I am no longer his daughter.
I stared at the name tag on the reception desk, feeling the blood in my veins turn to ice.
Lucy, the family disappointment.
The bold, tiny letters cut straight into my heart. I blinked once, then again, hoping I had read it wrong.
But no. The words remained indifferent, as if someone was merely labeling a cocktail rather than trampling on a person’s dignity.
Laughter erupted from the bar.
I didn’t have to look to know whose voice it was. Karen, the woman who always found a way to belittle me under the guise of a harmless joke.
I lifted my gaze and met her smug, satisfied smirk as she sipped her wine. My heart pounded, not from fear, but from anger.
I clenched my fingers around the name tag, feeling the cold plastic press against my skin.
What could I do? Throw it on the floor? Tear it apart, grab a glass of wine, and toss it in her face?
No. I knew this game too well.
Karen always knew how to provoke me. If I reacted, I’d be the hot-headed, selfish daughter. The disappointment, just as she had labeled me.
I took a deep breath and placed the name tag back on the desk as if it meant nothing to me.
But inside, I knew I hadn’t just put down a name tag. I had let go of the final drop of patience I had left.
My father’s birthday party was held in the luxurious mansion Karen never missed a chance to brag about.
A grand chandelier sparkled overhead, and the dinner table was set with extravagant dishes, meals he never let me touch as a child.
The guests were his closest friends, or rather, people who matched his status. Wealthy. Powerful.
I stepped inside feeling like an intruder. No one truly noticed me.
The handshakes, the laughter, the toasts—they all passed by without a space for me.
I glanced around, searching for a familiar face.
Where was my father?
Then I saw him standing in the center of the crowd like a king, greeting his subjects.
He was beaming as Olivia, Karen’s daughter, boasted about her new job. Beside her, Hunter, Karen’s son, nodded in agreement with a proud smirk.
They were the perfect children my father had always wanted.
And me?
I was just an afterthought.
My father lifted his gaze, his eyes landing on me for less than a second. A fleeting moment, but long enough for me to understand everything.
The distance. The indifference. And worst of all, the disappointment.
He hadn’t wanted me to come. He didn’t even bother to hide it.
I let out a quiet, bitter chuckle.
What had I expected? A hug? A warm, “My dear daughter, I’m so glad you’re here”?
Don’t be naive, Lucy.
I made my way to the drink table, picking up a glass of champagne from a passing waiter. My hand trembled slightly, but I wouldn’t let anyone see it.
I wouldn’t let anyone see me as weak.
“What the hell are you doing here, Lucy?” I asked myself.
I took a sip, feeling the cold liquid slide down my throat, but it did nothing to ease the tightness in my chest.
Then footsteps approached from behind.
“Lucy, long time no see.”
Karen’s voice—syrupy, sweet, laced with poison.
I turned, meeting her artificial smile.
“Karen.” I gave her a small smile. “It really has been a while.”
She tilted her head slightly, her eyes scanning me with a calculating look.
“Am surprised to see you here. I thought…” She trailed off before shrugging. “You were busy with—what was it again? Freelancing.”
I knew exactly what she meant.