I'm the Stranger in Our Family Group

Without hesitation, Hector blurted out, "You like your oatmeal simple, without any extras. When we barbecue, you love drumsticks and shrimp. But I always have to grill the shrimp for you, or you overcook them.

"You love fruit, but only if it's already sliced. And you crave anything with a kick of spice."

I was stunned.

He remembered every single detail.

I looked at him and asked, "How do you even remember all that?"

Smiling, Hector reached out to pull me into his arms. "Silly. Because you're my wife and I care about you."

So this was what it felt like to actually matter to someone.

The contrast only served to highlight just how deeply my family neglected me.

To them, I was just a daughter who had married out—an outsider.

By Sunday evening, I was heading back.

Hector's parting words still echoed in my ears. "Don't carry it all on your own. I'm right here."

As I approached my apartment building, I spotted three figures crouching near my door from a distance.

Mom was the first to notice me. She snapped up, storming over to face me in a matter of seconds. "So you finally decided to come back?"

Dad rose to his feet behind her, hands clasped behind his back. His expression was grim.

Cody stood at the very back, a lit cigarette dangling from his fingers. The look he gave me was full of disdain, as if he were staring at a bratty child.

I tightened my grip on my purse strap. "Mom, what are you all doing here?"

Her voice pitched high and sharp, echoing through the narrow hallway.

"You didn't answer your phone and ignored our texts. What choice did I have? It's been two days! Do you have any idea what chaos you've caused at home?

"Your dad's blood pressure spiked to 180! Noah cried for two days straight because he couldn't get his strawberries, and Lexie got so fed up that she went back to her parents' place!"

As she hurled one accusation after another at me, I actually smiled. "So, it's all my fault?"

My smile threw her off for a split second, which only fueled her rage. "You have the nerve to smile? The whole family waited on you during Saturday dinner, yet you ran off to be with your husband? Do you even care about this family anymore?"

I looked at her, suddenly feeling like I was staring at a total stranger.

This was my mother—the woman who gave me life and raised me. Yet here she stood, spitting nothing but blame, without a single word of concern for how I was doing.

Dad let out a cold snort from the back. "Once a daughter marries, she's gone for good. Now that she can stand on her own two feet, she thinks she doesn't have to come home anymore."

Cody tossed his cigarette butt onto the floor and crushed it beneath his shoe. "Alright, stop wasting your breath on her. Eileen, you're coming back with us right now. Apologize to Mom and Dad, and then you're going to go get Lexie."

I took a step back. "I'm not going."

The air froze for a second.

Mom's face turned a violent shade of red. "You've completely lost your mind!"

Cody took two large strides toward me and grabbed my arm. "You're coming back today whether you like it or not!"

His grip was brutal, sending a sharp burst of pain through my arm.

"Let go of me!" I wrenched my arm violently, but I couldn't break free. "Cody, let go!"

Instead of releasing me, he tightened his grip, dragging me toward the stairwell.

Panicking, I used my free hand to claw at his fingers.

He winced in pain and fiercely shoved me away.

I stumbled back a few steps, crashing hard against the wall.

Before I could even find my footing, Cody suddenly spun around and slapped me across the face.

The sharp, ringing crack echoed down the hallway.

I froze, entirely numb.

My face burned with a stinging heat, and my ears rang in the silence.

Mom blinked in surprise, but she didn't step in. Instead, she muttered, "Good. You brought that on yourself. You never listen until you're forced to."

Without a word, Dad kept his hands behind his back, his face a mask of cold indifference.

Clutching my cheek, I slowly forced myself to stand up straight.

I looked at the three people standing in front of me—my father, my mother, and my brother.

I pulled out my phone and dialed three digits.