A woman who experiences a multitude of trials and tribulations in her personal life. After her ill-advised marriage to Dale leads to a tumultuous divorce, Cindy faces humiliation and isolation from her own family who see her as a disappointment, an...
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When we were in love, I described Timothy as a warm swamp. He's the kind of person who doesn't have much going on but seems carefree. Because, as he says, there's no hope in this world anyway. He has a kind of pessimistic optimism. Being already pessimistic and not optimistic about many things, he lives day by day, so he appears optimistic.
Whenever I complained to him, he would just say, "It's okay." He has this confidence because his family has provided him with a way out. But don't think he's from a wealthy family; at most, it's a well-off family. He's the only son, and his parents are both working, supporting him with some surplus. His spending, compared to mine, is considered generous, but it's far from extravagant, and his family can afford it.
We moved in together shortly after being together, splitting the rent half and half. Some friends asked, "What's the point of having a boyfriend like him? He lives with a girl and still makes the girl pay. Doesn't he feel embarrassed?" What's the use of having Timothy? Well, not much in practical terms. No upgrading to a better house or a new car. It's just happiness because I genuinely like him. In today's trendy language, he provides me with emotional value.
As for the embarrassment issue, Timothy doesn't carry any burden. What's wrong with living together and splitting expenses equally? He's quite open about it. His personal salary can cover rent and meals, but not much else. However, this doesn't stop him from buying things. His hobbies revolve around electronic products, and he spends quite a bit on them.
I was puzzled. How can he afford a higher level of consumption with a lower salary than mine? I asked him where the money comes from. He said, "Credit cards." "Then why do you still use credit cards?" He lowered his voice and said, "My mom..."
That was the first time I knew that despite being an adult for so long, he was still asking his family for money. "How can you do that?" He felt a bit ashamed about this aspect of being an adult male and only said, "They owe me."
As for how they owe him, I slowly pieced together the rough outline of the story after being with him for a long time. Timothy has a terrible father. In his occasional descriptions, I can roughly outline an image of a father who is stubborn, conservative, loves to deny everything, and controls his son like a pet.
Timothy's grades plummeted in high school, and he eventually attended a vocational school. The fact that he didn't go to college has been repeatedly brought up by his father every year for the past six or seven years until the time I was in a relationship with him.
Once, while he was on the phone in his room, I heard a loud voice coming from his mobile phone, "You can't even get into college, and you still think you're capable..." Timothy had no expression and didn't argue; he just said, "Hmm."
After hanging up, I asked him, "Why don't you argue and tell him that you're not that bad?" Timothy said, "It's useless; he'll say the same next time. Besides..." he self-mockingly smiled, "I'm really not that successful."
