But then her mind screamed No.
It couldn't be what she was thinking. It couldn't.
Mei gripped the edge of the jacket so tightly her nails dug into the cloth. Her gaze flicked from her husband to the high school boy sitting across from him in the restaurant. They were laughing as if nothing in the world existed outside that small, softly lit table.
The laughter felt cruel.
Her throat tightened.
Maybe I misunderstood, she told herself. Maybe it's not what it looks like.
Then she saw it.
Li Hao reached out, ruffled the boy's hair, and said something that made him smile bashfully. The gesture was gentle, paternal even. Mei's heart lurched.
Her lips parted slightly as her thoughts spilled into words, low and trembling.
"No," she whispered to herself. "What's more likely is that… although it's impossible… they look as though they're father and son."
Her brows furrowed. "Why…?"
The boy's eyes had the same sharp corners as Li Hao's, the same innocence that appeared when he smiled. The way Li Hao patted his head wasn't the touch of a lover. It was something else.
But that made it worse.
If it wasn't an affair, then what was it?
Her husband had never mentioned knowing a teenager. Never mentioned anyone remotely like that boy.
The thought made her stomach twist.
She was still trying to make sense of it when a woman entered the restaurant.
Mei blinked, startled. The woman was in her late twenties, tall, graceful, with long black hair tied neatly behind her shoulders. She wore a soft beige coat and carried a small purse. Without hesitation, she walked straight toward the table where Li Hao and the boy were sitting.
The boy's face lit up when he saw her.
Li Hao stood to greet her, smiling.
Who is that? Mei thought, her chest tightening. Who is she?
Her phone suddenly vibrated in her jacket pocket, snapping her out of the daze. She glanced at the screen. It was her mother-in-law.
Mei hesitated for a second, then answered.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Mei?" her mother-in-law's voice came, half drowned out by the television in the background. "Jun can't find his favorite car toy. Do you know where it is?"
Mei blinked, trying to focus. Her mind felt foggy, the words slipping through like sand.
"Uh…" she murmured. Her eyes drifted back toward the restaurant window.
Inside, the woman had taken a seat beside Li Hao. The three of them, Li Hao, the boy, and the woman, were talking and laughing together as if they were family. The woman reached across the table and adjusted the boy's collar affectionately. Li Hao's hand rested near hers on the table.
Mei's throat went dry.
On the phone, a tiny voice piped up.
"Mama… where's my car…"
"Jun…" Mei whispered, dazed. "The car toy…"
"What?" Jun's voice came again, confused.
"Mei?" her mother-in-law said. "Hello? Mei?"
Mei didn't answer. Her eyes were glued to the restaurant window. She could see Li Hao leaning slightly closer to the woman now, saying something that made her laugh softly. The boy watched them, smiling shyly.
Then the lights dimmed inside the restaurant.
Mei's heart skipped a beat.
A server approached their table, holding a small cake with lit candles. The woman clasped her hands together and laughed, her face glowing in the candlelight. Li Hao clapped quietly, the boy cheering beside him.
What is this… a birthday?
Mei's breath trembled as she watched through the cold glass of the restaurant window. The sight felt unreal.
She watched as Li Hao and the boy handed the woman a small white bag. Mei recognized it instantly, the jewelry bag from the store.
Her stomach dropped.
The woman opened the bag, smiling, and took out a delicate silver necklace. The one she had seen them buy.
Li Hao rose from his seat, stepped behind her, and carefully clasped the necklace around her neck.
The woman laughed again, touching the pendant lightly as the boy grinned.
Mei could no longer feel her hands.
Her phone buzzed again, muffled through her palm.
She finally lifted it to her ear.
"Mama…" Jun's voice came faintly. "When are you coming home? Where are you?"
Mei swallowed, her voice hoarse. "I'll be right home," she said quietly.
She ended the call before her mother-in-law could respond.
For a few seconds she just stood there, frozen, the restaurant lights blurring in her tear-filled vision.
Then she took a deep breath and stepped out of the car. Her heels clicked softly against the pavement. She turned toward the glass once more.
The trio inside were still laughing. Li Hao looked relaxed in a way she hadn't seen in years, like the weight of everything had lifted off him. His smile was bright, open. The kind he no longer showed her.
Mei felt the tremor return to her fingertips. Her breath came shallow, uneven.
She wanted to burst in there, to demand answers, to ask who that woman was. But she didn't. Something, maybe the fear, humiliation or confusion rooted her in place.
Instead, she turned and walked briskly toward the rental car. Her reflection in the shop windows looked hollow, her eyeliner smudged, her lipstick fading.
Once inside, she gripped the steering wheel again, staring straight ahead. Her voice was a whisper that only the empty car could hear.
"I couldn't comprehend what was happening in front of my eyes," she said softly, trembling. "My husband was casually laughing with a high school boy I don't know and… this woman."
Her lips quivered, but no tears fell. It was as if her body had gone numb.
She started the car and drove off, her reflection a mess in the mirror.
The streets blurred past her in streaks of light. She didn't know where she was going but only that she needed to move, to breathe, to not drown in that image of him smiling so freely at someone else.
She spotted a public restroom sign and turned into the lot.
Inside, the lights were harsh, sterile. Mei caught her reflection in the mirror was a stranger with messed up eyeliner and styled hair, dressed in bright, youthful clothes that didn't belong to her.
She stared at herself for a long moment. Then she opened her purse, took out a packet of wipes, and began scrubbing the makeup from her face.
The eyeliner smudged, mascara ran, foundation faded, until all that was left was the plain woman she had always been.
She changed out of the that into the simple clothes she had packed earlier. Her reflection looked familiar again but not comforting.
There were faint red marks under her eyes now, the kind that came from holding back tears too long.
When she left the restroom, the night had grown colder.
She drove the rental car back to the shop, parked it neatly, and handed the keys to the attendant. Her voice was small but steady.
"Here," she said. "It's all in good condition."
The attendant smiled politely. "Thank you, ma'am. Have a good night."
Mei forced a small nod. "You too."
She walked out into the night, her steps slow, her hands buried in her coat pockets. The city around her glittered with weekend noise with couples laughing, lights flickering, music from a nearby café spilling onto the street.
But she felt detached from it all. Like she was walking through a dream she no longer belonged in.
When she reached her apartment building, she stopped at the entrance, staring at her reflection in the glass doors. She smoothed her hair, inhaled deeply, and whispered, "Calm down, Mei. Just… breathe."
The hallway smelled faintly of detergent and steamed rice.
She turned the key in the lock, stepped inside, and was immediately greeted by her mother-in-law's soft voice from the living room.
"Oh, Mei, you're back. Jun fell asleep waiting for you."
Mei forced a smile. "Thank you for watching him, Mother."
Her mother-in-law nodded, unaware of anything amiss.
Mei went into Jun's room. The little boy was asleep, clutching a small toy car in one hand. His breathing was slow, peaceful.
She knelt beside his bed and brushed a strand of hair from his forehead.
"I'm sorry," she whispered, her voice trembling. "Mama's home now."