Fleeing the Nightmarish Father novel Chapter 8

The hospital, trying to minimize the fallout, stopped scheduling him for consultations.

Before long, more of Dad's patients came forward, claiming he borrowed money and never paid it back.

It turned out that to cover for his new wife, Dad had borrowed large sums from everyone around him.

He even borrowed from his patients, and they weren't going to let it slide.

The scandal snowballed, and soon enough, he was fired.

At his age, Dad was supposed to be promoted to the position of hospital director, but with this scandal, he lost both his reputation and his income.

After that, my sister never brought up Dad again.

I didn't know if it was because she was utterly disappointed, or if it was something else.

When she was discharged from the hospital, and the baby celebrated its 100th day, Dad sent over a bank card and a set of keys.

My sister and I both recognized them.

The keys were from the house Mom had left behind.

I didn't know if it was my stepmom who had returned the money to him.

Later, we found out that indeed, my stepmom had returned the money.

Her online lover, who truly cared about her, was afraid she'd end up in jail, so he gave the money back.

They'd even made an agreement.

She'd divorce Dad first, and after he was released, they'd marry.

I figured Dad must have been furious when he found out.

But his reaction surprised me. He refused to divorce her.

Lila said it was because he wanted to torture each other until they were old.

I couldn't help but laugh at that.

Eventually, Dad came around to visit me and my sister a few more times.

He kept trying to reconcile, wanting to see his grandchild.

He was growing older, and the need for family became more desperate.

My sister was determined not to make up with him, and she kept saying harsh things over and over.

Occasionally, I video call my sister and see how much her baby has grown. Seeing her happy, I feel grateful for everything I've done.

I think i if she were me, she would make the same choice.

Three years later, I return to my country with an all-A transcript and a recommendation letter from the university president.

Bloomington Brothers Art Gallery had already reached out to me, reserving a curatorial position for me.

After six months, the "Post-Life Art Biennale" I curated was featured in Artforum, achieving great success.

Just when my life seemed at its best, I met Jared Raz.

We dated for two years, and everything went smoothly.

So smoothly that when Jared told me he had fallen in love with another woman, I found it unbelievable.

But today, here I am, sitting at his wedding, watching him kiss another woman.

As I'm still in a daze, a man's figure appears behind me.

"How easy is it to break the heart of someone who loves you?"

He spoke the words I had been feeling.