Chapter 8 chapter eight

Ellie wakes up in this heavenly fragrance, and for a moment she doesn't know where she is. Grabbing the clothes off the back of the chair, she left the bedroom and entered the bathroom.After a swipe of make-up, she changed into black slacks and a big, shading jumper.With every pound she gained, her clothes got bigger.She knew it was just a way of deceiving herself, but she hoped that if she covered her whole body, people wouldn't see how fat she had become. The kitchen is bright and clean, with a pretty green and yellow doilies on the dining table and muffins and fresh strawberries stacked on a plate in the middle.Lacey was by the stove, wearing a bright yellow apron with cherries on it.

Ellie glanced at the table, then at Lacey. "Will you marry me?" she asked, eyes widening. "I've already begged her before you." Mei Hagi said, walking into the kitchen at the same time.She was outside the house just now, probably smoking. Lacey smiled slightly, and placed a plate of blueberry muffins in front of Ellie. "I can't describe the joy of cooking for someone who loves food," she said. As soon as Mei Hagi sat down at the table opposite Ellie, Lacey immediately put down a bowl of strawberries and topped with fresh cream in front of her. Ellie groaned.

Umehagi smiled mischievously, picked up a plump strawberry, and licked off the cream on it. "I hope you get fat," Ellie mumbled, attacking her muffins. "Why did you gain weight again?" Mei Hagi asked while eating strawberries. "Maycho! You're real," Lacey said. "That's really rude to say." She sounded like she was addressing her teenage daughter. Mei Hagi was unmoved. "Last night I told you the story of why I got ugly, now it's her turn to tell why she got fat." Umegi's straightforwardness made Ellie blink a few times, but she continued to smile.To be honest, May Hagi's question is actually easier to answer than other women's less than tactful allusions to salads, gyms, and personal trainers.

"I was defeated by the justice system, I was wronged, and I was depressed because of it," Allie said, as she couldn't stop eating. "Now I'm a social outcast, a passer-by. I haven't written a single word in three years, and I can't even hear the stories in my head." "You listened to my story last night with great interest." Mei Hagi said. "I've been trying to write, but..." Ellie looked up.Lacey was washing glasses at the sink with her back to them, but she too was listening attentively. "I don't understand either... I think my heart is gone, and I can't seem to find my confidence anymore."

Lacey turned back and set down a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice in front of Ellie. "I thought you were going to be a painter." Ellie chuckled. "It was so long ago that I can't seem to remember. I met a man—" Hearing this, Lacey and Meigi sighed at the same time. "Why do all women's stories start with 'I met a man'?" Lacey asked.She finally puts a plate of muffins between Ellie and Maygi before sitting down to eat. Ellie smiled. "He's a musician, twice as talented as I am, and I knew right from the start that I'd hit a genius," she said simply.

"I see," Meigi said. "So you gave up your artistic career to help him, and he never achieved anything with his talents. Instead, you found yourself having to earn a living, clean up, cook for him—" Ellie smiled and covered her cheeks with her hands in a protective gesture. "Okay, I'll admit my life was like a country western song. But he was brilliant then." "He's very good at finding people to admire him." Meigi said, looking directly into Ellie's eyes. Ellie wanted to protest that she wasn't as stupid as Mayggio suggested, but she couldn't find an excuse. "How do you know so well?"

“A female colleague of mine had the same experience. She was married to a very talented contemporary sculptor who would one day make it big. But he needed her 'a little help' before he could make it. Now she has three a child, and he hasn't worked for four years. She once said that a man of his brilliance shouldn't have an ordinary job." "That's right," Ellie said, pushing away the half-eaten muffin. "That's my story. I think about it more than a thousand times over the years, and I still don't know how it came to be, but it did. I was planning my own business in New York a quarter of a minute ago, The next minute I'm living with a guy, taking any job I can, and just wanting to make money so he can make it in the music business."

"Love," Lacey sighed, taking the plate to the sink. "That's the problem," Ellie responded quickly. "I'm not sure I ever loved this guy, I'm not sure—" She looked up at Mayhagi. "Do you sound stupid if I say I'm not sure I really have a choice?" "All I want to know is how you got to be a writer," Lacey said, deftly steering the conversation in a happier direction. "I use writing to relieve pain," Allie said. "At least that's what my therapist Jenny said. By the way, this house is hers. She helped me see—" Ellie paused, taking a deep breath. "Are you really going to finish the following?"

