From Cocoon to Butterfly: Meeting the Beautiful Self

After I left, Zoey didn’t just become the new bride and go on with the wedding—it was called off entirely.

When they got home, my dad was slumped in a chair, looking like thunder, and didn’t say a word.

My mom, barely holding it together, jabbed a finger at me and started yelling, "You just walked out like that? What are we supposed to tell our relatives and friends now?"

Zoey, clinging to Edward and crying her eyes out, said, "Mom, Dad, please don’t blame me. I didn’t mean for this to happen. Edward doesn’t even love Pearl. They wouldn’t have been happy together."

Seeing Zoey’s tears, my mom’s tough exterior cracked a bit. She rushed over to comfort her, saying, "Zoey, it’s okay, don’t cry. No one’s upset with you."

But then she turned to me and snapped, "You can’t even keep a man interested. What good are you?"

I couldn’t catch much of what she said after that. I watched her mouth flap. Through all her words, there wasn’t a single bit of comfort for me, who was left abandoned on the wedding day. She never stood up for me or said anything against Zoey. It was just a constant stream of blame directed at me.

I seriously wondered if I was just picked up off the street.

Fine, let Zoey marry Edward then. Since they’re so in love, just make it happen. I shot everyone a fierce look, my frustration boiling over.

But now, my parents, who once thought Edward was perfect for me, were now full of complaints.“Edward, you’re just a junior employee. How can you provide a stable life for Zoey?”

“Yeah, Edward, you don’t even have your own place. If Zoey moves in with you, she’ll be stuck living with your parents. I'm just so worried about the in-law drama.”

“And don’t forget, Zoey is our little princess. If you’re going to marry her, you need to do better than today’s wedding. You need a proper wedding dress and all that.”

But when I brought Edward home, my parents were all for it. They said being a junior employee was fine because there was room to move up. They said living with in-laws was okay since they could help out. They said the wedding was just a formality and that the real deal was the future.

It was not that my parents didn’t care about their daughters. They just didn’t want to care about me.

Edward was stunned to see his future in-laws, who had always praised him, suddenly turning against him. Every word felt like a stab to the heart, and his face turned beet red with embarrassment.

“Mom, Dad, I really love Edward. We’ll be happy together,” Zoey said, unable to take it anymore. She stood by Edward’s side, staring at our parents.

Mom and Dad, fuming with anger, exchanged glances but didn’t say a word.

Zoey turned to Edward to comfort him.“My parents are just overly protective. Don’t let it get to you. Go back and explain things to your mom. I’ll handle my parents.”

Edward nodded silently and said goodbye to my parents.

After Edward left, Mom pulled Zoey close, looking confused. “Zoey, what’s going on? Didn’t you always think he was just a small-time worker? What about Charles? What does he think?”

Charles was Zoey’s current boyfriend. He was the heir to a big corporation, which fit perfectly with my parent's dream of a wealthy son-in-law.