Bad Mother

"I believe it was three months ago."

It took Sun Mei a few minutes to process this information. Three months was a long time for a little girl to go without her mother.

"Forgive me if I'm being nosy, sir, but why is that?" asked Sun Mei kindly.

Mr. Wu rubbed his forehead slowly with his fingers and took his time answering. He seemed a little sad to be sharing this information, but not particularly uncomfortable.

"Jenny is not the most natural of mothers. That is why Lily is staying with me."

Sun Mei looked him straight in the eye. "I think there is a lot more you are not saying. I really appreciate everything you have done for me, Mr. Wu, but I cannot work for you without knowing what's going on. If Lily throws constant tantrums like this, I need to know what's causing them so that I can help her deal with them."

Mr. Wu nodded in understanding. "You are very good at your job. I can see that I made the right choice by giving you my card at that party."

Sun Mei waited for him to continue.

"There are many reasons I should have left Jenny. She is a materialistic person, an alcoholic, and a pathological liar. She also cheated on me multiple times. However… I only left her when I saw the way she treated Lily."

Time seemed to stop when Sun Mei heard his last words. "Was there… abuse involved?" she asked in horror.

"No, not abuse. More like… neglect."

"Neglect?"

"From the moment Lily was born, Jenny treated her like a nuisance. She did not like caring for her or spending time with her. She often seemed to forget her very existence, especially when her existence ruined any plans she had made with her friends or lovers." Mr. Wu smiled bitterly before he said, "The last straw was when I came home one evening and found Lily alone in the house. She was eating crackers out of a box on the floor. She was two at the time."

"Where was your wife?" asked Sun Mei.

"She had gone to a spa with her friends."

"Why didn't she call you or find a babysitter?"

Mr. Wu laughed sadly and braced his arms on the table. "Because she lacks any common sense or love for Lily. That is why I left. I did not want Lily to grow up with an indifferent mother who rejected her every single day. Unfortunately, she still feels rejected every time her mother skips visitation or forgets her birthday."

"She is her mother," said Sun Mei. "It is normal that she wants her love."

"I know that, but I cannot force Jenny to visit her. To be honest, I don't even want to. Every time Jenny takes her away for the weekend, I stay awake all night from worry. I know how much she drinks and I'm scared of what might happen to Lily while she is drunk out of her mind."

Before she could think twice about it, Sun Mei said, "I'll go with her next time. I'll watch her so that she can see her mother safely."

Mr. Wu smiled at her earnestly but shook his head. "It's very kind of you to offer, but I don't think Jenny would agree to it. She would think that I am sending a spy over to judge her parenting skills."

"Fine," Sun Mei said stubbornly. "Then I will really become a spy and follow them around!"

"I'll think about that!" Mr. Wu said with a laugh before he waved the waiter over. "Can we have the check please?"