Seven days before my daughter’s wedding, Evelyn, my wife, suddenly turned to me. ”Richard,” she said, “Chloe’s wedding day, maybe you shouldn’t go.” I was holding the speech I’d painstakingly copied from the internet, getting ready to practice it for the reception. Now, I was being told I couldn’t even attend my own daughter’s wedding. ”Why?” I asked, my voice laced with disbelief. Evelyn replied, “Marcus is back in the States. He says he wants to walk his biological daughter down the aisle.” Just then, Chloe walked over, chiming in. “Uncle Richard, he *is* my biological father, after all. A blood relative. I want my dad to walk me down the aisle.” I looked at the mother and daughter before me. Fifteen years of my kindness had been thrown to the dogs. A pair of ungrateful wretches. In my bitter disappointment, I picked up my phone and called the hotel. “Hello,” I said, “cancel the wedding banquet for seven days from now. Change it to my sixtieth birthday celebration instead.”
I was holding the speech I’d painstakingly copied from the internet, planning to memorize it for Chloe’s wedding day. Just then, Evelyn pushed open the door and sat beside me, a cup of tea in her hand. She hesitated, then finally spoke. ”Richard, it’s probably best if you don’t go to Chloe’s wedding. Maybe you should go somewhere else.” The speech slid from my trembling fingers. I stared at Evelyn, utterly bewildered. ”What did you say? Why?” Evelyn frowned, looking at me. “Marcus is back in the States. He said he wants to attend his biological daughter’s wedding. Chloe also said she wants her biological father to walk her down the aisle.” *Biological*. That single word plunged me into an ice bath. My heart felt squeezed tight in a vice, stealing my breath. Seeing my hesitation, Chloe, who had been hiding at the doorway, pushed the door open and walked over, trying to persuade me. ”Uncle Richard, he *is* my biological father, after all. A blood relative. I want my dad to walk me down the aisle.” *Uncle Richard?* Before Marcus came back, she always affectionately called me “Dad Richard.” What, now that her biological father is back, I’m just “Uncle”? It was utterly ironic. I sat there on the bed, dazed. I remembered when Marcus abandoned them, mother and daughter, to go develop his business overseas. If I hadn’t been soft-hearted enough to take them in, would they be where they are today? To make things official, I married Evelyn for my first marriage. For these fifteen years, I treated Chloe with absolute devotion, just like my own flesh and blood. Fearing Chloe might feel neglected, Evelyn and I never had our own children all these years. But what did I get for all my sacrifices? Just one phrase – “blood relative” – and all my fifteen years of effort were completely negated. My heart was filled with unbearable bitterness, like I’d swallowed pure gall. As I fell deeper into thought, Evelyn’s next words instantly enveloped me in a bone-chilling cold that penetrated my skin and sank deep into my bones. ”Richard, what about that designer suit you bought for Chloe’s wedding? Why don’t you give it to Marcus? You won’t need it anyway, right?” ”He can wear it to Chloe’s wedding.” Chloe, standing by, seemed to suddenly remember something. She rushed to my closet and began rummaging through it. She carelessly tossed my clothes and shoes all over the floor. “Uncle Richard, what about those black leather shoes I gave you? Give them to my dad too. They’ll go perfectly with the black suit.” ”My dad will look so good in them. He’ll have some face at my wedding.” I stared at the mess on the floor, my clothes scattered and trampled underfoot by my daughter and wife. It felt like my fifteen years of effort were being crushed, carelessly discarded. Fifteen whole years, and I still hadn’t managed to warm the hearts of these two. My heart felt like it had been stabbed, then twisted violently, a gut-wrenching agony. Fifteen years ago, Marcus abandoned them, mother and daughter, to venture into business, vanishing into thin air. Now he was back, and I, their free ATM and laborer, was expected to step aside immediately. They really had it all figured out. I picked up the crumpled speech from the floor, balled it up, and tossed it into the trash. Smiling, I said to them, “Alright, I’ll leave when the time comes. Don’t worry.” Seeing me agree, the mother and daughter beamed with joy and walked away. But I wasn’t just leaving; I was abandoning them completely. I pulled out my phone and called the hotel. “Cancel the wedding banquet for seven days from now,” I said. “Change it to my sixtieth birthday celebration instead.”
