4

“Mom, let's not keep anything that's cracked.” Cherry turned the photo album upside down on the table, hooked my finger, and shook it gently. My thoughts came to an abrupt halt. I smiled at her and looked away. Once something is broken, it's broken. Even if it's repaired, it doesn't change the fact that it was damaged. I packed up my things and moved them to another apartment under my name. It was a three-bedroom apartment. Cherry and I each had our own room, and I partitioned the remaining room into two walk-in closets. The space wasn't large, but it was cozy. I organized Cherry's belongings and felt a pang of sadness seeing the empty wardrobe. I was considering taking her to the mall tomorrow to buy some new clothes. “Mom, come quick! I have something to show you.” Cherry mysteriously pulled me toward the bedroom. As soon as I opened the door, I saw a large doodle of the sea. There were two small figures beside it, one big and one small. Cherry awkwardly held it up in front of me, her eyes shining brightly. “Mom, do you like the sea Cherry made?” I looked down at her, her face smudged with paint, but the light in her eyes was even more dazzling than the painting. As I looked at her, tears began to fall. “Mom, don't cry. Did Cherry draw it badly? Cherry won't draw anymore. Mom, don't cry.” Cherry fidgeted nervously, tiptoeing to wipe my tears. I suddenly laughed, hugged her close, and said softly, “Mom really likes the painting Cherry drew.” Before Cherry came into my life, all the fragments of the sea in my mind were unpleasant memories. Shortly after I was born, my parents abandoned me on the beach to fend for myself. If it weren't for the director picking me up and taking me back to the orphanage, I probably wouldn't have survived until now. Later, Bradley's mother came to the orphanage to do charity work and took a fancy to me at first sight, sponsoring me to go to university. During my senior year internship, Bradley’s father suddenly died of a heart attack, and his company was targeted maliciously, facing the risk of bankruptcy. At the same time, Bradley's childhood sweetheart moved abroad and cut off contact with him. Under the weight of these blows, Bradley fell into despair, losing all traces of his former confident self. I politely declined my mentor's offer to study abroad and rejected numerous job offers from major domestic corporations, choosing instead to join Group Scott. During those years, I stayed by his side, enduring countless sleepless nights. Later, we traveled to a coastal city on a business trip and secured a major partnership. This collaboration was significant, marking the company's official return to stability and the dawn of a new era. We were both overjoyed, drank without restraint, and then had sex. “Gina, let's get married.” After years of love and companionship, my wish had finally come true. However, Bradley had married me out of sheer desperation. After that night, I became pregnant. Old Mrs. Scott had always been pleased with me and had long wanted me to be her daughter-in-law. Under pressure from multiple parties, Bradley agreed to marry me. After marriage, we lived in harmony and enjoyed a relatively happy and fulfilling time. Until last year, when Florence suddenly returned to the country, shattering our peaceful marriage.