This time, I had no intention of wasting my time or energy, trying to please anyone.

Bryan seemed to sense my cold attitude. Feeling hurt, he ran over to David. Then, in fluent Ruslanthian, he whispered, “Uncle, I think I’m starting to dislike Daddy. I wish you were my dad instead.”

David shot me a glance, then smiled as he pulled Bryan into his arms. He responded in Ruslanthian, “If you don’t like your dad, how about I be your dad instead?”

Bryan eagerly nodded. His face lit up with joy as he answered, “Yes! I love you the most!”

I watched the two of them bonding like father and son. Then, I turned to Olivia, who also understood Ruslanthian, and asked, “What are they saying?”

Olivia hesitated for a moment, then responded naturally, “It’s nothing. Bryan was just being clingy. He’s mentioned how much he likes David’s gift.”

I stared at her for several seconds. It was as if I were seeing her for the first time.

“I see.”

My voice trembled slightly. Olivia had probably forgotten that I had studied in Ruslan.

The way they could lie so easily in front of me, without even a hint of guilt, made it clear that this was not the first time. How many times had they lied to me before?

They were speaking in Ruslanthian, right in front of me, sharing inside jokes that only they understood. They were communicating openly and putting me down behind my back.

Perhaps, in their eyes, this was their shared secret.

However, it no longer bothered me.

I would be gone soon anyway. I’d let them have their happy little family.

A little later, the doorbell rang.

My parents, Robert Spencer and Lisa Spencer, came in with gifts. Bryan ran into their arms.

“Sweetheart, did you miss us? We bought you so many presents. We also brought lots of your favorite snacks.

“Let us hold you. You’ve grown so tall! And David, you look like you’ve lost weight. We brought you some supplements.”

As another birthday celebrant, I did not even receive a glance from my parents, let alone a gift.

The favoritism was so obvious. If it were the old me, I might have felt disappointed, but at this moment, I only felt relieved.

This way, when I left, I would not miss a single one of them.

Olivia saw my blank expression and thought I was upset.

She gently placed her arm around my waist in an attempt to comfort me. “Hugh, it’s okay. You still have me. You’ve lost some weight too. Let’s go shopping tomorrow. You can buy whatever you want. Bryan is still a child, and David is young, so it’s normal for your parents to take care of them more.”

I inhaled the faint scent of sandalwood wafting from her, but all I could see in my mind was the image of her being intimate with David.

A wave of nausea hit me suddenly. I quickly found an excuse to go to the kitchen to serve the food.

To my surprise, Olivia followed me. With a hint of affection, she said, “I’ll serve it.”

I was happy to be left alone. I sat in the living room and scrolled through my phone. My parents were chatting animatedly, but I did not join in.

As my parents saw me sitting there, their conversation gradually faltered. They had been ignoring me, but when I gave no reaction, they did not know what to do.

As they watched me sit there perfectly at ease, they began making snide remarks.

“We came all the way here to celebrate his birthday, and here he is, pulling a long face. A grown man with no job is one thing, but now he can’t even take care of the house and waits around to be served.”

Olivia’s expression turned cold. She replied with irritation, “Robert, Lisa, Hugh and I just have different roles in this family. Today is Hugh’s birthday as well. There’s no reason the birthday boy should be the one running around.”

Seeing Olivia standing up for me made a deep bitterness bubble up.

Since I was very young, I had known that while my parents loved me, they loved David more.

I used to think Olivia was my savior, who had healed the pain inflicted by my family.

She was the one who told me that I had to love myself even if no one else loved me. She even made a vow at our wedding to make up for everything my family had denied me.

For a time, I thought I had been saved. I thought I would never have to envy anyone again.

Unfortunately, the salvation I believed in turned out to be just another form of torture.

The love I believed was mine, and mine alone, was divided into two parts. Perhaps in the future, it would be divided even more.

After Olivia spoke up, my parents did not dare say anything further.

The birthday dinner ended in a cold, awkward silence.

After dinner, when my parents were about to leave with David, Bryan started whining. He wanted to go with them too.

Olivia furrowed her brow, but she was already used to playing the good cop. “Bryan, if you keep acting like this, your dad is going to get upset. He doesn’t like it when you act this way.”

“Why would I be upset? If the kid wants to go, let him.”

In the past, I would never have agreed. Bryan had a weak constitution. If no one kept an eye on him, his routine would fall apart. On top of that, my parents spoiled him rotten by providing him with unlimited amounts of junk food. I used to worry he would eat himself sick.

This time, I let him be. I agreed without a second thought.

Why bother? Everyone else got to be the good guy. Only I played the villain.

Before they left, David suggested Olivia see them home.

“Hugh, David wants me to send them home. I’ll be back as soon as I can.”

I glanced at her and replied in a neutral tone, “Go ahead.”

She hesitated at how easily I agreed.

As if sensing my indifference, she said with concern, “Hugh, are you upset? I can just have the driver take them. If you don’t want me to go, I’ll stay.”

Her concern did not seem fake, but I no longer cared to analyze it. I forced a smile to ease the tension. “What are you talking about? Why would I be upset about you driving my parents home? Go. Don’t keep them waiting. Besides, if you don’t go, your sweetheart might get disappointed.”

Olivia thought I was talking about Bryan. She smiled with resignation.

“What can I say? He’s the fruit of our love. He’s so little, and we can’t bear to scold him. He isn’t afraid of us because we just can’t bring ourselves to be strict parents. I just hope that when he’s older, he’ll understand more and make it easier on you.”

With that, she tilted her head up and kissed me softly on the chin. “I’ll be back later tonight.”

I did not say anything, but I knew I could just go to bed early tonight because Olivia was not coming back.

Just as I expected, I had a peaceful, undisturbed sleep. Olivia never came home all night.

The system’s voice echoed in my mind.