I recognized that pair of women's high heels, they were Sherry's. I had picked them out for her back then. I unlocked the door and the lights were on inside. There were sounds coming from the bathroom.
I followed the noise and the scene before me left me stunned. Colin was standing there, his back completely bare, while Sherry was scrubbing his back.
"Bend forward a bit." she said. Sherry's clothes were soaked in the front. She smiled softly, speaking to Colin in a gentle voice. "Your back is so broad ..."
Colin chuckled, deliberately flicking his head and splashing water onto Sherry. Sherry laughed playfully and gave him a light punch and the two of them started to play around.
In the ten years I had been married to Sherry, she had always been distant with me. She was never angry, but she didn't smile much either. Even with Tania, she was never this gentle.
Thinking of my daughter, Tania, my anger began to rise and my hand clenched into a fist by my side.
I took a step forward, passed Sherry and grabbed Colin's hair, landing a punch right in his face. They both screamed.
When Sherry turned and saw it was me, she went wild and rushed over to pull me away, hitting me in a frenzy while yelled at me, "Hector, let go! Are you done yet? Who told you to follow me here?"
I ignored her yelling. In my mind, I could only see the broken little body of Tania. Punch after punch, I vented all the grief and rage in my heart.
Sherry saw that I wasn't treating her words like the gospel this time and joined Colin in hitting me. She bit down hard on my hand and I could feel her teeth grinding against my bones. Blood gushed from my hand, but I didn't let go.
Colin howled in pain. "Sherry, help me!"
Sherry grabbed a decorative vase from the bathroom and smashed it hard against my head. The world spun and I finally collapsed to the ground.
She screamed, "Hector, that's enough! Stop acting like a mad dog biting everyone!"
Warm blood trickled from my forehead, running down my cheek and forming a crimson haze before my eyes.
Sherry glanced at me, her expression filled with disgust. Then she turned to Colin, her face full of concern as she tenderly held his hand and examined him from head to toe and said, "Colin, are you hurt? Does it hurt anywhere?"
In all the years we had been together, Sherry had never asked me if I was tired or in pain. Even when I had a high fever of almost forty degrees, she was indifferent. Back then, she said, "It's just an illness, nothing serious."
She wasn't incapable of tenderness or caring for others, she just reserved all her kindness and concern for Colin.
I thought of Tania's pitiful eyes, always longing for her mother's love and the fury in my chest refused to be suppressed. I finally roared, "Get out! You pair of scum, get out of my house!"
Colin, regaining his composure, stepped forward and tried to pat my shoulder, but I glared at him and he withdrew his hand, awkwardly folding them in front of him.
He said, "Mr. Andersen, calm down. This is all a misunderstanding! I just came back from overseas and wasn't used to life here yet, so I asked Sherry for some help."
"We're just friends. Isn't it a bit inappropriate for you to say such things about Sherry?" He tilted his head slightly, his expression innocent and resentful, as if I were the one insulting them.
I replied coldly, "Get out! Say one more word and I'll call the police for trespassing!"
Sherry frowned, clearly displeased and said, "Hector, can you stop being so petty and narrow-minded? He just came back to the country and doesn't have many friends. He's lonely. If I don't help him, who will?"
I laughed coldly at the shameless pair standing in front of me, "Oh, help? Help him in the bathroom, is that it? He's such a big man and he's lonely? What about Tania? She's just a little girl. Was she not lonely? Sherry, I want a divorce. Sign the divorce papers right now!"
In all these years of marriage, I had always treated Sherry like a treasure, never raising my voice, let alone mentioning divorce.
Seeing that I wasn't backing down, Sherry hesitated and tugged at my sleeve and said, "Is this really all about not spending Children's Day with Tania? Do you have to be this angry?"
I looked at her coldly. If looks could kill, she would have been torn to pieces a thousand times over.
I said angrily, "How do you still have the nerve to mention Tania? She was so little and she needed her mom and dad. And you? You left her behind to be with this big brute. Without you, would he have starved to death?"
I continued, "Poor Tania, dying so tragically. Don't you fear that in the dead of night, she'll come back to haunt you and ask why her mother abandoned her?"
Sherry's pupils shrank and for a moment, panic flashed across her face. "Hector, what are you implying?" she asked. "Isn't this just a ploy to make me come back to you? Do you really need to make up such absurd lies? If Tania knew how you were made up such a story, she wouldn't want such a cruel father."
You can never wake someone who pretends to sleep. If she had even the slightest bit of maternal responsibility, she would have come back home after so many days to check on our daughter, who had been left alone. But she hadn't. All of her attention was focused on Colin.
I didn't want to argue with her anymore. I stepped past her, walked to the door and pulled out the divorce papers from my bag and said, "Sign it. Once you do, you can 'play' with him wherever you want."
Sherry glanced at the divorce papers and her expression changed slightly. She softened her tone, speaking to me patiently, "Alright, alright. I'll buy Tania a Barbie doll set later. She'll love it! Don't be so rude to me about this, okay?"
Sherry had always been so high and mighty, never speaking to me in such a softly manner. If Tania were still alive, maybe I would have considered giving her a chance. But Tania was gone, she was never to return.
She had been so sweet, always longing for Sherry's approval. Even the card from one of Sherry's discarded makeup sets was a treasure to Tania, something she cherished as a 'gift' from her mother.
I retorted, "No! Just sign the papers and be quick about it." This house was tainted. I needed to take Tania somewhere clean.
I turned and left the bathroom, heading to pack our things, mine and Tania's. But when I pushed open the door to Tania's bedroom, the sight stopped me dead in my tracks.
Tania had loved dolls, loved her toys, loved her beautiful Elsa princesses. When she passed, she was all alone. I was afraid she'd be lonely, so I didn't bury her in the cold, sterile cemetery.
Just like when she was alive, I moved all her dolls and toys into this room. In the middle of them, nestled together, was a crystal box that held her ashes. It made me feel like she was still alive, like I could still be with her every day.
But now the room was empty. All of her dolls and toys were gone, replaced by a black-and-gray punk style. And the crystal box with her ashes, nowhere to be seen.
I rushed forward like a madman, grabbing Sherry and screaming at her. My body trembled uncontrollably with anger and fear.
I screamed at her, "Who touched that room? Where are her dolls? Where's the crystal box that was on the bed? Where did you put it?"