Chapter 4

On the day of the wedding banquet, my family still hadn't shown up.

I opened my phone and found post after post from Mom about my sister's engagement party.

Not one of them mentioned my wedding.

The comments were all the same too, everyone wishing Jocelyn a happy engagement.

I looked at it, and nothing stirred in me at all.

Hearing the emcee counting down onstage, I put my phone away and drew in a deep breath.

Then my husband and I walked up to the stage hand in hand.

Seeing him lead me up, the emcee asked, puzzled,

"Where is the bride's family?"

At that, the guests began to murmur among themselves.

I took the microphone straight from the emcee and said, calmly,

"I have no family. From now on, my husband's family is my family."

Hearing that, my husband pulled me into his arms and said against my ear,

"Serena, you've had a hard time all these years."

"From now on, we are your family!"

Margaret Hale took my hand too, tears shining in her eyes.

"Serena, you've suffered. We'll take good care of you..."

Listening to their comforting words, I felt a warmth I hadn't known in a long time.

So it turned out I could be the one who was cared about too.

After the banquet ended, I didn't let myself relax until the last guest was gone.

Holding up the hem of my dress, I made my way over to my husband.

Then I hugged him and said, coaxing,

"Let's move, okay?"

He wrapped his arms tight around me and nodded.

...

Three days after the banquet, Mom kept looking out the door, but I was nowhere in sight.

She said, a little put out,

"Serena, she doesn't even know the rules about the return visit!"

Then she messaged me.

But the moment it sent, it showed that I'd already blocked her.

Furious, Mom threw her phone straight to the floor.

"Serena, how dare she block me!"

"No. I'm going to her in-laws' place to see exactly what she thinks she's doing!"

So Mom went to my in-laws'.

When Margaret opened the door and saw it was Mom, she just sat back down on the sofa.

That only made the anger on Mom's face sharper.

"So, where's Serena? Isn't today her return visit?"

Margaret said, calmly,

"They don't live here anymore."

"Once they're settled, I'll be leaving too."

Mom frowned.

"Serena, why didn't she say anything to me?"

Margaret let out a soft laugh.

"Because Serena said that from now on, I'm the only mother she'll have."

For a moment Mom just froze, her eyes full of disbelief.