"You can't miss a word, and you have to follow the order." Mei Hagi said with a smile. For a moment Ellie looked at the window in front of the sink.No, she's not ready to tell anyone the "whole" story.Not yet.She looked back at the other two women.But, living in this house with these two women who were once strangers but also longtime friends, she knew she didn't need to make excuses, she didn't need to apologize. "Anyway," Ellie said. "Martin, that's my ex-husband's name, Jim Martin, is a talented musician. He is good at the guitar, and the tunes he plays can make the listener cry or laugh." Ellie's head lifted up. "Anyway, I thought I was the one who found his voice for the world to hear, and then, when he took the world by storm—"

"You just came back to take care of your own business," Lacey said. "A man always promises a woman 'it will be her turn later.'" "That's right," Ellie grimaced. "When he asked me to leave New York and move to a small town outside of Los Angeles, I immediately agreed. Martin said he only had a chance of becoming famous in Los Angeles, so I—" Ellie breathed out. "I sold the painting equipment and all the works and flew to Los Angeles with him." "Things were going well at first. He got a great job with some great bands and everyone was so excited. I was working as a receptionist at a used car company and it was pretty dull. But at night Martin came alive Tell me exactly who he met and what music he made that day."

Ellie looked at her hands. "But gradually, things went wrong. He quit one job after another, and with each one he seemed to withdraw more and more. At first his jobs were billed fairly well, but as As time went on, he seemed to think that making money wasn't his thing. He said life didn't give him anything, so he didn't feel like he had anything to give back." Ellie looked at the other two women with a smile. "So I decided to help him. I decided to help him succeed. I started approaching big shots in LA for him, and I gotta say I had no dignity at all. I cried and begged and made up some ridiculous stories just to ask Got them to agree to listen to Martin's music, either on tape or in person. But—" Ellie spread her hands in frustration. "He won't take the chance I've got for him," she said, clenching her hands involuntarily.Lacey handed her a cup of tea, and for a moment Ellie just drank it to calm her down. Ellie put down her teacup. "I've learned that being talented doesn't make people successful. You can write a great software program, but it's useless unless you can sell it. That was the case with my ex-husband. I think He may not be able to stand the competitive pressure and criticism that comes with being famous, so he destroys all opportunities that might lead to that. I get him a music DJ who will listen to his tapes, or give him The band person when the opportunity started. At first Martin would be so excited about the opportunity, he’d have passionate sex with me the night before, tell me how much he appreciated me, what a wonderful wife I was, and so on.” "Let me guess," Meigi said. "Then he'd miss appointments and not show up at all." "Exactly!" Ellie replied. "And he always had a bunch of reasons. The reason he didn't take that opportunity was because he was helping someone out." "So you can't be mad at him," Lacey said. "You can't be angry with such a kind-hearted man." "And how long did it take you to give up the idea of ​​living for him and discover your own talent instead?" Mei Hagi then asked, drinking her strong black coffee. "Actually, I don't think it was my choice," Ellie said. "I think it just came about by accident. It wasn't planned; Martin was out visiting his friends..." Ellie paused for a moment. "Woman?" Mei Hagi asked. "I know you're going to think I'm an idiot, but it never occurred to me at the time that he was out on a number of occasions to help an old friend... in fact, on dates with different mistresses of his." "So you're all alone in the family," Lacey said, encouraging her to go on. "Did you start drawing again then?" , "No." Ellie raised her head. "My psychiatrist, Jenny, thinks that the reason I stop painting is not because someone is more talented, but because I am very unhappy and I keep suppressing it. Whether Martin is at home or away, I have no real life. .When he was at home, we lived...how shall I put it?" She looked at Meihagi. "You said your married life was hell and mine was... I guess you could call it miserable. We were miserable because Martin was so talented and no one would give him a chance .” "Does this sentence include those whom he failed to make appointments with?" Meigi asked. "Oh, of course," Ellie smiled. "Especially them." "So you started writing when you were alone in the house," Lacey said. “It was kind of like that. I started writing stories that came to my mind while Martin wasn’t around,” Ellie said. "I virtualized a complete set of characters, the man's name is Mike, and—" "And you're the Nijoda of the book," Lacey said. "I've read every one of your books." "So these writings are your fantasies