Chapter 3 In Your Dreams

• I roughed it out inside Mom's ward and returned the next day to the place that had been my home previously.
• Everything about the residential area was exactly as I remembered when I walked in, but it was obvious that nothing would ever be the same again.
• Mom had pooled her entire life's savings when she first learned that we were getting married to give us this house as our marital home. To set Cary's mind at ease, she had also purposefully had his name emblazoned on the property ownership certificate instead.
• In spite of that, this cad felt noting for our plight when our circumstances were most dire, and instead, he ferried his own mother Amanda over to settle into the house that my mother paid for.
• Initial raps upon the door yielded no response, so I went at it harder. That finally made Cary poke his head out.
• His reaction to me was instantaneous, and it would be a gross understatement to say that he was not pleased. “It's over between us, so what are you doing back here?”
• That got me incensed. “My mother was the one who purchased this house. Now, she's driven mad by loan sharks, and we've run out of money for her treatment. I want to put this property up for sale so that I can continue to get her the medical attention she needs!”
• “You have no say over this whatsoever because I'm the one who bought this house, and the name stated on the property ownership certificate is proof! Besides, this was acquired before we got married, so you can forget about getting anything out of it. Buzz off, and don't show your face around here again!” I stumbled from Cary's hard shove.
• “Cary Wieland, you shameless cad! This obviously was what my mother forked out her entire life savings for. What right have you to claim it all for yourself? I need to sell it to save my mother's life...”
• “That's your own problem, yeah? I couldn't care less, so go on and take it somewhere else. Also, let's go over to the City Hall to finalize our divorce tomorrow because I've simply no use for a floozy like you.” With that, the unsentimental man sent me stumbling out of the door.
• Undeterred, I went back and pounded at the door again.
• This time, it was Cary's mother who answered. With her appearance came a resounding backhand that swiped right smack across my face. “You'd fool around outside and still come demanding a piece of my boy's house? Not in your dreams!”
• “Why did you hit me? Clearly, it was my mother who bought this...”
• Before I could finish, the old hag suddenly fell onto her knees. She then grabbed onto my legs and started to howl like a banshee. “Somebody help! This shameless harlot still dared to come back here to get violent after fooling around with men outside. Ouch...”
• Four families occupied that same floor, and all of them showed up to investigate the commotion when they heard the elderly woman's wails.
• The old woman went on to step up the intensity of her performance. “This immoral woman's name is Natalie Mackenzie. She cheated on my son outside and now wants to put his home up for sale. I tried to talk her out of it amicably, only to suffer the brunt of her kicks. Woe is me...”
• “Women nowadays are simply terrible. Wanting to rob her husband of his house right after she cheated on him...”
• “I've always known that she wasn't the decent sort from that sordid look about her. Going around seducing men the way she does. Shame on her!”
• Instantly, I had devolved into a persona non grata. Seeing that staying on would accomplish nothing more than subjecting myself to more humiliation, I chose to beat a hasty retreat.
• I wandered on the streets, feeling extremely dispirited. My mind was in disarray when I settled myself down on the seat at a bus stop, clueless as to how to move forward. Mom and I are both going to end up in the streets if I can't make the payment today. What should I do now?
• I pulled out my phone in preparation to call on every single friend and family member in my contact list in the hope that I would be able to at least get something from them. Five or six inquiries later, none were willing to loosen their purses, and some even hung up on me.
• Though exasperated, I could only keep at it. As I went down the list, I discovered that I actually had Julien's number on my phone. My guess was that he must have keyed it in after he picked my phone up at the hotel.
• Since it was there, I thought that I might as well give that a shot. In the end, it was his assistant who picked up and informed me that he was in the middle of a meeting. I was asked whether I wanted to leave a message, but I chose not to and hung up instead.
• Following that, I resumed from where I left off and harbored no further hope whatsoever on Julien.
• After I had called everyone I knew, there was still no one willing to lend a hand, but in my hour of despair, my phone rang. The caller was actually Julien.
• Apprehensive as I was, I nevertheless answered. “Hello?”
• It was Julien's voice. “I knew that you'd come hit me up. Six in the evening. Our regular place.”
• “Actually, it isn't what you think. I'm looking for you because...” I started to babble incoherently before the tone from the other end went flat.
• He had just hung up on me.
• A moment's deliberation later, I finally decided to go to him. As he was wealthy enough, I hoped to be able to borrow some money from him to take care of Mom's medical expenses first.