“Grayson, do you remember the promise you made to me on our first anniversary? About going to a concert together?” I asked my husband of 30 years,

He barely even looked at me, his eyes still fixed on the TV,

“Concert? How can you be thinking of that at your age…aren't you embarrassed?“ He snorted at me,

My son and Daughter-in-law's mocking laugh filled the room immediately,

“You are being too greedy, Mom. And you better stop dreaming so big. Who would want to take you to a concert in your old age?” My son, Mason, laughed it off,

“Aside from that, a lot of people would freak out seeing someone like you at a concert, Mother. Concerts are not for old people like you. You are too outdated for that,” Isabelle—My son's wife—added,

“She wants to be Grandma Freya so bad. But the difference is big. You are old and not important, but Grandma Freya is important and golden. Everyone wants to be around her, unlike you,” My nine years old Grandson, Ethan, said his own part,

I sat there in silence, completely speechless but not surprised.

It was usual for them to push my feelings aside like I didn't matter,

My family had this tradition of going to a concert each year—Without me, of course.

They would always convince me to stay behind to take care of the house.

But I wanted to go to a concert too, at least for once in my life—So, I decided to try my luck this year and see if they would be willing to take me along…but definitely not.

Just then, the washing machine beeped, I stood up from my seat and headed to it. Knowing they wouldn't stop talking about me anytime soon…this was my way of saving myself.

As I reached the laundry room, I heard my grandson's voice continuing from where he had stopped,

“Grandma Clara Irritates me so much. Where did you find someone like her to marry, Grandpa Grayson? Why didn't you find a better woman aside from her?...Or why didn't you just marry her sister, Grandma Freya?” He asked,

“Isn't it obvious? My mom was probably the easy one to get,” Mason scoffed, loud enough for me to hear,

“You got it right, son,” Grayson laughed, and so did everyone else in the room,

This was my life. A slave-like Wife and Mother, who was nothing but a joke to them.

Cooking, cleaning, washing—Every single housework—Even as far as mowing the lawn—was on me.

My back would always ache from the weight of it all. But despite everything… I was still a joke to them.

“Her parents literally begged me to take her away…it felt like I was taking a trash home,” Grayson continued laughing,

I bent my head in shame as a tear dropped from my eyes,

“No wonder she is so jealous of Grandma Freya,” Ethan hissed,

“Of course, she is. Grandma Freya has everything. She is an A-list celebrity and everyone adores her unlike Grandma Clara who looks like a complete maid,” Isabelle spat,

“She is honestly the most embarrassing part of this family,” Mason nodded in agreement,

How were they so comfortable saying all those things about me? The same family I had given up on myself for.

I didn't go to college just so I could save up the money for them.

I bought the house we were all living in with my money, and I had even given my life savings to Grayson to start a business with when he had nothing.

Yet they all seemed so free humiliating me like this.

“Grandma Clara ruined my 3rd-grade graduation. None of my friends wanted to sit with me on that day. They said she smelled so bad…like a spoilt fish,” Ethan went on,

“Ethan!” Isabelle yelled out his name,

And for once I thought she was going to scold him for talking about me like that…but instead, she let out a loud, mocking laugh. And so did everyone else.

With a heavy heart, I walked close to the door, watching their laughing faces,

They kept laughing for minutes until the sound of my phone ringing made them stop, their eyes turning to me at once,

“Oh, there she is. The spoiled fish!” Ethan called out,

“Ethan, stop,” Mason silenced him, then he turned to me with what seemed like a smirk on his face,

“Maybe you should try washing up more, Mom. You do smell like spoilt fish sometimes and it's hard to be around you,” He said,

“He is right. You should listen to him. We care about you and we just want you to be healthy. That's all,” Grayson joined in,

I stood in deep silence, watching them with my tear-filled eyes—How did I get to this point? I was the subject of mockery in the same home I had given up everything to build.

Without a word, I walked back into the laundry room, my head hanging low with shame,

All I wanted was just to experience a little joy in my work-filled life, but it felt like I had overstepped my boundaries once again.

“Did she just walk out on us?” I heard Isabelle ask as I resumed taking out the laundry,

“She has changed so much. She mostly has no manners left these days,” Grayson replied,

“Mothers like her at the worst. She just doesn't know how hard it is to put up with her. You could have done better, Dad,” Mason uttered,

Just then, I heard the door flung open,

“Hello, sweet family!” Freya—My younger sister—strolled in, her voice filling the entire room,

“Oh my God, Grandma Freya!” Ethan called excitedly, jumping to his feet and so did the others,

“Oh, my little boy,” Freya beamed at him, then she turned to the serviceman who had walked in after her with a huge bag on his head,

“You can drop it right there…I brought something for all of you,” She announced,

I remained where I was, hearing their excited clapping and laughing filled the air once again,

“There is a gift there for my sister too. Is she around?” Freya asked with the bit of warmth she had left for me,

“She walked out on us because we wouldn't let her go to a concert. She just doesn't know how creepy it would be with her there,” Mason hissed out a reply,

Freya gave a quick scornful laugh, “She has always been like that…greedy, selfish, and wicked. I guess she doesn't know she would only be embarrassing you guys if she dared tag along to a concert,”

“Her selfish personality was the reason why my parents were so eager to get rid of her. I'm so sorry you guys have to be the one to bear the burden,” She kept talking, then she turned to Grayson,

“I know she can be disappointing but I don't think you have a choice. You have to hold it in. She is your shame to carry,” She remarked,

Those words hit me like a brickstone—I was a shame even to my own sister I had helped send to Acting College so she could be the A-list celebrity she was now.

