Chapter Two
5
The roar of the engine faded into the
distance, along with the laughter and chatter
of the family.
Through the rear window of the gleaming
BMW, I could make out Lily at the wheel, her dog, Buddy, riding shotgun, Mom and Dad chatting happily in the back.
The dizziness from low blood sugar blurred
my vision.
I bought another ramen cup from the corner store, borrowed some hot water from the
owner, and wolfed it down on the curb
Г
outside my house.
Truthfully, my family wasn’t poor.
Mom was a registered nurse, but she was a
stay–at–home mom because Dad was
incredibly successful in real estate.
He’d landed a job right out of college and
quickly rose to become a director.
After we were born, he’d bought four condos
in the city, planning to give one to each of us
and Mom. He wanted a third child, but that
plan fell through.
Even though the market later tanked and his
company teetered on the brink of collapse,
we still lived comfortably off rental income.
But that money wasn’t for me.
Dad worked long hours and was hardly ever
home. I lived at Mom’s whim. I needed her
approval for everything.
Over time, I only ate to survive, quickly
swallowing a few bites and putting down my
く
chopsticks.
Every dish was custom–made for Lily.
If I ate even a little more, she’d find a reason
to scold me.
“Carolyn! What are you doing eating out
here?”
Mrs. Davis, my friendly neighbor, approached
- me.
To hide my teary eyes, I quickly lowered my
head.
She knew about Lily’s extravagant coming-
of–age party. She asked what I received for
my birthday, if it was a car too.
I swallowed the last of my broth, wiped my
mouth, and let out a wry smile.
“A leukemia diagnosis, and a two–thousand-
dollar ‘severance package‘.”
I didn’t know why I blurted that out.
It was probably the culmination of all my
emotions finally crushing me.
Mrs. Davis slapped her thigh.
“The poor thing! You’re only eighteen, about
to go to college, why would you get this
disease!”
She pulled me towards her house.
“Sweetie, no more junk food, come have
lunch with me! I made too much stew, it’ll go
to waste!”
Mrs. Davis lied.
The beef was fresh from her freezer.
She sipped her broth (it was just cilantro!),
while my bowl was piled high with meat.
Tears welled up in my eyes.
It was the most delicious and also the saltiest
meal I’d ever eaten.
I don’t remember how I left.
I only knew that when I came to, I had an
extra envelope in my pocket with $7,123.
I knocked on Mrs. Davis’s door to return the
money, but she gently pushed me away.
<
“Carolyn, honey, it’s your birthday. You visit
every New Year, and Aunt Davis never gave
you any money, so I saved it for you today!
Don’t you want it? Is it too little?”
She stuffed a bag of apples in my arms and
walked me to my doorstep.
I couldn’t bring myself to tell her.
My parents had kicked me out, taking my
keys.
I couldn’t go home.
I had no home.
In the evening, while wandering aimlessly, I
received a call from an unknown number.
“Hello, I’m from the medical center, are you
Carolyn Miller? Is Lily your sister?“.
“We’re so sorry, we mixed up the reports. You
received each other’s results, but the
information is correct.”
“To apologize for the error, we will refund
your exam fees.”
So, it wasn’t me!
After the initial shock, sadness returned.
Lily was still my sister.
My inherent kindness led me to call my
parents.
But the exclamation mark on my texts and the
busy signal told me.
They’d blocked me everywhere.
