2.

I lifted my head and looked at Vivian.

"You won't let your parents up on the stage."

"You sat us at the back table, without even a corsage."

"Vivian, you've really outdone yourself."

Then I looked at Rachel.

"I don't need you to arrange work for me."

"When the time comes, just make sure the chairs that belong to us are ready."

At that, Rachel turned at once to Vivian with a helpless look.

"Viv, it seems your uncle doesn't want to accept your kindness."

At that, Vivian's face went cold.

"Leon Fox, don't throw my goodwill back in my face."

"Didn't you hear what she just said?"

"If it weren't for me, you two wouldn't even qualify to attend a high-society wedding like this."

"And Rachel was kind enough to offer you work. Fine, turn it down, but what's with the attitude?"

"You still want up on the stage? How much dowry can you put down? What do you even have to put down?"

My wife instinctively spoke up for me.

"Vivian, don't talk to your father like that. He prepared something for you too."

"This time he put together one—"

"One thousand?"

"Don't make me laugh. Not enough to embarrass anyone."

Vivian's face was full of contempt.

My wife started to speak again.

I shook my head.

"Don't bother. Today let's just see how far his ingratitude goes."

Vivian sneered.

"Enough with the act."

"You don't dare say the number, do you. A thousand dollars and still putting on airs."

Cold settled in my chest.

All these years, I hadn't been around Vivian much, but every time I came home I bought him plenty of the things he liked.

The little time I had, I spent it all with him.

That he felt little for me, I never held against him.

But here, in front of this many people, he called me by my name.

Seeing the anger rise in my face, Rachel stepped in at once to smooth things over.

"Uncle, you want a corsage, don't you? Don't be upset, I'll go get them right now."

She went to the dressing room and came back quickly.

"We're all family now, so as your daughter-in-law it's only right that I pin them on you myself."

With that, she carried a corsage over and stopped in front of me.

I read the words on it.

"Late Father."

And my wife's said "Late Mother."

Rachel curved her lips and explained.

"Uncle, don't misunderstand."

"I only wanted to make a distinction. After all, in a little while Vivian is going to be my uncle's son."

"You're his original parents. The word 'late' just marks who came before."

I looked at her, and my anger broke loose.

I ripped the corsage off and threw it at her.

"What is this supposed to mean?!"

"Are you cursing us to die?!"

"And which ear of yours heard me agree to let your uncle up on the stage?"

Rachel put on a wronged expression.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

Before I could speak again, Vivian shoved me hard.

My back slammed into the corner of the table.

When he was little he'd been reckless, and to keep him from being hit by a car I'd injured the bones in my back.

Ever since, on rainy days or with a careless knock, it would ache faintly.

Right now.

The sharp pain came roaring back.

But my son didn't spare me a glance.

He looked at Rachel with concern.

"Rachel, are you okay?"

Then he fixed cold eyes on me.

"Leon Fox, what exactly are you trying to do?!"

"Rachel already explained it to you, so why did you have to get physical?!"

My eyes went red.

"Vivian, she was cursing us to die, didn't you see it?!"

"Rachel is a city girl. She doesn't have all the hang-ups you country bumpkins do!"

Looking at him like this, I found him a stranger.

I thought of him before he met Rachel.

Back then he'd been a good son.

My wife often praised him over the phone, saying he'd bought her groceries.

Bought her a massager.

Or bought her new clothes.

But ever since he got together with Rachel, he'd started thinking himself a cut above.

I was about to keep speaking when

my wife clung tightly to the hem of my clothes.

"Leon, today is our son's wedding. Don't give people something to laugh at."

"The wedding comes first. The wedding comes first."

Hearing her, Vivian grew even bolder.

"Looks like my mom is a lot more sensible than you."

"Leon Fox, haven't you noticed? You're the only one here making a scene."

"Aren't you ashamed."

"You're not welcome at my wedding. Get out!"

3

At his words, the wife panicked.

"Vivian, your father just holds to the old ways too strongly."

