Behind My Mother’s Second Marriage: I Decided to Avenge Her!

　　When my mom, fifty years old, remarried, I prepared a house and 30 thousand dollars in cash as a gift.

　　Not long after the wedding, I received a late-night message from her:

　　"Reina, are you asleep?"

　　I was working late on a project.

　　Since Mom usually went to bed early, I wondered if something was wrong.

　　Just as I was about to reply, she retracted the message.

　　Fearing she might be hiding something, I decided to take leave from work, bought a plane ticket, and flew back home.

　　As soon as I arrived, I spotted a familiar figure at the entrance of the neighborhood.

　　She was bent over, rummaging through a trash bin.

　　"Mom?"

　　I called out in surprise.

　　She looked up, momentarily stunned.

　　"Reina, what are you doing here?"

　　I dropped my suitcase and ran to her, pulling her into a tight hug.

　　"I missed you."

　　Mom looked thinner than before.

　　As she straightened up, I saw her trying to discreetly wipe away tears.

　　Looking down at the pile of drink bottles at her feet, I was puzzled.

　　"Mom, why were you collecting plastic bottles? If you needed money, you should have told me."

　　I sent her 1,000 dollars every month, and with her retirement pension, she should have had at least 2,000 dollars. How could someone who was always so neat end up collecting bottles?

　　Seeing my concern, Mom quickly reassured me.

　　"I wasn’t short on money, Reina. Don’t worry. I just needed something to do to keep myself occupied."

　　Seeing my expression soften, Mom finally let out a sigh of relief.

　　"You must have been hungry. Come on, Mom will make your favorite braised pork ribs."

　　I linked my arm with Mom’s and smiled, though my confusion only grew.

　　As we dragged my suitcase through the door, I noticed the house had changed.

　　The last time I was here, it had been immaculate. Now, it was in disarray.

　　Clothes and toys were scattered across the floor and the couch.

　　Mom began picking up the mess while gesturing for me to sit down.

　　I glanced at the haphazard doodles on the walls and frowned.

　　“Mom, why are there children’s drawings on the walls?”

　　Mom handed me a plate of freshly washed cherries and explained.

　　“That’s from Cody’s little son. Since it’s summer vacation, he’s been staying with us for a few days. Cody’s sister is here too…”

　　Cody Dalton was my stepfather.

　　She seemed uneasy, her anxious fingers betraying her concern.

　　Whenever Mom was upset or felt wronged, she would twist her fingers, a habit I had noticed since childhood.

　　She handed me the remote and a plate of fruit.

　　“Reina, just relax and eat the fruit while you watch some TV. I’ll whip up your favorite braised pork ribs.”

　　Watching her move around, I smiled and nodded, but a sense of unease lingered.

　　Something felt off, but I couldn’t quite pinpoint it.

　　After a long day of travel, I went to my room to freshen up.

　　When Mom first talked about remarrying, I’d used my savings to give her 30 thousand dollars and helped her move from a cramped two-bedroom house to a spacious three-bedroom place.

　　I wanted to make sure I’d have a comfortable spot to stay whenever I visited.

　　Thinking about this, I grabbed my suitcase and went to the master bedroom.

　　I had always loved the floor-to-ceiling windows and the natural light, so Mom had reserved this room for me.

　　But when I opened the door, I was shocked.

　　The clean, minimalist room I remembered had turned into a total mess.

　　The bed was now covered with an old, floral-patterned quilt, and the pillows were stained, giving off a foul odor.

　　The white princess bed I’d picked out was scratched and worn.

　　The nightstand was cluttered with snack wrappers, used socks, and undergarments.

　　The master bedroom had its bathroom, which I had equipped with a high-tech toilet. The last time I visited, it was pristine, but now it was stained and emitted a repugnant smell.

　　Seeing my once-favorite room in such a state made me furious.

　　But then I reminded myself that Mom was probably just trying to accommodate Cody’s son during the summer break.

　　I couldn’t let her feel bad about this.

　　However, Mom said the boy was only visiting for the summer, but judging by the condition of the bathroom, it didn’t seem like he had just arrived.

　　I closed the door to the master bedroom and turned to the second bedroom. It had good natural light as well, so I hoped Mom had moved my things here.

　　But when I opened the door, I was shocked again.

　　The furniture was in disrepair. The ceiling light was cracked, the doorknob was broken, and the closet door was hanging off its hinges.

　　The room was cluttered with piles of cardboard boxes and plastic bottles, resembling a small recycling depot rather than a bedroom.

　　Seeing me standing there in disbelief, Mom, who was busy preparing the ribs, quickly explained.

　　“Reina, Cody’s son and sister are only here temporarily. Once summer’s over, they’ll leave, and I’ll get your things back in here.”

　　“I just haven’t had a chance to clean up since you came home so suddenly…”

　　I managed a reassuring smile, trying to stay positive.

　　“It’s okay, Mom. I’m fine sleeping in the study.”

　　I grabbed my suitcase and headed toward the study, but Mom hesitated and tried to reach out to me. I had already pushed open the door to the study.

　　Among the three rooms, the study was the smallest, with just a tiny sofa bed and no wardrobe.

　　As soon as I opened the door, I noticed the crude crayon drawing on the bedside table.

　　It was a Mother’s Day gift I’d made for Mom back in preschool.

　　The rest of the room was familiar too. It was filled with Mom’s belongings.

　　I pointed at the single pillow on the bed, struggling to believe it.

　　“Mom, is this your room? You and Cody are sleeping in separate rooms?”

　　Mom started twisting her fingers nervously.

　　“Cody thinks the bed is too small for two people, so we’re in separate rooms. This room is fine for me. It’s enough for one person…”

　　“Enough about me. How’s work going for you lately?”

　　Watching Mom put on a brave face, I felt a pang of sadness.

　　No wonder she had retracted the message she sent in the early hours.

　　She must have been struggling, unable to sleep, and wanted to reach out but didn’t want to disturb me.

　　I couldn’t ask her directly what was wrong, because, with Mom’s reserved nature, she’d likely avoid revealing the full truth.

　　I’d have to figure things out on my own.