Mom Chose Her Cheating Husband over Me

When I was ten years old, my father, a corporate executive, died from overwork. With his inheritance and compensation payout, Mom married a man 12 years younger than her.

From that moment on, the steak and ribs I used to love always ended up on his plate. All that was left for me was his leftover soup.

I tried to cuddle up to Mom the way I used to. "You're giving all the good food to Winston, Mom. What if I don't get enough nutrition?"

Mom tapped me on the head. "You brat, are you seriously jealous of your stepdad?

"He gives me emotional support. Can you do that?"

I looked up what emotional support meant online. Basically, it referred to the ability to bring someone emotional satisfaction and psychological comfort.

I couldn't help but wonder—Mom used to hug me and cover my face with kisses. Wouldn't that make me the person who gave her the most emotional support?

One day, I got home early from school. The moment I walked in, I caught Mom and Winston Cox passionately making out on the balcony.

She looked happier than I had ever seen her, laughing so hard that the crow's feet around her eyes were completely crinkled up.

In that instant, it hit me. The kind of happiness Winston brought her was something I could never provide.

He spent at least 100 thousand dollars a month, so Mom started cutting back on my expenses. I used to wear brand-new Adidas and Nike clothes, but now, I was forced to wear my older cousin's faded hand-me-downs.

I used to get 50 dollars in allowance every month, but now, I didn't get a single cent.

One scorching summer day, I wanted to buy a one-dollar popsicle, but Mom frowned. "Kids shouldn't eat too much cold stuff. It's bad for your stomach!"

But as I turned away, I saw her sitting on Winston's lap, feeding him spoonful after spoonful of ice cream.

At that moment, it felt like a heavy weight had violently slammed into my chest. My tears splattered onto my worn-out sandals that completely exposed my toes.

Once I started middle school, the academic competition became cutthroat. I used to rank in the top ten of my grade, but suddenly, I plummeted past 15th place.

Panic set in. Academic success had always been my planned escape route from this house, but now, my only foothold was crumbling.

Upon getting home, I asked Mom for money to buy a set of study guides, and she instantly exploded.

"Ten dollars? You kids are supposed to be the future of this country, so the school should be handing these out for free! If you ask me, just memorizing the textbook is more than enough!"

I disappointedly returned to my bedroom.

Around 7:00 pm that night, I heard Winston laughing in the study. "Babe, a full digital set like this must cost at least ten thousand dollars, right?"

I walked out and stopped outside the door, where I could see Winston staring ecstatically at a screen full of virtual gaming gear.

"It's 20 thousand dollars!" Mom cooed and wrapped her arms around his neck, her eyes full of adoration.

Winston swept her into his arms. "I'm definitely giving you a major reward tonight!"

The study door clicked shut.

Standing behind the door, I was completely shut out in a different universe. Their heavy, muffled breathing seemed to rip at my nerves as I bit my lip hard, swallowing all my hurt and humiliation.

I made a vow to myself then. One day, I would become someone of true value so Mom would look up to me the way she looked up to Winston right now.