A Happy Family Without Me

My daughter said we had to go all out for my sixtieth birthday.

I told her not to spend too much.

She refused. She said she knew how hard I’d worked all these years, and I deserved a grand celebration.

Her words warmed my heart. I was deeply touched.

I raised her on my own, watched her grow up, and then saw her get married and have a child of her own.

My son-in-law treated me like his own mother and took good care of me.

My granddaughter was adorable too. She always called me Grandma in the sweetest voice.

I was happy, and over the years, the pain of Sean Whitmore’s betrayal slowly began to fade.

So, when my daughter offered to throw me a big birthday party, it truly touched me.

I looked forward to turning sixty.

At my age, I loved a lively house. More than anything, I wanted my children and grandchildren around me. It gave me something to look forward to.

When the day finally came, I got up early.

I quickly got ready and took my granddaughter, Chloe Anderson, to school. My daughter and son-in-law ate the breakfast I left on the table, then headed off to their respective offices.

My daughter said they would finish their work that morning and come home early to get everything ready for my birthday party.

I stayed home and cleaned while I waited for them.

But the time we agreed on came and went, and my daughter still wasn’t home.

I worried something might have happened to her and reached for my phone.

Just then, she called.

"Mom, something important came up at work, and it’s the same for Aidan. It was all so sudden. Neither of us can take time off, so I don’t think we can celebrate your birthday today..."

She sounded full of guilt.

I felt disappointed, but their careers mattered more, so I tried to put those feelings aside.

"It’s all right. Work comes first. Just focus on your jobs. I’ll pick Chloe up from—"

"Oh, by the way!"

My daughter suddenly cut me off.

"Mom, it’s your birthday. You shouldn’t have to run around. A friend of mine will be passing the school this afternoon. She’ll pick Chloe up and bring her to my office. Just stay home and rest."

My daughter already had so much work to do, and Chloe was still so young.

I couldn’t help saying, "Why don’t I pick her up? You’re so busy, and she’s at that mischievous age. She’ll distract you from your work."

My daughter seemed to grow anxious, and her voice rose considerably.

"My friend is passing by anyway! Mom, don’t worry about it. Just get some rest. You don’t need to worry about Chloe. I have a meeting coming up, so I have to run."

She hung up the moment she finished, without giving me another chance to speak.

I listened to the dial tone and sighed.

My daughter was so busy at work that she’d lost quite a bit of weight lately. I went back into the kitchen to make a nourishing pot of chicken soup for her and my son-in-law.

The soup needed to simmer for a long time, and I was finished with the housework.

I sat on the sofa and took out my phone, ready for a short break.

As I got older, I grew fond of scrolling through videos in my spare time.

I opened my recommended feed and watched several clips, but nothing caught my interest.

I was about to close the app when I accidentally tapped the local feed.

I recognized the woman in one of the thumbnails at once, even with her back to the camera. It was my daughter, Wendy Warren.

The video was posted half an hour earlier.

I immediately tapped it.

The setting looked like a private dining room at a hotel. Wendy stood in front of the table, with Aidan Anderson beside her, holding Chloe’s hand. All three of them were smiling.

Wendy turned her head slightly, and the camera panned to one side.

Then I saw Sean.

If there was one person I hated most in this world, it was undoubtedly Sean.

We fell in love when we were young, and I thought we would spend the rest of our lives happy together.

Then, in our tenth year of marriage, his first love lost her husband in a car accident. She was left to raise a son and daughter alone, and he felt terribly sorry for them.

At first, he secretly gave them money behind my back.

When I found out, we had a terrible fight. His face turned red as he called me heartless.

Later, he held his first love’s two children in his arms and handed me the divorce papers.

"Zachary and Vivian are too young to grow up without a dad," he said.

So, he wanted to divorce me, be with his first love, and become a father to her two children.

As he said those words, our daughter, then named Wendy Whitmore, clung to his leg and sobbed, begging her daddy not to leave.

But Sean turned and walked away without a moment’s hesitation.

I didn’t fight to keep him. I took most of his assets in the divorce and left with our daughter.

I changed her last name to my own. From then on, she was Wendy Warren.

I never remarried because I was afraid a stepfather might mistreat her.

I devoted myself to raising her. I watched her grow up, get into college, fall in love, marry, and give birth to our adorable Chloe.

Through all of it, Sean never once showed up.

Every so often, I heard news of him. He and his first love never had any children together. He raised her son and daughter as his own and did everything for them without complaint.

Wendy once told me she hated Sean as much as I did.

She was old enough to remember the divorce. I thought she would remember how much he hurt me and want nothing to do with either of them.

