"No buts," Oliver interrupted firmly. "Filial piety comes first. Are you really going to defy your parents?"
I stood frozen at the doorway, my entire body stiff as ice.
If not for the weight of the gift bag biting into my palm, sending a dull ache through my skin, I might have thought I was dreaming.
Anthony and I had been together for six years.
I had visited his home countless times and every single time, his parents had treated me like their own daughter.
They would clean every corner of the house before my arrival.
They would prepare an entire spread of my favorite dishes.
They would even remind Anthony to treat me well.
Back then, I had felt blessed, certain I had found not only a loving partner but also a second family.
But now, as I listened to them coldly calculating my worth, it felt like a knife had been plunged into my heart.
They weren’t treating me like family.
Had I not come today, had I not overheard this conversation, I couldn't begin to fathom the pain I would have endured.
A cold numbness seeped into my bones, spreading from my head to my toes. The weight of the gift bag in my hand felt heavier than before, dragging me down with every step as I turned and walked away.