I Gave My All, She Gave Me Away

It was only when I spotted Richard wearing a birthday hat that I realized that they were celebrating his birthday.

They only came to their senses when they noticed me standing there with my luggage.

Mom, with guilt written all over her face, exclaimed, "Oh, I completely forgot! I was just about to bring some food over to the hospital. I mean, since you're already discharged, you should join us for the celebration, Matt."

I looked at Mom and thought back to all the food she had brought me. As much as I hated to admit it, I knew all that cold food was nothing more than their leftovers.

I immediately lowered my gaze, a storm of emotions raging inside me as a bitter, hollow feeling settled deep in my chest.

"Matt…" Regina rose from her seat, offering to pull out a chair for me.

But when I looked around, I noticed that there was no place for me. Richard had already taken my seat, sitting right beside Regina with Franklin.

Those present caught on to the awkwardness of the situation, and embarrassment spread across their expressions.

Regina furrowed her brow and said, "Richard, you and Franklin should head upstairs to make some room for Matt."

Richard, who was just about to cut the birthday cake, suddenly paused. He gritted his teeth and muttered, "I haven't even had any cake yet…"

He then placed his hand on Regina's stomach and raised his voice, clearly trying to make sure I heard him. "And I still have to take care of the baby you're carrying, Regina."

His remark immediately left everyone in the room dumbfounded.

Lydia was the first to break the silence, exclaiming with joy, "You're expecting again, Regina?"

Regina's serious expression gave way to a blush. She then nodded shyly, replying, "Yeah."

Richard grinned. "Regina told me that she wants to have a bunch of children with me."

I reeled from the shock, my face turning deathly pale.

Regina, realizing her slip up, immediately snapped, "What are you even talking about, Richard? Just go upstairs already. You can't possibly expect Matt to make room for you, right?"

Upon hearing that, Lydia's expression soured. "Richard is the father of your child, Regina. How can you treat him so harshly? If it's such a big deal, I'll give up my seat for Matthew!"

She then got to her feet and guided Richard to another part of the room, as if protecting him.

It was the first time Lydia had ever called me by my first name instead of my nickname. I couldn't help but feel a profound sense of sorrow as I realized that the woman who once doted on me wouldn't even meet my gaze now.

Mom and Dad sighed, gently patting my back to reassure me. "You should stay here with Regina, Matt. I'll go check on Richard. You see, he's just like you—he loses his appetite when he's upset."

I met Mom's worried gaze, my voice cracking as I asked, "Can't you just stay with me for a while, Mom?"

Dad chuckled and lightly patted me on the shoulder, saying, "You're grown now, Matt. We'll have plenty of time together later."

For the first time, the parents who had always favored me denied my request. They were only worried about Richard being too upset to eat, but they didn't stop to think that I might not have an appetite either.

They grabbed a few plates of the pastries from the table and said, "Richard really likes these. You and Regina can have the rest."

I could only stand there and watch as they took away the pastries I loved, unable to do anything about it.

Once everyone was gone, I looked at the leftover cake and smiled wryly.

Regina scooped a spoonful of the frosting from the cake and held it out to me, saying, "I'll explain everything to you later. You should eat something first."

"Did you forget I'm lactose intolerant?" I asked coldly.

Upon hearing that, Regina's hand froze midair. Color drained from her face, and her eyes flashed with panic.

Four years had been too long. Long enough for everyone to forget my preferences. Long enough for the people who once treasured me to stop caring. Long enough for someone else to take my place.

In the end, we finished the rest of the meal in utter silence.

"I'm exhausted, so I'd like to get some rest now."

Upon hearing that, Regina's expression stiffened with embarrassment.

I looked at her face under the harsh glare of the light. From the long, awkward silence, I could tell that there was something she wasn't telling me.

"Is there no place for me here?" I asked with a wry smile, knowing that Richard had probably taken over my room.

Regina remained silent for a moment before replying, "It's just that you came home out of the blue. If we'd known, we would've definitely prepared the guest room for you."