My husband asked me if bras were more comfortable without underwire, and I was happy that he had finally become more mature.

The next day, his assistant snatched the parcel I received in the mail, saying that it had the wrong address.

That night, I saw Samantha Davis post on her social media, with the caption, “My boyfriend bought this for me. Isn’t it pretty?”

It was a selfie taken in a hotel mirror, and there was a beautifully decorated box containing a bra lying beside her.

So, as it turned out, it was not that men became mature later in life, it was that you weren’t the one they were willing to become mature for.

Naturally, I gave the post a like and took a screenshot before sending it to my husband.

"What a waste. You could have gotten an 20% discount if you bought the whole set."

"Ma'am, I filled in the wrong address." The assistant explained awkwardly, looking at the box I was holding. "You haven't opened it yet, right?"

I looked down at the parcel in my hands, and even though the parcel didn't say what it was, anyone who'd bought this specific brand before would be able to tell instantly what it was.

I smiled, and handed it back to the assistant. "Don't worry, I haven't. Here."

The assistant retrieved the parcel and left with an apology.

The night before, Zephyr Grant had asked me, "Honey, are bras without underwire more comfortable?"

I thought he wanted to give me a gift, so I put down the milk that I had warmed up for him and smiled. "Do you know my size?"

My size was slightly different than average, so I always need to head personally to shops to try out their sizes when it came to underwear.

Zephyr and I had been married for years by now, and he had never given me any proper gifts before. He'd always wire me the money and let me pick myself, so hearing him ask about it properly was like if pigs suddenly learned how to fly. I carefully taught him the different brands and styles of underwear, as well as how to pick out sizes, and I even left one of my bras by his pillow 'on accident'.

The next day was my birthday, and to say I was in anticipation would be an understatement.

Lo and behold, the parcel arrived, but so did Zephyr's assistant.

-

Naturally, I was disappointed, but I still comforted myself, thinking that he might have bought the wrong size. He was a complete rookie when it came to this sort of thing, after all, so it was understandable.

I kept on waiting until afternoon, but there was no news from Zephyr.

There was, however, news from somebody else.

Samantha Davis missed the chance to attend the Floral Gala because of breast surgery. As she was one of the most popular candidates for best female leading actress, this news spread through the internet like wildfire.

When I saw this news, my daughter was scrolling on her phone. I glanced at a picture on her phone, but I couldn't get a closer look before she slammed her phone downwards. Taken aback by the furious expression on her face, I didn't react in time to dodge the pillow that was thrown in my face. "Why weren't you the one who got sick instead?!"

My brain lagged, as if it were trying to confirm who the person that just talked to me was.

Daphne had always been an obedient and lovely child, but she had undergone an inexplicable change within the past year, changing from a demure and kind girl who often blushed into someone who swore like a pirate all day.

I had already lost count of the number of times she had cursed me.

My expression became cold, but before I could teach her a lesson, she hopped off the sofa, and shouted, "If you hadn't seduced Dad back in the day, my mom would've been Samantha instead! You're so shameless!"

As if she were worried that I'd have trouble understanding what she just said, she increased her volume. "Don't even get me started on those fans of yours. They're even more shameless than you! They said that Samantha deserved getting sick, so I'll curse you to death so that she can become my mom instead!"

Smack!

I could feel my palm stinging.

Daphne held her face in disbelief, her eyes becoming red as she teared up. "You… You hit me! How dare you hit me?!"

"The next time you say something like that, I'll make sure you won't be able to say it again!"

Daphne glared at me in hatred. "I'm embarrassed to have a mother like you!"

After that, she ran back to her room.

I stood there, dumbstruck, taking a deep breath in an effort to calm the pain in my chest. The moment the door closed, I plopped on the sofa, as if that exchange took all of my energy.

Daphne's phone was still on the table, filled with chats that were still active. From where I sat, I could see the curses and pictures edited with ill-intent directed toward me. That was a group chat filled with my haters, and my daughter was the group admin.

My heart was numb with sadness. I reached and grabbed for the phone, seeing the group announcement my daughter had just posted.

"Today, we'll flood that old viper's tags!"

Old viper—that was what they called me. Before I left the entertainment industry, I was well-known for my slightly upturned eyes, but my haters loved calling me a viper instead.

I was very popular, back in the day, but even twelve years after I left the industry, my haters were still as active as ever.

What really hurt me, however, was how my daughter hated me to this extent.

The phone slid from my hand, and I looked up at the television screen, seeing my plump, swollen figure reflected within. I could only look for a few seconds before I had to tear my gaze away.

Twelve years changed everything, and I lost all my former glory. Now, I was just an old witch, destined to be hated by everyone.

