Chapter 2

"This person has stayed hidden deep in my heart for eight years."

Marsha said with deep feeling, "She's the daughter-in-law I always wanted."

The comment made my heart sink. I turned back to look at them, and I saw Winnie blush. In that moment, I could hear my heart stop beating for them.

I took out my phone to send a text to my superior at work: [I'd like to accept the offer for the company's overseas placement.}

My company approached me two weeks ago to offer me the position. Our overseas branch had kick-started a new project that needed someone to lead the team independently, and my company could not find the right person for the role.

Ultimately, the company's director talked to me about the position. "Nora, it has to be you. It'll take five years, and you'll be promoted two levels ahead. Your annual salary will be tripled too."

However, I rejected the offer because Micah had just started first grade, and Emery always said that women did not need to be too ambitious because someone needed to take care of the family.

I believed him then because I thought my family needed me, but tonight, they let me know that they never needed me. What they really needed was an obedient nanny.

My superior replied very quickly.

[Have you really thought things through? This job requires you to stay overseas for five years. Didn't your son just start first grade? Can you bear to leave him? What about your husband? Does he agree to it?]

My lips twitched as I replied: [I have no problem leaving them here. They can't wait to get rid of me.]

A few minutes later, a URL was shared with me for purchasing flight tickets. I would be flying three days later.

I stared at the text for 30 minutes until Emery called out my name from downstairs. "Nora! It's time to cut the cake!"

Micah kept muttering, "Hurry up downstairs, Mom! You shouldn't keep Ms. Linberg waiting."

I was silent. I did not want to go downstairs, but on second thought, maybe I needed a good reason to start a new life. I wanted to see how far they would go for another woman.

So, I headed downstairs.

Emery, Micah, and Marsha were already standing in a line in front of the dining table. When I walked to the table, Micah frowned. "You need to make way, Mom. Don't take Ms. Linberg's spot."

I clenched my fists and took a step back.

Marsha clicked her tongue. "You should read the room and stand on the other side."

She pulled Winnie over to her affectionately. "Stand in the center, Winnie. We should take a family picture."

Emery watched everything happen without putting a stop to it, and even Micah started ordering me around. "Didn't you hear what Grandma said, Mom? Take a picture for us, and make sure Ms. Winnie looks good."

If this were before, I would have started tearing up after being treated so heartlessly and begun questioning everyone about why they would do something like that to me. However, now, all I did was make sure that I remember everyone's faces today.

I took my phone out to point the camera at them.

Through the screen, I saw my son holding Emery's hand and Winnie's while smiling happily. Marsha held Winnie's other hand, smiling benevolently and acting like they were mother and daughter.

Watching this scene reminded me of last year when Emery and I had a wedding to make up for the one we did not have when we first got married. The last item on the itinerary was taking pictures, and Micah refused to hold my hand.

Emery carried Micah in his arms instead, and Marsha walked past me to stand next to Emery.

I was the one in the wedding dress, but I was also the one everyone distanced themselves from in the family wedding picture. I was just an unimportant character.

That night, I stood on the balcony and cried for a long time. I tried to comfort myself, saying it was just a picture and I should not overthink things as we were a family. It was only now that I realized that the word 'family' might mean different things to different people.