about married life," Meigi said. "I guess so," Ellie said. "I didn't think about it that much when I wrote the story, I just wanted to pass the evenings in ways other than watching TV. And the weekends. Those were the hardest times." Lacey put down a large bowl of strawberries in front of Mei Hagi, next to a large plate of muffins. "What does your husband think of your writing?" Lacey asked. "I didn't say a word to him at first," Ellie said. "You have to understand that there is nothing in our lives but Martin's misery. We live by his pain. Our 'talk' - if that can be called a talk - is about this What a mess the world is because it just doesn't give a man of his brilliance any chance of success. I can't tell him I'm happily writing humorous suspense while he's suffering like this." "And during this period, you still have to earn money to support the two of you?" Lacey's sharp tone made the other two women look at her in surprise. "Sorry. It's just that I always thought that women gave in to men because he was making money to support their families." "Looks like you'd handle Martin better than me," Ellie said. "Then again, according to him, he did pay for this 'home.' Occasionally he'd get a job with a band and fly somewhere I'd never even heard of, for months at a time. The only The problem is that he spends all the money he earns on electronics. Martin says that everything he buys is an investment for the future." "I can't take it anymore!" Meigi said. "What's wrong with our women? We met this kind of guy? I told you about Ajie last night, and now this guy..." Her words faded away, as if she couldn't think of any bad words to describe Ji Martin. Ellie shrugged. "Once you're out of a nasty situation, you can never make people understand why you put up with it for so long. I don't understand it myself. When I was in it, I never questioned it. It just went by." "But you know that's not a good life, so you make up another life for yourself," Lacey said. Allie smiled sweetly at her. "Exactly! That's what I did, but I didn't understand the meaning of it at the time. I just liked to write the stories in my mind." For a while, both Mei Hagi and Lacey fell silent.Although Maycho hasn't read Ellie's book, she still knows that the number of people fascinated by Nijoda's romantic mysteries is increasing day by day. Now, after hearing what Ellie's husband was like, Umegi couldn't imagine how he would react to his wife's success. "What a wonderful story," Lacey said. Mei Hagi frowned and started smoking again. "So, what does he think of your success?" "Looks like you're suffering," Ellie said, throwing her arms out. "He said he was happy that one of us was 'rewarded'. I can't describe how much he made me feel guilty. The only conversation between us for a few years was how he was going to be famous all over the world, how he was going to reach the top, no idea But I was the one who made it. He made me feel bad, very, very bad. I couldn’t enjoy my success because I felt like it was at his expense.” She took a deep breath to calm herself down. "So I did everything I could to make him feel that my achievements belonged to him. I dedicated every book to him. Every time I did an interview, I said he inspired me. Of course I also gave He manages every cent of the money. But he doesn't want to 'manage' the money. I still have to negotiate all the contracts and decide which investments to make. I set up the company and I have to handle everything myself. Martin The only thing he does is spend money. But we tacitly pretend he is the 'manager' of the company when facing the outside world. I don't really think about it, but I think I hope this way, he will believe that he is in control of the home The money, so I believe that it is the wealth we created together..." She looked down at her hand, and her voice paused. "But that's the kind of man you can't do anything to please," Meigi said. "You can never do enough. Any achievement of mine is a threat to Applejack. When he filed for divorce—several people, including Dr. Ou—testified that he would never walk again without my care, But Ajie said that if I hadn't dragged him down, he would have left earlier." "Yeah," Ellie said, looking up. "The more successful I was, the more Martin attacked me. And he hit me where I was. He said I kept him from being a master of music, and that if he hadn't left New York because of me, he would have gotten ahead. On the contrary. , he gave up his success for me, but I forced him to give up his only dream. I tried to talk to him for a few days, but no matter what I said, Martin's perception was always different. He thought I would He gave up painting because I couldn't draw well, and the reason why he left the bright future of New York and moved to Los Angeles was because I wanted more sunshine in my life." Ellie let out a breath of calm emotions. "I put up with it as much as I could. But at the end of the day, I stopped caring about the difference between what he thought and what he really was. And I got tired of him spending the money