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…”

“Alright.”

I stood up, my decision already made. “Then let’s go to the beach.”

That night, I barely slept. When dawn was about to break, I quietly got out of bed.

My mom had been sleeping restlessly and when I moved, she woke up, “Anne, why are you up so early?”

“Mm. Go back to sleep, Mom. I just need to take care of something. I’ll be back soon.”

I had already booked a reliable long-distance driver-for-hire service. After paying in advance, I asked him to drive the car I’d brought yesterday back to the underground garage at home.

Then I grabbed my bag, which contained all my important documents: my ID card, marriage certificate and that motor vehicle registration certificate.

On the owner’s line, my name was printed clearly, Anne Wright. It was the car my parents had bought for me, fully paid, before I got married.

After I upgraded to a new car, Liam primarily drove the old one. He drove it with complete ease, probably long forgotten whose car it truly was.

I sat in the hotel lobby lounge, pulled out my phone and without hesitation, called a used car dealer I'd contacted before.

“Bill, it’s me, Anne Wright.”

“You rememeber the car I mentioned earlier? I’m ready to sell it now. Same price we talked about before. Or even a little lower. But I want to close the deal immediately, full payment. The car’s parked in the scenic area lot.”

My voice was calm, without a trace of hesitation. On the other end, Bill clearly paused, but upon hearing my urgency and willingness to negotiate, he quickly agreed.

Half an hour later, I met him in the parking lot. He checked the car, verified the papers, made the transfer and handed me the payment.

The whole process was quick and clean, almost shockingly so. When my phone buzzed with the bank notification showing $300,000 had been deposited into my account, the car that Liam had driven for years was no longer mine.

“Thanks, Bill.”

I quickly put my phone away, my face showing no emotion. I didn’t return to the hotel.

Instead, I walked straight to a nearby travel agency.

Brightly colored promotional posters adorned the glass door, [National Day Exclusive, Customized Island Getaways, Ultimate Experience, Ready to Go!]

Without hesitation, I pushed the door open and pointed directly at the poster. “Two people. Comfortable itinerary, good service. Departing today, leaving right now.”

The receptionist paused for a moment, then enthusiastically began to explain. I interrupted, "Could you please speed up the process? The price is not a problem.”

Swipe card. Sign papers. Done.

Three hundred thousand dollars was half gone in a flash, exchanged for two tickets to the azure island and a stack of exquisite high-end hotel vouchers.

When I returned to the room, Mom was already already awake, sitting on the edge of the bed, lost in thought.

“Mom,” I took her hand, “Pack your things. We're leaving.”

“Leave? Where? Aren't we waiting for Liam and his mom?” My mom looked bewildered.

“No. We’re not waiting. I'll take you somewhere nice to relax, just the two of us."

She looked at my determined expression, then at the wooden comb I had thrown into the trash last night and seemed to understand something.

After packing my limited belongings and getting into the reserved taxi with my mother, my phone began ringing like a death knell.