I WISH I HAD A HAPPY ENDING TOO

Chapter 14

More days passed, and finally, June 10th arrived. It was Dad’s birthday.

For hours, I had been staring at my reflection in the mirror, questioning if I was truly ready to face them. In the end, I chose to wrap myself in red from head to toe. I wore a fitted bodycon dress with a high slit and an off-shoulder neckline—dangerous but undeniably elegant. On my feet were red pointed heels that clicked sharply with every step I took, and a sleek red envelope clutch was tucked neatly under my arm. My straight black hair fell right to my shoulders, styled with sharp, blunt bangs that cut straight across my brows. No mess. No hesitation. I didn’t come here to blend in. I came to stand out.

Looking out the window of Sutehan’s car, I saw the crowd already gathering outside our family home. As expected, it was packed. Sutehan had insisted on driving me. When I stepped out of my condo earlier, he had stepped out of his at the exact same moment. Seeing me dressed up, he refused to let me book a cab, pointing out that waiting for a ride-share would only make me late.

Startled, I looked down as he gently took my trembling hand, which had been fidgeting anxiously in my lap.

"You can do it, darling. It's time to face them and show them that you are perfectly fine, even without them and their help," he said softly.

I swallowed hard, his words instantly soothing the erratic rhythm of my heart. He always knew exactly what to say to put me at ease.

"Remember what I told you, okay? If you feel uncomfortable or if anything goes wrong, press your power button three times. It'll instantly trigger a call to my phone, and that's my signal to come inside your parents' house and pull you out myself."

I offered him a small, grateful smile and nodded. I didn't need to hide the ugly truth about my family from Sutehan. He already knew everything.

I was always completely transparent with him. I could never bring myself to lie to Sutehan or keep secrets from him. Around him, I was an open book, and I silently hoped we would always remain on the same page.

"Thank you," I murmured, quickly stepping out of the car.

I didn't let him accompany me inside. As much as I wanted his strength by my side, I couldn't bear the thought of what my Stepmother, Porin, or my Father might say to him. I didn't want Sutehan to witness firsthand how the people I called "family" actually treated me.

The moment I stepped through the grand entrance, every eye in the room locked onto me. My vibrant red dress stood out like a bloodstain against the sea of guests dressed strictly in muted black and white. Holding my head high, I locked eyes with my father, who was staring at me from across the room. The whispers started immediately, accompanied by the familiar, judgmental glares I had endured for years.

Go ahead and stare, I thought. As if I came here to play nice or pretend I care about your approval.

"Happy birthday, Mr. Aizu," I greeted my father, my voice smooth and polite.

A collective gasp rippled through my aunts, uncles, and my stepmother. I extended my gift toward him with a sharp, plastic smile that didn't dare touch my eyes.

"Thank you—" Tita Lucy, Porin’s mother and my father's new wife, quickly stepped in to intercept the gift since my father remained frozen, staring at me.

"I hope you like it," I said flatly, turning my back on them without waiting for a reply.

I surveyed the grand living room. The house was still as massive and beautiful as ever, but the people living inside it were rotten to the core.

"Hi, Sis! Thank you so much for actually accepting my invitation!" Porin's cheerful, high-pitched voice sounded from behind me. She was standing beside my father, wearing a sweet, innocent mask.

Such a hypocrite.

How plastic.

I turned to face her with an equally fake smile, casually lifting a glass of champagne from a passing waiter's tray.

"Ah, yes. I almost forgot. Thank you for reminding me, actually. I tend to forget this day even exists on the calendar," I chuckled, taking a slow sip.

Tita Lucy opened her mouth to snap at me, but my father quickly reached out and grabbed her hand, stopping her. He looked deeply hurt by my words. Good. It was much better to be honest than to pretend I was thrilled to see them.

"I've truly missed your elegant parties, Dad," I said, raising my glass toward him before elegantly brushing my hair back with one hand.

Daddy isn't all that old yet. He's only 53 years old if I calculated it right.

He already has salt-and-pepper hair, kept short, making him look respectable. His jawline is still there, but those eyes that used to look so intimidating are now lifeless. Back then, his gaze was firm. Now? He just looks like someone who always obeys his wife.

He was wearing an elegant black suit, a Rolex watch, looking neat and smelling good, but what's the point if he has no backbone? You could tell from his posture that he was exhausted—not because he's old, but because he just gives in to everything Tita Lucy wants. Even their precious daughter's luxuries are still funded by him.

Tsk. He's so pathetic if it never crossed his mind that they only love him for his money.

Now that I'm seeing him, I don't feel pity anymore. I feel annoyed.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Porin roll her eyes. I smirked inwardly, letting my gaze slowly sweep over her and her mother from head to toe. I watched Tita Lucy’s hands clench into tight fists.

That's right. Burn with anger. Never forget that if it weren't for my father, neither of you would even be able to afford the expensive designer clothes you're wearing tonight.

