Part 3A Sea of No Regrets

My face burned. My daughter reached up with her little hand to touch my red cheek.

People around us started looking over.

I fought back tears. "No way am I being a cash cow for Jason's family. You can stay and enjoy a few days with me, or I can put you in a cab to the train station right now. Your choice."

She slapped her thigh and marched toward the ocean.

"Fine, fine! With an ungrateful daughter like you, I might as well die!"

She kept looking back as she walked. "Hannah, I'll show you! I'll let the sea take me! I'll make you feel guilty for the rest of your life! I'll make your daughter watch you kill me, and see if she takes care of you when you're old!"

The water soaked her pants, rising past her knees. People gasped. Several women tried to persuade her.

"Ma'am, come back! Why fight with your child like this? Don't joke with your life."

She ignored them, walking deeper. A large wave nearly knocked her over.

She screamed at me, "Are you booking the tickets? Your sister-in-law fights with Jason every day about coming here! Your nephews have never been on a trip! But you take your money-losing daughter everywhere every year! Why? Tell me, why?"

"If you don't bring them here today, you'll be taking my corpse home! You'll regret this forever!"

Several men stood near her, ready to grab her if a wave hit. Women pleaded with her.

But she just stared at me. "Are you buying the tickets or not?"

I didn't buy them. instead, I opened my backpack right in front of her and slowly put the gold bracelet I had bought for her onto my own wrist.

"Mom, since you don't want to live, there's no point in giving you this bracelet."