Chapter 2

Robert stormed off right after that. Meanwhile, Nancy laughed at my misery and went back to her room.

Finally, Karen turned to me and extended her hand. "Five dollars. Today's rent."

I hung my head low. "But I gave Nancy all my money."

Karen frowned in displeasure. "That's your problem. No money, no boarding." She pulled the door leading to the balcony open. "Don't make me push you."

I went to my room quietly and grabbed my bag. It was filled with all my necessities and a set of clothes. I was used to this. After all, this wasn't my first rodeo out there.

I'd just opened the door when Nancy tossed a pile of her clothes onto my bed. "You didn't get into college. Get a job and move out already. I need my closet back."

I looked at the room that was already filled with her clothes and said nothing.

I picked up my bag and was about to leave. Alas, she grabbed my hand, took the bag, and rummaged through it. "You hid money earlier. You might be hiding something else." She tossed the stuff in my bag to the ground.

Then, she turned it around and started violently shaking it.

Once she confirmed that it was empty, she nodded happily. "At least you have enough conscience not to steal."

I crouched and picked my stuff back up. My mother was still at the balcony entrance, urging, "Move it! It's hot out there! Nancy's going to be worried if the hot air comes in and hits Roundy with a heat stroke!"

Roundy was Nancy's pet. That dog had her own clothes, snacks, and even her own spot.

On the other hand, I didn't even have the right to sleep on the couch. Sure enough, I'd just stepped outside when the door slammed shut behind me. I turned around only to see my mother locking my room before locking the kitchen.

Once she did that, she locked her and Nancy's rooms. It was obvious that she didn't want me sneaking into the kitchen for food, and she definitely didn't want me to sneak into their room for money.

To them, I was an outsider, a stranger they had to guard against. The balcony was filled with Nancy's flowers. I sat in a corner holding my stuff. Then, I remembered a question I asked my mother when I was little.

"Why does Nancy have everything, while I have to pay for every little thing?"

Karen's eyes were filled with disappointment. "She could've been an only child if it weren't for you. She could've had a better life. Remember, everything you have now stems from her kindness."

It was then that I realized my existence itself was a sin. My parents felt that they owed Nancy for birthing me.

I took the mat beside me and rolled it out like I did a thousand times before. I could still remember the first time I was made to sleep on the balcony, and it happened because I talked back to Nancy.

At the time, she had said nothing. However, she stopped using discount coupons for a month and never used coupons for her deliveries, nor did she look out for deals whenever she went out shopping.

As the last day of the month rolled by, she used a five-dollar coupon for a drink. She looked at me coldly as she hissed, "Remember, I'm the one who gives you your allowance. It's because of my kindness that you live."

I only had five dollars for that month. That was only enough for a day, and I spent the rest of the month sleeping on the balcony. It was the last time I actively ever went against her wishes.

My phone's screen lit up. My teacher, Lorine Smith, texted me, "I'll handle the flight ticket and scholarship application. We're leaving in five days."

I held my phone and leaned on the door, feeling slivers of cold air from the AC slip through the cracks. A tiny smile appeared on my lips as I thought in relief, 'I'm finally leaving this place.'