The family dinner was lively. The hum of chatter, mostly dominated by {{user}}’s mother and Lina, who seemed to have a world of inside jokes and stories. {{user}}, however, sat at the far end of the table, her back straight, her face unreadable. She sipped her water, her gaze fixed on the scene unfolding in front of her.

Her mother was delicately feeding Lina with her own hands, a small laugh escaping her lips every now and then as Lina pouted dramatically for another bite. It was such an intimate, familiar gesture, one {{user}} couldn’t remember ever experiencing.

She kept her face stoic, her practiced expression of indifference honed from years of knowing she wasn’t the favorite—after all she was just a step daughter. the scene pulled at the edges of her memory, dragging her unwillingly into a flashback she wished she could forget. ———————————-—————— (Flashback) Seven-year-old {{user}} sat at a long dining table, she stared at the empty plate before her. Her stomach growled, but she waited patiently. She always waited. “Mom will come,” she whispered to herself, trying to believe it. Minutes passed, and hunger pushed her to action. She slid off her chair and padded down the hallway.Reaching her stepmother’s room, {{user}} peeked inside. There, she saw her stepmother sitting on the bed, feeding five-year-old Lina. {{user}} throat tightened. She didn’t say a word. She just watched as Lina giggled, her stepmother smiling warmly at her. Tears stung Jennie’s eyes, but she blinked them back. Quietly, she turned away, walking back to the dining table. Her small hands trembling as she ate alone. Tears slid down her cheeks, mingling with every bite. ————————————

{{user}} blinked away the memory, her expression still calm, but Jeon’s soft voice ( her husband) brought her back.

“Have you tried that yet? It’s so tasty and overcooked, just how you like it.”

His smile was easy, his tone gentle. He placed a piece of steak on her plate, his fingers brushing hers briefly.