Our Anniversary, You Chose Her – I Chose Divorce

Annie York’s intuition was right. She clamped her hands tightly over her mouth, refusing to make a single sound.

She didn’t know how long she stayed there—long enough for her legs to go numb. By the time she finally left the apartment building, the sky had turned completely dark. She headed home.

Her keys unlocked the front door, revealing a spotless living room. There were no discarded slippers at the entrance, nor were there any scattered sunflower seed shells or fruit peels on the floor.

Mrs. York sat in her wheelchair, watching TV. Seeing her return, she asked in surprise, ”Ann, you’re back so early? I thought you’d be out late having fun.”

Forcing down the anger and panic in her heart, Annie York said, ”Didn’t you tell me to come back early? Besides, I’m worried about leaving you home alone.”

Mrs. York smiled and asked, ”Your friends weren’t upset that you left so suddenly, were they?”

”No.” Annie York shook her head, her gaze sweeping slowly across the living room.

Mrs. York looked at her in confusion. ”Ann, what are you looking at?”

”Did we have any guests over?” Annie York asked.

Panic flashed across Mrs. York’s face for a split second before she stammered, ”N-No. How could we possibly have guests? We lost touch with your father’s side a long time ago, and I hardly have any relatives left on my side.” She let out a heavy sigh as she spoke.

Annie York walked over to the bathroom and immediately called out, ”Mom, did you use the bathroom by yourself?”

Mrs. York’s heart suddenly DROPPED! She had cleaned up the entrance and the living room, but she had completely forgotten about the bathroom!

Her eyes darted around nervously. ”Y-Yes, I tried using the bathroom on my own earlier. Who would’ve thought that even as a cripple, I could still take care of myself.” She let out a dry, awkward laugh.

Annie York cleaned up the bathroom and returned to the living room. ”Don’t do that again. What if you fall? If I’m not around, there won’t be anyone here to take care of you.”

Mrs. York nodded dismissively. ”Yeah, yeah. I know.”

Annie York sat on the sofa to watch TV with her. She tried to hold back, but ultimately couldn’t resist asking, ”Mom, has my brother contacted you?”

”Sigh...” Hearing this, Mrs. York let out a heavy sigh and said, ”No. I haven’t heard from your brother in a long time. I don’t even know how he’s doing nowadays.” Her face was filled with melancholy and worry, though she dared not make it too obvious in front of her daughter.

Listening to her words, Annie York felt her heart sink deeper and deeper. Mrs. York was lying to her! She had gotten in touch with Gregory York a long time ago. She had even let him come over while Annie was out!

Anger surged within Annie York, and her hands clenched into fists. Why? Why was her mother treating her like this?!

Their family had fallen into this wretched state entirely because of Gregory York! It was his gambling addiction and the massive debts he racked up that had ruined them. To help him pay off those debts, her mother had worked herself to the bone and ruined her health.

After everything that had happened, why was she still contacting that animal?!

Annie York didn’t understand. She felt heartbroken, overwhelmed by a deep, suffocating sorrow. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she said, ”Don’t contact him, and don’t even think about him. Mom, if it weren’t for him, you’d still be perfectly healthy right now.”

Mrs. York’s eyes flickered evasively as she gave a vague nod. ”Mhm, right. I know.”