Chapter 2

Gregory was ecstatic when he heard what Wendy said. He even insisted she take the afternoon off to properly celebrate her birthday. Wendy walked out of the hospital feeling empty and lost. She couldn't help but check her phone repeatedly. Just a single birthday wish from James or Ethan would've made her happy, yet no one remembered. As she wandered through the streets, she suddenly received a notification on her phone. She opened it eagerly just to realize it was a birthday greeting from a shopping app. Wendy stared at it as tears welled up in her eyes. However, she was never one to be overly emotional. She quickly pulled herself together and called her parents. "Mom, Dad, want to have dinner tonight? I'll make the reservations." There was a long silence on the other end before a heavy sigh came through. Her mother's voice, Mary Compton, came through. "Wendy, I know you're upset that Jenna and James are celebrating Ethan's birthday today, and you're trying to make things difficult for her, but she's your sister. Can you really bring yourself to treat her like this? "Think about it. If you hadn't gotten pregnant before marriage, Jenna would be the one married to James now. "Don't you see? James doesn't love you. Even after having a child, the one he loves is still Jenna… Please, Wendy, for my sake, let them be." So, that was what her parents, Mary and Chris Sanders, thought of her. That was how they saw her. However, all she wanted was to have dinner with them, just someone to spend her birthday with. All her hopes were reduced to dust, as if something inside her broke completely. Wendy listened quietly. Was she hurt? At some point, she had gotten used to it. Her parents had always favored Jenna, and they would always use the fact that Wendy was two years older than Jenna as a reason to make her give in. If Jenna was upset, it must be Wendy's fault. If making Jenna happy meant letting her hit Wendy, her parents would even help hold Wendy down to let Jenna vent her anger. While her parents never deprived her materially, they never once considered her feelings, just like her husband and son. Was she disappointed? Perhaps she would be in the past. Now, she only felt numb. Her stomach growled. So, she found a small diner and stepped inside, only to realize it was the one she and James used to frequent during their university days. As soon as she walked in, the owners, Doug Pruitt and Connie Phelps, recognized her and greeted her warmly. As Connie brought her a plate of Alfredo pasta with extra bacon, she beamed. "It's been ages since you've come by. Missed the taste, right? Eat while it's hot. Oh, right! Miss, did you end up with that handsome guy?" Even after all these years, Connie still remembered James. Wendy froze mid-bite. "No." Connie visibly relaxed, breathing a sigh of relief. "That's good. I can't tell you how many times I wanted to warn you back then not to trust him. Sure, he was good-looking, but he's a scumbag. "You should know that he was only dating you to get close to your sister. I always wanted to say something, but I was afraid you'd think that I was meddling. Good thing you were smart." Connie rambled on about people and things from the past, and Wendy merely smiled. As it turned out, her parents, her friends, and even bystanders saw things for what they really were. She alone had been blind, thinking James had changed only because she'd been too busy. On her way home, she happened to spot James and Jenna in James' car. With Jenna in the passenger seat, the two chatted merrily, exchanging looks so intimate they could've been mistaken for lovers. Ethan was sleeping in the back with his belly exposed. Wendy instinctively reached for her phone. She called James but immediately hung up. She shook her head. It wasn't her place anymore. As the light turned green, she sped home and drafted a divorce agreement. If she could choose again, she would never have slept with James the night he was drunk. She would never have become pregnant, and six years of her life wouldn't have been wasted. At 10:00 pm, James returned with the half-asleep Ethan, who mumbled sleepily, "Daddy, why do we have to come home to sleep? I want to sleep with Auntie Jenna." If only Wendy weren't around, he wouldn't have to be apart from Jenna. James said nothing to correct him, silently going along with what Ethan said. "Wendy?" James' voice drifted up from downstairs. It was clear that he wanted her to bathe Ethan. Wendy didn't move. Then, she heard Zelda say, "Mrs. Frank must have fallen asleep. I'll bathe Ethan." Zelda took Ethan into her arms. She looked hesitant, glancing at James several times. Then, she cautiously asked, "Mr. Frank, today is Mrs. Frank's birthday as well. Did you not celebrate it with her?" James froze for a second before replying indifferently, "She's almost 30. What's the point of celebrating? Besides, she's busy at the hospital." Zelda sighed and said nothing more. As his dismissive tone reached Wendy's ears, she merely smiled wryly. He seemed to have forgotten all about the grand birthday celebration he'd held for Jenna a few months ago. What had he said then? "A woman's every birthday is important. She has to be happy." Wendy's heart felt hollow. She finally realized that love, or the absence of it, had always been painfully obvious. After Ethan was done with his bath, he asked James, "Will Mommy be mad that we didn't celebrate her birthday?" Mad? As far as James could remember, Wendy almost never got angry. The only two times she had ever been mad were both over Jenna. But after he lost his temper at her once, she never brought it up again. He was quite satisfied with Wendy, simply because she would always go along with whatever he wanted. He answered nonchalantly, "Don't worry. Even if she gets mad, she'll get over it quickly." "Yeah! Mommy loves being a doormat." Ethan giggled. A doormat? Wendy stared blankly at the ceiling, unable to sleep all night. James didn't return to the master bedroom. The next morning, Wendy wanted to talk to him about the divorce, but he had already taken Ethan to school. Whatever. She applied for staff housing at the hospital and began packing. She was married for six years, so she had a lot of belongings. After nearly two hours of packing, she realized most of her belongings were just memories. That left a bitter taste in her mouth. In the end, she left with just a few changes of clothes and some medical textbooks. The divorce agreements were sealed in an envelope and placed on the vanity. When she shut the door, the gust of wind blew the envelope behind the vanity and into a crevice. ... On her first night in the dorm, Wendy thought she wouldn't be able to sleep in the unfamiliar place. Surprisingly, she had the best sleep she'd had in six years. Since it was only temporary, she didn't bother decorating or buying anything unnecessary. Life went back to the simple routine she had during her student days. That was until her phone rang with an urgent tone.