The Returning Ex

Ever since she was young, her mother had begun telling her that she had to be responsible for Keith’s life, including paying for
his tuition fees, his house, his car, and even for his wedding. Therefore, she knew early on what it meant to carry the
responsibilities of a parent. Her mother’s indifferent attitude toward her left her feeling defeated. For as long as she could
remember, her mother never cared for her, as all conversations between them would eventually lead to money.
While in university, she was told to save up. After she got a job, she was still told to save up so she could send the rest of the
money home. Eventually, it got to the point where she didn’t even need to ask to know why her mother called her.
It would be a lie to say that she wasn’t angry at all, or else she wouldn’t be as impatient and resentful whenever her mother
called. However, she knew she had to hand the money over no matter how angry she was. Therefore, in her dream, she handed
the two hundred thousand over without feeling sorry at all. She knew she wouldn’t be able to keep it anyway.
Also, she dreamed that her mother asked her about her relationship with Ian. Her mother liked to nag, so Cindy was afraid that
she might be chased out of the house if she told her mother the truth, so she lied. She told her mother that Ian was his real
boyfriend, and they shared an intimate relationship with each other. Although she was unsure if her mother was happy about it,
Cindy felt uneasy after telling her that.
The muddled dream lasted till morning when her alarm rang, after which she got up. She washed up before making breakfast,
whereas Ian came out of his room when breakfast was almost ready. Perhaps what happened the previous morning scared Ian,
so he was fully dressed when he came out. Casting him a glance, she said, “Breakfast will soon be ready.”
He let out a grunt before dashing into the bathroom, which gave Cindy the impression that he was fleeing from her. In the
meantime, she made some pancakes, congee, as well as a few other dishes. She got everything onto the table just in time to
see Ian coming out from the bathroom all freshened up.
Examining the food on the table, he suggested, “It’s a hassle to cook everyday. We can always eat out if you don’t have time to
cook.”
However, Cindy only gave him a smile. “It’s alright. It doesn’t take that long.” More importantly, Cindy liked eating her own
cooking.
After laying eyes on the food on the table, Ian said, “If you’re going to cook everyday, I will pay you for that. Currently, you are
only paid for working as my assistant, but if you’re going to handle our meals as well as doing chores, you should be paid for
doing them.”

As soon as she heard she would be paid, Cindy’s eyes lit up, and she agreed to his suggestion almost immediately. “Sure!”
Relief washed over Ian, as he knew monetary compensation could make things a lot easier. The feelings that left him feeling
constricted ever since the previous night dissipated as soon as she agreed to their new arrangement. Sitting down by the table,
Ian filled up his plate. Now that he knew for sure that he earned everything using his own wealth, he no longer felt uneasy about
it.
Immediately after their meal, Ian transferred the money to Cindy, who was elated upon witnessing that she had more money in
her bank account now. Money sure provides people with a sense of security, she thought to herself.
They weren’t in a hurry that morning as the shooting session wouldn’t begin until later, so they waited for a while in the house
before the driver arrived. When the driver arrived, he gave them a call to inform them that they were surrounded by paparazzis.
However, Ian and Cindy no longer feared being exposed to their scrutiny, as they now knew for certain that there was nothing
between them. In order to further solidify their newfound relationship, they were in fact happy that the paparazzis would tail them.
While on their way down, they assumed that the paparazzis would be waiting outside of the community area, only to realize that
they had already gained access into it through unknown means. As soon as they stepped out of the house, they could hear the
shutters of the cameras. Although there weren’t a lot of shots taken, it was apparent that the paparazzis had captured something
worthwhile.