The morning light shined through the vinyl blind into a big room, flickering the reflection onto the marble floor. Just like the weather, the mood in the room was as clear as the sky itself.

"Sir, I've asked the sales team. They said the shipping from England would be arriving soon." Cheng read the folder he was holding before placing it on the table for Ren.

The older man opened the document and nodded his head in agreement after reading the content. "Finally, we got what we wanted." Ren signed the paper and handed it back to his secretary. "Looks like the late-night meeting a week ago was worthwhile."

"Indeed, sir." Cheng received the folder and walked toward the door to proceed with the final process by bringing the signed document to where it should be. Just as his hand touched the doorknob, a question from his boss prevented him from doing so.

"Did you find him?"

Cheng turned away from the door and looked back to Ren. His expression dropped. "You mean, Ying, sir?"

The older man nodded.

"Not yet, Sir. I'm sorry." He bowed his head apologetically. "It seemed he moved again. But I'll speed up the search."

Ren sighed and leaned back exhaustingly before turning the wheeling chair around to face the window, hoping to hide his disappointed countenance. "It isn't your fault. Don't be sorry. He plans this. He keeps moving out every time we find him." said Ren, looking out through the gap of the blind and staring at nothing in particular.

A sad expression spread over his face, making him look older than he already was.

“He’ll understand one day, sir.” Cheng consoled his boss, even though he knew his words didn’t sound convincing. Yet, he tried.

"His anger never has, nor will it ever appeased. He still hates me, even after all these years." Ren finished his sentence with another sigh, hoping the exhalation would bring out the pain through the air he excreted somehow. Nevertheless, that wasn’t the case.

"Sir."

Cheng was about to walk towards the older man to provide a means of solace when his boss raised a hand, dismissing him.

“You can go now, Cheng,” said Ren, interrupting his secretary. He knew there was no amount of words of comfort that would be able to get through to him.

“But一.”

"I'd like to be alone. Please, Cheng."

Though hesitant, Cheng obeyed his boss's order and left. The sound of the door closing confirmed that Ren was finally left alone, meaning there was no need for more pretending. Closing his eyes, Ren let the ghost of his past come back to haunt him once again, drowning in a specific scene of what had happened thirty years ago.

*******

Thirty years ago,

One rainy evening, after dinner, Ren went through the sales receipts for the day while his wife was washing the dishes next to him.

"Meilin, if we can keep up these figures of revenue, the bank won't be able to deny our business plan. In no time, they will give us the loan, and we'll be able to expand our supermarket."

"That's good to know.” Meilin turned her head to speak with her husband with a smile. Her hands were still washing the dishes under the running cold water. “But don't be too hard on yourself. I'm afraid you'll fall ill. You have so little time to rest now."

Ren returned his wife's smile with his own when their eyes met. Old ages had kept up with them, altering both their appearances. Nevertheless, no amount of time could change the love between a husband and a wife.

"Don't worry, sweetheart. I know my body very well. Besides, I don't have time even to get sick until I can give our Ying the biggest supermarket in town."

"Really, daddy? The biggest?" Ying poked his head into the kitchen, appearing out of nowhere. "Bigger than the supermarket we've been to before?" He ran inside excitedly into the open arm of his father.

"Of course. Bigger than that. The big-big-big-est in town!" the man replied in a sing-song while lifting the adorable boy onto his lap. "We may not be the millionaire, but we will be the richest family in this small town."

"Yay!" the boy squealed happily, getting excited like a kid receiving presents.

The mother couldn't help but smile as she watched the joy resulting from laughter coming out from the lips of the two precious gems in her life.

*******

"The biggest supermarket is here, yet you are not. Where are you, my son?" Ren muttered to himself once the flashback dissipated from his closed eyelids, replaced by blankness. "Just how long are you going to stay mad at me?"

Absentmindedly, a single droplet trickled down his pale cheek, making its way along his left jawline before dropping on his lap, staining his grey pants, turning it a shade darker.

It was a tear of sadness.