrained by the bodyguards.

In my rage, I spat blood at him, staining his face.

"You son of a bitch! I'll destroy you!"

Billy was furious and picked up a brick from a nearby flowerbed to strike me.

"Stop!"

Lisa intervened, grabbing the brick from his hand. "Billy, don't be impulsive!"

"Lisa, I'm doing this for you! That bastard is so ungrateful. He should go to hell!" Billy shouted.

Lisa took a deep breath and waved her hand. "Let him go."

The bodyguards released me. I glared at Billy and quietly picked up my mom's broken photo.

Lisa tried to help, but I pushed her away.

Billy, seeing this, got angrier. "Neal, Lisa is helping you. Don't be ungrateful!"

"I don't need it!" I retorted.

Carrying the broken photo, I walked away.

Billy tried to follow, but Lisa stopped him.

"Enough, Billy. Neal needs some time alone. Just go home."

"Lisa, I..."

"Take Billy home," Lisa ordered the bodyguards.

"Yes, Miss," they replied.

Back home, I immediately found some glue and tried to mend the broken photo.

As I worked, Lisa came in.

She knew I was still angry and didn't say anything. She just sat quietly, watching me.

After a while, she couldn't help but ask, "Neal, why did Tess suddenly pass away?"

As I glued the photo, I replied, "Remember this glue?"

Lisa hesitated, then shook her head. "No, I don't."

"It's from when my mom saw your high heels were coming apart. She bought this glue and tried to fix them.

"But after she fixed them, you didn't thank her.

"You just threw them away, saying you don't keep broken things.

"Even if it's fixed."

Lisa's face turned awkward. It was clear she had forgotten.

"What you threw away was not just a pair of shoes, but also my mother's kindness.

"You threw away more than a pair of shoes. You threw away my mom's kindness. She cared too much about you, which is why she believed your lie about hiking, went up the mountain in a storm, and died in the flash flood." My eyes were red with anger. "Lisa, you and Billy caused her death!"