Chapter 3

Not everyone could be your family, just like how Emery, Micah, and Marsha never considered me part of the family, as proven last year and now. It would be just like how three days later, I, the one who was taking their picture, would no longer have anything to do with them.

"Done."

I put my phone down, and Micah was the first to jump over to me. "Let me see, let me see. If you don't make Ms. Linberg look good in this, I'll be mad at you, Mom."

Marsha looked doubtful. "That's quick. Did you take it properly?"

"Let me take a look." Emery checked the picture and raised an eyebrow. "Not bad. You've finally matured. You didn't go around losing your temper and getting jealous of everything."

Emery gave me a look of approval, but I looked away, worried that I would throw up.

"Now that we're done with the picture, let's make a wish," Winnie said softly and started ordering me around. "You're further from us, Nora. You should turn off the lights."

Marsha nodded. "Winnie's right. You should do it, Nora."

I turned off the lights, and the living room descended into darkness except for the weak candlelight on the cake.

Micah closed his eyes to make a wish. "My first wish is for Ms. Linberg to stay here forever and never leave."

Winnie started tearing up as her hands covered her mouth in surprise.

Emery rubbed Micah's head proudly. "You're a good boy, Micah."

"My second wish is for Mom not to be so annoying, and to stop making Dad mad."

The atmosphere turned tense the moment he made this wish. Winnie turned to look at me in concern right away, but there was a small smile on her lips.

Emery gave me a guilty glance and chided Micah, "Don't say things like that."

However, Micah became upset and said, "Why not? You said the same thing the last time we went to the movies with Ms. Linberg."

"Micah!" Marsha called out his name sternly, and Micah kept quiet.

I felt a pang in my heart.

Winnie did not just return to the country as Emery described. They had met earlier than I thought, and everyone but me knew about it.

My lips twitched. I wanted to laugh, but my hands were trembling. I asked Emery, "What else have you been hiding from me?"

Emery's lips pressed down tight as he looked away awkwardly. "Nothing. Just some other unimportant little things…"

"What little things?" I pressed for an answer.

Winnie spoke up, "Don't take this the wrong way, Nora…"

I cut her off, "I'm asking my husband a question, not you."

"That's enough, Nora!" Marsha exploded, and she started defending Winnie. "Winnie is a guest Emery had invited to your home. There's nothing between them, and you should stop looking at things with your dirty worldview."

Micah knocked into me like a little calf. "Bad Mommy! Don't you dare bully Ms. Linberg!"

I staggered from Micah crashing into me, and my back slammed into the corner of the dinner table. I inhaled sharply from the pain.

Emery reached out to help me, but Winnie tugged gently at his sleeve, and his hand paused in midair as if it had been nailed down. He did not move any further.

Marsha held Micah in her arms as she stared at me reproachfully. "When did you become such an unreasonable person, Nora?"

Micah glared at me like I was the enemy. "Ignore Mom, Grandma. Let's celebrate my birthday outside. I hate her."

My throat tightened as my fingernails dug into my palms, but I did not feel any pain. Marsha looked down at Micah to coax him.

"All right, all right. Let's ignore her. I'll take you out for cake."

She carried Micah in her arms and walked out the door while Winnie quickly followed behind.