Olivia started the call several times, but stopped. Memories of the past and current emotions clashed within her.

Ultimately, Olivia decided to send a brief message. Olivia wrote and rewrote it several times, finally settling on a simple text.

Dad, Mom, and Sophia. I am engaged to a man named Ethan. Our wedding is on the 15th next month. You are welcome to attend if you’d like.

After pressing send, Olivia’s heart pounded. She spent the next few days uneasy, unable to focus at work or sleep at night.

Ethan supported her gently.

“It’s okay, Olivia. Whatever their response, I’m here with you.”

As expected, her parents’ reply was lukewarm.

“Congratulations. Your father should walk you down the aisle,” her mother’s message read.

It was a demand, not a blessing.

Sophia’s response was even worse.

“Are you trying to shame me by getting married before your older sister? You always think only of yourself.”

Reading these messages, Olivia felt a painful tightness in her chest. Even after all these years, nothing had changed with her family.

It was sad to realize that she had no family to genuinely rejoice in her success and happiness.

Olivia sought Ethan’s help.

“Should I invite them? But if they come, they will surely ruin the ceremony.”

Ethan took her hand.

“I support whatever decision you make, but I want you to choose without regrets. This is our day, but it might also be a chance to reconcile with your family.”

Olivia thought deeply for a long time. She wavered between the pain of the past and a slight hope for reconciliation. Inside her, a dialogue started between the memories of her childhood and her current self.

Two weeks before the wedding, Olivia made her final decision. She would invite her parents and Sophia, but they would not have major roles.

“Dad, I’ve asked Grandpa to walk me down the aisle,” Olivia told her father over the phone.

After a moment of silence, her father’s angry voice came through.

“What a selfish daughter we raised you.”

Olivia, controlling her trembling voice, responded, “Yes, you raised me. But it was my grandparents who loved me. On the most important day of my life, I want someone by my side who truly supports me.”

It seemed her father lost his words for a moment, but he quickly regained his anger.

“You are no longer our daughter.”

After the call ended, Olivia cried for a long time. But these were not only tears of sadness. They were also tears of liberation. Years of suppressed emotions were finally being released.

Ethan simply held Olivia without a word. No words were necessary. His presence alone comforted her.

Preparations for the wedding progressed steadily. Olivia, amidst her busy schedule, ran around selecting dresses and arranging flower arrangements, temporarily forgetting her family issues.

However, a week before the wedding, another shock awaited her. It was a call from her father.

“Olivia, I need to talk to you,” his voice was tense. “About your wedding day. I can’t make it anymore.”

Olivia’s heart nearly stopped. “What do you mean?”

“Sophia has been promoted to VP of a major company. The celebration is on the same day as your wedding.”

His words faded away. Memories from Olivia’s childhood came flooding back vividly. Days when Sophia was always the priority. The pain of being secondary. And now, even on the most important day of her life, they chose her sister.

“I understand,” Olivia responded coldly. “Enjoy yourselves.”

After hanging up, Olivia collapsed to the floor. Ethan rushed over and held her.

“It’s okay, Olivia. I’m here with you.”

His voice helped her regain some strength.

That night, Olivia couldn’t sleep. She stood by the window, looking out over nighttime Manhattan. The city lights seemed to reflect her complex emotions.

Memories kept coming back. The day she wasn’t taken to Disneyland. The parents who didn’t celebrate her school successes. The days she was punished for Sophia’s lies. And the moment she was coldly kicked out after CPS’s intervention.

Olivia took a deep breath.

Yes. That’s enough.

She no longer needed her parents’ or Sophia’s approval. She had her own life. She had Ethan, understanding friends, and grandparents who loved her unconditionally.

The next morning, Olivia woke up with a determined expression.

“Ethan, we will go ahead with our wedding as planned. Even if my parents and Sophia aren’t there, we have our true family.”

Ethan smiled gently. “Yes. We have each other. And we have your grandparents who love you and our friends.”