Did she just say… she ran into Julie…?
I replayed her words over and over again in my head, and each time I did, my smile grew a little harder to maintain.
My body sank further into the cold cushions of the sofa, as if I were being swallowed by the reality of it all.
…You've got to be kidding me.
At that moment, it felt like everything that I'd been building had crumbled to nothing in an instant.
I dug my nails into my thigh, trying to hold as much of myself together as I could.
Of all people… it just had to be her.
I was foolish. I thought that even if she ran into my Husband's side of the family, it wouldn't have mattered. That was why I didn't bother telling her what they did and where they went during their free time.
That was my mistake.
I should have known better. After all, out of everyone on my Husband's side of the family—and even my own—Julie knew far more than the rest. More than that, she was sharp—despite how she came across.
I'd known her ever since she was a teenager. She was almost like something between a Daughter and a Sister to me. More than even Cass, at times.
She used to be such a troublemaker. No—she still was. And that was why people often mistook her for someone stupid.
But I always knew better. I knew that—out of everyone in the family—she was the only person I didn't want to oppose.
And that was why she was the only one I could open up to—to a degree.
The only one whom I could seek advice from—and the only one whose advice I'd take.
She'd given me advice on how to handle both of my kids as they grew older a handful of times. So she knew—more than she should.
Running into Julie… might be worse than running into my Husband.
I closed my eyes and took a long, deep breath.
It's too early to jump to conclusions. I need to find out exactly what happened.
When I opened my eyes again, all the stress and anxiety had passed—as if it had never even been there in the first place.
"Can you tell me what happened?" I asked with refined patience.
There was a slight pause before Cass scratched the back of her head with an anxious chuckle. "Hahaha… about that… I kinda—don't remember."
I felt the corner of my smile twitch ever so slightly, but I pushed it down just as quickly.
"What do you mean?" I asked with a tilt of my head.
Cass's brows furrowed—a sharp contrast to how relaxed she always was—as she struggled to recall the memory. "Well, all I remember is that we ran into each other at the bar. I just remember drinking, then waking up in my hotel room."
"Okay," I said, fighting down the ever-growing annoyance. "So you mean to tell me that you don't remember what you guys talked about—or if that conversation even happened at all?"
Cass let out a defeated sigh. "...Yep."
Before I could say another word, I bit my tongue and leaned back against the sofa.
As much as I would've liked to, there was no point in yelling at her. What's done has already been done.
But that didn't mean I was giving up.
Our conversation seemed to fizzle into the background as I tried to envision what might have happened at the party.
Julie was a party animal, for lack of a better term. That was how she defined having fun. Leading boys and girls on, drinking until she was drunk, smoking—she was that type. And she used to do exactly that with Cass whenever Cass visited. So there was a good chance that was all that happened. I wouldn't put it past her.
The problem with that, however, was that Cass hadn't blacked out drinking in a long time. Which meant that Julie had to have kept pushing drinks on her to get to that point.
But… why?
Julie was a lot of things, but she would never force someone past their limit—especially family.
But I was also sure Cass wouldn't say anything too revealing, even if she were tipsy. So there was no way she'd have said anything beforehand to push Julie to that point, either.
…What a mess.
I wasn't going to get anywhere. No matter how hard I thought about it, it wouldn't matter. I'd never figure it out with Cass unable to remember anything.
I'll just have to probe Julie the next time I see her.
With a small sigh, I pushed my head off the cushions and faced Cass once more.
Now that everything was out of the way, it was time to get to the real reason I invited her here.
"Do you have it?" I asked, my voice dropping to a cold, level pressure.
Reacting to that, Cass's usual sharp glint darkened, matching my own.
It was only during times like these that I felt we were alike—sisters, even.
"Yeah, I do." She reached for her purse and rummaged through it for a moment before pulling something out.
A voice recorder.
Instead of tossing it to me like she always did, she leaned over and carefully set it in my lap.
I gently picked it up, handling it with utmost care.
I ran a finger against the hard black plastic, ensuring it was all in one piece.
"It's been raining all week," I said, seemingly out of nowhere. "Where did you put it to prevent it from getting damaged?"
