My husband, Liam Clark, told me he wanted to take his mother on a road trip during the National Day holiday.

Since I had to work overtime, I personally packed matching scarves for both, my mom and my mother-in-law.

I smiled and said to my husband, “Then bring my mom along too. The two old ladies can keep each other company on the road and they can take pictures of each other.”

He readily agreed.

But, on my way home from work, my mother called with trembling voice, “Anne... they left me at the service area. Liam didn't wait for me...”

I immediately called my husband to ask him.

Then I heard the sound of fireworks and the joyful laughter of his mom. He casually explained, “Your mom stayed in the restroom for half an hour while my mom was rushing to catch the fireworks show.”

“Anyway, she can read, right? She can just take the bus to the scenic area to meet us, then.”

——

I took a deep breath, forced myself to stay calm. This wasn’t the time to argue. I hung up immediately and called my mother back.

“Mom, listen to me. Find the service area staff right now and ask them to stay with you, okay?”

“I'll come pick you up right now! Two hours at most! Oh no, one and a half! Wait for me!”

“Alright. But, Anne, don't rush, okay? Drive carefully.”

Even at this moment, my mother was still worrying about me.

I set the GPS to the last location from my mom’s phone, it was a service area about 150 kilometers away. Less than ten minutes after I drove out, my phone rang. The car screen flashed Liam.

“Anne, your mom called me saying you’re going to pick her up? Then hurry up! The fireworks show is about to start...”

I simply laughed angrily, “Liam, you left my mom alone at a highway service area and you still have the nerve to rush me?”

The background noise on his end was loud and I could faintly hear his mom laughter. “Don't talk nonsense! How did I abandon your mom? I just told her to take the bus and come by herself.”

"She’s an adult, isn’t she? Can’t she read or buy a ticket? She always makes things complicated! We wasted half a day waiting for her at that service area. My mom’s already annoyed waiting!"

“Your mom's annoyed?” I repeated his words, my anger’s blazing overhead. "Liam Clark, that's my mom! Your mother-in-law! Just because you rushed to see the fireworks, you left an elderly woman alone at a highway rest stop where she’s unfamiliar with the place? Do you still have the heart?"

“Alright, alright, what’s the big deal? She’s not lost. You’re on your way to pick her up anyway, right?”

His tone was unsympathetic, “Hurry up and bring her over. I sent you the hotel address. Don't keep the whole family waiting for just two of you!”

“Family? Who says we're family?” I trembled with rage. “Liam, I’m warning you. If anything happens to my mom, I’ll never forgive you!!”

“Anne, are you out of control? You’re being ridiculous! This is unreasonable!” His voice grew impatient and sharp. “Come if you want, you’re ruining the mood!”

Then he hung up right away. Listening to the busy tone, I slammed my hands hard on the steering wheel.

An hour and a half later, I finally reached the service area. From a distance, I saw my mother sitting alone on a bench in the rest area and a staff member in uniform was standing beside her.

I rushed out before the car even stopped.

“Mom!”

“Anne!”

Seeing me, my mother immediately stood up, her eyes red. I hugged her tightly, feeling her body tremble slightly and my heart twisted with pain and sorrow.

I thanked the staff repeatedly and then helped my mom into the car. After fastening her seatbelt, I looked at her drained and frightened face. All my anger melted into heartache and guilt.

My voice trembled a little. “Mom, I’m sorry. I shouldn’t have let him bring you along…”

“It’s not your fault, honey.”

Mom quickly waved her hand, comforting me instead. “It's me. I'm getting old and slow on my feet. I made them miss the fireworks show…”

“Don't fight with Liam because of me, okay? Just bear with it and it’ll pass. Life must go on..."

Looking at how my mom still cared for me despite such deep hurt, my anger roared again.

Just bear with it and it would pass? This matter would never just pass. They must pay for what they did today.

By the time we reached the hotel parking lot near the scenic area, the sky was already dark.

My mom didn't speak much throughout the journey and now she was even more awkwardly tidying up her clothes.

“Anne, later... please, don't argue with Liam. Just talk calmly, okay?”

Seeing her like that, I felt as if an invisible hand was squeezing my heart. “Mom, don’t worry. I know what to do.” I patted her hand gently.

As soon as we stepped into the hotel lobby, a burst of shrill laughter filled the air.

“Oh my goodness, you're finally here! You took forever, the chrysanthemum flowers have gone cold waiting for you!”

My mother in-law was sitting cross-legged on the sofa, beaming with satisfaction. She wore a brand-new red coat and the silk scarf I'd packed for her around her neck.

Liam stood beside her, he lowered his head and played with his mobile phone. When he heard us come in, he raised his head, frowning deeply.

“What took you so long? The fireworks show is almost over! Mom's been waiting forever!”

There was even no trace of guilt in his tone, only complaints and impatience. As if my mom and I were the ones who had ruined everyone’s mood.

I glanced coldly at them. “So long? Liam, you left my mom alone at a highway service area and now you're complaining we're late?”

At my words, his frown deepened. "Anne, can you just stop talking nonsense? It’s just a small thing, why keep going on and on about it? Aren’t you tired? I'm sick of it!"

