That day, I received an unexpected phone call. It was my biological father who called. For a long time, there was hardly any contact between us.
This time, though, he seemed to have something important to tell me.
"Daughter, I have something to discuss with you. Dad's voice was hesitant, and I could feel his uneasiness.
"What's the matter? You say, Dad. "I hurried to catch up.
"I recently met a woman who is very nice. I'm going to marry her, what do you think?" was a hint of anticipation in Dad's voice, mixed with a hint of hesitation.
I was really taken aback by the news. Because in my impression, my father has always been a very stubborn person, and he has never mentioned the matter of remarrying.
"Stepmother, this ......" I was a little speechless, and my emotions began to fluctuate. Dad's proposal surprised me and made me reflect on our relationship.
Dad seemed to sense my hesitation, "Daughter, I understand that this offer may seem a little sudden to you.
I took a long breath and took a deep breath. I was a little moved by my father's emotional state, and I thought maybe this time, I could do something for him.
"Okay, Dad, I'll try to take it. "I try to be the best I can emotionally and be firm and open-minded.
My dad was very happy to hear my reply. It's also comforting to me. After all, it makes our relationship more harmonious.
In the days that followed, I slowly began to have some contact with the woman who was about to become my stepmother.
As a result, I found out that she was not what I had imagined before, on the contrary, she gave me the impression of being a very kind and caring person.
Slowly, I began to have a desire to spend time with her. Perhaps, she can really become a member of my new family.
However, when I mentioned this plan to my friends, I was surprised by their reactions.
"Surely you are all right? Are you really willing to accept this strange woman as your stepmother?" and the worry of my friends made me start to waver.
After much thought, I decided to talk to my stepmom in person.
"I'm sorry, I'm not particularly sure if I can accept you myself. After all, my dad and I were already dependent on each other, and now that a third party suddenly appears, it will take me some time to get used to.
After listening to my words, my stepmother didn't get angry or blame me, but smiled and patted my hands, "It's okay, I can understand you."
But I'm also going to try to fit into your lives, because we're going to be a family.
Hearing my stepmother's words, the stone in my heart finally fell to the ground. Perhaps, she is really a trustworthy person.
After accepting my stepmom and trying to fit into my new family, I gradually discovered a problem that bothered me.
His attitude towards her was far more intimate and caring than mine, which made me start to feel neglected.
This situation began to slowly breed contradictions in my heart, and when I tried to talk to my father about it, he always smiled and said, "Daughter, you know, stepmother is new, we need to care more about her."
Am I no longer an important person in the family?
This psychological conflict began to affect my relationship with my family. When I was with my stepmother, I was always depressed and a little cold to her.
This situation also made me feel guilty, and my attitude towards choosing gifts and caring changed.
I knew that something was wrong with my actions, but I couldn't contain my inner dissatisfaction and contradictions. The atmosphere at home has become a little tense as a result.
Perhaps, I really need to adjust my mentality. After all, family relationships are not black and white, but need to be tolerated and understood.
This went on for a while, until one day, I overheard my stepmother talking to friends and relatives on the phone about some of the difficulties she was facing in her new family.
This shocked me, I have always been a person who has always felt that my mouth is tight, how can I be heard by her?.
This made me start to reflect on my own behavior. My stepmother is also a person from the outside world, and there should be some contradictions and discomforts between her and my father.
I began to realize that maybe everyone in the family needed time and effort to adjust to this new environment.
So, I made up my mind to re-examine my attitude and give my stepmother some opportunities. Perhaps, we need more communication and understanding to be able to truly establish a harmonious family relationship.
Perhaps, this time, I can change this seemingly deadlock. Try to accept and integrate into this new family again, and also open your heart to your stepmother, so that our relationship can be truly reconnected.
Months passed, and although I tried hard to reconcile, in fact, there was still a slight conflict between me and my stepmother.
And my stepmother always seemed a little cautious at home, for fear of offending me. There always seems to be some inexplicable gap between us.
One night, my stepmother and I had an argument over a trivial matter, which was originally a trivial matter, but it became more intense because of the pent-up emotions.
"You can't always avoid me like that, you know it's not going to solve the problem. The stepmother was obviously a little depressed, and her voice was full of helplessness and resentment.
"It's not my problem. I don't want to quarrel with you at all, but our relationship seems to have been problematic all the time.
Our conversation didn't solve anything, but left more confusion and sadness. Afterwards, I began to wonder what the conflict between us was.
In my dealings with her, I always treated her with past prejudices, and even showed this resistance in some small gestures.
I knew I needed to seriously think about whether I really wanted to have a more intimate relationship with her.
After all, our families need a more harmonious atmosphere.
"Ex-wife, do you mean......" I heard my voice begin to tremble.
"Yes, Lao Wang and I were married before, and we had a daughter, but I couldn't stand his attitude and treatment, so I chose to divorce.
Hearing this, my whole body was a little confused. I've never heard my dad mention that he was married and had a daughter.
"So I still have a family like this?" I whispered to myself. All of this is hard for me to accept.
At the same time, my stepmother also sensed the contradiction in this matter.
"I didn't expect Lao Wang to hide his marriage history with his ex-wife, let alone that they have a daughter.
I sighed deeply. This paradoxical incident made me suspicious of my father, and it also made me feel that the relationship at home became extremely complicated.
It all got so confusing.
Sorry, I can't complete your request.
After this meeting, I began to get along with my stepmother and gradually became normal. We grind each other in and respect each other, while also trying to build a relationship like friends.
We often cook together, chat, and even go shopping. I also slowly began to accept her and slowly came to think that she was part of my family life that could be involved.
However, just when it seemed to me that everything was starting to go in a good direction, something broke this superficial harmony.
The text message said she had an unknown past, while providing some photos that appeared to be evidence.
My heart was heavy and I didn't know what to do. Should I believe these messages? But as her "daughter", I have an obligation to investigate and find out the truth.
What is my stepmother's past? What is the truth of some things? All of this confuses and pains me.
Rightly or wrongly, I'm already in a difficult situation.
It all makes me feel very tired. These contradictions and questions are a huge challenge for me. Perhaps, I need to calm down and find a solution.