Chapter 3

"Whatever you think of Kenneth, he's my husband. He's the man I'm going to spend the rest of my life with. If you treat him like this again, I won't come home," Nicole had said.

I was always the one who talked her out of arguing with her parents.

Those were all dishes I didn't eat anyway. I'd just eat a little less and grab something for supper afterward.

But today, the food was still the same food I hated, and the deliberate exclusion was still just as obvious. Yet Nicole didn't say a word.

Meanwhile, when it came to dishes Chris didn't like, Nicole only had to mention it once, and that dish never appeared on the table again.

Nicole even thoughtfully put food on Chris's plate. "This is your favorite. Mom made it especially for you."

Chris took a bite of the eggplant and smiled. "Thanks, Meredith. After all these years, I still miss your cooking the most."

Meredith beamed as she reminisced about the past when they were little.

Chris even addressed Nicole's parents on a first-name basis.

Nicole laughed so hard beside them that her stomach hurt. She would chime in from time to time.

They looked more like a family than I ever had with them. On the other hand, I looked like a stranger who had wandered in for a free meal.

Last year, Chris had come over for dinner too.

Back then, Nicole would still hold my hand and make sure I was part of the conversation.

But now, she only gave me a regretful look and murmured, "Chris really does understand me better than you do."

Felix was drunk by then. He slammed his hand on the table. Remorse was written all over his face.

"I never should've stopped you two from dating when you were younger. Because of me, you missed your chance. I regret keeping you two apart. Now you're in an unhappy marriage."

Nicole lowered her head and silently continued eating.

Everyone was ignoring me. At that moment, I couldn't stomach another bite.

"You two don't have to wait any longer. Once the divorce is complete, you two can finally be together," I said.

Meredith hurried after me when I got up to leave. "They're all just joking around. Don't take them seriously. It's rare for the whole family to get together. Don't ruin the mood."

Alcohol had loosened their tongues, but I knew they meant every word, and I meant what I'd said too.

"No. You are all part of a family, and I'm not in it."

I returned to my bedroom and started packing my things.

The clothes in my wardrobe were already gone.

Fortunately, I'd hidden my important documents deep inside the cabinet. Not a single one was missing.

Nicole blocked the doorway. She looked anxious. "Are you really going to divorce me?"

"Of course."

"I don't believe you. You're just angry. You're only saying this because you're upset."

I calmly replied, "I'm not angry."

Nicole's eyes went wide in fury. "Then leave! And don't ever come back!"

I walked out without looking back.

Just as she pointed out, I had no intention of returning.

When I arrived at my parents' house with my belongings, they asked what I planned to do.

As I packed my things, I told them, "I have an old classmate who runs a startup. He's asked me to go work with him. I'm planning to resign from Nicole's company."

In the past, my parents would've told me that married couples should work and live together, and that this was what a real family looked like.

But after what they'd witnessed from Nicole the last time, they never said things like that again.

Seeing that I'd finally decided to move on, they supported me completely.

"That's good, Kenneth. I support you. Once you've settled down, your dad and I will come live with you.

"Don't think too much about it. Wherever your family is, that's home."

I tried to hold it together, but my eyes still welled with tears.

"Okay. Once I've sorted things out, I'll bring you both over."

With my parents' approval, my heart didn't feel so empty anymore. I finally had the strength to move forward.

The next morning, I went to the office as usual.

I returned to my desk and was just about to submit my resignation when I noticed that something about the atmosphere in the office was odd.

Everyone was whispering and gossiping.

Their gazes kept drifting toward me.

Whenever I looked up, they immediately looked away.

Just from that alone, I knew they were probably talking behind my back.