After I Left It Was Spring Again

Yet, this kind of care was nothing more than a guilty conscience. It was a feeble attempt to atone for his infidelity. Every time Rick cheated, he would pour a lot of attention to Wanda.

These text messages often came at odd hours of the night. Maybe they were sent as he smoked his cigarettes after doing the deed, or perhaps ….

The thought made Wanda's stomach churn violently. She bolted to the bathroom and vomited until she felt utterly drained.

When she finally stepped out of the bathroom, Ben had already finished his breakfast and waited patiently by the door.

When he saw her, he instinctively grabbed her hand. “Mommy, if you don’t take me to school soon, I’ll be late.”

Wanda pulled her hand from his grasp and said nonchalantly, "Jane will take you to school today. I’m tired.”

"I want you, Mommy, to take me to school," Ben pleaded. "Please."

"No, I'm tired," she replied coldly and ruthlessly.

Her ruthless refusal made Ben froze and he closed his mouth. He did not understand the reason his mother who usually did what he wanted would become so cold to him. He gulped down the words as he held back his tears.

Jean, who was standing at the side, sensed Wanda was in a bad mood. She wisely dragged Ben out of the house.

Wanda didn’t have the energy to console her son’s wounded feelings.

At the front desk, the receptionist hesitated as she looked up to confirm Wanda’s identity, her disbelief was evident. Yet, she quickly masked her shock and directed Wanda to Room three hundred and two to proceed with the paperwork.

Inside the room, a masked figure confirmed the details with her, such as the time and method of her death.

After she gave her firm answers, the man reminded her once again, his voice low and somber, “Once you sign, there’s no turning back. Seven days from now, Wanda will cease to exist.”

Wanda nodded. With steady hands, she signed her name. Then she handed over the sandalwood bracelet she’d worn for years as she said, "If I’m going to die, let’s make it convincing."

The bracelet held special significance. After Ben was born, Wanda fell into a mysterious coma. In desperation, Eric, despite being a staunch atheist, had traveled to Tibet. He endured freezing temperatures and knelt every three steps to pray for her recovery.

His sincerity had moved her back then, so much so that she had vowed never to take the bracelet off, even in death.  Now, in a cruel twist of fate, she was making good on that promise.

As she left the office, she overheard the murmured gossip from the reception desk, “They say Mr. Gordon dotes on Mrs. Gordon like she’s his whole world. Yet here she is, signing up for a fake death service.”

"This shows that even the most glamorous marriages can be miserable behind closed doors.”

“I can’t believe I used to root for their love story. Turns out it was all fake.”

Wanda did not wait to hear the rest of the conversation. Maybe Eric had truly loved her at some point in the past seven years. However, for him, love was just a fleeting thing.

Leaving the service center, Wanda wandered into a nearby mall. She hoped she could distract herself.

Yet, fate was cruel. Unexpectedly, she bumped into Ben, who was supposed to be in kindergarten. At that time, he was being with Eric and Christina. The trio of them were walking side by side like a real family.

Wanda froze and stood rooted to the ground. Her mind went blank.

It wasn’t until Christina noticed her that reality snapped back into focus.

"Mrs. Gordon, why are you here?" She covered her mouth in pretend surprise. She walked briskly on her high heels toward Wanda. There wasn’t the slightest trace of guilt on her face being caught in an affair.

“Please don’t misunderstand,” she continued with a practiced innocence. “Mr. Gordon was just being kind. I recently got cast in a role where I play a mother and he thought it would be helpful for me to spend time with Ben to practice.”

“If you’re upset, please take it out on me. It’s my fault, not theirs. Mr. Gordon and Ben are completely innocent," she added.