Chapter 2

The moment my knees hit the tile floor, Lucas rushed over.

"Mom!"

He pulled me up in one swift motion, anger compressed in his voice.

"What are you doing?"

I kept my head down, staring at my reddening knees, my head buzzing.

My mom looked at Lucas, then at me, and spoke with heavy sincerity.

"I wanted to teach you a lesson last time. A woman not cooking, making a man do it—what does that look like?"

Lucas positioned me behind him, his brow knitted tight.

"Mom, what era are we living in? Who still cares about this stuff? Aria and I are husband and wife. What does it matter who cooks?"

"It matters."

My mom walked around him and stood in front of me, looking down at me from above.

"Aria, you listen to me. Men work hard outside earning money to support the family.

When they come home, they should be comfortable.

You make Lucas cook and wash dishes—what will people think of you?

What will they think of our family?"

I lifted my head and looked at her.

"Mom."

I stood up, my legs still a bit weak.

"Lucas likes doing it. He's happy to cook, and I'm happy to eat.

Our household is our business."

My mom's expression darkened.

She stopped looking at me and turned to Lucas instead.

"Lucas, you're a good kid, I know that.

But you can't spoil her like this. You can't spoil a woman.

Spoil her and she'll walk all over you."

Lucas froze for a moment, like he didn't understand.

"What are you saying?"

"I'm saying."

My mom spoke each word deliberately.

"Women need to be managed. If she doesn't listen, you need to show her who's boss.

Your father—at first he couldn't bear to raise his hand either.

Later he understood: spare the rod, spoil the child."

My head exploded with a thunderous boom.

"Mom!"

I was practically shouting.

"What are you saying?!"

My mom turned to look at me, something unfamiliar in her eyes.

Like disappointment, yet also like certainty.

"Aria, you think I'm trying to make things hard for you?"

She sighed and reached out to touch my face.

I turned my head away. Her hand hung in midair, then withdrew.

"I've been through this, I know how to live.

Men need to act like men, women need to act like women.

You're young now, you don't understand. In a few years you'll know..."

"I don't want to know."

I interrupted her.

"Mom, how you and Dad live—that's your business.

How Lucas and I live—that's our business."

My mom looked at me for a long time.

Then she raised her hand and slapped me across the face.

"What kind of attitude is this?"

Her voice remained calm.

"Talking back to your mother? This is the manners you learned after getting married?"

Lucas stepped in front of me in one stride, blocking me behind him.

"Mom, you've gone too far."

My mom looked at him and actually smiled.

"Lucas, I'm helping you. If you don't control her today, tomorrow she'll be walking all over you."

Lucas's face flushed red, his chest heaving violently. I could feel his hand holding mine trembling.

"Mom."

He took a deep breath, trying to keep his voice steady.

"Our household doesn't have those kinds of rules. I won't hit Aria, and I won't let anyone else hit her."

My mom's expression finally changed.

She looked at Lucas, then at me behind him. Her lips moved like she wanted to say something.

In the end, she said nothing. She turned and went into the guest room, slamming the door shut with a bang.

The guest room door opened.

My mom came out, fully dressed, carrying that canvas bag she'd used for over a decade.

"I'm going home."

She stood in the middle of the living room, not looking at me or Lucas.

"You two live your lives. I won't interfere."

Lucas stood up.

"Mom, it's so late..."

"Don't worry about me."

She cut him off, finally turning her gaze to me.

"Aria, I hit you today for your own good. You don't appreciate it.

When you suffer later, don't come crying to me."

I stood up, meeting her gaze.

"Mom, I won't think you hitting me means you're doing it for my own good.

And I won't think you're right just because you say it's for my own good."

My mom looked at me, her expression complex.

Anger, disappointment, and something else I couldn't read.

After a long moment, she picked up her bag and walked to the door.

Then she pulled it open and walked out.

I stood there, tears finally falling.

Lucas came over and pulled me into his arms.

"It's okay now."

He gently patted my back.

"It's okay now."

I buried my face in his chest and said in a muffled voice:

"Lucas, I'll never become like her."

He held me tighter.

"I know."

Before bed, I received a SnapChat message from my mom.

Very long. I read it for a long time.

The last paragraph said:

"You think I wanted to hit you?

You think I want to be the villain?

This is how I lived my whole life.

Your grandmother taught me this way too.

If a woman doesn't bow her head, life becomes impossible.

You don't understand now, but you will later."

I stayed silent for a while, then replied.

"Mom, I don't want to understand."