A Family Portrait for the Family I Left

As my sister, Eva Fletcher, swept her gaze over my dust-covered work clothes, her tone became filled with both pity and mockery.

"What happened back then was indeed my fault. But how did you end up like this after you just walked away?"

I continued adjusting the focus on my camera without a care, too uninterested to argue further. "If you still want to do the shoot, please hurry. Otherwise, the deposit is non-refundable."

Joan Kennedy, my mother, repeatedly wiped the corners of her eyes and reached out to pull me over.

"A family photo only counts when the whole family is together. Mora, come stand with me."

I dodged her hand. "When you made the appointment, didn't you say it was a family of four, consisting of three people and a dog? I see the dog is already in position. Would you mind returning to your seat and cooperating with the shoot?"

The face of my father, William Fletcher, instantly turned livid. "How outrageous!"

He jabbed his finger at me, almost poking my forehead. "When you were a child, you cried and threw tantrums just to take photos. Who exactly are you putting on airs for now?"

Just as I was about to call security, Eva quickly stood up and calmed Dad down. "Don't get so worked up. We still have dinner with the Harrisons later."

She glanced at her watch, then wrote down a phone number and handed it to me. "We're in a hurry today. Let's find a chance to talk things through. We're family. There's nothing we can't get past."

I didn't take the slip of paper. "If you want to book a photo session, contact the shop's landline.

"You took my bone marrow for 18 years. I don't owe you anything anymore. From the moment I was born, I wasn't even registered in the same household as you. So don't act like we're close."

The color drained from my parents' faces. They looked like they wanted to say something more, but Eva glanced at her watch again and placed the note on the worktable.

"I'm about to marry into the Harrison family. Out of consideration for our past, I can still help you out. You've been surviving on your own for five years now. Think it over carefully."

After saying that, she pulled our parents with her and left, her chin held high.

I had just asked my assistant to throw away the note when my fiance, Caleb Harrison, called.

"I'm sorry, honey. There's a dinner tonight that I've already tried to cancel several times, but I couldn't get out of it. I can only go with you to look at wedding dresses tomorrow."

"That's alright. Who are you having dinner with tonight?" I asked.

Caleb immediately started venting. "A supplier we've worked with many times before is about to renew their contract. They suddenly want to renegotiate the terms.

"It's really strange, and it's getting in the way of me spending time with you."

I immediately understood what was happening. Just as I was about to respond, Caleb noticed something amiss and asked, "Why do you sound upset? Did you run into another difficult customer?

"We only started this shop to have some fun. If there's a customer you don't like, just ban them!"

I smiled. "My biological parents and sister came to the shop for a family portrait.

"And from the looks of it, the people you're having dinner with tonight are probably them."