Chapter 3 The Birthday They Took From Me

Kendra loved the award.

The moment the trophy was in her hands, she flooded social media with photos of it.

Naturally, Xander could not stand letting her enjoy the attention by herself for long. He insisted on having his own celebration.

My parents eventually came up with what they considered the fairest solution.

They would throw one party for both of them.

The problem was the date they chose.

It was supposed to be my twentieth birthday.

I had been looking forward to that day for more than six months. I had even checked everyone's schedules in advance because I wanted the whole family to be there.

All the plans I had made suddenly felt stupid.

So did everything I had imagined.

…

At the hotel banquet hall, my parents spoke to me more gently than usual. "We can celebrate your birthday another day. If we don't do this for Xander and Kendra now, they'll only start arguing again."

My mom gave me a look as though she expected me to understand. "You know how competitive they are. Don't take it personally."

I forced a smile.

For a moment, I almost told them the truth.

This was probably the last birthday I would ever spend with this family anyway, but in the end, I said nothing.

…

A few minutes later, the hotel staff rolled out the cake.

Xander and Kendra stood proudly behind it while relatives gathered around, cheering and taking photos.

Then someone suddenly laughed. "Isn't today Wren's birthday too? One cake for three people doesn't sound very fair."

The room fell quiet for a moment.

My dad had already begun cutting the cake straight down the middle. He looked at me and let out an awkward laugh. "Dividing it into three equal pieces would be troublesome. We'll celebrate yours another time."

I had heard those words so many times that they barely sounded like a promise anymore.

By then, I should have understood what they really meant.

My parents had enough love to split evenly between two children.

There had never been a third share for me.

Maybe my mom was worried I would get upset and ruin the celebration, which was why she quickly pulled me aside and gave me things to do.

For the rest of the party, I served drinks, cleared plates, showed relatives to their seats, and ran around whenever anyone needed something.

…

By the end of it, I felt more like hotel staff than someone whose birthday it actually was.

I had just stopped to catch my breath when I heard my mother speaking to one of my aunts nearby.

"You two really shouldn't make it so obvious," my aunt murmured. "I know the twins are outgoing and easy to love, but Wren is a good kid too. She's responsible, she never causes trouble, and she always does what you ask."

There was a brief pause. "You favor Xander and Kendra too much."

I told myself I did not care.

My body still went rigid.

Without meaning to, I slowed down.

I waited for my mom's answer.

It came after a long silence.

"You don't get it. They're all our children, but the twins are different to us. Wren could never compare."

My fingers tightened around the pitcher in my hand.

My mom continued as if she were talking about something completely ordinary. "Besides, she takes everything too seriously. She's always quiet, and she never seems happy. It's hard to feel close to someone like that."

For a moment, I forgot how to breathe.

My grip loosened. Hot water spilled across the back of my hand, and pain shot through my skin.

Strangely, it barely registered.

The ache spreading through my chest hurt far more.

Then, a pair of wrinkled hands gently reached for mine.

I looked up.

My grandma stood beside me.

She gave me a warm smile, slipped an old ivory-colored bangle from her wrist, and placed it carefully into my palm. "Wren, I remembered that you turn twenty today. Happy birthday, sweetheart."

I stared down at the bracelet.

My grandma smiled again. "I don't have much to give you. I've worn this for years, so I thought maybe you could have it as your birthday present."

The bangle was simple. It was not flawless, and it probably was not worth much money. Still, I knew it was one of my grandma's most treasured possessions.

That was what finally broke me.

Tears filled my eyes before I could stop them.

I wanted to thank her. Yet when I opened my mouth, only a shaky sob came out.

Relatives were still nearby.

Every now and then, I could feel my parents looking in my direction.

Even then, I somehow felt like I did not have the right to cry. So, I wrapped my arms around my grandma and held her tightly.

Then, I slipped away to the restroom before anyone could see me fall apart.

It took a while, but eventually, I managed to calm myself down.

When I went back to the banquet hall, I reached into my bag for the bangle, but my hand found nothing. My heart missed a beat. I searched once more, still finding nothing.

Then, I saw it.

A familiar pale glow encircled Kendra's wrist. She was wearing my grandma's bangle.