After You Hurt Me 99 Times

When I had Mom cremated, Isaac was still by Megan's side. I brought home Mom's ashes and packed her belongings as the house helper watched my odd behavior in confusion.

Just then, the bridal store employee delivered the gifts from Isaac again—they were two wedding gowns.

He even specially asked her to pass the message that one gown was to apologize for the interrupted wedding, whereas the other was the compensation for taking Mom's wheelchair.

The wedding gowns were in full display, and the bridal store employee glanced at me with bright eyes. "Mrs. Pudley, Mr. Pudley has bought all of the latest designs in our store as gifts for you. You're so lucky!"

I was expressionless and so upset that I wanted to bawl my eyes out. None of them knew that this was Isaac's way of making up to me out of habit every time he hurt me.

My eyes were lifeless as I watched them hang the gowns on shelf numbers 96 and 97. The entire room was filled with wedding gowns, and only two more spots were left in a corner.

I looked away, fully aware that I could soon leave. I placed Mom's ashes and belongings on the table in the hall and simply packed my stuff.

After I placed the suitcase in a corner of the room, Isaac returned with Megan, carrying the supplements he just bought for Mom. He had always been so detailed and thoughtful.

In a trance, I felt as though he wasn't the person who refused to save Mom. However, I was conflicted the next second.

Megan saw Mom's urn and suddenly screamed from fear. Her depression had acted up again, and she knocked off the urn with her hand.

The porcelain urn shattered, and the ashes scattered across the floor.

My eyes widened, and I dashed forward to shove her aside, shouting hysterically, "Get lost! Don't touch my mother!"

Terrified, Megan snuggled into Isaac's arms and choked, "I'm sorry, Emily. My depression acted up again. But do you hate me so much that you bought a prop to scare me?"

Furious and heartbroken, Isaac reprimanded me straight in my face, "Emily, you know that Megan has depression. Are you planning to scare her with this silly toy?

"You're always up to no good. Apologize now! If you know what's better for you, I can even make up the wedding. Otherwise, your mother will never see you get married!"

Scurrying across the floor, I gathered the ashes into the urn box and yelled at him at the top of my lungs, "Isaac Pudley, these are my mother's ashes!"

Isaac grew up without a mother. Since we started dating, Mom treated him like her own, and he would help out at her food truck every day.

When Mom was bedridden for a long time, he took care of her patiently, too.

Since he treated Mom like his mother, I thought he would have some reaction upon hearing my explanation.

However, he was merely stunned for a second, and a disdainful smirk tinged his lips. "Meg said that your mother is still alive. Why are you still pretending otherwise?

"Moreover, she's your mother, not mine. Even if she's dead, it's none of my concern."

Out of the blue, Megan held her head and started crying as she uttered the most sickening statement, "Emily, why are you lying to set me up? Mrs. Steiner just called me a tramp over the phone last night and wanted me to leave Isaac.

"I'm sick and shameless, harassing Isaac because I'm a tramp. I should've taken Mrs. Steiner's advice and died…"

Mom had passed away two days ago, so Megan was clearly lying and slandering Mom. But Isaac bought into such a ridiculous lie.

"That's bullshit—" I quickly refuted, but Isaac kicked me, along with my grievances.

"Emily, you and your mother make me sick. If you don't apologize to Meg, you'll remain on the floor today."

My head struck the wall violently, and blood trickled down.

I glared at him, and he was panic-stricken. Coming to a stop, he changed his mind. "Forget it. Don't be an eyesore here with your bloody head, lest it trigger Meg again."

Meg again. Meg was the only thing in his mind. If that was the case, he could spend the rest of his life with her after this.

Gritting my teeth, I picked up the urn box and returned to my room upstairs.

Behind me, I heard Megan's gentle voice saying, "Isaac, will it upset Emily that we saw through her lies?"

"She gets what she deserves and has no right to be upset over it."

I shut the door tightly, cutting out the sarcasm from outside.

My father passed away a long time ago, and it was Mom who brought me up while running a food truck. But I couldn't even protect her ashes as they were scattered on the floor.

Perhaps this was a sign from Mom that it was time to let go of all these promises. I shouldn't stay here any longer.

I cried alone for a long time before picking up the calendar on the desk. I circled the date today and marked it with the number 98.

Without me realizing, someone opened the door, and Isaac was already next to me. Before I could close the calendar, he snatched it from me.

As he stared at the red circle that had pierced through the paper, frustration built up in his chest. "What do you mean by the number 98 on the red circle?"