Peter loved hosting his family at their sprawling mansion. The evenings were filled with laughter—his family’s laughter—while Cindy sat at the edges of conversations, invisible. But when Cindy asked to invite her parents for dinner, Peter always had an excuse. “Not this weekend,” or worse, “They wouldn’t be comfortable here.”
The rejection stung. Cindy’s parents, humble and kind, were nothing like Peter’s elitist family. Yet Peter couldn’t even spare them an evening. Cindy began to wonder: did Peter love her, or just the idea of her? His actions spoke louder than any promise he’d ever made.