Chapter 3
The next day, the family gathered for a celebration lunch to honor Sophie's college acceptance.
The private room was packed with relatives.
"Robert, Sophie's really made you proud, getting into Riverdale University," Uncle Thomas said.
Uncle Thomas raised his glass, grinning from ear to ear.
Robert beamed and waved his hand.
"She's always been a little weak since she was young. We're happy she got into a top local university," he said.
"Riverdale University is great. It's close to home, so she can come back for dinner on weekends," Aunt Maria said with a smile, then turned to me.
"What about Em?" she asked.
The room went quiet for a moment.
I kept my head down, stirring the mashed potatoes on my plate without speaking.
Mom quickly spoke up, "Em applied to Riverdale University too.
"She'll stay local, so she can help me keep an eye on Sophie."
The relatives all nodded in agreement, murmuring their approval.
I kept poking at the rice in my bowl; my hand didn't pause for a second.
I mashed the potatoes into small lumps.
They had no idea.
On the day I was filling out my college applications, Alex stood behind me, watching as I opened the Riverdale University page.
Then he turned away to get Sophie some water.
I calmly pressed delete.
Then I entered Capital University as my first choice.
"Em, why are you zoning out? Go ask the server for another pitcher of water," Michael said.
Michael nudged my chair with his foot.
I put down my chopsticks and stood up.
As I stepped out of the private room, I heard Alex's gentle voice from inside.
He said, "Don't worry, Mrs. Lane. Em and I will make sure Sophie's taken care of at school.
"The three of us can still eat together every day, just like old times."
I walked to the restroom, turned on the faucet, and let the cold water run over the back of my hand.
I looked at myself in the mirror.
Thick black-rimmed glasses, a worn-out T-shirt faded from countless washes, and a face drained from too many sleepless nights.
That's all they saw when they looked at me.
Someone who existed only for others and wasn't supposed to have a life of her own.
When I got back to the private room, all the dishes were already on the table.
Alex was wearing disposable gloves, carefully placing peeled shrimp onto Sophie's plate.
"Dip it in some vinegar before you eat. You know your stomach can't handle too much seafood," he said.
Sophie shot him a playful glare.
"I know, Alex. You're so naggy," she said.
Alex smiled, peeled another shrimp, and gently placed it in my bowl.
"Em, you should have some too," Alex said.
I stared at the shrimp in my bowl.
The dark vein was still there; he hadn't cleaned the shrimp properly.
Just like his affection for me.
It was always tainted by his preference for someone else, halfhearted and cheap.
"I don't eat seafood," I said.
I picked up my chopsticks, picked out the shrimp, and set it down on the tablecloth.
Alex's expression darkened immediately.
Michael slammed his hand on the table.
"Alex went out of his way to peel that shrimp for you. Who are you giving attitude to?" he snapped.
Mom shot me a cold look.
"She's always been like this. If Sophie has something, she always has to one-up her. Now she's even making a scene over a shrimp," Mom said.
Sophie's eyes went red, looking like she might cry.
"Em, I won't ask Alex to peel shrimp for me anymore, okay?" she asked, her voice trembling.
I didn't look at them.
I just grabbed a wet wipe from the table and slowly dabbed at the water stain on the tablecloth.
"I'm allergic to seafood," I said.
The whole room went silent for a second.
Alex's hand froze mid-air, chopsticks still hovering over the plate as he turned to me in disbelief.
"Allergic? But you used to eat seafood all the time," he said.
I looked at his confused eyes and couldn't help but find it a little funny.
When I was ten, he took me to a seafood buffet.
He used his saved holiday gift money to treat only Sophie and me.
Sophie kept begging for lobster, so he peeled a whole plate for her.
So he wouldn't feel bad about wasting it, I forced myself to eat a few bites.
That night, I broke out in a rash all over, burning up with a fever, and spent the whole night scratching myself raw on the hard bed in the storage room.
The next day, when he came over to play with Sophie, Mom just told him I was sleeping in.
After that, I never touched seafood again.
"Yeah, I did," I tossed the used wet wipe into the trash, "Then I almost died in the storage room,"
Mom's hand froze mid-air, and she cleared her throat.
"Is it really such a big deal? Did you have to bring it up right now?" she asked.
Alex glanced at the shrimp I'd set aside on the tablecloth, his eyes flashing with panic.
"Em, I had no idea you..." he said.
I put down my chopsticks. "I'm full."
I sat up straight in my seat, listening as the family went on and on about Sophie's bright future.
Alex sat next to me, not saying a single word for the rest of the meal.
He kept glancing over at me.
It felt like he was just waiting for me to break the silence and patch things up, like I always used to.
I stared at the electronic acceptance letter from Capital University on my phone.
The blue school crest shimmered softly in the dim light.