Soon, it was evening.

From the live broadcast shown on my television, Samantha was the one who was awarded the best female leading actress even though she was absent from the event. The MC announced that someone else would accept her prize in her stead. These words caused a stir in the audience, and everyone knew what the significance of that would be.

Everyone in the industry knew that Samantha was Zephyr's first love, which he couldn't get since they were in school.

The very first artist Zephyr had signed under his entertainment label was Samantha, and he'd been protecting her ever since.

Meanwhile, I was seen as the villainess who got into his bed using any means she could, tearing the fairytale couple apart.

However, Zephyr's attitude was the only thing I cared about. He had promised me that he and Samantha were only colleagues, and that he wouldn't overstep any boundaries with her. Samantha could've let her assistant take the award in her stead, after all.

The next second, I saw a handsome and tall man stand up from his seat. He smoothed out the wrinkles in his coat and walked towards the stage under everyone's gazes, accepting the prize. With his deep voice, he said, "A big thank you to everyone, and for Samantha's fans for always being so supportive of her. In my heart, she'll always be the best!"

He didn't care how people were going to mock me after this. At that very moment, all he cared about was Samantha.

The sky was dark outside, and only starlight came in through the windows. It was only August, but it felt like winter was right at my doorstep.

Suddenly, Daphne dashed out of her room and grabbed her phone, completely ignoring me. She didn't spare another glance at the table filled with delicious food and cake, dragging along a ribbon with her foot before leaving it by the rubbish bin.

Then, she made her way to the front door and stepped on my favorite white shoes as hard as she could, before leaving. She knew those shoes were my favorite, and this was a clear signal from her that she wanted to destroy everything I loved, and for me to see how terribly she hated me.

I grabbed my phone, and there still wasn't a single message. Everyone had forgotten that today was my birthday.

I couldn't help but recall my birthday last year, when Zephyr excused himself for work and Daphne locked herself in her room, leaving me to eat an eight-inch cake all by myself.

I carefully planned their birthdays, but when it came to me, it was like I was a laughable jester playing a monologue. At that moment, I felt like I was just a joke.

Standing up, I tore all the balloons down from where they landed, throwing the forks and knives into the rubbish bin and flushing the food down the toilet.

After everything was done, I heard a notification from my phone. It was Zephyr, saying that he'd come home later because he had a meeting at the company. I was going to reply, before I saw a post from Samantha on social media.

Her caption?

"After everything is said and done, and no matter how much time passes, the people you love will still be there."

By her side lay a beautifully decorated box, and I didn't even need to zoom in to know that it was the one I had told Zephyr about the day before.

After that, my timeline refreshed, and I saw a post from my daughter.

"My idol's the best leading actress! Gosh, if only she were my mom instead… Look at these pictures. Don't we look like one happy family?"

Attached to her post were four of her selfies. In one of those selfies, Zephyr and Samantha was holding each other close, and there was a four-tier cake in front of them along with employees and staff.

Oh, so that's what he meant when he said he had a meeting at the company.

I couldn't help but laugh as I looked at the pictures of Samantha, feeling the pain in my heart.

She was three years younger me, and in the period of life where she was the most attractive. Her allure showed clearly in her features and her devilish figure, and it wasn't difficult to see why so many were attracted to her.

I was reminded of one of my past birthdays, when she had posted on social media talking about how it was a day suitable for getting drunk. As if on cue, Zephyr made a random excuse and left in a hurry. It was a stormy day, so I followed after him later to give him an umbrella, only to see him coming out with Samantha from a bar. The rain completely drenched his shoulders, but he used his jacket to protect her instead.

That moment, I could only mock myself as I saw my reflection in the car window. If it were me, he probably wouldn't have been able to wrap his jacket around half of me.

I used to be one of the most beautiful artists in the industry, suiting any style and outfit there was, while my figure was rare even by the industry's standards. I was even asked by modeling companies to model for them, paying me unimaginable amounts to walk on the catwalk.

However, everything changed after I gave birth to my daughter. My body inflated like a balloon, and no amount of exercise worked as I continued to become fatter and fatter.

I could feel Zephyr's attitude towards me change by the day. He used to try to satisfy my every need, but now he seemed to be completely ignorant of me, and even seemed to hate me.

He hadn't even touched me for more than a year by now, but I continued to serve this house earnestly. It seemed, however, that what I did was taken for granted.

Perhaps it was only after one obtained true love that they'd realize it was slipping from their fingers.

I gave both the posts I saw a like, before sending the screenshot of it to my husband.

"What a waste. You could have gotten an 20% discount if you bought the whole set."

After that, I switched off my phone and started packing my luggage.