Four Seats for Them. None for Me.

Chapter 2

For my birthday the year before, I'd put a lot of work into cooking a full spread and reminded them in the group chat well in advance to come over.

I'd thought that, for that one day at least, I'd matter to them.

But I waited from dusk until late at night without a single reply.

Only later did I learn that the three of them had taken Lydia on a trip.

They'd been having so much fun that they'd forgotten I was waiting at home.

I sat in front of a table full of cold dishes, my heart sinking, and ate an entire cake.

When they returned the next day, they all said they hadn't checked the group chat. None of them had given my birthday a thought.

Then there was the day I moved dorms in my junior year.

I had too many heavy bags to carry on my own. I called them over and over, begging them to come help.

Each came up with an excuse. One said he was at his part-time job, another that he was in a competition, and the third that he was in class.

Gritting my teeth, I dragged my heavy bags up to the fifth floor, one step at a time. Then I fell and scraped my knee open.

My roommate couldn't bear to watch. "Why aren't your brothers and your boyfriend helping you?"

I forced a smile and said they were busy.

But my roommate then saw them at another dorm building, moving Lydia's things.

Lydia stood by, perfectly at ease, directing all three while they did the heavy lifting.

I hadn't wanted to believe it. I'd insisted my roommate was mistaken, that those weren't my brothers or my boyfriend.

I'd been lying to myself. Today, I finally understood that.

I sent a message to the manager.

Beatrice: I'll accept the offer in Bellhaven. I can start the day after tomorrow.

Just then, a message appeared in our group chat.

Lydia: Who wants to stay on campus and prepare for graduate school entrance exams with me?

A second later, the three of them volunteered one after another, their familiar profile pictures popping up in the chat.

I watched the screen and stayed silent. This time, I had nothing left to say.

After taking a taxi home, I packed my luggage in my room.

Lydia kept tagging me in the group, asking several times whether I planned to take the exams too.

I ignored her.

Vincent sent a voice message in a harsh tone. "Bea, why can't you answer Lydia? There are only five of us in this group. Are you pretending you can't see her messages?"

He didn't ask whether I'd made it home safely or whether I felt better. He was angry on Lydia's behalf.

He couldn't stand anyone ignoring the woman he worshiped, yet he ignored me over and over.

Lydia played peacemaker again.

Lydia: Vincent, don't blame Bea. Maybe she was exhausted after the IV and fell asleep.

Malcolm immediately challenged that excuse.

Malcolm: Lydia, it's only 11 p.m. She never goes to bed this early. She's sulking and ignoring you on purpose.

Adrian agreed.

Adrian: Exactly. She's probably upset we didn't take her home, so she's giving us the silent treatment. She normally replies right away.

My brothers still knew my habits well. They'd just stopped taking my side a long time ago.

After our parents died, they'd both doted on me.

At first, the group had been just the three of us.

When I started college, they'd introduced me to their friend Vincent.

We'd fallen in love at first sight.

After we started dating, I added him to the group.

From then on, all three treated me like a princess.

They indulged me in everything, bought me food and drinks, held an umbrella over me when we went out, and carried my bags.

But in my junior year, Lydia transferred to my college and joined my class. She became the campus beauty everyone adored.

Vincent couldn't take his eyes off her. He even added her to the group without asking me.

The three of them made me hand over my role as group admin to Lydia, saying she was a better leader.

They renamed "One Happy Family" to "Lydia's Family".

Now, watching them rush to defend her, I said nothing.

I understood that this group no longer belonged to me.

I left it, turned off the light, and went to sleep.