Chapter 3

A few days later, some of Michael's and Sandy's friends came over for dinner.

I was in the kitchen washing fruit when I heard Michael introducing Shelly and Mauro to the guests.

One of the guests laughed and praised him. "Michael, you're blessed to have kids like this. Your daughter's going to a top state university, and your son is winning math Olympiad medals at such a young age. You've done a great job raising them!"

Michael waved a hand. "Not at all. My oldest daughter is difficult to handle. I wanted her to pick a college closer to home, but she insisted on going all the way to Eldorainbay to study... What was it again? Aircraft engineering or something. Sounds impractical."

My major was Aircraft Propulsion Engineering. My advisor had described it as building hearts for rockets. But to Michael, it was just an impractical major he couldn't even bother to remember.

At the dinner table, one of the ladies turned the conversation to college expenses.

"My daughter just got accepted to a university in Eldorainbay, too," she sighed. "It's a big city. I'm not sure how much allowance I should give her."

I started to answer, but Sandy placed a shrimp on my plate.

"Girls should be raised in luxury," she said smoothly. "Shelly gets $2,500 every month in Korostead, and I'm constantly sending her extra. I'd be heartbroken if some boy managed to lure her away with cheap favors."

"Oh, Mom..." Shelly drawled on cue. "If you're so worried about me, why won't you let me upgrade my tablet? I got a scholarship this semester."

My mom wrapped an arm around her affectionately. "We'll buy it. We'll go to the mall in a couple of days."

I quietly looked down at my phone, which was constantly low on battery. It was an old model Michael had used for five years before handing it down to me after my high school graduation.

I had used it for another two years. By now, it lagged constantly, and the battery could barely hold a charge for more than a few hours.

My parents only gave me $500 a month for living expenses. Their reason was that they had to support two daughters in college while funding Mauro's expensive tutoring classes.

And because I was the eldest child, it was my duty to be understanding of their financial strain.

The lady sighed in admiration. "Shelly got a scholarship? What a stellar child!"

"It's nothing major, really," Shelly chuckled. "Just a departmental award. I still have room for improvement."

Sandy beamed with pride. "Shelly is always far too humble. It was $800, after all. Jane has never brought home anything like that."

Mauro piped up. "When I get to college, I'm going to be just like Shelly. I'll bring home scholarships, too."

Michael laughed, ruffling the boy's hair.

The table was filled with laughter and happy conversation. I sat silently in the middle of it, using my fork to lift the shrimp out of my plate.

I peeled it beneath the edge of the tablecloth and slipped it to the dog waiting at my ankles. Even the smallest bite of seafood caused my skin to erupt into hives that kept me awake all night.

After all these years, Sandy still hadn't remembered. And there was no point in pulling out the national scholarship certificate from my suitcase.

After all, they hadn't even thrown me a graduation celebration after I ranked in the top ten in the state on my SATs.

"Shel is taking the test only a year after you," they had reasoned. "If we throw you a massive party now, the pressure will crush her spirits. Wait until she gets into college next year, and we'll celebrate both of you together."

The following summer, Shelly secured admission to a standard college. My ecstatic parents immediately booked 20 tables at a luxury hotel for her celebration party.

When I asked if I could reserve one table for my teachers as a thank-you, they scolded me. "Why do you have to steal Shel's thunder on her special night?"

I learned the rules long ago. When Shelly was occupying the spotlight, my only job was to be the invisible background.

...

After the guests left, I busied myself washing the dishes and mopping the floors. When I finally found a moment to approach Michael, who was half-reclined on the sofa nursing his drink, he merely let out a lazy grunt.

Mauro and Shelly were playing video games nearby, making a lot of noise. Assuming Michael hadn't heard me over the noise, I repeated my request to renew my guest token.

His brow furrowed with impatience as he fished his phone out of his pocket. "I heard you. I'll give you another week. That should be enough, right? Why are you even staying home for so long this time anyway? Aren't you going out to find a summer job?"

Before I could answer, he closed his eyes and let out a heavy sigh. "You're an adult now. You should at least know how to relieve some of the financial burdens on this family instead of just nesting in the house all day."

I pressed my lips together. I looked at him for a quiet moment, then turned and walked away.

...

The next morning, as I was going to the bathroom to brush my teeth, Michael rubbed his head and called out to stop me.

"Last night... I drank a bit too much at dinner," he said. "The things I said weren't quite right. I didn't mean to kick you out."

I nodded. "I know, Dad."

I understood that alcohol merely stripped away the filters, leaving the truth. I knew he expected me to do what I had done during every previous break—disappearing to work part-time jobs to support myself.

I knew with certainty that this home no longer had a place for me.