"Please don't blame him. I'll keep an eye on him, I won't let him make another scene."

"Let Rachel's uncle be your father. It's nothing to us."

Vivian sneered.

"He can stay, if he apologizes to Rachel."

"And puts on the corsage."

Something closed off in my chest and choked it dead.

The wife looked at Vivian, pleading.

"He's still your father, whatever else. If you do this, how will he ever hold his head up again…"

"Not my problem. He doesn't apologize, then you both leave!"

The wife froze on the spot.

"Vivian…"

"Apologize or leave!"

The wife had poured half her life into Vivian. If she couldn't even be at his wedding, it would be no different from taking her life.

I steadied her and clenched my teeth.

"Fine. I'll apologize."

"I shouldn't have raised my hand just now. I apologize to Rachel Henson."

"The corsage. I'll put it on."

Vivian's face was cold.

I bent down and picked it up.

Pinned it to my chest.

As if the pillory itself were bearing down on me.

But all I could do was swallow my broken teeth and take it.

Seeing that, Vivian let out a sneer.

"See, that wasn't hard."

Rachel was all smiles.

"Uncle, I know what you said just now was only anger talking."

"Don't worry, once the wedding's over I'll have them keep the janitor's position open for you."

Then the two of them turned and walked off.

Before long, the wedding began.

Soon it reached the part where the parents came up on stage.

Vivian, arm in arm with Rachel, changed his address for her parents.

Thomas Henson produced a bank card.

"Everyone, today is my son's wedding day. To welcome little Rachel into our family, I've prepared five hundred thousand as her dowry."

With that, he handed the bank card to Vivian.

The crowd broke into applause.

Then they looked toward the man who bore some resemblance to Thomas Henson.

Vivian dropped to his knees before him without hesitation.

"Father, you've worked so hard for me! From now on I'll take good care of you!"

The man's eyes went red.

He too produced a bank card.

The host caught Thomas Henson's cue and spoke out clearly.

"You may not all know this, but the groom was in fact adopted by the groom's father. For his sake, the father never married. Today the groom's father has also prepared a bridal gift for the groom, five hundred thousand as well!"

I gave a cold laugh.

Given separately too, so both sides kept their face.

Those who didn't know cheered again.

"The groom's father is truly a great man!"

"To have a father like that is the groom's blessing!"

At the very back, the wife was already sobbing beyond words.

Her hand shook in mine as she fought to press the hurt back down.

"Dear, our son is married. I should be happy, shouldn't I?"

It ached in me to see her.

She had worn herself out for half a lifetime for Vivian.

In her dreams she wanted nothing more than to see her son settled and standing on his own, to hear him say in front of everyone, "Mom, you've worked so hard."

But now that moment was happening for someone else.

My fists clenched until they cracked.

As the wedding ended, a few performers came in through the hotel doors.

As if on purpose, the moment they entered they fixed their eyes on me and the wife.

"Hello, you two. Could you help hold up the family portrait? It'll really complete the picture."

On the huge photograph.

Vivian, Rachel, Thomas Henson and his wife, and her uncle, all together in one shot.

The wife stared at Vivian in the photo, lost somewhere far off.

I wanted to refuse.

She shook her head, murmuring to herself.

"Today is our son's wedding. Let's not ruin her fun."

Seeing her lost like that, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.

We held up another family's portrait, our daughter someone else's daughter, and stood at the very front in our shame.

Then someone pointed at the corsages on our chests and called out.

"Look at the corsages they're wearing!"

4.

"Late father? Late mother? Doesn't that just mean they're already dead?"

"Wearing a corsage like that on a day this happy—she's here to jinx us on purpose, isn't she?"

At that, Thomas and Tessa Henson turned sharp.

"Whose relatives are these two?"

Not a single person from the Henson family answered.

In the end, Rachel looked at Vivian.

"Viv, do you know them?"

Something flickered in Vivian's eyes, torn for just a moment.

My wife stared at him, tears standing in her eyes.

Praying he would explain.

