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."

My eyelashes wouldn't stop quivering as I placed the phone back in its spot.

They were leaving to have fun without me. And Freya is going to be sharing a room with Grayson in a Hotel.

My heart sank at the thought of it.

Grayson walked back into the room at that moment, dragging two large boxes along,

“Here. Pack them all in a suitcase. It's our concert outfit. The kids and I will be leaving soon and we'll be gone for a few days. Do that right now!” He commanded, pushing the boxes to my side,

Before I could even say anything…He had stormed out of the room again.

Then I heard him turn on the TV to one of Freya's dramas playing on it. His laughter filled the thick air around me.

I chuckled bitterly.

Once again…I was just the slave being left behind.

How on Earth did I let myself get to this stage? Why was I so blind to see it all from the start?

The night went by as quickly as it came.

I barely even slept, but just when I had just closed my eyes, Grayson's tight grip yanked me up,

“Are you that fat that you've become so lazy? Why are the outfits still in the boxes? And why are there still dirty dishes in the kitchen sink?” He was outraged,

With sleepy eyes, I struggled to my feet and hurried to the kitchen.

In the living room, Ethan was dancing to a song from Freya's drama,

Soon, he moved towards me, eyeing me from head to toe,

“You look like a mess. You must be so sad that you are not coming with us to the concert, right? If only you were a lot like Grandma Freya, maybe you would be given a chance then,” He said,

“For now, just keep washing the dishes and the other maid work. It suits you so well,” He added with a grin on his face like he had said something nice,

My son walked over just then, holding a basket of clothes,

He gave his son a loud peck on his forehead before pushing the basket to me,

“I need them to be washed soon, Mom. Ethan has loads of dirty clothes too. You need to move fast. We don't have much time left…don't ruin this for us,” He frowned,

While I was almost passing out from doing the laundry, Mason was blaring loud music on the TV and singing along to it until they finally headed out…The house fell into a deep, comfortable silence for once.

I was still busy with a basket full of laundry when Grayson appeared,

He said nothing to me, just a scowl on his face as he dropped the new pile of dirty clothes along with the ones I was already dreading doing,

“Are you trying to ruin this concert for us? Why are there still so many unwashed clothes? You haven't even tended to our shoes yet, they are still so dusty!”

“Do you even know how to keep a house clean, or are you just here to take up space and complain all day?” He shot a dirty look at me before walking out,

I did the laundry as fast as I could. Then, after I was done cleaning their shoes and making them white and shiny as I always did, I began packing everyone's bag. Except mine. Of course.

It wasn't even surprising anymore.

I spent the whole day doing everything they wanted without complaining. Because what difference would that even make when my feelings would just get ignored again.

Soon, it was the day for them to leave. As early as 5 am, I was already up to tend to whatever request they had left for me,

I even had to chase down the delivery guy for a last-minute order Mason had insisted on the night before.

But after suffering to get it, He had pushed it away, insisting that he didn't want it anymore,

Strangely, While I had been busy tucking a few groceries into their bags, Grayson came over to me and smiled,

I flinched when I felt his hand on my shoulders,

“I know you don't like traveling, and there weren't many tickets available. That's why we could only get five,” He said,

“Also, you know we need you free enough to tend to our needs before leaving. So, don't worry, there will be another concert soon, you will come with us then,”

That was the kindest I had heard his voice for a long time…but it did nothing to me.

It stirred no emotions… just tiredness.

Why did I have to wait till they were ready to carry me along? I was done doing that.