The next day, I woke up to a silent house. I pushed open my bedroom door; Chloe and Evelyn were already gone. I tapped my phone screen, and it showed I’d been removed from the family SnapChat group. The last message read: “Welcome Marcus to the group.” I opened SnapChat stories. Chloe and Evelyn were standing with Marcus, arms wrapped around him, the caption reading: ”Our family is finally reunited!” For fifteen years, my face had never appeared in Evelyn or Chloe’s SnapChat stories. But the moment Marcus returned, they couldn’t wait to make it public. As if they were afraid everyone wouldn’t know they were a *real* family. I used to think they just weren’t good at expressing their feelings. Now, I realized I just wasn’t worthy. Smiling, I hit ‘like’ on Evelyn’s post. A few seconds later, the post was gone. Suddenly, my phone rang. The moment I answered, Evelyn’s angry voice erupted. ”Richard, why did you like that post? What if Marcus sees it and gets mad?” ”You’d better not show your face around us until Chloe’s wedding, got it?” ”Can’t you even hold out for a few days?” Before I could say a word, Evelyn hung up. It was as if I’d committed some unforgivable crime. Seething and hungry all morning, I went to a restaurant downstairs for lunch and unexpectedly ran into Chloe and Evelyn. And, of course, that infuriating Marcus. The moment they saw me, their faces were full of disdain. The silence was suffocating, even my breathing felt heavy. When Evelyn and I locked eyes, I saw nothing but disgust in hers. Chloe’s gaze, too, held a hint of impatience. Then, Marcus approached me, holding a shot of whiskey, a provocative smirk on his face. ”You must be Richard,” he said. “Thanks for taking care of my wife and kid all these years.” ”This drink is for you, from me.” He held the glass out to me. When I didn’t take it, he suddenly flashed a strange smile. Then, he poured the entire drink onto his own chest. Since his back was to Evelyn and Chloe, they didn’t see it. Marcus then, the villain, played the victim first. ”Brother Richard, I offered you a drink out of goodwill to show my gratitude, and not only do you not appreciate it, but you throw a drink on me?” Hearing that, Chloe and Evelyn rushed towards me almost simultaneously. ”Richard, I never thought you’d be so petty! What kind of trick is this?” Evelyn fumed. Chloe glared at me, her face flushed with anger. “Uncle Richard, why are you acting like some common thug? Resorting to such low-class tactics!” ”Look what you did! You ruined the new shirt I bought for my dad!” Marcus looked at me, a triumphant smirk plastered across his face, like the victor he saw himself as. I watched the scene unfold, and it was nothing but pure irony. Their words, at that moment, felt like slow torture, each one a knife twisting in my heart. I was truly experiencing an unprecedented torment. They should have known what kind of person I was. Now, being falsely accused, all I could do was offer a self-deprecating smile. A smile that mocked my inability to judge character. I had no intention of disturbing their happy family reunion and turned to leave. But as I took my first step, Evelyn grabbed my left arm and Chloe grabbed my right, both holding me in place. They spoke in unison: ”Apologize to Marcus!” ”Apologize to my dad!”
My left arm was held by Evelyn, my right by Chloe. I couldn’t move. It was clear they wouldn’t let me leave without an apology. Behind me, Marcus looked on triumphantly. “It’s fine,” he said, emphasizing the words “our family.” “Let’s just get back to eating, our family.” Only then did Evelyn and Chloe release me. The mother and daughter gave me a dirty look and followed Marcus back to their table. As they walked away, I heard Evelyn mutter a sarcastic jab: “He really is getting more petty in his old age.” Chloe chimed in, “Yeah, my dad’s so generous and big-hearted, unlike some people who are so narrow-minded.” After I left the restaurant, I could hear their cheerful voices again: “Cheers to Dad, to my husband, for a successful return from overseas!” And Marcus’s laughter: “To my daughter’s happy wedding!” A cold smile touched my lips as I left. Happy wedding? I doubted if that wedding would even happen. After all, I’d already prepared a surprise for their family. I just wondered if they could handle it. While they were celebrating at the restaurant, I returned home and sorted through my belongings. I packed all my valuable items into a suitcase. Before I knew it, night had fallen. As I slid the packed suitcase under my bed, Evelyn and Chloe returned. But there was an uninvited guest with them. The mother and daughter were supporting a heavily intoxicated Marcus. The moment they saw me, they ignored me like I was invisible. They helped Marcus directly into my bedroom. Chloe even thoughtfully brought a basin of water, took off Marcus’s shoes and socks, and began washing his feet. Evelyn wasn’t idle either. She pulled out my brand-new pajamas from my closet and changed Marcus into them. Watching the overly solicitous mother and daughter, a chill seeped into my bones, making me feel like I was in a freezer. All these years, I’d worked myself to the bone, and I never received such treatment. Once, when I heard Chloe was getting married, I got so happy and drank too much. They just left me at the front door. That was in the dead of winter. I woke up with ice-cold hands and feet, only