They Lost Me Through Blind Favoritism

I, Anna Moore, walked home alone.

I was drenched from head to toe, and even my bones felt like they were freezing.

The moment I stepped inside, my phone buzzed.

Mom had sent me a message.

She asked what I planned to eat since I was home alone.

I sniffled, and my eyes immediately welled up with tears.

Did Mom actually remember that she had another daughter who was going hungry?

I was about to type a reply when another message from Mom popped up.

[Don't touch the food in the fridge.]

[I prepared it specifically for Kaiser and Kelly. They each have one portion. I divided everything carefully.]

[If you dare steal even a bite and ruin the fairness, you can pack up and leave!]

The moment I read those words, the warmth and hope I had felt disappeared.

I wanted to ask Mom, 'What about me? Where's my portion?'

But in the end, I only replied with a blank expression on my face.

[Okay.]

I'd asked that question countless times throughout my childhood. No one had ever answered me.

They simply took it for granted that nothing in this family had anything to do with me.

I put down my phone and searched through the kitchen for a long time.

In the end, all I found was a slice of moldy bread tucked away in a corner.

I didn't hesitate. I stuffed it into my mouth and eventually fell asleep despite still feeling cold and hungry.

In the middle of the night, something heavy that reeked of mud slammed hard against my face.

I jolted awake and sat up in bed.

The lights in the living room were switched on, and a group of werewolves was making a terrible racket.

Mom and Dad were complaining that the heavy rain had made it impossible to catch much prey during the hunt.

Kelly Moore leaned against the bedroom door with her chin held high.

"Why are you pretending to be asleep? Are you blind? Isn't it obvious that I want you to wash my cloak?"

The thing that had hit my face was her mud-covered cloak.

The muddy water trickled down my face and into my collar. It was filthy and smelled awful.

My head was spinning with exhaustion. I softly pleaded, "Kelly, I'm really too tired. Can I wash it tomorrow morning?"

Kelly immediately raised her voice. "If you don't want to wash it, just say so! Why are you making up excuses?"

Kaiser Moore came running over. Looking clearly annoyed, he tossed a filthy pair of hunting boots at me.

"If you're washing hers, you're washing mine too. Do it now."

Mom came over when she heard the commotion.

When she saw me covered in mud and looking miserable, her expression darkened.

"Anna, there are three children in this family. The most important thing is to make sure everything is fair. Kaiser and Kelly have been working hard outside all day while you've been sleeping at home. What's wrong with making you wash a few things now?" She asked in a harsh tone.

Looking at the way they all blamed me, I suddenly felt like laughing.

So this was the fairness they were always talking about.

Kaiser and Kelly received a version of fairness that came with resources and love.

All I got was the fairness of doing the dirty, exhausting work.

I didn't argue anymore because I knew there was no point fighting with them.

I silently gathered the pile of muddy clothes and carried them into the laundry room.

I squatted there and washed them for three consecutive hours until my hands turned pale from the freezing water.

When I finally stood up, my legs gave out, and I nearly collapsed.

My blood sugar had dropped so low that my vision kept going black, and even my wolf spirit had grown weak.

I leaned against the wall and tried to make my way to the living room for a cup of warm water.

That's when I ran into Dad carrying a plate of roasted meat.

The moment he saw me, his expression turned tense. He quickly hid the meat behind his back.

He laughed awkwardly and explained, "I happened to divide the meat into four portions, so I didn't save any for you. Otherwise, it wouldn't be evenly divided, and Kaiser and Kelly would start fighting again. There's still a serving of salad left. They don't like it, so you can have it."

I took a step back and avoided his touch.

"Dad, I'm allergic to salad dressing."

Dad froze for a moment before nodding indifferently.

When he heard Kelly's sweet voice, he immediately walked away and left me standing there.

"Your late-night snack is here, my darlings."

I watched him walk away and bit down hard on my lip.

It felt as if a silver blade had been driven straight through my heart. It left me in so much pain that I could barely stand.

I didn't even have the strength to cry anymore.

Once my application to the werewolf warrior isolated training camp was approved, I would leave this place forever.

I didn't want a single one of these hypocritical family members anymore.