Say that we were his real parents.

But the next moment.

Vivian spoke, slow and clear.

"I'm an orphan. The only people here for me today are myself and my adoptive father."

"I don't know them."

That was the last straw for my wife.

The next instant her face went blank and she swayed on her feet.

I caught her at once.

And glared at Vivian.

"Vivian, do you really mean to send your mother to her grave!"

"Fine, don't acknowledge me. But your mother poured her whole heart into you, and you say something like this in front of all these people? Are you even human!"

My shout drove Vivian back a step.

Rachel moved in front of him and turned to the crowd.

"Everyone, don't listen to him. Don't listen to them."

"They did adopt Viv for a while when he was little, that much is true."

"But they abused him every single day. That's why he ran from them!"

"Now they see Viv married to me, with the Henson family behind him."

"And here they come, looking to squeeze money out of us!"

Someone asked Vivian.

"Is that true?"

Vivian looked at us without the slightest hesitation.

"My wife's right. They're sadists, both of them."

"They came to us before. We refused to give them money, and now they show up wearing a jinx of a corsage to make a scene!"

The crowd turned on us at once.

"They were causing trouble a minute ago—I thought they were the adoptive parents, turns out they came to shake people down!"

"And the old woman even wore a fancy gown. Really thought she was the bride's mother."

"Two shameless old things. Money's driven them out of their minds!"

"Get out, now! Or we're calling the police!"

And now, hearing every one of those words, my wife couldn't hold herself up any longer.

The breath caught in her throat and she nearly fainted.

I looked at Vivian, furious.

"Do you really disown us?"

"Sadists like you—you think you deserve us?"

I was done. Every last hope gone.

"Then from this day on, we don't have a son either."

Vivian only sneered.

"Good. I've been sick of your poor, pathetic faces for a long time now."

"Get out!"

I gave him one cold look.

Meaning to get my wife, who was in no state for this, out of there first.

But we'd barely taken two steps before Vivian called us back.

He pulled out a severance-of-ties document.

"When you adopted me, you must have signed an adoption agreement."

"Sign this. I don't want to see you two again."

Reading what was written on it.

My wife's face was streaming with tears.

"Viv…"

"Don't call me that. It makes me sick!"

"Sign it, now!"

My wife picked up the pen with a trembling hand.

But she couldn't write a single word.

I said quietly,

"A son like this—can you really not bear to let him go?"

The tears fell harder.

It took her several minutes before she finally wrote her name.

Then I signed too.

And said to Vivian,

"You'll regret this."

He snatched the document out of my hands.

"Having parents like you—that's what I regret!"

I didn't want my wife to take another blow. I held her up and started for the hotel doors.

Saying softly,

"Let's go. We'll act as if we never raised him at all."

Seeing us come out, the men waiting outside stepped forward.

"Mr. Fox, why are you leaving already?"

"Let's go. The wedding's over."

One of them glanced at the black-gold case in his hands.

"Then this hundred-million black card…"

I looked back once and said, low and flat, "I don't have a son anymore. Take it."

A moment later,

Vivian walked out of the hotel holding Rachel's hand, a smile all over his face.

"Rachel, I did what you wanted. I've cut those two poor old things loose for good."

"From now on, I have nothing to do with them."

Just then he saw a Cullinan pulling out of the hotel lot, and envy crossed his eyes.

"If only someday I could drive a car like that."

At that moment the hotel owner passed by and spoke up with a smile.

"That car—is it Mr. Leon Fox's?"

"I heard he owns a multinational company in his own name. Assets worth billions."

"Came back from overseas today. Set aside a hundred million just as the bridal gift for his son."

"Several weddings here today. I just don't know which hall his son's in…"

Vivian didn't hear the rest.

All at once he remembered what his mother had said at the start. "A hundred—"

She never finished. He'd cut her off.

He'd thought she meant a hundred thousand.

Staring at the direction the Cullinan had gone, his eyes went red, and he tore after it like a man gone mad.

"Dad!"