He Favored Her as "Family", I Left

The day before my flight to Kingsford, my best friend was celebrating her 24th birthday. She beamed from ear to ear. "You and Wyatt are both family that I chose myself. Family isn't always about blood." I smiled, but I didn't say a word. After all, it had always been Sharon Walker and Wyatt Hayes' favorite line—we're family. Making her breakfast? Because we're family. Drying her hair, wiping away her tears, even rocking her to sleep? Because we're family. Wyatt picked up a slice of beef, carefully dipped it in the sauce, and placed it into Sharon's bowl. Then, without thinking, he fished out a piece of garlic and dropped it onto my plate. Watching him, I couldn't help remembering the day he accepted my confession. "I don't get emotional easily—that's just how I'm wired," he told me. "Honestly, I have no idea how to treat girls." I quietly tossed the garlic into the trash and watched Sharon drink from the glass Wyatt held for her. Wyatt, it wasn't that you didn't know how to treat a girl right. You just never wanted to treat me right. "Viola, the Kingsford confidential project lasts three years. Have you really made up your mind?" Without looking up, I replied, "Yeah. There's no one here worth staying for." From now on, I wouldn't let them keep using the excuse of being "family" to make me swallow every bit of hurt in silence. …… The silver bands on their fingers clinked softly together. I froze. "Wyatt... I thought you hated wearing rings." Hearing his name, Wyatt paused for just a second while helping Sharon drink her water. Instinctively, he started to pull his hand away, but Sharon beat him to it. "So, Viola, what do you think? Pretty, right? It's handmade. Wyatt gave it to me for my birthday. Oh, don't get jealous. I told him I wanted to make rings, so he went with me. It's my birthday after all. He's only humoring me. We're family, remember? Cut me a little slack. Besides, don't you already have your super romantic 'halo ring'?" She wiggled her eyebrows at me. She was talking about something that happened when Wyatt and I had first started dating. Back in college, I wanted us to have something that matched. So I suggested we make a pair of rings ourselves. Wyatt frowned immediately. "I don't like wearing jewelry. It's a hassle." That was true. He didn't even wear a watch. I tried to hide my disappointment, but then he suddenly grabbed my hand and lifted it into the air. The lecture hall was empty except for the two of us. Sunlight streamed through the windows, and two circles of light landed perfectly around our fingers. They looked just like rings. "Where there's light, we'll always have our rings," he said with a grin. "Don't be upset, okay?" But now, a voice almost identical to the one from back then shattered the memory. "Oh, that?" Wyatt chuckled. "I just said that on the spur of the moment. I can't believe Viola still remembers." The smile on my lips froze. I looked straight at Wyatt. He met my eyes for a split second, then looked away as if my gaze burned. Sharon burst into laughter. "Oh my God! I thought you were such a romantic. Turns out you were just making stuff up." The moment Wyatt saw her laughing, he visibly relaxed. "Yeah," he said casually. "I'd forgotten all about it." Lair. He remembered. I knew he did. And I knew exactly why he was pretending he didn't. Because of Sharon. At some point, showing even the slightest affection toward me in front of her had become something he treated like a crime. The first few times, he'd bothered to explain. "Viola, Sharon sees us as family. If we're too lovey-dovey around her, she'll feel like being left out." Back then, I'd nodded, half convinced. It took me a long time to realize the truth. If the two of us weren't excluding Sharon, then they were excluding me. Just like now. A bright red chili pepper landed on my plate. Meanwhile, another perfectly cooked slice of premium beef found its way into Sharon's bowl. Something inside me finally snapped. "I'm not a trash can." Both of them turned toward me. "What?" "I don't need your garlic, scallions, or chili peppers dumped onto my plate. I am not your trash can." Wyatt paused. Without realizing it, he leaned toward me. But his eyes stayed fixed on Sharon. "Hasn't it always been like this?" Yeah. Always. When we first started dating, I'd told him, "You said you didn't know how to take care of people. I'll teach you." So, meal after meal, I'd picked food for him, piling all the scraps onto my own plate. I'd always believed Wyatt learned everything fast. As long as I taught him, he'd figure it out. And he had. He'd become very good at taking care of someone. It just wasn't me. A bitter laugh escaped my lips. "So you honestly think I wanted my boyfriend dumping his food scraps onto my plate?" Wyatt didn't answer. He simply picked up a piece of beef and placed it onto my plate. "There. Happy now? It's nothing worth making a scene. Don't ruin Sharon's birthday. After all, we're the family she chose. We should care more about her feelings." I stared at the slice of beef floating in the spicy broth, still red in the middle. I didn't touch it. Just then, my phone buzzed. Sender: Viola, there are still seats available on tonight's flight. You can also leave three days from now if you'd rather spend a little more time with your family." "Family". I hadn't had one for a very long time. As for this so-called family, it had become nothing more than the perfect excuse for the boundaries they kept crossing together. I typed my reply. Viola: Tonight's fine. A few seconds later, the response came. Sender: Got it.