3
Mom’s words stung.
Because she was a single mother, she was
overly strict with us, fearing gossip.
But her strictness wasn’t equal.
She treated me like a criminal and Sarah like
a prized possession.
If I didn’t do my homework, she’d rip up my
textbooks and throw them away, leaving me
to face ridicule at school.
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If Sarah skipped her homework, she’d get a
mild scolding.
If I broke a dish, I’d kneel outside in the
freezing cold all night.
If Sarah broke one, she’d get a slap on the
wrist.
I often wondered if I was adopted. I even took
a DNA test as an adult.
The results confirmed I was her daughter.
After Sarah pushed me into the boiling water
in my past life, I was still clinging to life.
When Mom arrived, she didn’t even look at
- me. She fussed over Sarah, checking if her
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With my last breath, I asked her why she
favored Sarah.
She gave me a disgusted look. “I don’t play
favorites! You’re just jealous, that’s why you
think I’m biased. Sarah never complains.”
I knew the real reason: Sarah was prettier.
Mom always said beauty was an asset. She
believed Sarah could marry rich and improve
our lives, so she bet everything on Sarah’s
marriage prospects.
Despite her reluctance, Mom didn’t force
Sarah to go on the date.
But unwilling to let the opportunity go to
waste, she sent me to meet Chad.
く
On the way, she warned, “Don’t mention your
past relationships to Chad. You’re already not
much to look at; if you talk about your…
history… he’ll definitely be turned off.”
Sometimes I wondered if Mom was blind.
Sarah could stay out all night, and Mom
assumed she was being a good girl. I came
home on time every day, informing her of my
whereabouts, yet she still saw me as
promiscuous.
Luckily, Chad didn’t seem to mind my looks.
In my past life, I had a negative impression of
him because of what happened with Sarah.
But after talking to him this time, I realized he
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was a decent guy. Polite, well–informed.
Just like Mom said, his only requirement was
a chaste partner. This wasn’t unreasonable,
especially given his background. He was a
catch, and women threw themselves at him.
Yet, he remained a virgin. He held himself to
high standards, so it wasn’t surprising he had
similar expectations for a partner.
We clicked.
We went on a few more dates, and our
connection deepened.
After our last date, I started thinking maybe
this rebirth wasn’t about revenge, but about
setting things right, about me ending up with
Chad.
For a moment, I thought marrying him.
wouldn’t be so bad.
But I didn’t expect that after Chad agreed to
get engaged to me, Sarah would break up
with Tom.
When she saw Chad at our house, she pulled
Mom aside for a private conversation.
The next day, Mom told me, “Break up with
Chad. Your sister wants to be with him.”
It felt like a punch to the gut. I was stunned.
“Doesn’t Sarah have some kind of sick
obsession with stealing boyfriends? She took
Tom, that garbage human, and now, when
Chad and I are about to get engaged, she
wants to steal him too? Is she addicted to
being a homewrecker?”
Mom slapped me across the face.
“Sarah is your sister! How dare you speak
about her like that! I was going to introduce
Chad to Sarah in the first place. You’re the
one who stole him from her!”
The slap stung, and with it, the last vestiges
of love I had for Mom vanished.
I snapped. “Even if that’s true, Chad is my
boyfriend now. Let’s see if you can make him
fall for Sarah!”
I couldn’t stay in that house another second. I
grabbed my bag and ran.
I knew if Sarah wanted Chad, Mom would
make it happen.
But I had faith in Chad. He wasn’t like Tom.
I stayed out all day, replaying the events of
the day and my past life in my head. Both
lives felt incredibly unfair.
I decided that once I was engaged to Chad,
I’d move out.
But just a few hours later, before I’d even
gone home, Chad called.
“Amy,” he said, “I think we should break up.”
My voice trembled. “Why? Is it because of
Sarah?”
There was a long silence. Then Chad
admitted, “Amy, you’re smart. You know that
<
guys like me, in this social circle, need à
beautiful woman on their arm. You and your
sister are otherwise identical, so of course
I’m going to choose the more attractive one.
وو
“I’m sorry. I’ll give you some compensation,
but I hope you won’t make a fuss. We can still
be friends.”
Friends, my ass.
I hung up and smashed my phone.
After a few deep breaths, the tears came, hot
and heavy.
I picked up the pieces of my phone, intending
to delete all the pictures of Chad and me.
As I scrolled through them, my eyes widened.
A few minutes later, all my anger and
resentment were replaced by a cold, hard
resolve.
If everyone was going to screw me over, I’d
screw them right back.
