Summary

In Chapter 1, Michael calls Astrid to tell her that he has to stay late at work and will miss the dinner party scheduled for later that evening. Astrid reminds him that it is not just a family dinner—her grandmother’s tan hua flowers are going to bloom, which is an exciting event. Michael is set on missing the party, making excuse after excuse. Astrid realizes that getting Michael to come to the dinner is a lost cause and hangs up. She thinks about how Michael used to be deeply apologetic when he had to miss a family gathering. Now he is less gentle, more detached, and most certainly cheating on her. She thinks back to when she first married Michael, and he refused to let Astrid or her father or pay for their house. He was adamant about buying a house...