He glanced at me with disdain, his tone growing increasingly sarcastic, “Besides, your mom's just fine, right? Nothing bad happened to her. She didn't lose a single piece of flesh. We’re supposed to be enjoying ourselves, but you’re standing there with that sour face. Who exactly are you trying to impress?”

I stared at his arrogant face, my fingers trembling uncontrollably. “Liam, leaving an elderly woman alone for hours in a strange place is nothing for you? You don’t have the heart?”

“How dare you speak to me that way!”

His mother suddenly stood up, her voice sharp as she protected her precious son.

“Anne, he did it for me! That fireworks show only happens once a year and if we’d gone late, we’d have lost the best spot! Your mom took forever in the restroom, who’s to blame for that? Were we supposed to sit around and wait for her? Why should we?” She said it so confidently, as if missing her fireworks was the greatest tragedy in the world.

With his mother backing him up, Liam’s tone grew even bolder. “Exactly! She stayed in there for half an hour! How do we know she didn’t do it on purpose? I think she just didn’t want us to have fun!”

I was completely enraged by this shameless mother and son.

“Liam, apologize to my mother now!”

Liam stiffened his neck. “Apologize for what? What did I say wrong?”

The air turned heavy with silence for a long time.

His mother tugged at Liam’s arm, "It’s okay Liam. What’s the point of you two arguing on this beautiful day?"

She turned to my mother, gave a fake smile and pulled something out of her small bag and shoved it into my mother's hand.

“Please don’t take it to your heart, dear in-law,” she said sweetly. “Liam just has a bit of a temper. Look, he didn’t forget about you at all, he even brought you a souvenir.”

She shoved something into my mom’s hands. It was a cheap wooden comb, the kind sold three for $2 at the entrance of the scenic spot. The carving was crude and even had very sharp edges.

My mother froze, staring at the comb in her hand, not knowing whether to take it or not.

“Oh, come on, dear in-law, just take it. Don’t be shy. This is also a gift from Liam. My son may have his faults, but he’s actually a nice boy, you also know it.”

Then, as if suddenly remembering something, her tone shifted. Her fingers instinctively brushed her neck and pride instantly lit up her face.

“Look,” she said, deliberately straightening her silk scarf to reveal the gold necklace glittering around her neck. “He even bought me a gift too!”

She tilted her chin slightly, saying with full of satisfaction, “He told me I look best in gold, so he dragged me into the jewelry store just now to buy this necklace!”

She let out a theatrical sigh, still smiling. “Ah, it cost tens of thousands! I told him not to waste money, but this boy just wouldn’t listen! He said because it’s National Day and he has to make me happy!”

My mom stood silently beside me, her smile frozen in place. The sharp contrast between that cheap wooden comb and the gold necklace felt like a loud slap across my face. And that slap woke me up completely.

Fine.

For them, everything was about money and calculation, then let’s start counting properly. Including the dignity they owed my mom, I’d make sure they paid it back in full.

I took the wooden comb from my mom’s hand, running my fingers lightly over its rough splinters and suddenly gave a soft laugh.

“Liam, you really picked the perfect gift.”

He didn’t catch the irony in my tone. Instead, he smiled with relief, thinking I had finally given in.

“See? That’s better! Now everyone’s happy.”

I didn’t even look at him. I just took my mom’s arm. “Mom, let’s go back to the room and rest,” I said softly.

"What about the fireworks?" Liam asked, impatient.

“Watch them yourself.”

Without looking back, I led my mom straight toward the elevator. Behind us, I could still hear his mom grumbling under her breath, “Your wife… she’s good at ruining the mood.”

Back in the hotel room, my mom still looked uneasy. She kept turning the cheap comb over in her hands again and again.

“Anne,” she said quietly, “at least they gave me a gift. It’s nice. Don’t be mad at Liam over something like this.”

I looked at my mom, the woman who had endured everything all her life, always thinking of others, always swallowing her pain.

And for what?

For being abandoned on a highway. For getting this rough, splintered comb. For carrying endless hurt and humiliation.

“Mom.”

I took the comb from her hands and tossed it straight into the trash bin. “This cheap thing doesn’t deserve you. You deserve something much better.”

She glanced at the trash bin and sighed again. “But…”

“Let’s not talk about them anymore, Mom.”

I knelt down beside her, holding her rough hand. “Tell me, where do you want to go most? The seaside? Or somewhere with mountains and rivers?”

My question caught her off guard. She blinked, startled. “Anne, we’ve already spent so much on this trip. We can’t just waste more money going somewhere else. No, that’s too much!”

I smiled, squeezing her hand gently. “Don’t worry about the money, Mom. Your daughter has a house, a car, a job and some savings too. I can take care of you.”

I gave her hand a reassuring squeeze and flashed her a confident and mysterious look. “Besides, I have a way to pay for it. Just tell me, do you want to go?"

My mom looked at me, unsure if she should believe me or not. After a long pause, she said softly, “I used to see the beaches on TV. The sand looked so fine. It’s just that…”