“Okay! Please, let's not spoil our mood with something so insignificant,” Isabelle broke the silence,

“Instead of wasting this precious moment, why don't we just go out to get our concert outfits ready?” She suggested,

“Brilliant idea, Mom! It would be so fun hanging out with a Celebrity…oh I'm excited thinking about it already,” Ethan danced around,

Minutes later, the house fell into utter silence and the sound of their car driving away to have fun shopping…Without me.

I stepped out of the laundry room and stared silently at the Empty living room.

They had all left like that…without even thinking about me…like I really wasn't part of the family,

Maybe I was the problem. Physically…socially…I was nothing compared to my sister.

I was two years older than her, but my hair was already gray-white all over, while hers was still a shining black.

Unlike Freya's model body at her age, I was the total opposite with an overweight body, rough skin, and pimples on my face.

But Freya didn't have anything draining her like this Marriage was doing to me.

She had refused to marry and was taking full glory in being a Celebrity instead. No one was shaming her for being a single woman at her age…but I was being shamed for having devoted almost all my life to being a Wife and a Mother.

I sluggishly walked over to the couch and slumped down on it, my eyes moving to the wedding photo hanging on the wall.

It was my wedding—but I wasn't in the photo.

That was a day I would never forget.

I had been struggling to get a wine stain out of my wedding dress in the bathroom while Grayson was grinning from ear to ear, taking a couple pose with my sister like it was his wedding day with her.

When I confronted him, he remained proud like he didn't see any problem with it,

“You know Freya has no plans of getting married. That's why I took the photo with her. I just wanted her to experience how a wedding feels like for once. And I know I did the right thing. Why are you being so selfish and not wanting to see your own sister happy?”

And despite my discomfort with it, he had proudly hung it in our bedroom and living room as his official wedding photo.

I stared long at the photo, and it dawned on me that I had always been neglected from the start. It didn't just start.

I had lived thirty whole years of my life in a place where I wasn't welcomed.

All for what had I given up on myself for?

Freya had never contributed a dime to my family, and yet her photo was hung on the wall of the house I had bought with my own Money.

I scanned around the living room—There were more photos of Grayson, Mason, Isabelle, Ethan…and even Freya hanging around…but there was not a single photo of me.

“You have to find bundles of joy for yourself,” A lady’s voice echoed from the TV,

She was young, beautiful, and had the whole world at her feet.

I used to be like that too. Tears formed at the corners of my eyes and I was too weak to stop them from falling.

With a huge defeated sigh, I stood up and went to the bedroom,

I had just shut the door closed when it flung back open,

Grayson walked in with a frown on his face,

I tried to make way for him but before I could…he pushed me and made me fall to the bed,

“God, why are you so fat?” He asked,

“Freya is your sister, yet she is so sophisticated and clean, unlike you who looks like a pig that has been fed garbage its whole life and has never showered,” He was irritated, pointing at me,

I looked down at the shirt I had on, it had a grease stain that wouldn't come off, and it was stretched tight across my belly, the buttons struggling to stay put,

Grayson was the total opposite of me.

His hair was a shiny black just like Freya's. Everything about him was admirable. His skin, his neat outfit I always spent my early mornings ironing.

He was the definition of perfect…just like Freya. While I was just like the embarrassing part of his life…of this family.

Grayson went to pull off his shoes and pushed them aside, knowing I would immediately go to pick them up to take them to their rightful position like I always did…but this time I didn't.

I sat still with no reaction.

“Look at how stinky the room smells with you around. You should be washing off the gutter of a body you have instead of acting so childish about going to a concert,”

“All you did was give birth to one kid, yet your whole body is so saggy and disgusting. Look at Freya—she is so flawless and sexy at her age. Why can't you be like her?” He snorted,

“I wonder why I even married you?” He hissed at me before storming out of the room,

Finally, I let out the heavy sigh I had been holding in—And my head sparked with a shameful memory I had tried to push behind me,

Thirty years ago while Freya was still in college, she had introduced Grayson to my parents as the man she wished to marry,

They were the perfect couple to everyone—They’d even once played Romeo and Juliet in a school play, and the whole hall had celebrated like they were watching real love.

But out of the blue, they'd separated.

And that was when Grayson came to me, “Finally, I can be with you. I have been waiting all my life to find someone like you, my love. I can't wait to spend forever with you,” He had said with the sweetest smile on his face,

And I had fallen for it all. Every day, he filled me with sweet words, swept me off my feet, and got me excited to spend forever with him.

I didn't even bother to ask why he had broken up with Freya,

She had always won—but this time It felt like I did because I had something she didn't.

I thought I had finally been chosen.

But…it all finally dawned on me now that I was just the backup plan all along.

All these years…he never truly loved me. He just needed someone to fill the empty space Freya had left behind.

She had dreams—A bright spotlight waiting for her.

And I was just available. Easy and pathetic for him.

I was the perfect fool.

Desperate for love and ready to cling to any scraps of affection he threw my way.

While he chased after Freya’s shadow, I stayed behind—trying to become light for a man who never even saw me.

And the worst part?

I let him.

I gave him everything, thinking it meant something.

But to him, I was nothing more than just a pathetic backup.

Just as a shameful tear dropped from my eyes, Grayson's phone beeped with a message,

I quickly reached for it without a second thought,

It was a message from Freya—"The concert tickets are ready for the five of us. We’ll be leaving for Brookmere City in three days so I got us a space at the Royale Hotel. We’ll both be sharing a room. So exciting."