Katherine carefully picked out a bouquet of pure white lilies—her mother's favorite flower when she was alive.
She gently held the flowers and slowly walked toward the peaceful gravestone.
A soft breeze passed through the cemetery, carrying a faint trace of sorrow and longing.
She placed the lilies softly in front of the gravestone, her eyes revealing a quiet loneliness.
Since her mother passed away, all these years, she had never seen her father visit even once.
Back then, her parents had shared such a deep and loving relationship. But now, had her father truly forgotten everything about her mother?
Well, he had a new wife and daughter now.
That thought stabbed her heart like a sharp thorn.
Katherine took a handkerchief from her bag, leaned down, and gently wiped the dust off the photo on the gravestone, as if she were touching her mother's soft and loving face.
"Mom, I came to see you." Her voice was soft and full of affection, as if she was afraid to disturb her mother's peace in the other world.
"Are you doing okay over there? Do you miss me?"
She sat down quietly on the empty ground next to the gravestone. Then she slowly rested her head on the cold stone.
In that moment, she closed her eyes. Her thoughts drifted far away. It was like time had turned back, and she was once again that little girl, laughing and playing without worries in her mother's warm embrace.
"Mom, I got divorced from Andrew." Katherine's voice trembled slightly, with a hint of bitterness that she couldn't hide.
"Do you remember Andrew? He's the boy you once saved.
But he didn't recognize me. Maybe time has changed how I look. Or maybe… he never remembered me at all."
Tears welled up in her eyes. She choked and said, "Mom, if you hadn't saved him back then… would things have turned out differently? Maybe you wouldn't have left me."
The cemetery was silent. Only her quiet sobs echoed in the wind.
"Mom, I really miss you."
Katherine stayed there for a long time before finally leaving.
As soon as she got back into her car, her phone rang inside her bag.
She pulled it out, and when her eyes saw the caller ID, her expression darkened a little, like a cloud had passed over her face.
After hesitating for a moment, she pressed the answer button with her fingertip and said calmly, "Hello. What is it?"
"Come home right now. I have something to say to you." The voice on the other end was firm and demanding.
"I can't right now. I'm at work." She tried to use that as an excuse.
But immediately, she heard Mr. Shen's angry voice shouting through the speaker, "Work? What work? Vivi just went to your department and your coworkers said you've been suspended!"
Katherine's heart sank. Vivi went to the hospital to look for her?
What was her plan now?
"Come back immediately." Mr. Shen's tone was harsh and cold. Then he hung up without giving her any chance to respond.
Katherine slowly put away her phone, filled with suspicion and unease.
She had no idea what they were planning by calling her back now, but her instincts told her—it couldn't be anything good.
She sat quietly in the car for a while, like she was gathering the strength to face them again.
After a long moment, she finally started the engine and slowly drove toward the Shen residence.
Half an hour later, Katherine arrived at the entrance of the Shen family home.
She didn't get out of the car immediately. Instead, she sat quietly inside, took a deep breath, and tried to calm her emotions, attempting to appear composed.
Once she felt a little more collected, she opened the car door and stepped out, walking with slightly heavy steps toward that familiar yet distant home.
The moment she stepped into the living room, the scene before her made her heart tighten slightly.
Mr. Shen, Madam Wan, and Vivi were sitting on the sofa, chatting and laughing. The cozy and cheerful atmosphere made it feel like she was just an outsider.
And as soon as she entered the room, the laughter abruptly stopped, as if someone had hit the mute button.
Vivi was the first to break the silence. When she saw Katherine, she put on a smile that looked warm but felt fake, quickly setting down the pastry in her hand and spoke in a sweet voice:
"Sis, you're back. You haven't come home in so long. I thought you'd already forgotten about this place."
Katherine understood clearly that Vivi's words were nothing more than a way to make her look bad in front of Mr. Shen, stirring up his dislike toward her.
She sighed quietly in her heart. This kind of performance was nothing new to her. She had long gotten used to this kind of baseless criticism and manipulation.
There's a saying: with a stepmother comes a changed father.
Katherine used to scoff at that idea. She believed that blood ties could never be easily broken.
But reality hit her like a slap in the face, shattering her beliefs completely.
Sure enough, as soon as Vivi finished speaking, Mr. Shen's brows furrowed, and he scolded coldly, "Katherine, do you even care about this family anymore?"
The corners of Katherine's lips curled into a faint, cold smile. Family? That word felt so ironic to her right now.
She looked around. This seemingly warm and cozy living room held not a single person who genuinely welcomed her back.
"Don't you know better than anyone whether I have a home or not?" she replied, her face expressionless and her voice as still as water.
Mr. Shen's face turned red with anger, veins bulging on his forehead. He shouted furiously, "You came back just to provoke me, didn't you?"
His voice exploded like thunder in the living room, making even the air seem to tremble.
But Katherine didn't flinch. She stayed calm and composed, walked over to a single-seat sofa near them, sat down gracefully, and met Mr. Shen's gaze without fear, speaking firmly:
"You were the one who told me to come back. If I'm such an eyesore, I can leave right now."
Her tone was steady, without a hint of fear or hesitation, as if she were stating a simple fact.
Madam Wan quickly reacted, a flicker of slyness flashing through her eyes.
She gently reached out and tugged Mr. Shen's arm, shaking her head slightly. Then she turned toward Katherine with a warm smile and said in a soft voice:
"Katherine, your father only missed you because you've been away so long. Don't argue with him."
Her voice was gentle like a spring breeze, brushing softly, but Katherine knew too well the thorns hidden behind that calm exterior.
After years of dealing with Madam Wan, she had long seen through her fake kindness.
Every word, every gesture, always seemed like an attempt to smooth things over, but in truth, it only made the situation worse.
Katherine had no intention of playing along any further. She went straight to the point, her gaze steady and firm as she asked:
"Let's not waste time. Just tell me—why did you call me back?"