3
At his words, the wife panicked.
"Vivian, your father just holds to the old ways too strongly."
"Please don't blame him. I'll keep an eye on him, I won't let him make another scene."
"Let Rachel's uncle be your father. It's nothing to us."
Vivian sneered.
"He can stay, if he apologizes to Rachel."
"And puts on the corsage."
Something closed off in my chest and choked it dead.
The wife looked at Vivian, pleading.
"He's still your father, whatever else. If you do this, how will he ever hold his head up again…"
"Not my problem. He doesn't apologize, then you both leave!"
The wife froze on the spot.
"Vivian…"
"Apologize or leave!"
The wife had poured half her life into Vivian. If she couldn't even be at his wedding, it would be no different from taking her life.
I steadied her and clenched my teeth.
"Fine. I'll apologize."
"I shouldn't have raised my hand just now. I apologize to Rachel Henson."
"The corsage. I'll put it on."
Vivian's face was cold.
I bent down and picked it up.
Pinned it to my chest.
As if the pillory itself were bearing down on me.
But all I could do was swallow my broken teeth and take it.
Seeing that, Vivian let out a sneer.
"See, that wasn't hard."
Rachel was all smiles.
"Uncle, I know what you said just now was only anger talking."
"Don't worry, once the wedding's over I'll have them keep the janitor's position open for you."
Then the two of them turned and walked off.
Before long, the wedding began.
Soon it reached the part where the parents came up on stage.
Vivian, arm in arm with Rachel, changed his address for her parents.
Thomas Henson produced a bank card.
"Everyone, today is my son's wedding day. To welcome little Rachel into our family, I've prepared five hundred thousand as her dowry."
With that, he handed the bank card to Vivian.
The crowd broke into applause.
Then they looked toward the man who bore some resemblance to Thomas Henson.
Vivian dropped to his knees before him without hesitation.
"Father, you've worked so hard for me! From now on I'll take good care of you!"
The man's eyes went red.
He too produced a bank card.
The host caught Thomas Henson's cue and spoke out clearly.
"You may not all know this, but the groom was in fact adopted by the groom's father. For his sake, the father never married. Today the groom's father has also prepared a bridal gift for the groom, five hundred thousand as well!"
I gave a cold laugh.
Given separately too, so both sides kept their face.
Those who didn't know cheered again.
"The groom's father is truly a great man!"
"To have a father like that is the groom's blessing!"
At the very back, the wife was already sobbing beyond words.
Her hand shook in mine as she fought to press the hurt back down.
"Dear, our son is married. I should be happy, shouldn't I?"
It ached in me to see her.
She had worn herself out for half a lifetime for Vivian.
In her dreams she wanted nothing more than to see her son settled and standing on his own, to hear him say in front of everyone, "Mom, you've worked so hard."
But now that moment was happening for someone else.
My fists clenched until they cracked.
As the wedding ended, a few performers came in through the hotel doors.
As if on purpose, the moment they entered they fixed their eyes on me and the wife.
"Hello, you two. Could you help hold up the family portrait? It'll really complete the picture."
On the huge photograph.
Vivian, Rachel, Thomas Henson and his wife, and her uncle, all together in one shot.
The wife stared at Vivian in the photo, lost somewhere far off.
I wanted to refuse.
She shook her head, murmuring to herself.
"Today is our son's wedding. Let's not ruin her fun."
Seeing her lost like that, I couldn't bring myself to refuse.
We held up another family's portrait, our daughter someone else's daughter, and stood at the very front in our shame.
Then someone pointed at the corsages on our chests and called out.
"Look at the corsages they're wearing!"
