Chapter 2 The Stranger in My Own Family

The next day, Mom and Dad solemnly called everyone into the living room. Then Mom pushed two envelopes toward Riley and me.

Riley opened hers first. A key slid into her palm, and she looked at Mom, confused.

Mom and Dad exchanged a glance before smiling and pressing the envelope into Riley's hands. When she opened it, she found the deed to a 2,000-square-feet apartment, registered in her name.

Mom patted the back of Riley's hand. "We hadn't planned on giving this to you so soon, but before we knew it, you'd reached the age where you'd start dating. This is a gift from your dad and me, and it's also something we want you to have so you'll always feel secure."

Riley threw herself into their arms, sobbing uncontrollably. "Mom, Dad, why are you both so good to me?"

Mom affectionately pinched her nose. "Because you're our precious girl."

Riley wiped away her tears and looked at me. "Jenna, what did Mom and Dad give you?"

I opened my envelope. It held a stack of cash. I counted it, and it was an odd amount of 693 dollars.

I looked up at Mom. She seemed to know what I wanted to ask, because her tone was completely indifferent. "You've grown up, too, and you're at the age where you'll be getting married. There isn't much we can give you. This is just a little something from your dad and me."

I froze for a moment before instinctively looking at the deed in Riley's hands. Noticing my gaze, Riley hugged the deed tightly against her chest, her voice filled with unmistakable smugness. "Mom and Dad bought this for me. You didn't get one. Boohoo!"

Dad looked at me, his voice gentle but carrying a clear warning. "Don't even think about it. That's your sister's. You're going to marry out of the family anyway. Even if we bought you a house, you wouldn't need it. There's no point wasting the money."

So because I was going to marry out of the family, all I deserved was 693 dollars?

There were so many times when I wanted to ask them whether I was really their daughter. I had asked Grandma once. I had even secretly gotten a DNA test done. The results showed that I was, indeed, their daughter.

However, I would have rather been someone they had picked up off the street. That way, at least, being ignored would not have hurt so much.

…

After a long moment, Scott spoke up as well.

He pulled a bank card from his pocket and slid it in front of Riley, his voice filled with affection. "I'm not as well-off as Mom and Dad, but everything I have is yours. It's not a huge amount, but it should be more than enough to cover the renovations for your new place."

Mom smiled beside him and added, "Your brother has saved almost 400 thousand dollars since he started working, and he's giving all of it to you. Don't complain that it isn't enough."

The tears Riley had just managed to stop immediately spilled over again. "Scott, you're the best brother ever."

Scott gently ruffled her hair, the tenderness and affection in his eyes impossible to miss. "I just want you to know that no matter who your boyfriend is, if he ever treats you badly, come home. We'll always be here for you."

I stood to the side like an outsider watching someone else's family and felt how utterly unnecessary I was.

I turned to leave, but Scott suddenly called my name.

"Jenna."

I stopped and turned around.

Scott walked over to me. "You don't want your gift?"

"I have one?"

"You're my sister too."

Those words warmed my heart.

Scott opened his palm, and a gold necklace with a rose-shaped pendant lay quietly in his hand.

I had seen it before. It had once been a birthday gift Scott had bought for Riley. But since Riley did not want it, he gave it to me instead.

A bitter ache spread through my chest. I smiled and looked up at Scott, each word deliberate and sincere. "Thank you. This is the most valuable gift I've received today."

The warm, lively atmosphere in the living room instantly froze. The cheerful mood died away, leaving behind an oppressive silence.

Riley's shrill voice finally broke it. "Jenna, how could you say that? It doesn't matter how big or small a gift is. It's the thought from your family that matters."

But the thoughtfulness was hers; the perfunctory treatment was mine. In this family, we were nothing more than the most familiar strangers. That was all.

I looked at them without saying another word, then walked straight into my bedroom.

Behind me, I heard Scott soothing Riley. "Hey, don't mind her. You know how competitive she's been since she was little. We're all used to it!"

The bedroom door closed, and my tears fell instantly.

What I had been fighting for was their love. Did they really not know that?