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Back home, I walked on eggshells.
I kept my voice down at home, trying everything to reduce my presence.
You never knew when the smallest thing might trigger a violent outburst.
As the college entrance exams approached, I kept telling myself, that once I got into college, away from here, everything would get better.
But the night before the exams, as I sneaked out to use the bathroom, I overheard my mom conspiring with my stepdad in the kitchen.
“I’ll give Lexi this milk tonight. She won’t wake up tomorrow, and we won’t have to pay for college.”
“Right, we can’t afford two college tuitions! Only my daughter deserves that. Lexi can just get married off for some quick dowry
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money.”
I was stunned, rooted to the spot.
Just then, my sister screamed about a cockroach in her room.
I darted into the bathroom to hide.
My mom and stepdad hurried to check on her, and I seized the moment to switch the milk glasses in the kitchen. Then I took the spiked glass back to my room.
Not long after, my mom came into my room with the milk. I drank it down as she watched, hopeful.
When she left, I took the spiked milk from my desk and, hands trembling, gave it to my sister.
She missed her exams, and when I got home after mine, I endured the worst beating of my life.
My mom hit and kicked me, screaming, “You wretched girl! How dare you drug
your sister! What right do you have to go to
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college? WHY YOU?”
1 bore it quietly. She seemed to forget that I was her own flesh and blood.
After their rage subsided, I lay on the ground, spitting blood, feeling like every bone in my body was broken.
But I didn’t care. As long as I could get to college, they could beat me to death.
Thankfully, my scores were high, and I got into the city’s most prestigious medical school.
Just when I was celebrating, my mom suggested that my sister take my place in college.
I flatly refused, “No way! They’ll catch on. She’ll get kicked out, we’ll lose the money, and we’ll be the town joke!”
My stepdad didn’t believe me; he was convinced his daughter could match my
scores.
Desperate, I proposed that we both take a
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test to see who would go.
Unsurprisingly, I blew her out of the water.
Grudgingly, my stepdad handed back my acceptance letter, clearly unhappy.
I waved it proudly, letting my sister see just how wrong they were.
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