"Megumi, I’ve missed you so much," my father spoke, his voice cracking with emotion.

Oh, come on, old man! What kind of show is this again?

"Why have you only returned now? Where have you been staying? Have you been eating well—"

"Daddy, stop worrying about her so much," Porin interrupted, her voice dripping with jealousy.

‘Still childish, tsk.’

"She's obviously doing perfectly fine. Just look at her dress! It's incredibly expensive. That's the exact dress I wanted, but the saleslady refused to sell it to me because someone else had already purchased it."

"Maybe it's not even an original, sweetie," Tita Lucy chimed in, her tone dripping with condescension.

I glanced down at the clothes I bought at the mall when I was with Sutehan the other month. I didn't know they were expensive because, while I was trying them on in the fitting room and decided I liked them, he said he would pay for them at the counter using my money while I changed back into the usual outfit I wore to the office.

He was the one who invited me to that famous boutique—which was actually surprising since they were having a sale. I could afford the prices, though I usually just looked because their products are famous and expensive.

"She probably can't afford the real thing. It's likely just a cheap knockoff."

I casually took another sip of my drink, letting their petty insults slide right off me. My father’s eyes were filled with deep worry as he looked at me, yet true to form—he didn't say a single word to defend me against his wife and daughter. How incredibly cruel.

"Okay, that's enough," my father intervened, his voice weary. "Let's just be happy that she is here to celebrate with us tonight."

I almost threw up because of Daddy's behavior when suddenly I heard a familiar voice behind me.

"Oh my god! Megumi?!"

The sudden, shocked exclamation made me turn around. Tita Sharon was standing there, flanked by my other maternal aunts and uncles. A genuine smile finally broke across my face, and I nodded warmly at them. My aunts instantly stepped forward to envelop me in a tight embrace, while their husbands chuckled warmly behind them.

"We’ve missed you so much, our only little princess!" Tita Karla cried, gently cupping my face to inspect my features, making sure I was alright. I couldn't help but laugh softly at her maternal fussing.

"Tita, I'm not a baby girl anymore. And besides, Dad has two daughters now," I corrected gently, making sure to set the boundary. I didn't want my father or his new family thinking I was desperate to claim a title in this house.

Tita Sharon, Tita Karla, and Tita Erika were my late mother’s cousins. They, along with their husbands, Tito Lucas, Tito Jacob, and Tito Cedric, had raised me and spoiled me rotten when I was a child. They were the only ones who had ever made me feel loved and wanted in this family. They had always been on my side.

On the other hand, my father’s side of the family absolutely despised me. They were the ones currently staring at me from across the room with sneers and whispers. I didn't know what kind of poison Tita Lucy had fed them to completely ruin my reputation, but their hatred had solidified years ago when I spoke up about being assaulted by my father's closest cousin, Tito Edgar. My father had refused to believe me, and his entire clan had labeled me a liar, accusing me of fabricating a horrific story just to cause drama. I had endured unspeakable humiliation because of their cruelty, often hating myself for speaking up in the first place.

What was the point of telling the truth when the result was only more pain? Because I did it. I stood my ground, I spoke up, but the pain from the abuse I suffered at the hands of my own uncle—and Daddy's failure to defend me—tripled. It just made what I experienced hurt three times more.

"But you are the only real niece to us," Tita Erika whispered, and the three of them gently pulled me away from the crowd, leading me toward the quiet of the backyard. I gladly let them guide me, without even looking back or saying goodbye to Dad, just turning my back and leaving him behind. That's what he used to do to me over and over again anyway—just leaving me behind and turning his back on me without a second thought.

"How have you been, sweetheart?" Tita Sharon asked softly once we reached the pool area. The uncles had stayed behind in the living room to greet my father.

"I'm doing really well, Titas. Please don't worry about me," I replied, raising my champagne glass before taking a sip.

"This is the first time we've set foot in this mansion since you packed your bags and vanished," Tita Sharon sighed, her eyes drifting toward the glowing pool. "I absolutely despise your father for how he treated you. For refusing to believe you and denying you the justice you deserved ten years ago."

"If only your mother, Carmen, were still here," Tita Karla added, her eyes shining with unshed tears.

"She would have never allowed you to go through that living hell."

I remained quiet, feeling a familiar, cold knot of anxiety tighten in my chest. Even after all these years, the terror of running into the man who had destroyed my childhood still lingered. I was terrified of seeing his face, terrified that the darkness I had fought so hard to bury in the deepest corners of my mind would come rushing back. Even though I always remember what happened back then, I'm still afraid and I'll never get used to it because what if it happens again? What will I do?

"Someone reached out and informed us that you would be attending your father's birthday tonight," Tita Erika explained gently. "That's why we gathered our strength to come here. We came to protect you."

I froze, my hand hovering over my glass. Someone? Who could that be?

Did I have another guardian angel out there... besides Sutehan? Or was it only Sutehan? He's the only one I told about attending my father's birthday celebration for the first time again after so many years had passed.