To my surprise, the persistent man called me in an attempt to confront me. Unsure of the things to talk about, I hung up his call and made up my mind to deny I had dropped him the embarrassing message.
As he wouldnât give up and continued calling once after another, I forced myself to calm down and picked it up, replying in a callous tone, âIt was a mistake, okay? Can you forget about it?â
Nancy, who was on the other end, asked, âWhat sort of mistake are you talking about? Are you having a fight with Lyle again?â
My heart skipped a beat when I heard Nancyâs voice. I was grateful I hadnât addressed him as Christopher. Otherwise, things would get awkward. Although Nancy was a reliable friend of mine, it would be a hassle for me to explain everything to her.
At the very least, I had to keep everything confidential until I could sever ties with Lyle. Otherwise, we would both end up miserably should things spiral out of control. âAre you shocked when itâs like something that occurs on a daily basis? What brings you to me today?â
âYouâre the one at fault for spoiling him! Heâs going to take you for granted if you donât teach him a lesson! He shouldâve seen it coming the time we were at the clubhouse! I tried to stop him, but he decided to humiliate you in front of others!â
Nancy once urged me to take everything into considerations before making the call to get married to Lyle. However, I wasnât in my right mind because I was overly thrilled. As a result of not taking her words seriously, I had to bear the consequences of my rash decision.
If I have exercised caution and thought things through, things wonât end up as such. I left everything behind, including my job, to get married to Lyle. Over the past two years, he was the center of my life. Now that I think about it, no one is going to enjoy my presence when I donât even like my current self.
I brought something up and diverted her attention for a change of mood. âAlright, shall we talk about something else since Iâm in a great mood for once? What are you up to? As long as I have time to spare, I donât mind tagging along with you.â
Nancy announced, âMy bad! I have received the invitation card to the banquet held by the Tanner family, but I wonât be able to make it because Iâm up to something else! Iâm calling to beg for mercy!â
It was another one of the many absurd things I had to go through as an outcast of the Tanner family â I knew nothing about the banquet that would be held until a friend of mine told me about it.
Calm down, Yvonne! Havenât you gotten used to it after being ignored, neglected, dismissed, and picked on over the years? Apart from being biologically related, I donât think I have anything to do with the Tanner family at all!
I deadpanned my question, âIs the banquet held to celebrate Crystalâs return?â
Nancy noticed something was wrong when she caught me asking indifferently. She queried, âAre you telling me they have not informed you? I-â
I knew she would want to console me, but that wouldnât be necessary at all. In return, I chuckled and said, âWell, youâre aware of the things that have occurred over the years, arenât you? Since itâs not a banquet held for me, feel free to tend to the things you have instead.â
On the day of the banquet, I received a call from my father. He reprimanded me the moment I picked up the call, âCrystal was back since a few days ago, yet you didnât bother to pay her a visit! Do you really consider yourself her sister? Have you forgotten Iâm your father as well?â
I had long gotten used to being reprimanded for every trivial issue. Crystal was the familyâs sweetheart, while others had always deemed me the jinx of the family. âDad, I have just been discharged from the hospital after a miscarriage. As of now, Iâm still in the middle of recovery.â
It was not my intention to play victim, but he seemed to have misperceived it that way. He got increasingly infuriated and yelled, âCanât you even take good care of yourself when youâre just a housewife? Just how useless can you be?â