I made. And while he was spending it, he At the same time, she also cried to me that I was not making enough money fast enough, and the amount was not enough. When I couldn't take it anymore, I asked for a divorce." Speaking of which, Ellie had to take a breather for a while. "It wasn't until the divorce court in our small town that I realized the judge was on my husband's side," she said softly. "Martin came to court with my book and tapes of my interviews as evidence that he was functional in my writing as well. And the judge believed every word he said. The judge told my attorney that California is a community property place, so Martin owns half the rights to the book I wrote." Ellie had to take another deep breath before she could continue. "At the end of the day, in order to be in control of my book, I agree to give Martin all the money I've earned, and everything I've bought with the royalties of the book, and I'll have to provide for his needs forever— All you need for a luxurious life.” "You're kidding," Meigi said. "I didn't. I can't tell a joke about that kind of thing. I even had to take out huge insurance policies in case I died or went bankrupt—he still had money to collect." After Ellie finished speaking, neither Meigi nor Lacey could think of anything to say in response.Isn't it usually pretty powerful when someone who makes as much money as Ellie goes to divorce court?Isn't there a saying that "money can turn ghosts around"? It was Lacey who broke the silence of the room. "Why don't we forget our troubles for a while and walk around this town? Maybe we can buy each other birthday presents. Does anyone know what she'll want when she turns fortieth?" "Life starts again?" Mei Hagi asked. "Yeah!" Ellie snorted. "I just want revenge. No! I want justice!" Ellie stood up after speaking.Then, as she turned to look out the kitchen window, she felt much lighter.Perhaps speaking of her experience somewhat expresses the injustice caused to her by the judicial system.Of course, she also told Jenny all the details, but somehow, telling a psychiatrist who charges 150 yuan an hour about her inner feelings is not as exciting as telling two old friends. satisfy. "I will go shopping with you, but there is one condition." At this moment, Lacey said.Seeing Mei Tho and Ellie turning their heads to look at her, she put her hands on her hips and glared at them fiercely. "What conditions?" Mei Qiu and Ellie asked in unison. "None of you—I mean it—none of you can make me come out about my marital status." After hearing her conditions, Airi looked at Umehagi. "She's always going to win, huh?" "That's not it!" said Meigi, and smiled at Lacey. "So what did you say when your husband took over your restored summer house?" "She was pregnant at the time," Allie told Maycho. "Don't forget that part." Lacey squinted at them. "The next person who talks about me will wash the dishes tonight." "Is there anything to do in this town?" Mayhagi asked. "I mean, now you've heard my story and we've heard Ellie's. What are we going to do for the next two days if this culinary guru won't tell us anything about her life?" Lacey just smiled and took the two women's arms and led them to the front door of the gingerbread house. In the end, they decided to explore the town separately, reuniting at lunchtime. "That way, maybe we'll have something else to talk about besides the messy side of life," Lacey said. Of course, all three women agreed to this motion, because in this way they could each have their own time to buy birthday gifts for the other two women.They decided to meet at a restaurant called The Pier at one o'clock. Lacey walked to the second-hand bookstore she had spotted earlier in an alley, hoping Ellie hadn't noticed it.What gift can you buy for a nationally known author?She thought with a sigh. When she entered the bookstore, she still didn't find the answer.The door of the bookstore closed behind her, and she felt as if she had entered another time and space.There are bookshelves on the four walls of the store, and books are everywhere on the chairs, on the floor, and under the small tables.There were a few chandeliers hanging from the ceiling and two on the walls, and unless Lacey was mistaken, they were antique and very expensive. "Can I serve you?" a voice that sounded like an ancient asked. It took Lacie a while to get used to the darkness in the store, and once her vision cleared, she saw a skinny little old man. She smiled brightly at him. "I'm looking for presents for two female friends. They both have birthdays tomorrow." "Can you tell me what your two friends like?" "I'm not really that—" She broke off.Was she going to say that she didn't really know Umegi and Airi that well?After she heard what happened to them?wrong. "Healing," she said the first thought that came to her mind. "One of them is interested in medicine, and the other..." Lacey hesitated.What would Ellie be interested in?Otherwise, Lacie would have bought her a book on "feminine meditations," some sort of calming and resentful book.But Lacey could