Betrayal
The day of my wedding, my mom got down
on her knees, begging me to give my fiancé
to my younger sister.
My brother, all exasperated, said, “Can’t you
be understanding for once? Brittany’s got
depression, she can’t handle this stress.”
My dad just slapped me across the face.
“What are you crying about, you little jinx?
Should have been you that died, not the other
one.”
It’s okay. I will die.
But when news of my actual death finally
came, my brother’s cold face briefly flashed
panic. “That’s not real, they’re lying!”
Dad clutched his chest, a look of agony on
his face. “How? She was so capable!”
And my mom, heartbroken, kept repeating,
“I’m so sorry,” over and over again.
But I was already gone.
It was all too late!
Thanksgiving Day
That Thanksgiving, Mom cooked a huge feast.
The whole family was gathered around the
table, all cozy and festive.
At the stroke of midnight, fireworks burst
outside.
く
My family raised their glasses for toasts.
Wishing my brother, Kevin, success at work.
Wishing Dad a windfall of money.
Wishing Mom good health.
And wishing my sister, Brittany, a happy and
fulfilling marriage.
Not a single word of blessing was spoken for
- me.
And no one remembered that I was missing
from our family.
That is until Mom’s cell phone started ringing.
L
It was me calling.
She coldly rejected the call with a roll of her
eyes, annoyed.
Meanwhile, I lay on the cold, hard earth, all
hope gone.
I was dead.
I died on Thanksgiving night, while my family
was celebrating.
The Ghost Returns
My soul floated back home.
They had finished dinner and were watching a movie, casually discussing Brittany’s wedding plans.
L
Suddenly, Brittany’s eyes glistened with tears.
“I’d really like to invite Mandy to the wedding,
but I’m afraid she’s still mad at me. What
should I do?”
Dad snorted. “Don’t worry about that. We’ll
drag her there if we have to!”
“Yeah, it’s just one guy. Does she have to
make such a big deal out of it?” My brother,
Kevin, said, not understanding.
Mom sighed, looking genuinely sad.
“She always gives me such a headache, you
know? When she was born, she was a twin,
but the doctor said she stole all the nutrients
from her sister in the womb. It’s like she was
born defective…”
L
There it was. That same old story.
I had heard it so many times.
It was my original sin since birth.
Every time they brought it up, it filled my
parents and brother with resentment toward
- me.
They automatically ostracized me, looking at
me as if I was some murderer.
Even though I was just a kid!
I was always scared, crying, and helpless
because of that scorn and hatred.
I yearned for their love, but all I could do was
watch them shower it all on my adopted
<
They called her “Baby.”
They lavished her with the preferential
treatment I never got.
And they demanded that I atone for my
existence by giving her everything.
Anything Brittany wanted, I had to give her.
From a pen, a doll.
To scholarships, competition entries.
Even my own fiancé.
Chris and I were graduate school classmates.
It was love at first sight, instant connection.
We should have been like most couples
<
loving, engaged, and ready to get married
after graduation.
