Chapter 3

3

"You can use Grandma's money for a trip with your friends, but when it's my turn, Mom says no? Funny, right?"

"Grandma likes you best. Happy now? You can shove it in my face? Nice."

Her lip quivered, tears welled up in her eyes like a delicate flower in the morning dew.

Did I imagine her throttling him and biting his neck raw this afternoon?

"Okay! You got it! You're better than me. I'm just a loser who nobody loves, okay? Are you happy now?"

She burst into tears, spun around, and ran into her room, bawling under the covers.

I did nothing, said nothing, and somehow became public enemy number one.

Mom's cold stare landed on me, her heels clicking on the marble floor.

She raised her hand to slap me, and I tilted my head back, all innocence. "Mom, let her go. Take the money from my piano lessons."

She froze, her hand in mid-air. Grandma had left me that money, and I was always clinging to it.

It was all the love I was ever going to get, enough to get me through.

"Mom, I don't want you to worry. Ashley just wants to go on a trip and learn. Can't we let her?"

"The piano money is about ten grand, right? Give it to her."

"I want her to know that Mom loves us both."

My "Mom loves us both" made her cringe for a second.

Even she knew she was playing favorites. So messed up.

But I had to make it happen.

She wants to go with her boyfriend, so I'm going to make it happen.

Mom was about to let loose with a rant, but then Dad started bellowing from the bedroom.

Ashley was trying to off herself.

Dad managed to stop her, but Mom was freaked.

"You stupid kid, you trying to give me a heart attack? It's just ten grand! I'll give it to you."

"Everything I make is for you. You can take my life, I don't care about money."

The tears were flowing.

Dad was panicking, too.

"Don't pull that shit, Ashley. You're gonna kill us. We're too old for this!"

Then he swung around and chewed me out. "Can't you leave her alone? Gotta drive your sister to the grave?"

"She's got depression because of you. What more do you want?"

I choked. Here it comes.

Ashley had dug up a couple of depression tests, then staged a couple suicide attempts and a few runaway scares.

Mom and Dad bought it hook, line, and sinker. They treated her like a porcelain doll, afraid she'd shatter.

She got everything she wanted.

She even got me shoved into the storage closet, wearing her hand-me-downs, eating dinner in the kitchen so she wouldn't have to look at me.

She tasted blood, and then went back for more. One small thing went wrong, she would "get depressed," and spend the whole night crying and scaring Mom and Dad.

By the end, she was getting everything she wanted, and I was the scum of the earth.

Only I was stupid enough to call her out on her bullshit.

Every time I did, she'd "get depressed" again, and Mom and Dad would punish me.

After a while, the jewelry and necklaces from Granny were all "gifts" for Ashley.

My tutoring and extra classes were just stepping stones for her "dreams."

The only thing I had left was the bank card Granny left me to get through college.

To protect it, even for now, I had to knuckle under.