Cass leaned back into the sofa as if a weight had been lifted off her shoulders. "Well, when I went to the location you sent me—the alleyway—I explored around a bit and stumbled upon a vending machine. The original plan was just to leave it at the top, but with the rain, I had to leave it inside."
"Really? And what if they decided to use it? What if they wanted a drink, bought one, opened it up, and saw a voice recorder sitting there?"
While there wasn't anything to worry about—since I ended up recovering it—I wanted to see if my little sister had thought that far ahead.
Cass let out a contemptuous chuckle as she rolled her eyes. "I'm not stupid, sis. I just broke the vending machine. It was old, anyway, so it wasn't that hard. But maybe I hit it too hard, since the lights went out. Either way, no one would even think of using—or even pay any mind to—a broken vending machine in an abandoned alleyway."
While I carried on as if indifferent, I couldn't help but be just a little bit impressed. Even if I'd thought of that, I would never have it in me to vandalize something.
"So," she said, moving things along. "What are you going to do now?"
"I'll figure that out when I get there."
That was a lie. I already knew exactly what I was going to do, but she didn't need to know that.
"Is that so…" Cass's voice suddenly took on a softer, almost guilty turn.
"But… don't you feel bad? Stalking your Son like this?"
I didn't say anything. It was none of her business. But she seemed to take that as an invitation to keep talking.
"I mean, not only have you been stalking his location, but you're also intruding on his privacy. Don't you… feel bad?"
Of course, that was what she'd think. Cass had a kid, too, but she didn't love them as much—or the way—I loved mine. She didn't get it. Her kid wasn't her world. She just dumped them on Mother to raise while she went off having fun around the world.
It was only because she was like that that she would even ask such a stupid thing.
The more I thought about it, the more the rage that dwelled inside me seethed.
Of course… you don't get it.
My palms began to throb as my nails dug deeper into my thigh, but I could hardly even register the pain.
You've never gotten it.
No—not just you, but everyone.
You all act like I'm crazy.
Worthless.
Pitiful.
This rage wasn't a one-time thing exclusive to today. It was one I'd been carrying for years, before I even got married. It was one I'd tried to forget many times—but it always came back.
I've told you time and time again.
But none of you ever listened.
So don't start acting like you know me now.
Don't start acting like you care now.
Still, I looked up at Cass with the same angelic, graceful smile I'd shown her when she entered.
"Thank you, sister. But I think it's time you leave. I need to start preparing for dinner soon."
She didn't waste a single beat.
"No problem. I owed you a favour, after all," Cass said, picking up her purse and pushing herself off the couch.
Just as she walked past me, she left me her final parting words. "It was good to see you again, sis. I'll visit you during Christmas. I promise."
I didn't respond. And she didn't wait for an answer. She just put her shoes on and left the house, like she'd never been here at all.
My gaze continued to linger on the front door for just a bit longer after she left—but she never came back.
Once I was sure she was gone, I let out a deep, shuddering breath.
It's finally over…
While I would have loved nothing more than to relax after a long conversation like that, I didn't have that luxury—nor could I waste any more time.
With weak arms, I picked up the voice recorder and played it. They were a series of audio recordings. While the voices weren't clear, I could vaguely make out the one that belonged to my Son.
The other… was a woman's.
From what I could catch, it almost sounded like they were… dating.
There wasn't anything wrong with that. I wanted grandchildren. And what Mom wouldn't want to see her child fall in love?
It should've been a moment of celebration… if this relationship wasn't ruining him.
Hanging out in an alleyway? Staying out until nightfall in said alleyway? This wasn't a relationship he should've been a part of.
But he was too young to realize that. I'd been his age once, too, so I knew. I understood.
And that was why, as his Mom, it was my job to guide him back to the right path.
I continued to listen for hours until, finally, he said her name. The moment he did, I pressed the pause button and set the recorder down on the glass table in front of me.
By this point, it was already three o'clock, but with the rain, the house was drenched in a grey darkness. Beyond the windows was nothing but deep, grey clouds and heavy rain that battered against the glass, the pattering filling the living room.
Yet, that sound wasn't half as loud as the name I'd just heard.
"Mei."
That was her name.
The one who was ruining my Son.
And now… there was no turning back.
I had everything I needed.