“On my fifth birthday since getting married, no one remembered. Again.
I’d made a plate of garlic butter shrimp to celebrate on my own. I’d barely raised my fork when Ethan blocked my hand.
“”Emily, Megan loves these. Let her have them.””
My mother chimed in from across the table. “”You’re the older sister. Act like it.””
I’d been hearing that line for twentyeight years. I was long past arguing. “”Fine,”” I said calmly.Â
“”I’ll just have the few that are left.””
“”You were in the kitchen all afternoon—I’m sure you snuck plenty.”” Ethan frowned, sliding the entire plate in front of Megan. He picked up a piece of roasted zucchini with his chopsticks and dropped it into my bowl. “”Eat some vegetables. They’re good for you.””
I froze.
Zucchini. Megan’s most hated food—and the one I’m allergic to.
“”It’s my birthday. Can’t I even have a few bites of shrimp that I made myself?””
All four of them went still for a beat.
Megan immediately reached out. “”It’s my fault—here, take all the shrimp, sis!””
But she didn’t move.
My parents, however, bristled. “”Why would you give them to her?””
Ethan sighed, his voice heavy with reproach. “”Emily, it’s just a birthday. Stop making a scene. If you really want shrimp that badly, I’ll transfer you some money and you can buy your own.””
Just a birthday.
But Megan was only a year younger than me. Every year for her birthday, he booked a restaurant three weeks in advance, bought gifts, rented out venues. He’d never missed a single one.
Suddenly, this whole dinner felt pointless.
I smiled faintly and set down my chopsticks.
“”Forget it. Ethan, let’s get a divorce.”””
The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 08 He flinched as if struck, pain flooding his eyes. “Emily, you can’t be this absolute!” “Mom and Dad have been thinking about you every day. The day you left, Dad’s blood pressure spiked—he collapsed. Even as he was passing out, he was begging me to bring
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 07 New York. I never imagined that after five years, I’d find my way back to the place I’d once dreamed of. Nathan—the senior from law school who’d extended that offer all those years ago—was now a partner at this boutique family law firm. He was showing
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 06 Ethan stood frozen, cold to the bone. His mind replayed the morning’s events on a merciless loop—he’d abandoned me moments after I’d lost our child, swept Megan into his arms and out the door without a backward glance. He’d even texted me on the way to
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 05 The driver did a double take. “The airport? But the restaurant you’re heading to is the opposite direction—east versus west, that’s a good thirty, forty miles apart! You sure?” I nodded firmly. “I’m sure.” On my phone, my mother was still messaging the group chat: [Oh,
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 04 I laughed. Laughed until tears streamed down my face. He hadn’t mentioned the flower. Not once. I uncapped the pen and signed my name in one decisive stroke. “Okay,” I said. He paused. “Where are you? I think I hear a number being called.” I hung
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 03 Ethan didn’t come back to the bedroom until deep into the night. I lay with my back to his pillow, eyes closed, feigning sleep. He stopped in front of me, reached down, and flicked the tip of my nose. A soft sigh. “Little jealous thing. Why
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 02 Muffled laughter filtered in from beyond the door. Megan was laughing. My mother was laughing. Even my usually taciturn father was saying something. I pretended not to hear. I quietly unwrapped the birthday gift a colleague had brought me from a business trip to London last
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The One He Loved Was Never Me Chapter 01 On my fifth birthday since getting married, no one remembered. Again. I’d made a plate of garlic butter shrimp to celebrate on my own. I’d barely raised my fork when Ethan blocked my hand. “Emily, Megan loves these. Let her have them.” My mother chimed in
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