I never imagined they were still in touch behind my back!

Yet there she was in the video, standing beside Sean.

The two of them leaned their heads close to talk. There wasn’t a trace of hatred between them.

They even led everyone in singing "Happy Birthday."

Aidan and Chloe clapped along, while the two children Sean raised, now grown adults, joined in the song.

The woman at the center of it all was Sean’s first love, Sonia Sutton.

She was still elegant, dressed in a beautiful dress. Everyone doted on her, and she still lived like a little princess.

She and I shared a birthday.

But the cruelest part was that my daughter, who meant more to me than my own life, walked over to Sonia after the song and hugged her.

She even called her "Mommy Sonia."

I threw my phone to the floor, but the video kept playing on a loop.

My chest ached, but more than anything, I couldn’t believe it. I kept trying to find some explanation.

My daughter and I only had each other. She witnessed her father’s cruelty. She saw Sonia play the innocent victim, apologizing even as she forced her way into our lives and tore our family apart.

How could she possibly call that woman... Mom?

I couldn’t believe it. I sat on the sofa for a long time, until an acrid smell drifted out of the kitchen.

The chicken soup boiled dry.

I hurried to turn off the stove. My mind was elsewhere, and I grabbed the pot with my bare hand, leaving a large red burn across my fingers.

I was about to tend to the burn.

Just then, the doorbell rang. I opened the door to find a delivery driver holding a cake.

I ordered it myself.

Just a small one.

At my age, it didn’t take much to make me melancholy.

After my call with Wendy, I ordered a little cake online. Even if I celebrated alone, it was still my birthday.

I set the cake on the coffee table and placed a few candles on top.

I clasped my hands and closed my eyes to make a wish.

I already knew what I wanted to wish for.

A happy, peaceful life for my precious daughter. A son-in-law who would always love her. A healthy, bright future for my sweet Chloe.

That was what I planned to wish for.

But now…

Every time I closed my eyes, I pictured Wendy lying about working late, then taking her husband and daughter to celebrate Sonia’s birthday.

In the video, everyone gathered around Sonia for such a lively celebration. They looked like one happy family.

And here I sat, all alone in the silence, looking like a fool. A joke.

The child I brought into this world became the very person who hurt me most. The pain was unbearable.

At my age, sorrow came easily, and I couldn’t hold back my tears.

I wiped them away and made a new wish.

"I hope... I can be happy for the rest of my days."

Yes.

For so many years, every wish I made was for my child. Never for myself.

Now, it all felt so undeserved.

I took two bites of the cake. It was sickeningly sweet and didn’t taste good at all.

I checked the time again.

It was already eleven at night.

By then, I would normally be done with all the housework. Once I settled Chloe into bed, I would go to my own room to sleep.

But tonight, I couldn’t sleep.

Just then, I heard a sound at the front door. Wendy tiptoed inside, but the moment she stepped past the entryway, she saw me sitting in the living room.

She froze and looked a little panicked.

Aidan and Chloe followed her in, still chatting about the birthday party. Both fell silent as soon as they saw me.

Chloe immediately acted as though nothing happened.

She blinked her big, innocent eyes and reached for me. "I missed you, Grandma! Give me a hug!"

Chloe rushed over to me, but I didn’t scoop her into my arms as lovingly as I always did.

From the moment she was born, I poured everything I had into caring for her, just as I did for Wendy.

Aidan’s parents were gone, and both he and Wendy were busy with work. Life in a big city was expensive.

I took care of Chloe so they could focus on their careers without worrying about her.

Yet even this little girl betrayed me, just like her mother.

Wendy walked toward me, still apparently hoping to act as though nothing happened.

She rubbed her shoulder for show, complained about her exhausting day at work, and promised me a grand celebration tomorrow.

Then she spotted the little cake on the coffee table and paused.

"Mom, you bought yourself a cake?"

Perhaps it was because my cake was so small, or because the one they bought for Sonia was so much bigger.

The guilt in her eyes deepened.

There was no point in fishing for answers, so I asked her outright, "Wendy, where did you go today?"

She froze and searched my face, as though desperately trying to work out how much I knew. In the end, she chose to play dumb.

"What do you mean, Mom? I was at work."

She glanced at Aidan and Chloe.

Aidan quickly nodded. "That’s right, Mom. Work was so busy today. My back’s been aching all day."

Chloe tried to back him up, shaking her head furiously.

"Grandma, we didn’t go anywhere to eat cake today. We didn’t..."

Children weren’t very good at keeping their stories straight. The more she said, the more she gave away.

Wendy couldn’t cover her mouth in time.

She could only give me an awkward smile. Her eyes darted around before she came up with another lie.

