Goodbye Pain, Hello Joy

I remembered that year when I took her to my hometown, intending to show off my superstar girlfriend.

She was dressed similarly today, wearing a mask, sunglasses, and a sunhat while keeping herself covered. Whenever my acquaintances greeted us, she would consistently respond with aloofness.

She was a big star now.

She was different now.

But even when she came to my home, she still brushed off my mom’s worries. She said she was swamped with work and had a sore throat, so she didn’t feel like chatting much.

During the meal, she slammed her knife and fork on the table and scolded my mom for making such spicy food. She even asked if my mom was trying to ruin her singing voice for good.

Frightened by her, my mom hid in the kitchen and cried, blaming herself.

I argued with her about this, but she didn’t take it seriously. She insisted that her career was taking off and that she should be in control of everything. Nothing else mattered.

"Doesn’t it matter even if my mom was scolded to tears by you?"

I had never been so angry with her. No matter how willful or bad-tempered she was, I could accommodate her.

But that day, I was out of anger.

When my mother saw me arguing with Bella, she wiped away her tears and hurried out to talk to me. She mentioned that Bella was doing well.

But Bella didn’t appreciate it. She left my home in a hurry without eating anything.

That day, I felt very uneasy. I ended up crying in front of my mother and asked her if I should continue to date such a girl.

If my mom said something...

Maybe I would break up with her then.

However, my mom scolded me instead.

She was solely thinking about Bella, saying that she was a big star now and very busy with work every day, having to deal with many people and things. She asked me to be more understanding of her and not to get angry with her.

Only now did I realize that my mom was doing this not for Bella but for my sake.

After all, Bella was a popular star at that time, and an ordinary person like me had to attach myself to such a girlfriend!

But now, I could let go of everything.

I didn’t want to attach myself to her anymore!

Ignoring Bella’s questioning, I turned around and walked past her and Walter.

However, Walter reached out to stop me. "Hector, don’t get me wrong," he said, his eyes filled with mockery and provocation.

"I’ve been feeling heartbroken lately due to my breakup, so I haven’t been able to take good care of the goldfish that Bella gave me.

"Kim has passed away, and we’re both feeling really down. We’re thinking of picking a cemetery and burying it.

"Bella came with me today to see Kim off for the last time."

Walter was deliberately provoking me.

He was rubbing salt into my wounds, even adding poison to them!

My mother’s death and funeral were not comparable to a goldfish!

I looked at Walter coldly.

Looking at his bright smile, I asked, "Do I need to build a monument for you and your goldfish?"

"You..."

Walter frowned and said, "What do you mean? I’m not dead. Are you cursing me?"

I didn’t show any mercy. "Oh, you’re not dead. I thought you were a goner and gonna be pushing up daisies with the goldfish."

"Hector! You’ve gone too far!"

Bella roared at me.

Perhaps in her opinion, I was jealous.

Maybe she thought that I was jealous that she had accompanied Walter, so I deliberately made trouble out of nothing.

This had always been the case.

I was often jealous because she had too much contact with others.

And she was also used to my being jealous.

Once, she scolded me in public and then left.

Thinking back, how ridiculous I was!

For years, I devoted myself to her wholeheartedly. She was my only love. I even drank until I got diarrhea with others just to keep them company. And I even begged others without dignity in order to help her get a song.

But in her opinion, I was worth less than a goldfish or a dog!

I had given up everything for a woman like her!

What a joke!

I used to be so ridiculous!

I shook my head. Even though I was misunderstood by Bella, I didn’t want to defend myself. I was exhausted both physically and mentally. Explaining even a single word felt exhausting to me!

I looked at the two of them. Without responding, I left.

Seeing me like this, Bella’s eyes were full of doubts.

It was as if I shouldn’t have behaved like this.

I should have thrown a tantrum for her.

She asked, "Aren’t you going to apologize to Walter for your recklessness?"

I pretended not to have heard Bella’s words.

I didn’t want to talk to her.

In the past, I was indeed her simp, but now I was not.

I left without looking back.

"Stop!

"Hector, stop right there!"

My ignorance made her angry.

She stamped her feet anxiously.

I didn’t expect that she, a famous star, would catch up with me even after I had gone far away.

"I didn’t mean to bail on our last appointment. It’s really urgent. You’re not unreasonable. You understand what’s more important, right?"

Seeing that I ignored her, she seemed to feel apologetic and said, "I heard your mom’s really sick in the hospital. How’s she doing? I know a top doctor in the city. I can help you get in touch with him and see if we can transfer your mom to his hospital. I’m sure he’ll be able to help..."

Was she concerned about me?

However, she didn’t know that her words had stabbed into my heart over and over again!

If she really cared for me, she wouldn’t have not even known that I had blacklisted her!

If she really cared for me, she wouldn’t have been unaware that my mother had passed away!

Everything was just her vanity and self-righteousness!

"I know I was wrong. Don’t be angry, okay?"

She grabbed my hand and, for the first time in her life, let go of her pride as a superstar. She took the initiative to apologize to me and tried to coax me.

If this happened in the past, I would have immediately softened my heart, embraced her, and gently said, ‘You are the only love of my life!

But now, I was disheartened.

There was no trace of nostalgia left.

I pulled her hand away and looked at her indifferently. "Don’t pester me anymore!"

"You!"

Bella seemed to have suffered a great insult. She roared at me, "I’m pestering you?

"Hector, are you crazy?

"For all these years, isn’t it always you who initiates contact with me?

"Will I pester you?

"Do you think you’re so great?

"In my eyes, you’re just a petty man who gets jealous and crazy all the time!"

Amidst her abusive words, I left calmly, without a trace of nostalgia.

As Bella watched me leave, she frowned. She had never saw me like this before. Maybe she was not used to it.

She took out her mobile phone and said, "Hello, William, contact the medical experts in the capital to operate on Hector’s mother, no matter how much it costs!"

I heard what she said.

But at this time, it seemed so ridiculous.

My mother had long been buried, but she knew nothing about it. All she cared about was her first love.

Perhaps in her eyes, my mother and I were so humble that we were not worth a goldfish.