imagine Ellie's reaction to such a book would be scoffing. Lacey smiled at the little old man. "You don't have any books on revenge, do you?" The little old man smiled back at her, as if what she said was not outrageous. "Maybe," he said, and turned to the back of the bookstore.Lacey followed him and saw him standing in front of a small bookshelf, holding a book and handing it to her. After receiving the book, she looked at the title. "Love for a lifetime".Lacey looked at the book in bewilderment.What does this book have to do with revenge or medicine?But when she raised her head, she found that the little old man had left, and she was left standing alone in the corner behind the bookstore. "Lianlian for a lifetime." She held the book and read the title aloud.It had a green cover, no slipcover, and looked very old. The title makes Lacey think about her own life and whether her husband is having an affair with his young assistant.She thought again of the actions she would be forced to take if she actually confronted his affair.Does she have to leave him?Or throw him out of that Victorian house that he too has grown to love?Becca's words that "their family is going to fall apart because Lacey won't fight back" came to mind. Now Lacie wishes she was still with those two women, at least listening to them talk about their problems made her forget her own troubles.If you can't forget it, at least you can put it aside temporarily and don't deal with it. Maybe she was being too selfish, but Lacie thought her problems were bigger than both of them.They are no longer trapped by love.They've been hurt by two men who were just too bad, but now they've moved beyond that overused word - love - and are no longer at the mercy of men.Ellie certainly didn't love her ex-husband, and neither did May Hagi. But Lacey still loves Aaron as much as she did on the first day she knew him.She knew long ago what kind of future awaited her if she married a man who loved Aaron as much as she loved her.Because of this, she had tried to escape.She even did not hesitate to get rid of him, so as to cut off her own retreat.Although it was not the result of her deliberate deliberation to do that back then, with the wisdom she gained as she grew older, she understood that she had humiliated him in public under the condition that she thought she would "never go back again". She went to New York and discovered the fact that she might be considered talented in her hometown, but in New York, she didn't have the talent to be a professional dancer at all.So she went home, went back to Aaron, and they got married like nothing happened.And the one thing she admires about him is that he has never questioned her face to face over the years. Still, Lacie has always felt guilty. "Why don't you protest to him?" her mother used to say. "What are you afraid of him?" Lacey wanted to scream, "I'm afraid I'm going to lose him. I've seen life without Aaron, and I don't want to live that life." Only now she's pretty sure her life with Aaron is over and it's only a matter of time before she loses him. She stood with the little nerd for several minutes before she opened the first chapter of the book, and the first sentence that caught her eyes was—"I never got married because I knew that love would bring me karma, And most of all, I want to be free." Lacey closed the pages quickly.This sentence in the book is too similar to her real life.Turning around, she glanced at the front half of the store.She heard the crisp ringing of the bell tied to the door, so she knew that another customer had come.How did the little old man know this in advance?she wondered. No, she told herself, he couldn't have known beforehand.But why did he give me a book that I needed myself, Lacey thought again. She planned to wait a while until the new customers left.But after a few minutes, the man was still there, and Lacey had to look around.In one corner of the room, under a foot-high stack of books, was an old wooden chair.Lacey moved the book from the chair and sat down.She wasn't sure why she hadn't left the bookstore. For some reason, she just couldn't.time is not up yet. She opened the book and began to read. "What did you buy?" Ellie asked Lacey. They were all seated at a long wooden table in the dockside restaurant, half a dozen food containers already stacked in front of them. Umegi and Airi took advantage of the gap before the food was delivered, and showed each other what they bought. Only Lacey didn't come home laden with presents.She should have bought some presents for them or her kids, and Aaron.Does Bambi have a copy too?She thought to herself, then forced herself to face the two women at the same table.They were all waiting for her to reveal the contents of the only pouch she had. "Sorry," she said. "I went to a second-hand bookstore on purpose to pick out presents, and I—" "Found some old book that was interesting and spent the whole time reading that," says Allie. Lacey smiled. "How do you know?" she asked shyly. "Occupational diseases. Therefore? Did you buy that