Chapter 2 The Home They Gave Away

After I hung up, I went to the house I had bought with every penny I could scrape together.

But the moment I opened the door, I froze.

I barely recognized the place. Red balloons and wedding decorations filled the living room, completely transforming the space I had once arranged so carefully.

Then, my eyes landed on the large family portrait hanging on the wall.

My parents stood beside Chad, Avery, and Davian, all of them smiling brightly at the camera. I stared at the picture for several seconds before something finally sank in.

Everyone was there except me.

I was not even part of the photo.

As I looked around the room, I saw more signs of Davian everywhere. Custom throw pillows printed with his face sat on the couch, his clothes filled the closet, and a framed photo of him and Avery rested on the nightstand.

The home I had worked so hard to build for myself had somehow been turned into their marital home.

Then, the TV suddenly flickered on.

A video began to play across the screen. Palm trees were swaying in the ocean breeze, white sand beneath their feet, and flowers everywhere. In the middle of it all stood Avery, blushing as Davian slipped a ring onto her finger.

My parents and Chad stood nearby, clapping and smiling more brightly than I had seen them smile in years.

The date on the video was last Saturday.

It was the same day the three of us had planned to take a trip together.

The night before, my parents had suddenly become unusually attentive. They told me something had come up back home and that they needed to take Chad with them. Then, they asked me to stay behind and take care of the house.

I had been so overwhelmed by their sudden concern that I canceled the trip without a second thought.

For once, my parents seemed to care about me, and I was ridiculously happy about it.

Now, I finally understood.

Every warm word and every concerned look had only been meant to keep me away.

On the screen, Avery looked at Davian with such tenderness and affection that my chest tightened.

She had called it an act, but the way she looked at him told me the truth.

There was no room for me in her eyes anymore.

Apparently, there was no room for me in my own home either.

I turned around and rushed back to my parents' house. I needed an answer.

The moment I walked in, my mom glanced up from the couch, looking completely unsurprised to see me.

"I told you he'd come back," she said. "Where else would he go? It's not like anyone else would put up with him."

Chad rolled his eyes. "Pathetic. If you're going to storm out, at least have the guts to stay gone."

The second Avery saw me, something in her expression relaxed. She reached for my arm. "Evan, I'm glad you finally came to your senses—"

I jerked away from her before she could touch me. My voice trembled as I asked, "What did you do to my house?"

A flash of awkwardness crossed my mom's face, but it disappeared almost instantly. She answered, "Davian's place isn't suitable for a wedding, so I decided he could use yours. You don't even live there. Why are you making such a fuss?"

My chest tightened so badly that it hurt.

That house was mine.

I had spent five years working late nights, taking every extra job I could find, and saving every cent possible until I finally had enough for the down payment.

For the first time in my life, I had a place that truly belonged to me. It was not much, but it was mine. It was a small corner of the world where I could finally feel at home.

…

But on the day I packed my bags and prepared to move out, my parents stopped me.

"What kind of family lives apart when we don't have to?" my mom had asked.

My dad had agreed. "We'd worry about you living alone."

I still remembered standing there with tears in my eyes as I unpacked my bags.

At the time, I thought they simply were not good at expressing their feelings. I thought that deep down, they could not bear to see me leave.

Now I finally understood how stupid I was.

They had not stopped me because they wanted me to stay. They had simply made sure the house remained empty until Davian needed it.

Avery stepped toward me and spoke in the gentle, patient tone someone might use with an unreasonable child. "Your mom's right. You're not really going to be this petty about it, are you? Davian needs the place right now."

A chill ran through me despite the summer heat.

For years, I had convinced myself that if I asked for less, complained less, and always gave way, I might eventually receive what I wanted most. A caring family. Loyal friends. Genuine love.

Standing there now, I finally realized that no matter how much I gave, it would never be enough to make them choose me.

The truth was painfully simple.

I had never really had any of them.