Chapter 1

My fingers curled tight. I folded down my first finger.

"Come on, keep going." My cousin Tessa tried to save the mood.

A few rounds later, it was Sophie's turn again.

"I have twenty grand in my account that Mom gave me separately. She said it's for my financial security."

Her voice was soft, but it hit me like a blade.

Our relatives kept looking between Mom and me.

I put a second finger down. My fingers went ice-cold.

Mom still wouldn't look up.

The game kept going, but the vibe was off now.

My heart slammed in my chest, every beat dull and heavy.

Then Sophie spoke again, a smug edge creeping into her voice. "When I turned sixteen, Mom secretly took me to the biggest theme park for the day. Just us. She didn't tell anybody."

Memories slammed into me.

That day was my senior-year practice exam. When I got home, Mom and Sophie were gone.

I called, and Mom said she'd taken Sophie to the library.

So I studied alone in the empty apartment until late that night. I even made them a late-night snack.

"Mom." My throat felt dry. "Didn't you say that day—"

"Oh, that was years ago." Mom suddenly raised her voice. "Elayne, come help bring out the dishes. Stop messing around."

I didn't move.

I looked at Sophie and laughed under my breath. Bitter. "You always knew."

"You always knew Mom favored you. She made me the good daughter. The perfect one. The one stuck carrying everybody's expectations and problems."

Sophie tilted her head. "Elayne, it's just a game. Don't take it so seriously."

"Is it?" My voice shook. "Growing up, you always said you couldn't stick with anything. That you weren't good at anything. Now I get it. You never had to be. You already had a safety net. You had Mom's favoritism. You had security handed to you."

"Elayne!" Mom snapped. "What kind of nonsense is that? Come help!"

I still didn't move.

I laughed again, sharp and bitter. "The paycheck you said you were managing for me was really going to Sophie, wasn't it? And me being the perfect, responsible daughter was just something you used to brag about in front of the family while I took care of her for you."

Mom's face turned red. "How can you say that? After everything I did for you? Paying for your education—"

"And Sophie only had to exist to get all your love."

The words finally came out. The ones I'd buried for years. The ones I couldn't even admit to myself before.

The whole dining room went silent.

Our relatives lowered their heads and pretended not to hear.

Sophie let out a small sigh and stood. "Elayne, you're taking this way too seriously. Mom loves you. She just shows it differently."

"How?" I shot back. "By demanding I be perfect while spoiling you nonstop?"

Mom finally snapped, face burning red. "Elayne Everett, did you really have to ruin dinner for everyone? Everything I do is for this family."

"No."