book?" "Yeah, I bought it," Lacey said. Seeing that she didn't go on, Ellie urged: "Will you tell us what kind of book it is?" Lacey opened the small paper bag, took out the book and put it on the table. "It's about a Victorian woman who travels the world," Lacey said. "She had a few relationships during this time, but only one true love that lasted forever—a man she was engaged to when she was eighteen, and she left him to travel the world." "Sounds like you," Ellie said, reaching for the book. "Not exactly," Lacey said quickly, hoping she didn't sound like she'd had similar thoughts herself. "I left, but I'm back." "Will you do that again?" Mei Hagi asked, throwing a fried food into his mouth. "You mean, leave Aaron?" "No, I mean go back to Aaron. If you could do it all over again, would you leave New York and go back to your old boyfriend back home?" Lacey smiled. "Let me just say it, New York is not a place for a dancer of my level. And I can't do anything but dance." "That's what I thought about it when I was in art school," Ellie said. "Back then, painting was my life and my only thing, but look at me now." She was about to eat a piece of fried scallop, and then hesitantly threw it back on the paper plate. "Perhaps this sentence is inappropriate. Don't look at me now, but look at me four years ago." "You mean when you have a husband who's jealous of you?" Meigi asked, picking up the scallops that Ellie dropped. Ellie looks at Lacey. "She's got a bad heart, huh?" Whether it's a personal issue between Mei Hagi or Ellie's jokes, Lacey avoids the problems of the two of them. "What about you?" she asked Mayhagi. "If you had to do it all over again, what would you do?" Before she could answer, Ellie said, "It depends on whether you knew what was going to happen or not?" "How do you say that?" Lacey asked. "From a writer's point of view, if you suddenly fell into a time tunnel and were asked the same question, maybe you would make the same decision. Unless you already have a different perception." Mayha raised his eyebrows. "So you're asking, if I knew the outcome, would I have accepted Applejack's call to plead, go back to Montana to heal him, and do that?" "That's exactly what I meant," Ellie said. "Actually, you started this problem." "Let me think about it," Meigi said sarcastically. "Marry Applejack, or real life." Her hands shook up and down like scales. "Ajie, life. Well, which way should I choose?" Lacey laughed. "It's easy for both of you, you both know which path to take. Maycho will stay in New York and become the first ever supermodel; Ellie, you'll start writing because you know that's your true talent .and me, what choice do I have?" "Knows men other than Aaron," Ellie replied immediately. "You don't even know what kind of men are out there." "Jack and Martin," Lacey retorted. Ellie laughed. "It makes sense." Mei Hagi twirled her fork. "But the men out there aren't all bad," she said quietly. "Moshi used to be there." The way Mei Qiu said "once" made the other two women suddenly think of his death and were speechless. Mei Hagi looked up at Lacey. "I'm going to find Moshi," she said.Seeing the shocked expressions of the other two, she gave them a mocking look. "No, it's not what you think. It's not a psychic session or something. I thought we were talking about second chances. If I could go back to, say, the day the three of us first met, and Knowing where I am now, I will try to find Moshi as much as possible. I don't think he was in medical school at the time, but then again, maybe..." She stopped talking and looked down at her plate. Lacey broke the silence.She picked up the book she bought and said, "I think I'd like to try other possibilities," she said softly. "You could spend spring break with that rich kid," Ellie said. "The guy who might run for president, huh?" "That's right," Lacey said firmly. "I will." "What's that?" Mei Hagi asked suddenly. Lacey looked at the direction Meigi was pointing at, and said with a puzzled face, "That's the book I bought!" "No. I mean the thing sticking out of the pages." Lacey turned the book over and looked at the top.A small scrap of paper protruded a tiny corner from the page.Lacey opened the book and took out the paper.It was a milky white business card, and Lacey could tell that the text on the business card was die-cast with old-fashioned copper carving techniques. Lacey frowned, and handed the business card to Mei Hagi. "I don't know what this is. I didn't notice it when I was reading." Mei Hagi looked at the business card for a while, then put it on the table.Then she opened her purse and took out another business card and put it next to the one in Lacy's book.The two business cards are identical. "It's weird that we both have the same business card," Lacey said. "I guess this Madame Zola is just trying to promote business, though. It might be hard to make a living in a small town like this. Maybe—" She cuts off as Ellie, too, rummages through her shopping bag and pulls out a third identical business card, placing it next to the other two.