《Loss of Wealth, Upheaval》
Lillian's journey began with effort and ended in a certain conclusion—divorce. However, she wasn't willing to accept it quietly! A once beautiful picture, now marred by Smith's selfishness, avoidance, and cowardice, has led to the current situation.
How could she let Smith get away with it? She was determined to fight this battle in court with the mindset of "Yesterday's death, today's rebirth."
In life, when the mind is unsettled, everything becomes chaotic; when fortune does not favor you, wealth dissipates.
Under multiple pressures, Lillian felt lost and confused many times, unable to understand what was happening. The phone kept ringing with calls from the school, hospital, and lawyers, as if the world would stop without her. Her child, mother, and Smith all revolved around her.
It seemed as though Lillian's luck had run out. In 2008, during the financial crisis, many middle-class families lost their wealth, including the financial products Lillian had invested in. To prepare for the divorce proceedings, she worried her cash reserves would be seized, so she invested them, leaving her in despair. Fortunately, she had a fixed pension to cover living expenses, or she might have gone mad.
Life's resilience always finds a way. A book from a doctor made Lillian realize she needed to face her illness. She often recommended WAKAMOTO, a Japanese digestive medicine, to others, as she had benefited from it.
After much care and medication, Lillian gradually regained her military spirit. The doctor suggested she participate in group activities like those offered by women's foundations and child welfare centers, where she could get advice and not face things alone. Lillian finally began to slow down.
The difficult days would eventually pass. Her mother returned to a small room, and a caregiver was in place. The child continued attending classes. Even though Smith had taken care of the child for a while, instead of strengthening their father-son bond, it only made Smith more eager to escape.
The "divorce" revealed a new chapter in the child's life. Money, like a game, made heroes in one era and brought them down in another. Her mother's aging made her realize that her children only paid lip service without real support.
Lillian also realized she couldn't fulfill a dream that wasn't grounded in reality.
The world is constantly changing! With the rapid advancement of computers, the child struggled to keep up with learning. Lillian constantly worried, "What does the future hold for the child?" This question haunted her.
《財富流失，天旋地轉》
林立蓮的努力起點，到最後結局。這個故事必定要由她來劃下句點 (離婚)。只是，她不甘心！一幅美麗的畫面，經過歲月洗禮，就因史密斯的自私、逃避、孬種，種下今日的局面。
怎麼可以給史密斯如意得逞？堅決抱持「昨日死、今日生」的意念，來打這場官司。
生活中，心不靜、人就亂，運不開、財就散。
多重夾擊，林立蓮失魂落魄，有聽沒有懂，好幾次茫然不知所措。學校、醫院、律師，電話鈴聲沒停過。好像這個世界沒了她，就停了運轉一樣。孩子、母親、史密斯，圍著她轉。
林立蓮的好運，好像也被用完了。民國 97 年 (2008 年) 碰上金融海嘯，許多中產階級的財富被洗了，林立蓮投資的金融商品也有去無回。就因史密斯要打離婚官司，林立蓮怕預備現金被清算，也投進去，真是欲哭無淚。幸好自己每月有固定退休金，可支付生活開銷，不然真的會瘋掉。
生命的韌性，總是會找到窗口。醫生的一本書告知林立蓮：「需要面對自己生病的事實」，林立蓮逢人就推薦 WAKAMOTO (日本腸胃藥) 是良藥，因為自己是受益者。
幾經調養、吃藥，林立蓮漸漸恢復至軍人本色。加上醫生建議林立蓮，多參加團體活動，例如婦女基金會、家扶中心，在那裡可以得到許多諮詢，不要一個人轉。林立蓮總算慢慢放下腳步。
不如意的日子終究會過去。母親回到小房間，外勞也支援到位，”那孩子” 一樣上他的課。因史密斯照顧了一陣子，他們不但沒有增進父子關係，反倒讓史密斯加緊要逃離此地。
「離婚」爆開 “那孩子” 的生命歷史。金錢就像一場遊戲，時勢造英雄，英雄也因時勢而殞落。母親的衰老，看清子女們的口惠而不實。
林立蓮也體悟到自己無能為力，去圓一個不屬於天馬行空的夢想。
世界一直在變！電腦進化加速學習腳步。”那孩子” 跟不上學習，將何去何從？「哪裡才是 “那孩子” 的將來？」這問題一直困擾著她。