to realize I’d slept on the ground all night. At that moment, Marcus, lying on the bed, suddenly sat up and vomited directly onto the floor. Chloe quickly held the foot basin in front of him to catch his vomit. Evelyn gently rubbed his back, her face full of tenderness. I watched the scene unfold, and a wave of sorrow washed over me. I finally understood. All this time, I had simply been unworthy. In their eyes, I was merely the lowest-ranking laborer in this household. After they finished cleaning up, Evelyn turned to me, her face stern. ”You should stay at a hotel tonight,” she said. “Or, if you don’t mind, you can sleep on the living room sofa.” Chloe, carrying the basin, quickly added,”No, Mom! What if he snores and wakes up Dad?” The moment she spoke, Marcus’s thunderous snoring echoed from the bedroom. Chloe’s face flushed with a flicker of embarrassment. ”Fine,” she conceded. “Uncle Richard, you can sleep on the sofa.” That night, I tossed and turned on the sofa until I heard the bedroom door open. Marcus, sobered up, staggered out of the bedroom. Unable to find the bathroom, he simply peed directly onto the floor. My blood boiled. ”Are you insane?” I yelled. “Throwing a drunken tantrum at your age? You can’t even control your bladder!” Hearing the commotion, Evelyn was the first to turn on the lights. Chloe, in her pajamas, rushed out as well. They saw the puddle on the floor, and a flicker of embarrassment crossed their faces, but it quickly vanished. Evelyn helped Marcus back into the room, and Chloe grabbed a mop and cleaned up the urine without a single complaint. I remembered how they used to scold me for ages just because a little cigarette ash accidentally fell on the floor. Chloe and Evelyn were both germaphobes. Yet, when Marcus did something so outrageous, they didn’t say a word. Ultimately, their tolerance was born of love. At that moment, my heart completely despaired, as if an invisible noose tightened around my throat. The more I struggled, the more suffocated I felt. But after seeing the true colors of these two, I finally let go. In a few days, I wouldn’t have to endure this humiliation anymore. What I didn’t know was how truly malicious they were, to scheme against me to this extent.
When I woke up on the sofa, their family of three had already left. In their eyes, I had become invisible. My phone buzzed. It was my special notification for Chloe; I knew the moment she posted anything. Her SnapChat story showed wedding photos of Evelyn and Marcus. For fifteen years, wedding photos had been a thorn in my side. We’d been in a hurry back then and never got around to taking any. Every year after that, when I brought it up, Evelyn refused, saying we were too old for such “young people’s antics.” But now, she was leaning into Marcus’s embrace like a young girl, a picture of pure bliss. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to take them; she just didn’t want to take them with me. When I swiped to the second photo, I froze in shock. It was Marcus and Evelyn’s marriage certificate. Two bright red documents stung my eyes. The marriage date was two years ago. Chloe had commented: “So fortunate to witness my parents’ love.” For fifteen years, every anniversary, I had suggested we get a marriage certificate, but Evelyn had always gracefully declined. Turns out, she and Marcus had already remarried, keeping me completely in the dark. I had been a complete fool, a free laborer for the mother and daughter. Now that Marcus was back, they planned to kick me out. My rage exploded at that moment. The indignation in my heart couldn’t be quelled. I had to go demand an explanation. I arrived at the bridal shop. Evelyn and Chloe were still inside, changing clothes. Marcus sat in his car, a cigarette dangling from his lips. The moment he saw me, a flicker of malice appeared in his eyes. He pressed the gas and charged toward me. Just as the car was about to hit me, in the nick of time, he slammed on the brakes. He stuck his head out and sneered: ”Consider this a warning. I’m back. If you’re smart, you’ll leave them and vanish from their lives immediately.” ”Otherwise, I can’t guarantee I’ll be able to stop the car next time.” ”And if you dare show up at Chloe’s wedding, I’ll make sure you regret it.” With that, Marcus sped off, leaving a cloud of exhaust in his wake. I was drenched in cold sweat, collapsing to the ground. The moment I thought I was going to be hit, my blood pressure shot up, and my head swam. Now, I felt the relief of a narrow escape. I lay on the ground, gasping for breath. That was the closest I’d come to death. I quickly pulled out my emergency heart medication and swallowed it. Marcus’s threats replayed in my mind, making my heart pound, refusing to calm down. After that near-death experience, I had completely lost all last hope for that mother and daughter. Back home, I pulled out the suitcase I’d already packed from under the bed and left that very night. As the car drove towards the mansion, I finally pulled up to a large estate and knocked on the door. The moment the door opened, a surprised cry rang out: “Dad, what are you doing here?” ”It’s a long story, son.” Daniel took my suitcase and brought it inside, warmly inviting me into his home. Seeing me looking weary from travel, he naturally knew I’d been wronged and gently comforted me:
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