She didn't want to tell the truth even when she was caught lying. Elijah was deeply saddened by how selfish Mabel was. Did she not think of him at all? Did she even love him?
"Mother, I believe you're capable of living on your own. Given your childhood and your efforts to survive this cruel world, I wouldn't worry about you," said Elijah.
He had decided that he needed time apart from her. Not just for a week or a month, but for as long as it took until Elijah was ready to accept Mabel as his mother. He was shaken by Mabel's brazenness.
"What? What are you trying to do?" Mabel clenched her fists. "Are you going to abandon me too, just like your father? Have you become mad?"
Elijah fixed his gaze on the trees the coach passed by. He did not want to look at his mother for fear of wavering. He gulped down and said with determination, "I will send you enough money to ensure that you survive day by day, but it will not be enough for the kind of extravagance that you wish to have."