"Mom, don’t get the wrong idea. Chloe was restless at my office and kept making a fuss, so I bought her a little slice of cake."

Her pathetic lie left me bitterly disappointed.

I took out my phone, pulled up the video, and tossed it in front of her.

She froze. Her lips parted as though she wanted to explain.

In the end, she simply sighed and dropped onto the sofa beside me, apparently ready to abandon the pretense.

"Oh, come on, Mom! It’s been years. I know you hate Dad, but he’s still my father.

"I’ve barely seen him all these years because of you. Isn’t that enough?

"At your age, why are you still holding on to old grudges? Even if you can’t let go, you don’t have to drag me into it!

"Haven’t I spent every birthday with you all these years?

"Sonia... shares your birthday. She never says it, but she really wants the whole family together. We live with you anyway. Does it really matter which day we celebrate?

“I thought we could celebrate hers today and make it up to you tomorrow. What’s wrong with that?

"Mom, you’re too old to be throwing a tantrum. Aidan and I are exhausted from work every day. At least I can relax when I’m with Dad. But look at how you’re acting. Could you think about me for once?"

Every complaint drove the chill in my heart deeper.

"So, you blame me for keeping you from your father?" I asked.

I looked at Wendy. She looked nothing like Sean. She took after me.

When we divorced, Sean lavished all his fatherly love on Sonia’s two children, especially her daughter, Vivian Brooks.

Vivian was only six when I first met her, but her expressions were exactly like Sonia’s.

That was why Sean adored her most.

Back then, Wendy curled up in my arms and sobbed hysterically.

She asked me over and over, "Mom, why doesn’t Daddy want me? Why does he want to be someone else’s daddy? Doesn’t he love me anymore?"

Her tears broke my heart.

I carried her for nine months, only for her to end up with such an irresponsible father. It was heartbreaking.

But now, it all seemed like a joke.

Wendy seemed oblivious to the change in my tone. She tried to coax me as she always did.

"Mom, that’s not what I meant. But think about it. Dad’s getting old, and he’s still my father. Whatever happened, surely it’s been long enough to let go of the hatred?

“And Mommy... I mean, Sonia, is actually a good person. She only took Dad away because she was worried about Zachary and Vivian growing up without a father.

"She apologized to me herself. She buys me gifts and treats me like her own daughter. Whatever happened between you two, you’re too old to still be holding on to something from so long ago."

Her complaints were laughable.

Her father abandoned her without a backward glance. On countless nights, she rushed into my arms in tears and asked me over and over why he didn’t want her.

And Sonia knowingly pursued a married man. All it took was a gift for Wendy to forgive everything?

I pulled my hand out of hers.

"So, Wendy, you think I’m being unreasonable because I won’t forgive Sean and Sonia?"

She nodded as though it were obvious.

"You are! I was so young back then. Whatever grudges I had, I’ve forgotten them. Now, when I close my eyes, all I remember is how good Dad was to me when I was little.

“We were so happy. I want you to forget it too, Mom. We can all be a family again, just like before. Sonia really is nice. Maybe you two could be like sis—Ah!"

I slapped her before she could finish.

She screamed and jumped to her feet, clutching her cheek. "Mom, what the hell did you hit me for? With a temper like yours, no wonder Dad prefers someone as gentle and sweet as Mommy Sonia!"

She ran into her room in tears. Aidan and Chloe hurried after her to comfort her.

They left the door open, and I could just make out their voices.

"She’s getting senile."

"She’ll hold a grudge over nothing until the day she dies."

"A nasty old woman."

"She’s so annoying..."

There was more.

Every word came from the daughter I spent half my life loving.

At that moment, something inside me finally died.

I stood up, went to my room, and packed my bags. Then I left the home’s group chat on my phone.

Wendy and Aidan worked hard for years, but property prices in Newford were so high that they were still paying off their mortgage.

I wanted to ease their burden, so I gave them money from my pension every month and covered their mortgage payments.

I also paid for the utilities, groceries, and even Chloe’s tutoring.

Now that I decided to leave, those payments would stop.

Whether they could afford everything without my help was no longer my concern.

I also owned another home. No one knew about it, not even Wendy.

Originally, I kept it in my name as a precaution against Aidan. I was afraid he might stray like Sean, and I planned to leave the property to Wendy when I died.

Now, there was no reason to do that.

That home would become my refuge.

With my generous monthly pension, I would have more than enough.

I could live very comfortably on my own.

When I came out of my room, Wendy was still crying, and the cake still sat on the coffee table.

It was all so pathetic.

I wheeled my suitcase out and left without a moment’s hesitation.