The Truth Under the Test

After a real soaker, mud and rockslides took out part of the village, everyone hunkered down at home, scared to step outside.

My man broke the news to my mom that he'd wrecked the car.

Without thinking twice, Mom zoomed off to the city on her electric trike, right into a fresh landslide. Got swallowed up by mud and rocks—never found her again.

By the time I got there, rescue was packing up. They just gave me that "sorry" look and told me to brace for the worst.

Mom's last words to me were all about the mess, "Alex crashed. I'm heading to town. Money's tight. Gonna hawk the gold bracelet your dad left."

That bracelet was all Dad left her. She clung to it, even when she was knocking on death's door.

Lost Mom and couldn't bear losing my husband too, so I buzzed Alex, all frantic.

He picked up quickly, background all boozy laughter and karaoke. Alex slurred out some club's name, "Just raked in a cool hundred mil from the live stream. Join us for some champers?"

Felt like a punch to the gut. I blurted out, "You're not hurt? Why the hell did you lie to Mom?"

Then, some snarky voice piped up, "With Alex flush with cash, gotta see who's gold and who's glitter."

I didn't even argue. Just hung up and started mourning Mom.

She left nothing, so I packed her favorite outfits and set up a marker by Dad's grave.

The landslide was brutal. Most folks moved out, and the village was too shaken up for any condolence feast.

Losing Mom crushed me. We'd been each other's rock for years, thought Alex would add some spark, not more tears.

Home alone, I was sifting through my stuff, planning my exit.

During all this, Alex didn't show one bit of concern.

When I walked in, there he was, sprawled on the couch. He barely glanced up, "Where were you?"

I fired back, "Aware of the mudslide back home? Knew it was deadly, right? Why pull such a sick prank on my mom?"

He shrugged it off, lobbed some shopping bags my way, "Got these for you and Mom. Dropping another twenty thousand on fixing up the old place later."

I just stared. He scratched his nose, "I wasn't really testing her... Just got carried away, you know? Plus, it gives me an out if anyone bad-mouths her later, right?"

Thinking how Mom sold her soul for that man, and died trying to save him, and here he was, still playing games.

They say hearts aren't made of stone. We treated him right all these years, but did he care? Not a bit.

I was so livid, it hurt. I hated him, and myself for loving a monster.

Alex was busy with his phone, clueless to my storm brewing. He pushes the bag at me again. "Check these out, see if anything catches your eye."

All from Hermès, stuff Cecelia Williams once dreamed of. I peeked inside, some less sought-after bits, obviously leftovers from some posh haul.

I'm no high roller but know enough to spot the bait-and-switch.

Basically, they were Cecelia's rejects.

Cecelia Williams, that's the chick who grabbed his phone that day, his orphanage friend and old flame.

They split after the orphanage.

However, they reconnected when I nudged him into e-commerce. He hired her as a live stream host, and even made her his personal assistant after starting up.

Whenever I'd get suspicious, he'd play it cool, "If anything was up with Cecelia and me, it would've happened ages ago. Why would I marry you? You're overacting and paranoid."

Old lines, but they cut deep. I couldn't muster a comeback.

I mean, I could've thrown in his face that he was dirt-poor back then, and now he's Mr. Moneybags.

But I loved him too much to hit where it hurts.

But to him, my love just spelled sucker.

Had enough of the bickering, I walked to the bedroom and packed my bags in silence.

Then I slapped the divorce papers on the table, "We're done."

Alex just stared, then flung them down, "Lily, what's this about?"

I wasn't fuming, just picked them up quietly.

Just one sheet of paper, I didn't want anything but to walk away empty-handed.

He fumed, trying to keep cool as he said condescendingly, "What, I can't buy a little place for Mom nearby? Seen anyone else do that for their mother-in-law?"

Guess he forgot the house we were in was bought by Mom's life savings. She holed up in that run-down place back home to avoid bothering us.

I left the papers on the table, ice-cold, "No need. Living's for the living. 'Because of your damn 'test,' Mom's gone, and she can't even rest in peace."

I choked out those last words. To him, money fixed everything.

If money could bring Mom back, I'd pay whatever it cost to bring her back and erase Alex from my life forever.